Submitted For Your Consideration: KevinH

I submit that far more children have been harmed by sexual abuse committed within the church, often times with the ensuing shaming and cover-up making it even worse, than have been harmed by grooming by the LGBTQ+ lobby and culture.

I submit that far more children have been harmed by being taught to fear and hate the “other” by parents and church leaders, than have been harmed by drag queens.

I submit that far more children have been harmed by the modeling of disdain for immigrants, especially the “illegal” kind, by parents and other church leaders, than have actually been harmed by immigrants, including the “Illegal” kind.

I submit that far more children were harmed by parents and church leaders who taught them that it’s okay, if not even imperative, for Christians to disobey the government on things that don’t nearly violate God’s laws and commands in any clear fashion, than were harmed by wearing masks.

I submit that far more children and other people have been harmed by parents and church leaders who rail against Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Critical Race Theory (CRT), while jointly overlooking or dismissing real struggles and real racism and real harm suffered by minorities, than have been actually harmed by BLM or CRT.

I submit that far more children and other people have been harmed by parents and church leaders who have taught them to fear all manner of people, organizations, government, and secret conspiratorial bodies who are out to get them and/or wickedly rule over society (all the while ironically proclaiming slogans like “Faith over Fear”), than have actually been harmed by those they are told to fear.

I submit that far more children and other people have been harmed by parents and church leaders who have preached the importance of gaining political power, than have been harmed by the supposed actions of the “woke”, liberals, Democrats, Socialists, Marxists, and Communists who supposedly harbor greater political power, and are actively trying to take God out of our country.

I submit that far more children and other people have been harmed by parents and church leaders who have taught that Christians must fight back, have taught to admire those who claim to be “your retribution”, and have taught that the ends justify the means, than have been harmed by the people they are fighting back against.

I submit that many in the church are willfully ignorant, if not outright hostile to the Apostle Paul’s teachings of, “For what have I to do with judging outsiders?  Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?  God judges those outside. ‘Purge the evil person from among you.'” (I Corinthians 5:12-13), and “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” (Romans 12:18), and “and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you,” (I Thessalonians 4:11).

I submit that many in the church are willfully ignorant, if not outright hostile to the Apostle Peter’s teaching of, “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.  Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” (I Peter 2:11-12).

I submit that our country, its children and all of its people would be in a better and more God honoring state if more Christians took seriously Jesus’ statement that, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” (John 18:36).

I submit that I could be wrong about any or even all of the above statements, but my learning and observation leaves me believing that such statements should be given significant and sober consideration.  If I thought such things did not have much importance or implication, I wouldn’t waste my time submitting them.

Rather, I believe that dealing with such issues and reversing their seeming current states, could be key to achieving the positive effects that are so desired by so many Christians who are committing these very acts of harm.  At the very least, even if changing or fixing these things doesn’t end up having the overall desired positive effect upon the country, no doubt they would end up having an overall positive effect upon God’s people laboring for God’s kingdom, which always ought to be our greater priority in the first place.

I submit that there are a good many Christians and church leaders who are faithfully living out God’s kingdom, striving to live quietly and peaceably, recognizing their status as exiles in a land that is not their home, while still acknowledging and dealing with wrongdoing, most especially within the church.  I submit there is the potential for a lot more to join and help them.

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” – Colossians 3:1-2