“I have seen your religion, and I hate it.
I have heard your doctrine, and I loathe it…”
Click to read the whole thing, it’s very good, but it made me sad too, because these divisions run so deep, so entwined in politics and a powerful need to dehumanize those perceived as the opposition, as the enemy. How can one even begin a conversation with those who insist some of us are nothing more than “fat sheep with our worshiptainment” who hate the poor and the sick?
Some of us actually are the “least of these,” tossed aside in a church torn apart by politics where doctrine is all but forgotten as we build golden calves to issues and political correctness, drinking in endless propaganda, demanding one swear allegiance to melting glaciers and the LGBT lobby rather than to Jesus Christ.
Is it possible that we do not always know what we think we know, that those we are so quick to dismiss as “haters” may simply have the eyes to see things we cannot see? Are we not plugging our ears and refusing to listen, convinced we have the copyright on what Real Love is all about?
Hatred is a pre-existing condition, one that often drives us to self-righteously point fingers at others, to dismiss and dehumanize them, to say things like, “may God throw you into the sea. And the horse you rode in on,” as if those we disagree with are the condemned, the non elect, the outcasts in our country club of worldly issues that All the Right People will swear allegiance to.
He dined with the tax collectors and the pharisee, too. “Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?….. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
How quickly we forget that, how fast we are to declare our hands to be clean, to offer up our own brothers and sisters in a some kind of perverse plea bargain deal, as if we can just virtue signal our own way to salvation.
I used to believe in common ground and common bread, as if unity would be a simple matter of just starting a conversation, coming together and finding middle ground, but I no longer believe, because I’ve read far too many powerful bits of poetry full of condemnation, revoking salvation, speaking words of hatred and death over others, vehemently declaring, “may God throw you into the sea.”
It’s ironic to me how quickly we become the very thing we oppose, the thing we claim to hate.
So I no longer believe in a middle ground, in compromise, in restorative justice with those who cannot set down their little spears and simply return to the gospel, to the good news, to the victory we have in Jesus Christ.
I’ve been swimming in the sea for a very long time. If people like David Barnhart actually cared, they would ask me why and listen.
wzippler said:
I am not a Friedrich Nietzsche fan, but he was right, when he said “Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
After so many red herrings, and Ad hominems , it is difficult not to respond in kind. Sometimes you have to take a step back from apologetics, and focus on your relationship with Jesus. After you have refilled your spiritual batteries, you are better able to hunt monstrous ideas, without becoming the monster.
LikeLiked by 3 people
insanitybytes22 said:
Really well said. Thanks, I appreciate your comment.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Bonsai said:
Wow I read the poem. Kind of sickening actually. My children make fun of me for believing and taunt me sometimes. Do we taunt non-believers?
LikeLiked by 1 person
insanitybytes22 said:
Thanks for saying that. I felt a wee bit sick myself. 🙂
LikeLike
wzippler said:
Unfortunately some “Christians” do taunt unbelievers. My husband and daughter are both atheist, and it saddens me to know end how many people started treating my daughter like trash the moment they found out that she wasn’t a Christian.
LikeLiked by 1 person
insanitybytes22 said:
I’m so sorry. I will apologize and intercede on behalf of all the thoughtless and careless Christians in the world. I have to do that sometimes, pray that their hearts will be softened and their eyes will be opened.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wally Fry said:
Yeah, that was sad. A lot of it simply untrue as well.
Hey IB..you are one of my favorite blog peeps, so don’t be put off by my somewhat objection to something you said.
“So I no longer believe in a middle ground, in compromise, in restorative justice with those who cannot set down their little spears and simply return to the gospel, to the good news, to the victory we have in Jesus Christ.”
No middle ground…agreed
No compromise…agreed.
No restorative justice? Well, I am writing on that as you know, and I think you missed it on that one. Restoration is always an option. If folks lay down their spears, return and repent, we must allow them to be restored to us. Painful, and it pretty much sucks to be honest. But, it is true. Jesus put up with a whole lot worse from us, and never cut us off.
Just sayin. Otherwise, good stuff like always.
LikeLiked by 2 people
insanitybytes22 said:
Interesting , Wally! I get it, because you’re thinking of people being restored to “us.” Return and repent…to us! Oh yes, absolutely! I’m all for that.
