Upon reading the Nov. 4 reader’s submission entitled, “Abuse of dignity is un-Christian, un-American,” I felt led to write a response. While I agree with certain points of the article, I was disappointed that the tone and underlying premise of the article accused all Christians who aren’t tolerant of the current American culture of being bigots. I argue that the Christian faith calls us to be discerning as opposed to blindly tolerant, as the current American culture often calls us to be.
The article claimed that Jesus’ greatest command is to love one another. However, Matthew 22:36-37 gives us the real answer: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
While we are commanded to love one another, this subtle mistake in theology can change your entire worldview. True Christianity calls us to love God and his truth above everything and anyone else.
Does love mean that we blindly embrace everyone, no matter what their viewpoint? If my little brother were to steal money from me, do I let him keep on doing it and never correct him? Is that showing true love? Sometimes the most loving thing we can do for others is to correct them when they are wrong or heading down a slippery path.
The biggest problem with America and Christians today is that many “Christians” try to define their own truth apart from the word of God.
Jesus defines truth in John 14:16 when he says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Does truth, then, change over time? As a Christian, are you allowed to define your own truth? No, because if truth changes, that means it never was truth in the first place.
Therefore, as a Christian I am called to filter everything that takes place around me through Jesus Christ, the Truth. That may mean being called intolerant or a bigot by others for my Christian viewpoints, but I can handle the name calling knowing that loving God means taking a stand against what he calls wrong.
However, when others call me un-Christian and un-American for truly following my faith, I take exception to that.
And the next time you hear a Christian speak out against Muslims building mosques or the patriarchal leadership problems in the black community, please realize that this is not done out of hate, prejudice or bigotry, but out of love and discernment.
Matthew Helland is a graduate student in the College of Engineering