It pains me to see the church and Christianity shrouded in hate because of the Westboro Baptist Church. Being a church-goer from the age of 1, the church has always been a second home. It was a place to play and a place to learn--a place of safety. I never saw my church go out into the streets and shove the word of God down someone's throat. I never saw my church picket funerals or damn unbelievers to Hell. This isn't a church. My church helps the homeless. My church goes on missions to Haiti or some other impoverished area and host a fun activity time for kids, implementing God and Jesus whenever.
In Jonathan Edwards' sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Edwards uses fear, stemming from his vivid, fiery imagery and accusatory tone, to cause a change in the hearts of unbelievers. The sermons I hear these days are no where near as powerful as Edwards'. Jonathan Edwards focuses his attention on the wrath of God and Hell, while preachers today focus on Heaven and how good God is. The times have changed and the Westboro Baptist Church are still living in the 1600s.
This church is labeled as a hate group. Using fear to show people their sinful ways, the Westboro Baptist Church has only tainted the image of Christianity. We aren't extremists trying to dictate the beliefs of others--at least, I'm not. I strongly believe in an open mind to all religions, speaking my part when the time comes. Practice whatever religion you want; I don't see anything wrong with that.
I agree. Church and religion should be kept personal, and if one person does not believe in the same religion as the other, so be it. Church has indeed been tainted as a place of forcefulness and hatred.
ReplyDeleteI concur with your argument. Church, for the most part, benefits society and aids various others. The radical believers do taint the name of the church, but that goes with many other examples like how terrorists taint the name of Islam.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with that last statement. People should be able to do whatever they want with their faith.
ReplyDeleteAs you said, the Westboro Church is just a group of extremists, and extremists are only 'popular' because of their being different or weird. The great majority of church-goers are, as you have also stated, open-minded to new things.
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