Wednesday, April 29, 2009

What would Jesus do?


So I saw something that I would label not only as offensive, but also in bad taste. The man above, who looks like such a great citizen with his family, hired a plane to fly around my campus showing the entire Notre Dame and South Bend communities an image of a dead human fetus.
Why did he do this? He looks like such a great family man, complete with American flag and small children to show how much of a great guy he is. This is Randall Terry, and he is a terrorist. No, he doesn't blow things up, take hostages or kill people, but he has threatened the joyous events of Notre Dame's graduation and has even gone so far as to send proponents of abortion dead fetuses.
He does all these things in the name of Christ and supposedly against abortion. There is more than a little in his claim that makes my skin crawl.
Christ advocated peace, mercy, and a mild-manner. "Blessed are the meek," he said, "blessed are the poor in spirit...blessed are the peacemakers." Where in Christ's teachings are extremist measures propagated? Where does Christ advocate offending children, women, and people with dignity? What place do shock-and-awe efforts have in the Kingdom of God?
A lot of people have called President Obama a great many things. Some have called him a murderer. Some have compared him to Hitler.
But what would Jesus do? Jesus mingled with the publicans in the market place. Jesus ate with publicans at supper. Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate, a man who killed thousands in his tenure as governor, and faced him, not scorning or abusing him, but respectfully entering in dialogue with him.
It is my personal, and I would argue supportable, opinion that Jesus Himself would have been fine with President Obama speaking at Notre Dame's commencement. Yes, he might support legislation with terrible, immoral consequences. But this is no reason to turn him away. St Paul stood before King Agrippa and, instead of railing against him, met him as an equal, which ledd to the king's statement "Almost you have convinced me to become a Christian."
Christ was the perfect example of reaching out to people in friendship. He befriended harlots, beggars and tax collectors. He attacked the elite, those who thought they were justified in their religious beliefs. Christ's message is clear: we must reach out to those who we think we should despise. On the other hand, we should not feel secure in our convictions of our security and our own righteousness.

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