Yesterday I received a communication from a reader about shabby Christian behavior and, you guessed it, somehow it translated into the Bible being a bunch of malarkey and even Christ being a made up figure. This gentleman’s issue was the terrible treatment of Native Americans at the hands of white Christians who invaded their land and conquered it centuries ago.
Then I was told that Christians launched the Crusades against Muslims. As the thread continued it seems all Christians were labeled as bloodthirsty savages hell bent upon destroying anyone who disagrees with them.
I reminded this fellow that Christians are being raped, murdered, and held as slaves today in many countries around the world simply because of their faith in Jesus Christ. Their wives, children, land, possessions, and lives are being taken from them at this very moment and Christians don’t have the corner on the market of perpetuating crimes upon those who hold different belief systems.
Ours is not a Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Native American, or any other people group problem, it is a problem of evil. Atrocities have occurred since the dawn of time with Cain and Abel. Yes Christians have behaved badly, but so have all other religions and the worst of them were the non-Christian atheists like Stalin, Hitler, Lenin, Pot Pol, Mussolini, Idi Amin, and other despots who murdered millions. There is no shortage of evil from any quarter.
I told this gentleman that God created the world to be good and it was good. We were instructed not to sin, or there would be a heavy price to pay – death! But that command was ignored and the dominion of the world was turned over to satan, and evil and death replaced good.
In spite of all logic my friend continued to hurl insults towards all Christians, because some of them treated Native Americans so callously.
Hmmm . . . I’ve never treated a Native American shabbily and I’m a Christian. I’ve never read anything that suggested that Jesus Christ ever treated anyone including Native Americans shabbily; in fact just the opposite His ministry was one of love to all people.
So why blame Him and/or His body of believers?
This guy should blame sin. Those who claimed to be Christians that persecuted those Indians weren’t following the teachings of the Gospel. They were sinning against it.
If someone wants to get on a guilt trip over something that happened centuries or even thousands of years ago, I say have at it, but don’t blame Christ or me for my love for Him. I look at these atrocities of the past like I look at slavery. I’ve never owned a slave, not have I had a desire to own one. Nor have I ever raided a single Indian village so why should I be blamed for racial injustice that happened before I was a twinkle in my great grandad’s eye? Who knows whether or not my distant relatives were slaves somewhere at some point in time themselves, or perhaps they were slave owners. That was them and I am me. They must account for their own lives before God just as I will have to account for mine.
I reminded this person that not one person currently walking the earth is without sin and I readily admitted that I’m a sinner. When the adulteress was facing death by stoning, Jesus said, “Let those of you who are without sin hurl the first stone”. Not one stone was thrown that day. The same point can be made this morning as we try and condemn Christians or anyone else – (past or present). My point is that judging and condemning are not our jobs. God is the judge and He will condemn or grant mercy.
We are all guilty of sin and in need of Christ. He is the only hope of a sin free existence where atrocities will never occur. God had mercy on us while we were yet sinners and He sent his Son Jesus Christ to die in order that we could be free from sin’s insidious grip. Don’t blame Him because people who claim to represent him break His commands.
I wish that we as Christians would act like Christ at all times, but we don’t. We must answer to God and He is the one who judges and it is He that will deal appropriately with all sin at a time of his choosing including those who ravaged Native Americans. I look forward to a time when all things will be good again . . .
Rev. 21:4
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
September 9, 2015 – Click here to listen