My next installment of I have a voice. I have to warn you that some people may be offended by what I have to say. Please know that it is not my intent to offend only to cause some to pause and think before posting.
Over the weekend I got into a couple of “discussions” with a couple of friends on FB. Both of them have represented themselves as emissaries of Christ in many of their posts. I have absolutely no issue with this. The issue arose when the same people started posting derogatory, mean and inflammatory posts about people and groups who do not share their point of view. I chose not to be silent and commented on their posts with “because name-calling is so Christ-like” and “This really shows the love of Christ” and such.
Now let me be clear, I don’t have a problem with political BS posts even though they malign complete groups of people, call names, and just get downright ugly. I know I can’t change that. The problem I have is that these people made multiple posts about praying for the nation, the love of God, and sharing stories from their short-term missions. Now I have an issue. Perhaps it should not bother me that someone would share beliefs about the love of God and desire to share that with others on one post and then in the next repost a meme, poster, or something smearing, tearing down, and name-calling a group or person because they do not agree with their point of view. The rub is this…. If you are going to publicly declare you are Christ-like – then be that! There is nothing Christ-like about these posts and I felt I had to speak out. One of my friends questioned my faith the other just told me to “give it a rest” My response to that was that “I could not” so he unfriended me. The other has completely ignored my response. I did send a private FB message to one but since he unfriended me I’m sure he did not get it.
I know I’m not perfect but I would certainly hope that if I were to make posts that publicized my religious beliefs and then posted derogatory and inflammatory memes that someone would call me out on it.
In conclusion, I want to set a challenge for those out there who are representing themselves as Christians on FB and other public platforms. Before re-posting those meme’s, posters, joke or articles ask yourself if the people whom you minister to or want to minister to read this will it help them to see and understand the love of Christ. If you can honestly answer “yes”, then, by all means, post away.
Now being honest myself, I do not expect that my observations or opinions will make one bit of difference, but I have a voice and I must try.
Topics of Conversation 