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Home -> Safe in the Shepherds Arms -> Prayers, Praises and Concerns -> Hate Crimes, what would Jesus do... JESUS LOVES!
Post Info TOPIC: Hate Crimes, what would Jesus do... JESUS LOVES!
m4mluvlife


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Hate Crimes, what would Jesus do... JESUS LOVES!
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Hi Lisa, this is really sad...
Have you in Houston, or any of you here at Shepherds Arms been following this story about Kenneth Cummings, the Southwest Airlines Flight attendant who was murdered for being gay?
http://www.planetout.com/news/article.html?2007/07/27/1

This is really sad...
Both for the Cummings family and all his friends but also for the man, Mangum... who thought God wanted him to go and kill Gay people... this is one of my concerns about what is happening in these fundamentalist churches and the Jesus Camp... I recommended the documentary, JESUS Camp to you (Lisa), because, it shows how extreme these beliefs are and how young the children are that they are brainwashing, they prefer to call it indoctrination... but so did Hitler...  I am concerned that children who are brainwashed with this kind of hate... even though they say it is "hate the sin, love the sinner" ... the children will grow up to be terrorists killing people they have been taught to hate...(look no further than the Nazis or Islamic Fundamentalists)  not being able in their minds to separate the actions with the person... because unfortunately things children are taught is not usually learned in a logical way... and no matter how adults rationalize it... children interpret it literally and are not able to make a distinction... That is why so many of us have so much trouble in adulthood... because of all this baggage of negative tapes we bring from childhood... it takes hard work and conscious effort to reprogram... reframe those negative beliefs, teachings into positive life affirming beliefs... I was writing this to just Lisa as an email and then I decided I would post this at The Shepherd's Arms... So everyone can pray for and call their Senators to get the Hate Crimes bill passed! (It recently passed the House and will be going to the US Senate Soon.)
 We really need to some how educate these "Christians" that they are accountable for their words and they are responsible for these murders... if they teach children to hate gays and other persons who are different from themselves... it is what the Bible is trying to teach that if you have hate in your heart it is the same as committing murder, Jesus tried to say (I believe) that to have these thoughts and beliefs would lead to the actions if we did not change our thoughts and beliefs....the big part is IF and through the Unconditional loving example of Jesus Christ God can help us and everyone replace the hate in our hearts with love even to the point of loving our enemies.
 I wished These folks would get the message of Christ... it was about loving... he never once approached people telling them what they were doing wrong or what their "sins" were it was always from a place of love and acceptance and it was the individual who revealed their own short-coming or "sin" and Jesus would say something like he said to the woman who was about to be stoned ... woman where are your accusers? ... Then go, neither do I condemn you.
 What would Jesus Do?  ... We know what Jesus did... Jesus LOVED! Jesus LOVES We can and must LOVE replace, fear, and hate with LOVE!
 Hugs,
Jerry

 



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Big Hugs!Blessings of Love, Joy, Peace & Health-Physical, Mental & Spiritual,
jerry

"Who walks a road with love, will never walk that road alone."
-Charles Thomas Davis
Mama Lisa


He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart. Isaiah 40:11

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I didn't see that story, but it breaks my heart.  And worries me!  Alan & Korey were recently mugged and were lucky to get away with only a black eye (Alan) and busted and sore mouth (Korey).  I think it was just a mugging, and not a hate crime, but that thought does cross my mind!

I was glad to read in the article that the murder had an opposite effect than what the killer wanted - it sparked an outpouring of love for the victim.

How do we combat the evil mindset of some people?  Someone like Fred Phelps and his family will never listen to reason.  How do we reach people like that?

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Grace is the acceptance of that which is rejected.
                                                                       ~Paul Tillich
m4mluvlife


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wow, I am sorry to hear about Alan & Korey's mugging.

Try not to worry...We have to cast off the fear... instead allow the peace and security of knowing God is in control... The Peace that passes all understanding... Phil 4:6-8

I wrote an article about Why does God allow Evil after the events of 9/11 and I think sometimes... it is beyond our comprehension... that is why, it is called faith... I think for me... and New Age and New Thought, and Buddhism and Taoism also concur on this... which is also a theme in Christian scriptures as well... is that we must focus on the positive, and of course use the best common sense about personal safety but do not live in fear or anxiety about being a vicitm of a crime... Because it is called the Law of Attraction  what we focus on we draw to us... many times these things are totally random, but always God can bring something Good out of them... if we are open to seeing the God instead of focusing on the bad... I praise God that Alan and Korey were not killed or seriously injured and I hope that in the future, perhaps they will be more aware of their surroundings when they are out and take certain precautions not to be an easy mark or a target for violence... Perhaps, what happened to Alan & Korey will prevent something more serious from happening to someone else in that area and or to Alan or Korey, because we can always learn from these expereinces... AGAIN not allowing the fear to paralyze us, but to prepare us... and to focus on what good can and did come from the expereience.

As far as sicko's like Fred Phelps... you are right... there is no reasoning with folks like that... we have to leave them to God to deal with... give them enough rope and they will hang themselves... but groups like PFLAG, HRC, GLAAD and other groups who do education in communities, schools churches, with police departments, etc., hopefully we can offset most of the messages of hate being put out there... IF all of the people were like Fred Phelps it would be a lot easier because I think he is so extreme that most people think he is crazy and do pay much attention to him... it is the more subtle forms of hate that we have to deal with... the "hate the sin, love the sinner" mentality, that and addressing who and where that message is being delivered... and age appropriateness, and increasing diversity and tolerance education in schools and sensitivity training amoung public employees... so as to protect children from being exposed to the more subtle forms of hatred.

LOVE Conquers all... Fear causes us not to Share our LOVE... Let our LOVE be stronger than fear.
Love & Hugs,
Jerry

__________________
Big Hugs!Blessings of Love, Joy, Peace & Health-Physical, Mental & Spiritual,
jerry

"Who walks a road with love, will never walk that road alone."
-Charles Thomas Davis
Mama Lisa


He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart. Isaiah 40:11

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I always am so blessed when we go to a gay or affirming church and see kids there.  They are being raised in a loving environment, being taught acceptance (which I really believe is innate in children anyway), and hopefully will cause the next generation to naturally be more tolerant.

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Grace is the acceptance of that which is rejected.
                                                                       ~Paul Tillich
m4mluvlife


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yes, Prejudice and intollerance is LEARNED... I too believe the love and tolerance is there naturally in Children... they just need to get those messages reinforced to counter balance the negative ones out in society... and sometimes in the home... That is why I loved teaching the 4, 5 and 6 year-olds when I used to teach Sunday School at the Congregational Chruch (Irvine United Congreational Church, www.IUCC.org) ... cause the kids were always so loving and so eager to learn... their parents would tell me you have the patience of Job... as they observed how I worked with these rambuncous kids... and I thanked them... but sometimes said... Well, they are kids, I don't expect them to sit quietly like adults... they have way too much energy for that... so I like to try and use their energy to keep them interested... as long as the kids didn't become disrruptive to the other kids I gave them a lot of lattitude and if they got out of hand... all I had to say was... "Eric, can you please calm down a bit... because if not, you will have to go sit in 'big church' with your mom and dad." And that was all it would take... they would much rather be there with me and the other kids where they could at least get up and move around and ask questions.

Kids are like sponges... That is why it is so important that they be exposed to more good stuff than bad...
have a great day... ps... I sent you the article.
Hugs,
jerry

__________________
Big Hugs!Blessings of Love, Joy, Peace & Health-Physical, Mental & Spiritual,
jerry

"Who walks a road with love, will never walk that road alone."
-Charles Thomas Davis
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