I’m sorry they judge you. But that is a fallible person judging you, not “the faith”. You’re conflating bad behavior with all things religious. No wonder you have a grudge.
I’m sorry they judge you. But that is a fallible person judging you, not “the faith”. You’re conflating bad behavior with all things religious. No wonder you have a grudge.
Some of these fallible people are bishops, priests, pastors. There’s plenty in the Bible, too, that judges non-Christians, including, you know, believing they will justly endure an eternity of the most horrible suffering imaginable for the sole reason that they’re not Christian. You should listen to the This American Life episode about the pastor who was kicked out of his mega-church for deciding that God wasn’t sending little starving babies in Africa to hell just because they hadn’t been baptized.
I know many, many absolutely loving, welcoming, non-judging Christians. The priest who baptized my kids is one of the most e beautiful human beings on the planet. The Jesuits who ran both my older sons’ colleges were wonderful, loving, broad/minded, curious people. Friends, family, writers I adore. But I don’t think it’s fair or factually correct for you to suggest that the type of judgement I described is an aberration - just a few bad apples misunderstanding the faith.
I’m sorry they judge you. But that is a fallible person judging you, not “the faith”. You’re conflating bad behavior with all things religious. No wonder you have a grudge.
Some of these fallible people are bishops, priests, pastors. There’s plenty in the Bible, too, that judges non-Christians, including, you know, believing they will justly endure an eternity of the most horrible suffering imaginable for the sole reason that they’re not Christian. You should listen to the This American Life episode about the pastor who was kicked out of his mega-church for deciding that God wasn’t sending little starving babies in Africa to hell just because they hadn’t been baptized.
I know many, many absolutely loving, welcoming, non-judging Christians. The priest who baptized my kids is one of the most e beautiful human beings on the planet. The Jesuits who ran both my older sons’ colleges were wonderful, loving, broad/minded, curious people. Friends, family, writers I adore. But I don’t think it’s fair or factually correct for you to suggest that the type of judgement I described is an aberration - just a few bad apples misunderstanding the faith.
Definitely not an aberration. People practice their faith not because they think they’re perfect. It’s because they know they are not.