Go to The crazy lady strikes again
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What I've seen differs just a bit. Most of what I've seen is similar to what most of the blacks covered in the Sun-Times series have seen - that issues of personal holiness (evangelism, how individuals should live their lives, and so forth) tend to take precedence over social-justice outreaches such as food pantries, or even walk-a-thons meant to sponsor food pantries, or anti-racism-type seminars, at least in predominantly-white parishes. Most of those types of churches are in affluent areas, and many of the parishioners are utterly unaware that there is such a thing as poverty or racism. They may never have even met a member of another race, or a poor person of any race.
I feel that we are speaking two different languages. I might email you privately later on.
posted by
kidnykid
on August 26, 2006 at 7:38 PM
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Huh. Interesting.
As a member of a conservative evangelical church, I would respond to you by saying that it's really easy to judge and lump particular groups into one big generalization. My church has made it a goal to reach out to people who may never set foot within the church building, who likely will never give to the church, who are desperate for help and attention and who are very possibly "living in sin." For that matter, I happen to know a huge number of churches in my city -- all evangelical -- that have a major outreach to people who are "living in sin." Yet they continue with the outreach, with the goal of doing everything possible to -- in some small way -- be Jesus to suffering people. After all, it was Jesus who ate dinner with sinners and who loved them in spite of their sins.
I think many people assume that evangelical Christians are "holier than thou" without taking the time to find out what these same Christians are really doing to make a difference in their communities and throughout the world.
I'm sure there have been a lot of "holier than thou" type evangelical Christians who live up to your generalizations. But there is also a huge number of people who want nothing more than to reach out and love those sinners -- of whom are all of us!
posted by
JanesOpinion
on August 26, 2006 at 6:43 PM
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