According to a November 15, 2997 Reuters report, two leading religion journalist have quit in recent months “saying they had acquired such a close look at such scandalous behavior by Christians that they lost their faith and had to leave.” Stephen Bates, formerly of the London Guardian and William Lobdell, formerly of the Los Angeles Times, related that what they witnessed weakened their faith.Bates covered an Episcopal Church meeting and what he saw was more than he could take. The article relates:
“Writing this story has been too corrosive of what faith I had left: indeed watching the way the gay row has played out in the Anglican Communion has cost me my belief in the essential benignity of too many Christians. For the good of my soul, I need to do something else.” Bates, who says he still regards himself as a Catholic, said he was turned off by the intolerance he saw towards gays and the self-righteousness of Christians who “pick and choose the sins that are acceptable and condemn those – always committed by other, lesser people – that are not.”
Bates continues,
“Now I am moving on. It was time to go. What faith I had, I’ve lost, I am afraid – I’ve seen too much, too close. A young Methodist press officer once asked me earnestly whether I saw it as my job to spread the Good News of Jesus. No, I said, that’s the last thing I am here to do.”
“By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
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2 comments:
I was talking about this exact same thing the past couple days with a student. She feels it's her job to be tolerant of all religions. It was my belief that Jesus calls us to love, not tolerate.
I felt that by tolerating we are stamping an "I'm ok with anything you do" stamp onto inappropriate behavior. If that is the case, then who is to say that Hitler was a bad guy?
I love Jesus' words when he said, “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Gays, drunks, cheaters, politicians, Hitler, and the like shouldn't be tolerated, but rather loved.
What are your thoughts on that DarthBode?
I agree with you Shanus. One of the problems with the concept of "toleration" is that it smacks of arrogance. We tolerate those who are inferior or lesser.
Jesus called us to love. We are to share grace and truth with others. We don't have to agree, just love. No arguing, just love. This is what the Father calls us to live.
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