Are You Attacking in Condemnation or Informing in Love?

It truly saddens me when Christians attack non-Christians for their beliefs.  We are supposed be a witness and an example of Christ's love.  We can't very well do that when we harass someone for having different moral standards than we do.  Well, OF COURSE they believe differently!!  We base our beliefs (or are supposed to be, anyway) on biblical principles.  What are they basing their beliefs on?  Emotions.  World views.  Current events.  Personal experience.  Whatever it is, it's going to be a different basis than the Bible!!

Why is it that Christians think it's fine for them to jump down someone's throat because that person supports (for example) same sex marriage or abortion?  I do not believe that either of those things are Biblical, and I do not support them.  But it certainly is not my place or my duty to berate someone for thinking those things are OK.  It is not my place to attack, judge, and condemn a person that I am trying to witness to for Christ.  It is God's place to convict their hearts and make them see the truth, and it is my job to tell them what I believe--what the Bible says about various subjects--in a gently and loving manner.  I cannot and will not convince someone that they are wrong in their belief by attacking and condemning them--the only thing they will walk away convinced of is that I am a crazy, right-wing, religious nut who has no room for understanding and love in my heart.

Let's look at Christ as an example of how we are to treat others (both non-believers and fellow Christians).  When He walked the earth, He preached and taught to crowds of people.  He had one-on-one conversations with both believers and non-believers.  He healed the sick spiritually as well as physically, always correcting in love.  The Samarian woman at the well--did He condemn her for having been married multiple times and then moving in with a man?  Nope.  The woman caught in adultery--did He cast stones at her like the crowd was urging Him to.  No.  He forgave her and sent her on her way.  He gently convicted her accusers by telling them that if there were any there without sin, they should cast the first stone.

And then I hear people throw around Matthew 21:12-13: "[12] And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, [13] And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves."

OK, so 1)  These people were defiling the house of God.  Jesus is God.  Ergo, He had the right to use a little force to clean up His house.  If I had property that I was renting out, and I found out the my renters were using my house for drugs or anything like that, you'd better believe I'd be doing whatever I needed to clean my property up!!  We, as Christians, have a covenant (a contract, if you will) to do right morally, spiritually, etc.  I'm pretty sure that part of that "doing right" is to keep His house clean and holy!

2) At this moment in time, Jesus was not trying to bring these people to Him.  He was not trying to convert them.  He was not trying to preach/teach them.  He was taking out the trash, so to speak.  When I clean the toilets or take out the trash, it's not something I do with gentle love for the dirt and grime garbage.  I do it because it needs to be done.  Every time Jesus was trying to convert a non-believer, he did it in loving manner.  Not force.  Not anger.  Calm, gentle love.  THAT is how we should be a witness.

It's OK to voice your belief!  As long is you are doing it in love and with compassion toward those that do not have understanding of the Bible.  It's also completely understandable when someone who is a non-believer says something unkind and it hurts your feelings and/or makes you angry.  However, it's not OK to bite back.  Even if someone else "started it" (to bring the juvenile excuse forward, as we so often tend to do), be the better person!  Do as Christ commands and turn the other cheek!  That is part of being a Christian!

It's this kind of attitude that some Christians have (that it's OK to blast away at someone for believing in something that is morally and spiritually depraved) that make the rest of us look bad.  And, OOOOHH, it irks me!!

And just in case you think I'm just ranting and raving, try reading Matthew 5.  Let me share a few of the verses with you that are the reasons for me feeling this way:
Matthew 5 (KJV)
[5] Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. (As my dad says, meekness is not weakness.  It is strength under control.  When you say a horse is "meek," you are not saying he cannot carry his master on his back.  You are saying that he is submissive to and gentle with his master.  We are to be submissive to our Master God and His commandments.)
...
[7] Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
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[9] Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
[10] Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
[11] Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you , and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
[12] Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
[13] Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
[14] Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
[15] Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
[16] Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
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[21] Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
[22] But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca {means empty, i.e. a senseless, empty headed man--a term of reproach used among the Jews in the time of Christ}, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
...
[38] Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
[39] But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
[40] And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.
[41] And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
[42] Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
[43] Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
[44] But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
[45] That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
[46] For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
[47] And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
[48] Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

It's so easy to get offended by people who believe differently, but as Christians, we should be more careful about what we say and the manner in which we say it.  Proverbs 25:11 says "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver."  A "word fitly spoken" is the right word, at the right time, and in the right manner, with the right attitude.

I wish more people would be more careful about their testimony for Christ.