Fleming Rutledge tells the story of a young girl who goes into a jewelry store in New York and wants to buy a necklace. She wants a nice silver necklace. The clerk shows her one. She says she want one with a cross on it, and she wants one with that little man on it. The clerk says, "Are you Catholic?" The girl is a bit surprised but says no, she just thinks that little man on the cross gives the necklace a little special flair. Who is telling her the story about that little man?
The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life announced the results of a survey they took. I don't know anything about the Pew Forum so I don't know what their agenda may be, but they report that those people who go to church an average of twice or more a month are much more likely to support torture and water boarding than those who do not go to church. The more you hear the story of Jesus and his love for his enemies apparently the more eager you are to torture your own enemies. Who is telling these people the story about Jesus?
I was called and selected to be among those first interviewed to be on two juries concerning the death penalty. Because I was a minister I kept thinking that the prosecuting lawyers would question me about my attitude about the death penalty. They asked a lot of questions about a lot of things and when it came time to exercise their privileges to excuse jurors, I was excused both times by the defense attorneys. I was very surprised. When I mentioned this to some attorney friends they told me that defense attorneys have profiled clergy as being very harsh and heartless jurors. Clergy vote to "hang them high and fried them toasty." Needless to say, I was shocked. People who spend their lives reading and telling others about a God who loves and forgives have no forgiveness or mercy in their souls.
Man, it seems to me that we still have a long, long way to go.
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