But I’m on the other side of the world, I’m the one on the outside, I’m the one who’s supposed to repent, I’m the one whose supposed to be restored. A couple of people sent me a link to that poem and I just suddenly realized, I have absolutely no interest in being reconciled to people who want God to toss me in the sea. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wally Fry said:
Ok. I can roll with that for sure. We can’t cross to the other side ever. They can always come back this way though
LikeLiked by 2 people
craftysurf said:
Throw me in the Sea, I like to surf 🏄🏼♀️
LikeLiked by 1 person
insanitybytes22 said:
Ha! Well there you go. 🙂
LikeLike
MJThompson said:
Oh, wow! This is a most serious indictment against the church. Whether or not it is warranted, each and every believer must search their souls for an appropriate answer.
Of course, reading the ‘poem ’provided by means of a LINK, is essential to gaining a proper perspective from which to judge – but judgment, no – DISCERNMENT must be exercised. An objective reading of the comments posted below the ‘poem’ should provide more fodder for your cannon.
The idea that this was produced by a true born again believer is NOT consistent with my experience or theology. But that is NOT an excuse, nor a reason to nullify the reality of the criticism. The FACT is many like-minded persons have similar LEGITIMATE gripes against their perceptions of the church, and worse – Christ.
It is no sudden revelation to realize that in many places, in numerous ways, Christ is completely misrepresented by persons claiming to know and love Him. Hypocrisy, traditions of men, false doctrines have plagued the church for centuries and taken captive many who have become disillusioned by such blight.
But it is nothing new, and true believers know that Jesus Himself warned about such things. Grace prevails and constantly under-girds our faith so that it remains true that “greater is He that is within us, than he that is in the world” – 1Jn. 4:4.
“For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many”- Mt. 24:5.
As sad as it shall always be to think that one once thought to be numbered among us has betrayed his former faith and denounced the Lord, Scripture also warns that while this may appear to be the case, in reality – it is merely another deception.
“These enemies of Christ were in our fellowship, but they left us. They went out from us; probably to form a rival fellowship. They never really belonged to us; they were not of us. For if they had been truly a part of us, they would have ·stayed, remained and abided with us. But they left, and this shows [or so that it would be shown] that none of them really belonged to us” – 1Jn. 2:19.
The ‘poem’ , represents an ideology prevalent in today’s society. The classic case of ‘throwing the baby out with the bathwater’ is evident. Rather than investigating the true source of their discontent, they blame GOD, while claiming they do not believe in Him!
Accusations against the organized church are never-the-less appropriate where the church is apostate. A reading of the first three chapters of Revelation (the letters to the seven churches) support the claim of the hypocrisy, false doctrines, and debauchery existing within the so-called church. However, religion was NEVER intended to replace a right personal relationship with God in Christ.
LikeLiked by 1 person
insanitybytes22 said:
It really was a powerful piece of poetry, an indictment against the church, indeed. Not all valid,not all fair, but still a few good points. Ideally this would be a great conversation starter, the beginning of a dialogue ,but alas, we seem to be living in a post conversation world.
That’s my new term for the world today, post conversation. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: The Weekly Headlines – My Daily Musing
ColorStorm said:
@ib22
To be fair, there is another component that is rarely addressed, and that is the unfair or biased perception of HOW unbelievers are treated because of what they do not like to hear.
Sin isn’t pretty. A believer who does not participate in the Howard Stern or Sarah Silverman comedy is looked at as ‘superior,’ but nothing could be further from the truth. We just find vile distasting. So yeah, this reluctance to join in the reindeer games could be viewed as arrogance, and believers could be unfairly accused of pride, just for enjoying daylight.
We are not better than non believers. But we certainly are different. The believers I know are sensitive to family who are hurting, non judgmental, considerate, and it is certainly easy to paint all believers as frauds, while a few feet away is a believer who is walking in the light and love of God and scripture, who somehow is non existent to an unbeliever.
But your hatred as a ‘pre existing condition’ made me smile. We just borrow what already exists. But no, believers do not hate unbelievers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
t boost said:
Cheers! Loads of posts. http://tboostmax.hatenadiary.jp/
LikeLike
Tanya MacPherson said:
Hey! Loved this, would you check out https://tanyatale.wordpress.com/2017/08/25/poetry-with-deveaux-fraiser-cracked/
This guy is a amazing poet and I’d love for you to see his work
LikeLike