Based on the title, I’m sure
everyone is a little hesitant to read, but don’t be! I am not writing to say
who is right or wrong, what is justified and what is not, what makes someone a
Christian and what deems them as a disgrace to Christianity and lastly, what
makes a person “good” or “bad”. That is not for me to decide, nor any other
person reading this. Society seems to think they know how to classify people
pretty well in these last few weeks.
If you haven’t been living under a
rock for the last few weeks then I’m sure you know what’s been going on in our
country involving marriage equality, the notion to ban the Confederate Flag,
and more recently the shooting of Marines in Chattanooga and the attack on
Planned Parenthood services. My newsfeed has been filled with all of it, we are
almost forced to read something almost daily about what is in the news,
regardless of whether we want to read it or not. We don’t just see the articles
posted and shared by friends but we also see the occasional belief or opinion
of a friend when the news is shared. I haven’t shared an opinion or belief on
any matter publicly. Do I have opinions and belief on each and every topic?
Absolutely. Do I stand up for what I believe in with a full heart? Of course.
Everyone has a right to their own opinion and the right to a freedom of
speech. Friends, acquaintances,
strangers, they all have the right to post whatever they believe wherever they
want to be heard and I have no issue with that. What I have an issue with is
people being hateful, rude and out of line.
We are all God’s children. Some
people think that is one of the biggest clichés, whether you are a Christian or
not, we are all human. No single person can justify what is right or wrong. If
this is a Christianity call, and telling someone they are less Christian for
their beliefs that alone makes you less Christian for deciding that. Only God
can judge us. I enjoy seeing people post, learning more, and learning more
about a person based on how they feel towards the situation. I believe that
everyone can have an opinion. I believe that those opinions and beliefs should
be shared however they want. I believe that people should be able to talk to
one another and learn from each other. I DON’T believe that we, as a society,
as individuals, as equal humans should be the one to decide whether it’s right
or wrong, justified or not, Christian or not, and good or bad.
It makes me sad to see what some
are saying to others based off their beliefs and opinions. We all get a little
heated at times and don’t think before we speak, or in most cases, type.
Remember the people you are responding to are typically people you have a
relationship with, don’t ruin that relationship by something typed in the heat
of the moment. I think we all need to take a moment to pray and ask for
guidance, acceptance towards others and a clean heart.
As my mom and dad always say, “if
you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”
“There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able
to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?” James 4:12
“A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts
himself.” Proverbs 11:17
