Today’s politics weaponize Christianity
“Fear Not,” the most repeated command in the Bible, appearing 365 times, is sadly not a reality today. In our current society, Christianity is looked at as something to fear due to its misuse in the political sphere of media. As a Christian, it saddens me to see people feeling discouraged to be a part of the Christian community because of the undeniable leak of political issues.
While the Bible is subject to interpretation, the way it is being used as a means of hate in the media is extremely disadvantageous. This misrepresentation of Christians is harmful to everything for which the Bible stands. For instance, “Love thy neighbor,” another consistently repeated command, is, in my opinion, to be taken literally. When Jesus tells us to love everyone no matter what, not once did He say the word “except.” This clear command does not disinclude anyone. While this matter is widely debated by theologists and I am in no way claiming to be highly educated in the truth of the Bible, I find it hard to believe that hate is being justified by true Christians. Because God said to love one another as he has loved us, it is absurd that someone who proudly claims to be a Chrisitan would use the Bible to justify hate.
I am not going to give an in-depth analysis on what exactly I think it means to be a neighbor, but Jesus explicitly tells us, in “Luke 29,” that everyone around us is our neighbor and to show empathy and acceptance whenever and wherever we can. This showing of acceptance reflects well on the Church and therefore encourages people to attend and to be saved by the love of Jesus. Using the Bible as a weapon of hate defeats the purpose of why I believe Jesus chose to die on the cross.
In addition to Luke, John, another highly favored disciple of Jesus tells us in chapter 35 verse 13 to shine His light, and by doing this bring people to be followers of Jesus. Weaponizing Christianity not only turns people away from the beauty of being a part of a healthy church community, but also encourages faith through oneself. The Bible says to not rely on our own convictions, but rather the word of Jesus. So, next time you see a political banner depicting the Christian Church in a negative light, know that it may not always be the case and finding a church community that fits your belief system should be a welcoming experience.
