A View From Middle England - Conservative with a slight libertarian touch - For Christian charity and traditional belief - Free Enterprise NOT Covert Corporatism

Thursday, November 01, 2007

Huge fine for anti-gay US church

A church in the United States whose members cheered a soldier's death as "punishment" for US tolerance of homosexuality has been told to pay $10.9m (£5.2m) in damages. Quite right too!

It is one thing to believe that homosexual practice is a sin, but it is very much another thing to be shouting epithets at a funeral convoy. In this case a soldier, having died in Iraq serving his country, was targeted. Some Christian charity these people hold. But let's be clear, the 70 or so odd bods from the self-styled Westboro Baptist Church represent no-one but themselves.

The problem with much of Middle America is that they are religious before they are Christian. How can it be right to say "Thank God for Dead Soldiers"? It is all a bit like the Pharisee telling God how good he was, and what a lousy man the tax collector praying next to him was! The tax collector said sorry to God for being a sinful man.

Any chance these modern day pharisees will say sorry?

2 comments:

You make a classic error when you extrapolate from one-family nut-job church to 'Middle America'. That's disappointing and dangerous stereotyping. 'Middle America' does not say, 'Thank God for dead soldiers.'

And, the problem of being 'religious before they are Christian' and exhibiting Phariseeism is not a problem limited to nut-jobs. It is a deep problem even in nice middle class suburban England. It is a problem in churches, my church, me, maybe even you. The issue is deeper than you think.

What do you think the answer is?

I take your point. However, I said "much of middle America" and I have met those whose views are quite determined along similar lines if a lot less emphatic.

I have also met and know of many in middle America who would abhor such sentiments and would strive to live tolerant and peaceful lives alongside neighbours of whatever belief and lifestyle.

The same goes for "nice middle class suburban England" and I hope I have an appreciation of the depth of the issue.

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