Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Persuasion (not about the book) (09/01/11)
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TITLE: An Eternal Fate Worse Than Homosexuality | Previous Challenge Entry
By K Godfrey Easter
09/07/11 -
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I never desired fortune or fame from my gift. All my life, all I ever wanted is to worship God in church, in peace, while utilizing the gift only God has imparted unto me. But nowadays, called and divinely appointed abusers, bullies and manipulators in high places of spiritual authority have so twisted sacred Scripture until the hell-shattering, category-five Hurricane that Christ unleashed on humanity long ago has been all but downgraded to a hazy, isolated thunderstorm. Then, as if the church isn’t dark enough, sightless wolves continue spending billions, drawing millions of innocent lambs into their wicked packs of whitewashed perplexity.
Reluctantly, I still play the organ for a Christian Methodist Episcopal church located in Washington State, USA. The divorced, female pastor of this religious igloo routinely preaches against homosexuality, using the culturally explosive topic to tickling her congregation’s ears in hopes of moving along her many, dry, utterly lifeless sermons along. While extolling the benefits of God’s grace, she spews fear based messages. If she accurately understood God’s unmerited favor, she’d see that her other fingers point right back at her whenever she points them at anyone else. Some ask, “Well, why don’t you just go to another church?” Where? To the Missionary Baptist Coven down the street that I just abandoned? That divorced “doctor” also preaches grace. But away from the pulpit, he casts powerful lies and corrupt persuasions, as skillfully as any seasoned witch. Over the years, I’ve deserted my gift at the altar more than once because of zealous, un-ripened shepherds like these. Christianity’s infested with them.
When I travel through the Gospels, I never see Jesus, upon whom the essence of Christianity supposedly rests, ever preaching directly against homosexuality. In fact, I hardly hear Him calling out any sexual sins, except divorce, while warning that it always births adultery – an obviously overtly hetero-Christian sin. This is not to say that homosexuality isn’t sinful. I’m just saying that there are spiritual sins and an eternal fate far worse than homosexuality or even being gay in the eyes of the Father and King. According to the Gospel, there are weightier sins, like injustice, unfairness and untrustworthiness, sin that Christian pulpits are blatantly guilty of committing.
There existed a spiritually confusing climate much like today when Christ was formally introduced by God to a fallen and equally confused humanity. He was unveiled as the loving, restoring, grace-filled, gentle, yet powerfully liberating Lamb of God. But, when dealing with the corrupt church of His day, the leaders ordained by God to represent the light of God’s love to a fallen and world, He left no room for misinterpretation. Referring to greedy, abusive, and apathetic shepherds as, “Hypocrites!”, “Frauds!”, and “blind guides”, Jesus was often found vehemently voicing stern Kingdom protests against the tyrannical religious system He was born into. Often beginning sentences with precautionary words like “Verily…” and “Beware…,” Christ cried loud spared not against the spiritual inequities He witnessed at the hands of church leadership. He did it then and by His grace, I’m following in His footsteps, the only ones I trust anymore.
The light illuminating from Christianity is supposed to outshine everything else around; hence the phrase, ‘The Body of Christ.” Today, the saint can’t be distinguished from the sinner, the church from the world, light from darkness. Jesus prophesied of the “…great falling away” near the end. But, who would have guessed that its leadership would be the cause of Christianity’s demise? If God didn’t spare Israel, what makes shepherds today think that they stand a chance following in the same footsteps of the Pharisees and Sadducees?
The worst state in which we could be is blind but completely convinced we see. That’s darkness, sure enough. But, when shepherds rely on evil to grow God’s sheep instead of trusting God’s power to grow us, well that’s utter darkness. And if the light that surrounds us is, itself, utterly dark, then how great is our darkness?
Genuine, Christ-centered love is the only escape from this blind pit that the church has led itself into (again), not fear-based, controlling tactics of human persuasion.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
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First of all, I realize that you probably aren't saying this, but I would caution against making sweeping judgements, by using phrases like "in general" and "some" because I don't think all Christians and all churches are as you portray.
Again, there are some good truths in here. Keep writing!