The tragedy in Orlando will define our Christian faith - love/hate

I am sorry, but I simply do not understand some Christians and I am a Christian. We preach ‘grace’, forgiveness, love, not to judge, compassion, humility and etc., but let something horrible happen in the Gay community or let a terrible act of Mother Nature happen and there are some Christians (a minority) that immediately start blaming the Gay Community.  I am saddened by some of the comments posted by Christians on public sites regarding the Orlando terrorist attack – they are totally without any ‘grace’.

I have read, “They got what they deserved”, “I am glad it was a bunch of queers and not black folks”, about the ones trapped in the restroom – “They probably forgot to try and knock a wall out because they were too busy having sex with each other”, “God got those that are destroying our children”, “May they all burn in hell” and “I wish he would have killed them all and someone would attack every gay bar in the United States.”

It is a great time to read Luke 13:1-5. 

Do you think God finds our self-righteous judgment of the Gay Community acceptable? We all sin and come short of the glory of God.  Our righteousness does not come by our deeds it comes through Christ paying our sin debt on the cross. Our heart  is not any less obstinate and wicked than those at the gay bar in Orlando.

If you think God takes delight in the death of the wicked (sinners) maybe you should read Ezekiel 18:23 and neither should those who claim to be filled with the Holy Spirit take delight in their death.

If you believe the Bible states emphatically that homosexuality is a sin before you start talking trash about Orlando and the Gay Community read  Luke 13:34 - Weep over death and the widespread grief that accompanies it and  John 11:35 - But don't utter a word of condescending judgment — because your own sinfulness earns you no less than an eternity under God's anger.

Now is the time to help and pray for fellow human beings who have been hurt. The shooting was a hate crime against the Gay Community carried out by a radical Islamic terrorist, but more importantly it is a crime against human beings made in the image of God, and this should be the only reason Christians need to help those effected by this tragedy. Human beings were hurt and as a Christian, we are called to love and help our neighbor.

I am aware there will be some calling themselves Christians who will celebrate this tragedy. Westboro Baptist Church has already responded by saying, “God sent the shooter,” and, “God still hates fags.” Please do not join them.  If I believed these lies I could not serve the God I do.

As Christians, our marching orders are clear. Jesus tells us, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31). Our neighbors have been attacked, and we need to show love to them. Paul tells us that true love “does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres” (I Corinthians 13:6-7). “The Lord is . . . not wishing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9).

I would like to add I do not believe Christians are responsible for this happening as some in the media have claimed. The terrorist that carried out this act did not care what Christians believe concerning homosexuals. He was in no way influenced by Christian teachings. I also do not believe gun control was a factor regardless what gun laws we have he would have gotten his weapon of choice one way or the another. How we respond in this crisis is not a conservative or liberal issue, Democrat or Republican issues it is a CHRISTIAN issue.

Christians must be part of creating a world where the kind of hatred and intolerance which motivated Omar S Mateen simply cannot prevail. We should not listen to men like Pastor Steven Anderson. He said the victims deserved to die. This is the same man that ask Christians to pray that President Obama would die.

Just hours after American’s worst mass shooting came to an end, Steven Anderson, pastor at Faithful Word Baptist Church in suburban Phoenix, unleashed a sickening tirade in which he said the victims deserved to die. The man is a bigot, a lunatic, a bitter/angry man, with a poisoned heart and a disgrace to the Christian religion. As they all do he quoted different scriptures from the Bible that suited his needs and the Book of Leviticus as he tried to justify the terror attack at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub. Let us not forget Leviticus tells us to kill our children if they talk back to us. Christians should not listen to these voices and not just react, but respond in love to this tragedy.