Something interesting just happened to me. I was on Facebook checking the status of friends when I noticed a status update regarding the death of Ted Kennedy that was pretty virulent and full of hate. It was posted by a one Jimmy Hall. I don’t really know who Jimmy Hall is, was, I just know that a friend suggested that I add this person because they were going through a tough time. So I did and I thought I might have the opportunity to reach out.
So, Jimmy’s status posting really disturbed me on a couple of levels. One was that it seemed so angry and the other was that it was full of hatred toward the Kennedy’s and anyone who might have supported Teddy’s politics.
Some one before me posted a response something like; “You must not have been hugged as a child, where is your decency”…or something along those lines. That poster met Jimmy’s FB comment wrath.
I decided that I could not and would not support Jimmy’s posting by saying nothing; so I posted a reply similar to the following; “the last time I checked, Jesus paid the ransom for the Kennedy’s too, where is the love of Christ. If Jesus Christ had a problem with anyone it was the self-righteous religious Pharisee types.”
Jimmy replied with the following: “Derek, you seem to be ill-informed. You have to accept Christ and repent to be a saved Christian. Ted PURPOSEFULLY sinned and supported anti-Christian policies for his entire life. Jesus and God are NOT all about love. There is also a time for hate, the hating of sin and the enemies of God. Where is the hatred of sin in your message? You act like you or Ted can do as you please and still be a Christian. You should read scripture and maybe begin with the Book Of Romans.”
So I turned to Romans, formulated a response to Jimmy and found that I had been removed as his friend and blocked.
Here is my response to Jimmy Hall: Do we not all sin purposefully, yet in Romans it says: “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Is this not exactly what I was getting at in the first place? God shows His love for us even in our sinful state. Jimmy, you would condone hatred of other people that Christ paid the ransom for, and you make it sound as if it is right for the Christian to hate. But quoting from Romans; I would say “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” I don’t think hating other human beings is part of the message of Christ. Again from Romans; “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
I do hate sin. I hate the sin in me. I hate the harm and pain that sin causes. But I must love my fellow human being, regardless of their station, status, politics, denomination, etc; because Christ first loved me.
Now as one Christian brother to another I believe in being straight forward. You, Jimmy Hall, are a coward for making an angry hate filled status posting and then blocking anyone who disagrees with your position. My hope is that was would all find the love of Christ for all of our neighbors.
Tags: christian hate, facebook