Rosie O'Donnell states radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam. What is radical?
I know this is old news but I just found out about it today.
On the View in September Rosie states that radical Christianity is just as threatening to America as radical Islam.
Click here for link to video & story.
Unbelievable.
My first responses to this are: shock and then anger.
How could she say that? Are Christians beheading people weekly? Are Christians flying planes into buildings? Are Christians blowing themselves up at bus stops?
Personally, I believe Rosie is more of a threat to America than Christians.
Then I started to feel guilty for being upset. Yes, what she said was completely off base but has Rosie ever met a radical Christian?
Perhaps, Rosie and I's definition of radical Christianity are different.
She's probably thinking of that lunatic Eric Rudolph who blew up an abortion clinic.
I would say that’s not a radical Christian but a sick and mentally insane person who misrepresents the Christian faith.
Come to think of it, I misrepresent the Christian faith all the time. I get upset at the person who cuts over on me on the freeway. I get upset when my food isn't brought out to me on time. I get upset when people insult or disagree with my beliefs.
Perhaps Rosie has never met a radical Christian. One who is so radical that he or she does not validate their existence on the things and persons around them. They don't have to be served first, or treated the exact way they want to be treated. Instead they love first, forgive first, care first, smile first, and rejoice first.
This is the definition of a radical Christian.
How radical is that? What if more Christians lived out the Gospel in every moment of their daily lives? What if Christians focused on the cross instead of themselves?
Luther once said he felt as if Jesus Christ died only yesterday. I read that and knew I didn’t feel that way consistently. I believe a radical Christian would. A radical Christian would be one who lives a cross centered life. One who continually gains understanding in Christ’s suffering for them, and grows in consistent joy and zeal in the knowledge of that unmerited favor Christ has given them in his death.
A radical Christian is one who is being equipped each day with the fruit of the spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Galatians 5:22
A radical Christian becomes these things not for himself but because God became these things for him. And in turn we show this radical life to others by our words and actions and we give testimony to the work of the cross.
Has Rosie met these radical Christians? Has the audience that so thunderously applauded to her comment met these radical Christians?
I know I have faltered in helping change the definition of radical Christian.
I believe the answer is found in living a cross-centered life rather than a self-centered life. Living the Cross Centered Life.
John Stott once said, "The Cross is the blazing fire at which the flame of our love is kindled, but we have to get near enough for its sparks to fall on us."
God is still working on us, lets pray that we may become more cross-centered, full of love, joy, forgiveness, and compassion and become radical Christians.
posted by Jordan @ 9:45 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Wow. Um. I could write a very lengthy response to that. And I probably will anyway. Especially after taking a look at your blog and the website you left.
It appears anti-abortion is the driving cause of your life. You dont even respond to comments on your blog. So trying to create a dialogue seems fruitless.
With that in mind, it appears you are more focused on other people's sin than your own.
Fighting against abortion is a great cause but making it your idol and self-righteous sole ambition is wrong. Anything that replaces God in your life is an idol, even if it is fighting for the innocent.
And by fighting I do not condone murder as an appropriate response.
Thou shalt not kill is a commandment for all.
As Christians we should change society for the better by first making sure our relationship with Christ is in the right place. That our heart is conformed to God's will. Our goal as Christians is to become more like Christ. Then we can work within society to work against injustice but to do it with love and compassion, just as Christ had. Jesus was not a revolutionary in the sense that he fought against the society, against the Jewish hierarchy or the Roman authority. He was revolutionary because his response to injustice was compassion, love and self-surrender. He didnt join Peter by raising his sword to attack the Roman guards, rather he calmly told Peter to put his sword down, then he healed the injured Roman.
This behavior runs counter to human nature. We want to respond to injustice and violence with violence. Thats why Eric Rudolph, Paul Hill and you are wrong.
God doesnt call us to resort to sinning, to murder in response. He calls us to be Christlike. In this we also recognize that God is in control of all things. We must realize it is the Holy Spirit that changes peoples heart. That makes them more in line with God. This can best be accomplished by sharing the gospel. (This can be done through the witness of your words and your deeds; and the person that you are each day.) The goal is to make people aware of what Christ did on the cross for them and then their views on abortion will change. Not by killing abortionist.
I know that not all society will become Christians, and thus anti-abortionists. But I do know that working against abortion in a peaceful way, done with the fruits of the spirit is way more effective. Violence as an answer only breeds contempt. Example, how do we view the Black Panthers vs. Martin Luther King. The civil rights era was full of violence. One group fighting for equal rights resorted to violence, the Black Panthers, and the only real results was more violence and contempt. MLK worked for civil rights through peaceful protest, worked through society, worked through the laws and see what happened? Civil Rights were achieved, MLK is a hero today.
I dont think the two issues are identical but the point is this, violence is not the answer to effect change. If it was then Christ himself would have been the violent Revolutionary all the disciples initially thought he would be. Instead he was a revolutionary of a different ilk. He pointed to grace. As we should. We give grace to those who sin because we too know that we have sinned but have been given grace by God. So we gracefully work against abortion.
Plus, I didn't call Eric Rudolph a terrorist. I called him a sick, lunatic, who misreprents the Christian faith. He is self-righteous and believes God has given him special permission to murder.
Romans 13:1 and 2:
(1)Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. (2)Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
I believe abortion is murder and is sinful in God's eyes. However, God says "Vengence is Mine" not ours. We can advocate against abortion but not to the extent where we take the law into our own hands and become vigilantes (literally meaning: one who inflicts punishment in return for an injury or offense) and become just as bad as those we are "punishing."
I agree wholeheartedly with both Jordan and Jessica.
I hate abortion. I think it is murder. It is vile, disgusting, and the thought it makes me sick.
But, nowhere does God's Word teach us to physically attack those who commit sin. I look at the examples of the early church who witnessed the murder of Jesus Christ, the only person who was undeserving of death. Did they respond by killing the Jews responsible? No. They preached love, compassion, and faith in Jesus Christ.
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