by Gary Petty
Do you remember this childhood comeback? "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." That old saying just is not true. Anyone who has suffered ridicule, slander or verbal attacks knows that words are powerful and can be used as weapons to hurt others.
Tell a child long enough that she is stupid or that he is ugly, and eventually he or she will begin to believe you. Parents and children, husbands and wives, the dearest of friends have been separated for a lifetime because of hurtful words spat out in a time of anger.
Words have been used to incite riots and wars, promote racism and ruin the reputations of good people. Hate speech is a term used for words used to denigrate and hurt others.
Christian hate speech?
Sometimes Christians are accused of hate speech because of their positions on abortion and gay rights. Some opponents claim that Jesus said that we should not judge one another. This becomes an excuse to accept almost any behavior as Christian. In reality, not only nonreligious people but also most religious people would be terribly offended if they read the Bible and knew what Jesus really taught.
Here is the heart of the problem. A person, if he or she is to be a true Christian, must not only accept Jesus as Savior, but also accept the teachings of Jesus and live by them. The hard truth is that many professing Christians don't know or have outright rejected the teachings of Jesus. It is these teachings that provide a moral compass, a direction finder on how to deal with life's problems. Without this moral compass, a set of rules that define right and wrong for everyone, people simply make up their own definitions of morality.
Christ expects Christians to influence society through example. He told His disciples that you cannot hide the light of a city on a hill. True Christianity isn't meant to be lived in the shadows. When one takes a stand for the good of family values, sexual morality and the human dignity of a fetus, one will draw the criticism of detractors.
However, how can Christianity have a positive impact on society when so many of those who claim to follow Christ do not live by what He taught? Christianity is losing the public battle because we are losing the private battles inside our own lives. All too many Christians would rather "trust their hearts" than actually follow the teachings of the Founder of their religion.
The result is that in many churches what passes for the teachings of Jesus is based more on postmodernism or New Age thought than the Bible.
Then there is the inevitable accusation, "Christians just want to force their ways on others, and they're a bunch of hypocrites who don't live by what they preach." We need to face these detractors and admit that there are no perfect Christians, but there is a perfect way of life taught by the Creator of life. That way of life is worth striving to achieve because it is the only way to universal peace and happiness.
The positive message
Christians who understand the teachings of Jesus do not use words to incite violence, but they must speak out against issues like racism, abortion, dishonesty and injustice.
Because Christians are sometimes noted for what we stand against, it is easy to forget what Christians support—family, the basic value and dignity of every human life, the message of the Creator's desire to change our lives for the better, the eternal meaning found in suffering and death, and the promise of an afterlife. What good is it to claim that something is wrong without presenting solutions to the problems?
True Christianity is about change—change at the very core of who you are. Human beings naturally want to live a way of get—"get what is mine," "defend my rights," "blame my problems on someone else." Jesus Christ taught a way of give, personal responsibility and dedication to standards of behavior established by the Creator.
Be honest with yourself. How different would everything around you be if you, and everyone else, approached every situation with the simple idea of, "What can I do that is good for the other person?" Don't use the excuse, "No one else will live that way, so why should I?" The world changes one person at a time. Let it start with you.
The way of life taught by Jesus isn't easy. It is the only way that will bring real happiness, meaning and peace into your life.
The message of Jesus
Nearly 2,000 years ago Jesus of Nazareth walked the dusty roads of Judea promoting a message of God's love. His entire message hinged on two main ideas of how human beings should respond to God: love toward God and love toward neighbor. The way of give. It's really a simple concept—treat your neighbor as you wish to be treated and commit your life to loving, obeying and worshipping the Creator.
You might wonder why such a simple message would get the Messenger killed. You see, Jesus also was quick to point out the moral weaknesses of society. He openly denounced religious practices that were not acceptable to the worship of the Creator. He avoided political entanglements and criticized leaders who were unjust. He told people that they had to take responsibility for their lives and be willing to admit when they were wrong.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said that it's not just immoral to commit murder, a truly moral person learns to control anger. He even condemned real hate speech. Jesus also taught that a truly moral person not only avoids sexual relationships outside of marriage, but avoids sexual thoughts about someone who isn't his or her spouse.
This may seem like an impossible standard, but Jesus taught that it is one worth striving to achieve. It is time for Christians to stop being intimidated by those who attack the teachings of Jesus and the Bible as hate speech. In the arena of debate about the meaning of human life, the only workable answers come from the Creator of life.
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