“...there are always folks who fancy themselves bouncers to the heavenly banquet, charged with keeping the wrong people away from the table and out of the church. Evangelicalism in particular has seen a resurgence in border patrol Christianity in recent years, as alliances and coalitions formed around shared theological distinctives elevate secondary issues to primary ones and declare anyone who fails to conform to their strict set of beliefs and behaviors unfit for Christian fellowship. Committed to purifying the church of every errant thought, difference of opinion, or variation in practice, these self-appointed gatekeepers tie up heavy loads of legalistic rules and place them on weary people’s shoulders. They strain out the gnats in everyone else’s theology while swallowing their own camel-sized inconsistencies. They slam the door of the kingdom in people’s faces and tell them to come back when they are sober, back on their feet, Republican, Reformed, doubtless, submissive, straight. But the gospel doesn’t need a coalition devoted to keeping the wrong people out. It needs a family of sinners, saved by grace, committed to tearing down the walls, throwing open the doors, and shouting, “Welcome! There’s bread and wine. Come eat with us and talk.” This isn’t a kingdom for the worthy; it’s a kingdom for the hungry.”
I know the feeling. I’ve meet some church bouncers and border patrol Christians.
One fine old church lady had some choice words for me when I was passing out literature exposing political candidates who believe it’s ok to sadistically kill unborn babies by abortion. An old man at another church parking lot took my papers and threw them in the air and laughed as they fell to the ground.
I was also shamed by a lady belonging to a progressive church for not supporting the first woman gubernatorial candidate in our state. The reason I didn’t support the lady candidate was because she’s ok with killing unborn people. Later however, I supported another woman candidate running for the same office but who had more civilized views about all people—even the unborn.
Another time, I had a progressive dog lover/conservative hater who point blank said he was sorry I didn’t die in Vietnam. I don’t know what church he belonged but I know churches where he would be welcome just the way he is, without changing a thing. I guess since some churches believe it’s already ok to kill nameless babies why not welcome a likeminded person who wishes to abort people years after birth simply for holding the wrong political view.
I have more to tell but I’ll close with the following
In another case. I saw an add in a paper advertising a Bible study on a college campus. So I called the number and spoke with the lady leading it.
She said the group was a discussion group and yes she welcomed people of differing points of view but she stressed the fact the group was liberal.
I told her I like liberals
But she said she didn't believe in having, “those who think they’re right and everyone else wrong,” type of person come to the Bible study.
So I politely asked if I could repeat what she had just said concerning, “those who think they are right while everyone else’s wrong”. I wanted to make sure I understood.
She agreed I could repeat. After I repeated her statement, she politely replied, “yes, that’s what I said, l don’t believe it’s ok to think you’re right while saying everyone else is wrong”.
So I asked her, “is what you just said then, the only right way to believe and those who disagree are all wrong?”
She laughed and replied, “ok, you got me, I’ll have to work on that.”
The moral of my last account is this. Often those who are fond of accusing others of being exclusive, judgement and all that, practice the very same but just don’t know it.
If you can demand that people stay off of your threads, then I can demand that people, namely you, stay off my threads. I am merely following your example.
