Bad examples

Dear Editor,

Contrary to what is claimed or felt by many, deep down there’s a potential monster in each of us that, under just the right circumstances, can be unleashed — and maybe even more so when we are convinced that God is on our side.

But Christ practised and preached the opposite of what enables the most horrible acts of human cruelty to occur on this planet. Sadly, sometimes those atrocious acts are allowed to remain a buried secret.

Institutional Christians, that is, those most resistant to Christ’s fundamental teachings of non-violence, genuine compassion, and non-wealth, insist on creating an image of Him that is the same as their own — fallible, often angry, and vengeful; for example, proclaiming at publicised protests that “God hates” such-and-such group of people.

Often being the most vocal, their behaviour showcases very bad examples of Christ’s fundamental message, especially to the young and impressionable. This is why I openly critique those in public life who claim to be Christians yet behave nothing like Christ or his basic teachings.

US Republicans went into their ‘Christian’ mode by withholding support for starving Palestinian children. The self-described Catholic US President Joe Biden, his Administration, and too-many Democratic senators and congressional representatives want it both ways: to unconditionally heavily arm the Israeli State against Palestine and to keep the Palestine/human-rights-supporting voters active and onside. What would Jesus say?

But I doubt that Arabic/ Palestinian/muslim voters will collectively compromise and sell their souls by giving Biden a pass on his blatant hypocrisy towards Israel’s mass slaughter of mostly Palestinian non-combatants.

Frank Sterle Jr fgsjr2013@gmail.com