For decades now whenever I see intolerance, bigotry, hypocrisy, homophobia or the like it's almost certainly coming from someone who claims to be a "good, God fearing Christian". From the haters who won't pizza-cater a gay wedding to the folks who think that THEY should be the ones deciding about what happens with a woman's lady parts instead of her, they're spreading their bile in a whole lot of places.
As someone who tries to follow the instructions Jesus gave us when he walked on the earth, I'm offended, saddened, and hurt by the association with these people. No, I can't call them Christians. Christians follow the teachings and example of Jesus, or try to. These people are Bible Thumpers who use The Bible as a weapon instead of reading and following the teachings of Christ.
I've had enough, so I'm going to thump The Bible right back at them after the cheese curl. And I'll use only one of the 4 Gospels (Matthew) to take them to school.
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Let me start with Matthew 7:3
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
That's right all you sanctimonious, self-righteous, meddling scolds! Pay attention to your own business and stop butting your noses into other people's lives and personal affairs. It's none of your business and I'll bet your own pile of sinfulness is bigger than Mount Everest. In other words, stop throwing stones from your glass house.
Add, this one, too, as a reminder:
Matthew 7:1
Judge not, that ye be not judged.
The cherry on top of the hypocrite sundae:
Matthew 23:27
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
You see, Pharisees were considered the most clean and righteous men and went about in arrogance. It was a Pharisee who also passed by an injured man in the Good Samaritan story rather than stop and help him because he didn't want to be made "unclean" by touching him.
The modern day Pharisees that you see pushing for an end to family planning services and reproductive choice likely whisk their own daughters off for services they deny to others. And those who condemn our LGBT brothers and sisters haven't come to terms with their own sexuality or choose to hide it. And those who try to end social programs or needed assistance for others don't want their own special tax breaks or subsidies to end.
And then there are all of those "family values" preaching politicians literally caught with their pants down with their mistresses, prostitutes, or watching their Appalachian Trails excuses fall apart publicly. I don't care about what they do privately, but I hate their hypocrisy.
And then there are a few words to the holier than thou out there in public talking about what "good Christians" they are.
Mathew 6:5-6
[5] And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
[6] But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Yup. All the public bleating about what godly and good you are, how much effort you're putting into cramming your favorite religion into our public schools, courthouses, and public buildings while condemnation of anything secular is in vain. God doesn't want it.
And a word to those who love to punch downwards:
Matthew 23:34 - 40
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
This is my personal favorite for anyone trying to cut food stamps, unemployment compensation, housing assistance, or our other social programs. Jesus tells us to see HIM whenever we see someone in need. These passages really take the wind from the sails of Paul Ryan's boat, The Hammock Laying Moocher.
On top of that, I think anyone supporting or voting for a candidate or office-holder knowing that their goal is to take away from the needy and vulnerable, is equally at risk of being turned away at the Pearly Gates for failing to follow the teachings Jesus outlined. Jesus didn't talk about sexual orientation, abortion, white superiority, or the suppression of women - not one word - but those who claim to be his followers focus exclusively on those areas.
I keep thinking I should send Bibles to Pat Robertson, Rick Santorum, Mike Huckabee, Paul Ryan, Scott Walker and all the Bible Thumpers out there with instructions to read all those words written in red inside. They're the words spoken by Jesus and, by their continuing actions, they seriously need to get acquainted with them.
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