Growing up and living in Georgia, you see many families attend the typical Sunday and Wednesday services offered by local Christian churches, especially in my area, and the parking lots would be filled to the brim like a pitcher of sweet tea. As for my family, we did not grow up in the church. In this case we were outsiders, and I felt that way about my religious background growing up. My parents did not fail in providing me any spiritual feeling as I was taught to treat others equally, to not discriminate, and to “love thy neighbor as yourself.”
I would attend church via friends as I grew. My childhood friend from elementary school introduced me to the church; where we would be taught the basics of Christianity in small groups. The basics were the essentials, and not much more was needed, in my opinion, to follow religion.
This led me to become a Christian, but not in the sense of what is preached on Wednesdays or Sundays. Here, there is hate within the church towards groups of people, usually they deem these people as works of the devil, that they need Jesus, or the occasional “liberal” will slip from the cracks of the mouth.
That is the problem. In my experiences with multiple churches, many Christians have stepped away from the basics. Instead of loving each other, understanding our respected perspectives, and helping each newcomer, the church has become standoffish to the outside world. The collusion of politics and religion has made polarization worse over the years, and as politics begins to collude with sermons and teachings, then the church is in trouble. The church is weaponized.
The recent legislation in Tennessee, the restrictions of drag shows on public property or places watchable by minors, supports this as churches throughout the southern state have begun to target such shows. “They were saying we were pedophiles. They were saying we were grooming the children,” said drag performer Demitrya Kryst in an article with WBIR (Knoxville’s NBC affiliate).
“Hatred can be conceptualized as an infectious disease, a determinant of health and a public health issue spreading violence, fear and ignorance. Hatred is contagious and crosses barriers and borders, and no one is immune to its risks,” said Izzeldin Abuelaish, a professor at the University of Toronto. If hatred was a disease, then the church can be classified as bedridden with it.
I have missed the days of growing up and attending the church I once knew. That church has become unrecognizable in today’s world, and the struggles of finding an accepting church to all people is surprisingly a rarity. The cure for the church is to return to the basics of Christian principles in their teachings and their following. The bible school teachings from my elementary days still hold some of the most important lessons in my life and has molded me into the person I am today.
I have yet to understand why some continue to discriminate and judge others when the religion Christians follow calls for us to live in harmony. To try and recruit is one answer, but ruling with an iron fist turns a back on Christian philosophy. In fact, why would you not want a church that is all-encompassing. It may be controversial (not to me, though) to bring people of all orientations and religions to learn and build community. In the end, we are not the ones to judge right from wrong in instances of life.
As the book of Peter states, Christians should live by a simple rule, “Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.”
- Get Back to the Basics- by Jacob Robinson - March 29, 2023