A few days ago, I was walking across the UCF campus and heading to my dorm after my only class that day. I had my headphones in listening to some music and minding my own business. But my peacefulness was interrupted when I spotted a table with a sign that if I remember correctly said something like, “Repent Sinners”. That instantly put me on edge.
It got worse when I took my headphones out and heard what the guy in the button up shirt was saying to all the people walking by. He was telling them to repent, that they were sinners and would go to hell if they didn’t. He yelled about homosexuality and how all the students of UCF were more or less horrible people.
I wanted to just walk by and say nothing, as I had before when I’d seen these kinds of people. But something in me wouldn’t let me do that this time and I stop. I didn’t get close to him as I didn’t want to be associated with him in anyway. So, from my spot on the sidewalk I told him that what he was doing was not the way to get people interested in Christianity. It was the wrong method.
His response was that he was trying to make homosexual people into straight people. I just shook my head as I realized how idiotic he sounded and the fact that he didn’t seem to realize this. I left him, simply saying that he was a horrible example of the Christian faith.
I would like to say, if you haven’t realized already, that I am a Christian. I have been my entire life. And I would also like to apologize for the behavior of this man and all of the ones like him.
Unfortunately Christians like him are the ones that most people see.
Almost 90% of people who aren’t entirely familiar with the Christian faith see us as hypocritical, anti-homosexual, sheltered, overly political, too focused on getting converts, and most prominently, judgmental.
Christians are known more for our hate than for our love. We are seen as so focused on sin that we no longer genuinely love people who aren’t like us.
This is because the most hateful Christians are often the loudest.
I would like to say that real Christianity is filled with love and empathy. Yes, there are behaviors and lifestyles that we don’t agree with. But any real Christian will treat people who fall into those categories with respect and dignity as Jesus Christ did in his time. Real Christians take the following verse to heart.
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” 1 Peter 3:15
Real Christians really do care about and love other people and I’m sorry that this fact isn’t apparent.