Sin

I usually avoid writing about political flap.  It is the Christmas season and I am mindful of the day when we celebrate the birth of the savior we believe to be the Son of God.  As Christians, our faith is centered on this one person who walked the earth preaching love and forgiveness.  He died by the vile method of crucifixion about three decades after birth, but returned alive just three days later.  That's the basic tenet of all denominations of Christianity.  All  believe that salvation or eternal life will be achieved only through faith in this man born to a virgin and resurrected after death.

A recent interview with a reality show celebrity with devout Christian belief, has caused outrage from almost everyone, whether they watch his show or not.  It sickens me that our season of joy has been so stirred by outrage over comments he made regarding sin and what sinners cannot expect to inherit.  I have studied closely the teachings to which he refers (my grandmother was of his same denomination) and wish he had followed with additional truths I find in the Bible. Not one of us is without sin, but all sins are forgiven with acceptance of the gift of grace.  Jesus taught that we must not judge one another. It is the trust of God to judge.

At our house, we have enjoyed watching the show from time to time.  The outrage by one group labeled as sinners has been vehement and the network has taken action against the patriarch of the clan.  While I do not claim to know if any one person is going to heaven or hell at the end of this life, I have read in my Bible "for by grace you have been saved, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast".  Ephesians 2:8 (NKJV).

Somehow I find a certain outrage over the condemnation of this devout man, when another sect would call us "infidels" for Christian faith.  It is branded as intolerance to be concerned that some among that sect believe it is their mission to remove infidels from the earth.