In life in general, you have to take into account the mindless cranks and the church doesn’t have any special immunity against the cranks and bigots.

Mindless cranks and bigots are going to act out against just about everything, but it seems to me, that the mindless crank is given permission by the culture to single out and act out against the Christian church, more than anything else in society. With all the problems in government, public education, news media, business, healthcare, I guess the powers that be are thankful that they can shift the attention to what they perceive as a powerless target. It’s ironic how they usually find out that the church is anything but powerless, but in a way they can’t understand, but far more effective.

Surely one reason is that they think they can get away with it, especially if they’re part of a group that have been given an exemption from common sense and consideration. The mindless crank is usually a frustrated bully who’s always looking for, what they think, is an easy target, which is of course what bullies do. The church is seen as an easy target and yes the church has set itself up to be bullied. But at least the church has had good intentions while the crank/bigot takes advantage.

The mindless bigotry against the church is absolutely astounding “mon dieu, heavens to Betsy! A cross! A church!” This almost psychopathic reaction against anything that is church, specifically Christian related, really does seem to border on mental illness. Almost all of the complaints against society cranks try to pin on the church. This is bizarre, because when you look at the Christian church objectively (I write “Christian” because there are a lot of groups who call themselves a “church” which are simply not Christian), the church has done more to serve in the world than any other institution in history. People who need food or clean water? Inevitably there will be Christian missionaries and organizations on scene living in the same environment doing their best to provide food and water, to those they’re living with. Medical attention? Again, the church. From the biggest hospitals in the world, to medical missionaries struggling to provide medical attention. Serving the poor and shunned. Mother Theresa comforting the poorest of the poor, sick and dying. While the Hindu majority surrounding them turns their noses up for the suffering right in front of them. Ghandi? Yes, a great man, but he sure didn’t concern himself with the enormous suffering that he was right in the midst of.

Who runs into disasters when everyone is running away? Sure police, fire fighters, EMTS, then the Salvation Army, American Red Cross, Lutheran World Relief and other faith-based Christian organizations. Pastors and other church workers called in to roll up their sleeves, provide comfort, attention and hope. As well as meals, material, facilities, etc. I have yet to hear of any atheist, homosexual, hedonistic organizations that rush in to help anyone. They might throw money at lawyers to go to court, because they have the money, but they’re not about to roll up their sleeves for anyone who is not like they are. Christian relief organizations have been and continue to be blind to any factor, except who is in suffering and in need. No one providing that relief, which they are doing voluntarily, are the least bit interested in who the person is sleeping with, what nationality, what religion, etc, just that they are in need. Seriously tell me any other group, secular, religious, cultural, which can really say that. The Christian church has been doing that for centuries.

Then there are the cranks whose attitude is basically “we really don’t care what you have to share or what you stand for, this is what we want and you have to give it to us, otherwise you’re not very Christian” Oh yeah, people have said that right to my face. Me, the pastor of a church who sure isn’t over paid, a church that is scrounging every nook and cranny to provide for those in need around us and this person who comes in and thinks they can, basically, scam me to give them money for alcohol and drugs. I will sit them down and talk to them about where they are, what we’re about and almost inevitably they will roll their eyes and give me this attitude that “you just don’t get it, not interested in Jesus or getting my life together, just give me money.” “I don’t care what you’ve been serving and helping for 2,000 years and we really don’t care that this is what is best for us, this is what we want!”

the Christian church has been the leader in education in all of history. Lutherans and Roman Catholics who have put their talent, time and treasure where their mouth is for centuries in terms of supporting education are, statistically, the best educated groups in the world and they stand ready to share that with anyone else regardless of any other consideration.

Please, I will be happy to tell you what the church of Jesus Christ is about and why that is what you need. Suicide in York County, Pa. is at the highest level in history. This is evidence of the hopelessness and lack of promise in the world. Suicide cuts across what the world labels as “winners and losers”, the affluent are as likely to commit suicide as the poor or unhealthy. The church does so much and it provides what everyone needs! Hope and promise in true life in Jesus Christ, God the Son. There is no other hope and promise. The world says it’s in money and success and yet we see such hopelessness that prompts suicides and the national epidemic of depression in the world. You continue to reject God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you continue to drive yourself into despair, futility, disillusionment and depression.

The Christian church has been doing it right for 2,000 years. Oh yeah, it’s had its miscues. You know what? The church always does something about, unlike most institutions, the abuses. The Christian church has worshipped, has fought, has discipled the way it has for centuries and people have derived comfort, promise, hope, protection and guidance from what the Christian church does day in and day out with no applause and praise and usually criticism. We get the phoney modern “churches” that too often have just made it up, have tried to follow some contemporary fad, applied it to the Christian church and, as most fads, they end up being wrong, just for the sake of popularity and usually do more harm then good. Too often we see people demoralized by the phoney church and in rejecting the wrong church, those who are hurt, reject Jesus at the same time and as a result are lose eternal salvation because of those who just plain make it up.

The Christian church has been Jesus’ agent of salvation, hope and life for centuries and will continue to be until He returns. The true Christian church stays faithful to Jesus and takes the Great Commission seriously, so quit trying to tell the church to change and how to do what Jesus has commissioned it to do. Jesus’ church was put into the world by God the Son to disciple the world, not the other way around. So, you cranks and bigots out there, for once do yourself a favor and stop yapping and think about what you’re doing and saying. There is a special warning in the Bible for those who would presume to divide the church: “As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.” Titus 3:10-11. Not my words, God’s in His Word, His revelation in the Bible.