Friday, June 17, 2016

Christian Extremism...Unfortunately It Exists

A quote from Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Idi Amin? No, this quote is directly from a sermon. Yes, you heard me correctly, a sermon given by Pastor Roger Jimenez of Verity Baptist Church in Sacramento. I have looked at the website for this church, and it looks normal enough until you begin to read. On the home page, they stay pretty tame even ending with this phrase, “We hope this website will allow you to get to know us better, and we would love to get to know you personally at one of our services.” Now, let me add something to that last sentence, these 3 words, UNLESS YOU’RE GAY! Because, ladies and gentlemen, the quote above is from a sermon delivered in response to the horrific attack in Orlando. Make no mistake! Pastor Jimenez is not calling for the murder of terrorists, not that that would be Christian either, but he is calling for the murder of all homosexuals. He goes on to “praise” the actions of Sunday’s shooter, saying that he is “glad” that “50 pedophiles” were killed. That because of the mass shooting, Orlando, Florida is safer. You can’t make this stuff up, people. I wish I was! Here’s the really scary thing, as far as I know, Verity Baptist Church is still functioning. It still has a congregation. People, Families are attending there. Children are being taught this crap as “truth!” To my knowledge, no one challenged him, no one ran from the church screaming. They all sat there and listened. At least nothing was reported to the contrary. I have said this before, and I mean it. If this is the way I have to be to call myself a Christian, then I don’t want to be a Christian! I love God! I believe God loves me and cares for me. I have seen too many things in my life that I know God brought me through. I believe Jesus died for my sins, but I refuse to believe, no matter what part of the Bible you cherry pick from that God wants to kill all homosexuals. This, my friends, is more dangerous than any gun, because this church is raising a generation of children (read more about their family integrated church) to believe that hate and killing is not only right but something God wants them to do. Hmmmmm what does that sound like? Islamist Extremism, you know the Taliban, or ISIS. The really frightening thing? No one is trying to stop this school of hate, freedom of speech and all that. Don’t get me wrong, I am happy that I live in the country that I do, and I enjoy the freedoms that I do, but when I come across someone like Pastor Jimenez whose exercise of that freedom breeds hate and contempt, it scares the hell out of me. 



We'll Never Get to Heaven Till We Reach That Day

 I first saw the musical, Ragtime, several years ago at the Dogwood Dell Festival of the Arts. Both my girls were still in elementary school...