Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Westboro

I cannot bring myself to call them "baptists" for they are not. Any group that is held together by their hatred of others is not Christian in any way. I'm sure you know who I'm talking about. The Fred Phelps family in Topeka, KS that calls itself a church, made infamous for their attention-craving protests at funerals and their "God hates....." (well, pretty much everything) signs. A few loud folks who's only joy seems to be from claiming that people are being tormented in hell.
They say it with the same sort of smirk on their face as the mugshot of the man arrested for shooting all those people in Tucson.

Our Lord and Savior does not rejoice in the death of anyone (Ezekiel 18:32), but wants all to repent and be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-5 and 2 Peter 3:9).

What fruit of the Spirit are they displaying (love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, per Gal 5:22-23) in their protests? I don't see any of those with the Phelps group.

What I do see is hatred, along with fits of rage, discord, dissensions and factions, which are acts of the flesh and those who practice them will not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal 5:19-21).

The Bible teaches that we are not to hate our brothers and sisters (1 John 4:20) and we will be held accountable, even subject to judgment (Matt 5:21-22). Who are our brothers and sisters? Well, if we believe the Bible, all mankind descended from Adam and Eve, so that would make a good argument for all mankind being our brothers and sisters.

Yet, even if you consider someone an enemy, you are not to rejoice at their misfortune (Prov 24:17). You are to love them and pray for them (Matt 5:43-44, Luke 6:27). Because we were once just like them, prior to being saved by God's sovereign will (Titus 3:3, Ephesians 2:3, Col 1:21, 1 Cor 6:9-11).

We are to preach the Word, per the Great Commission (Matt 28:19-20, Mark 16:15, Acts 10:42), and always be prepared to explain the hope within us with gentleness and respect (1 Pet 3:15).

God wants all to be saved, so how could we rejoice in the death of anyone when God does not (Ezekiel 18:23)?
We will be held accountable for every careless word we've spoken (Matt 12:36).

So, don't anyone be confused by a hate group such as this that call themselves "Christian".

Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. -Matthew 7:20

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