They speak as though for many, when in reality they speak for so few. Their cause is just, their motive good, their methods less than desirable. They gain media attention, the negative kind, of course, because their “words are so ridiculous”:http://10ft2ft.com/?p=524. And the negativity they garner is somehow passed along to the rest of us, as if we are somehow guilty of the same attitudes and poorly chosen approach to saving Christian religious rights. The ‘war’ to save Christmas has most of us simply rolling our eyes, while a few in places of power try to exert their weight to keep the ‘Christ’ in ‘Christmas’.
This isn’t a battle to preserve our rights to worship. It’s simply a few companies and cities opting to drop ‘Merry Christmas’ for ‘Happy Holidays’ in the name of political correctness. It isn’t, I believe, something we as Christians should worry ourselves over. Fighting propaganda battles, “filling people’s mailboxes”:http://stupid.steve-miller.is-a-geek.com/2005/12/03/being-human-gets-in-the-way-of-being-christian/ with “spam”:http://www.crosswalk.com/news/weblogs/kmc/?cal=go&adate=11%2F30%2F2005, and “kicking their butts”:http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002661545_christmasfight03.html isn’t the way to win a lost world to Christ. We can’t bring transformation to people by force — it must be presented and accepted by those who would receive it. True change, true transformation can only start on the inside, with the acceptance of Christ, and not by forcing an unwilling nation to accept ‘Christ’ in everything that we as Christians hold dear as symbols of our faith. So, Mr. Falwell, Mr. Robertson, and those who speak with a similar voice, know that I respect your intent but I think your methods are wrong, too brash, too confrontational, too unChrist-like, and know that you do not speak for me nor for many others who call themselves Christian.
My voice is, and continues to be, the story of a babe, born in a barn stall to a lowly carpenter and his wife, who would one day grow up to be the Savior of an entire world. That is my voice, and that is what is truly important.
Hey Jim.
I agree. I’m a Christian. I have recently been too forceful with some people I know. It’s hard to know where to start with people thesedays. Postmodern and post post post modern types are enigmatical to me, but they are still people, who just need me to love them. But how long should I love without telling them the Bible. And when I do tell them how should it be packaged? You may not believe this, but I’m about to graduate from seminary!