But church leadership would rather spend their resources waging a war against people’s sexual choices and getting involved in political positions. It’s sad to see religious resources so widely unused to help those in society in this time of need.
It's almost a little strange from my perspective how many churches are now almost secular in nature. Yes, they talk about god, good and evil, and read scripture. But it's much less prescriptive than it used to be and almost sounds like a pep-talk about being a good person, good spouse, and a good parent.
Obviously this is from the rare interactions I have with churches -- usually in support of extended family.
It's interesting to look at Jesus's actions in the area. A mob brought him a woman caught cheating on her husband. Asking, should she be put to death? They wanted to trap Jesus: if he said "Yes", he would violate Roman law, if he said "No", he would violate Jewish law. Jesus said, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her." (John 8:7). After that disbursed the mob, Jesus told the woman: "Now go and sin no more."
There's nothing harder to convince a man of than the fact that he's a sinner. And yet, when I finally realized that fact and asked Jesus for forgiveness, it was more liberating than anything else in this world, more liberating than I could ever have possibly imagined. When you experience something like that, you realize: the kingdom of heaven is near.
I guess it depends on what you define conversion therapy and other 'bible camp' type activities.
In the future, things you and I do today will be considered as barbaric as the intolerant things you're talking about there. Also, in the future, things will become accepted which you and I today think are barbaric.
None of Jesus's disciples do a good job of following Christ's teachings such as "Judge not, lest you be judged" (Matthew 7:1), myself included. Discipleship is a lifelong process. Now as for myself, I love LGBTQ people, and because I love them, I hope and pray they too will know the joy and love of Christ as I know it. Some of them may be offended when I say something like that, and we Christians should try (although it is difficult and we often stumble) to continue to love them even in spite of their taking offense at our loving them.
The very first Christians were told the same 2000 years ago.
I wonder what they would think if they were told that they should wait at least 2000 years.
When asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God will not come with observable signs. Nor will people say, 'Look, here it is,' or 'There it is.' For you see, the kingdom of God is in your midst." (Luke 17:20-21)
My mom does volunteer to spend time with people in nursing homes via the local Parish, but a once a week visitor isn’t much. Many of the people tell her that their kids rarely visit (or are too far away to visit) and their friends are also not mobile or have passed away. Even if the Parish had a mountain of volunteers, to visit everyone in even one 90 person home 3 times a week for an hour means 270 hours. That is a part time job for 10 people and that is only one small nursing home!
The Salvation Army has been given a special status as provider-in-chief of American disaster relief. But its work is being augmented by all sorts of other groups. Almost all of them have a religious origin and character.
Notable by their absence are teams from rationalist societies, free thinkers' clubs and atheists' associations - the sort of people who not only scoff at religion's intellectual absurdity but also regard it as a positive force for evil.
https://www.kiva.org/teams?queryString=%28A%2B%29+Atheists%2...
The Atheist team is one of the top donors. There has been a significant surge in secular charity work over the past decade.
I posted elsewhere that my first date with my now wife was volunteering at a hospice care center to provide some company to an elderly lady; she ended up dying before our eyes within a few hours. We spent another hour comforting her husband.
Sidebar - sometimes it makes me sad to see people stereotype people so easily online. Kind of feels like I have to carry the weight of and associated judgment of all those who did bad things in God's name or whatever. This is probably how good police officer, teachers, oft criticized good public servants feel.
Oh well, we all do what we can do. Thanks to all who continue to serve.
Your comment would have been fine without the second paragraph.
I wonder if you or the grandparent happen to know of some convincing evidence of this that I'm not aware of?
I often wonder when I read claims like this if they are fact-based, and to what degree (usually never mentioned), or if they might instead be examples of the propogation of memes, similar to those related to race.