Christian Entitlement

I have a lot of big feelings when it comes to Christians claiming their rights in this country. On the one hand, I believe in human dignity. So, of course, as humans Christians should be given dignity. We shouldn't squash people because they hold Christian beliefs. They are entitled to hold their beliefs and should receive dignity whether they are agreeable or not to the person charged with giving them dignity. And yes, Christians are part of a religion and in America, we have certain religious freedoms available to us that make it a really wonderful place to live for someone with religious beliefs. We don't have to worry about being imprisoned, stoned, etc for holding certain views.
And yet. Demanding our fair share is not a Christian value. Being great is not supposed to be something we pursue (personal greatness, fine, greatness at the expense of others, no). We're supposed to turn the other cheek, not slam the door on our enemies. I read an article recently calling out the intertwining relationship between American Christianity and our sacred cow of patriotism. It called into question specifically how this has affected the campaign of Donald Trump. It was a good read. In the end, there is a difference between setting healthy boundaries (not being a doormat) and demanding what's "yours." I honestly don't see Jesus doing the latter, ever. When he was being falsely accused, He did not speak (that always baffled me). When he was on the cross, He did not come down. He did not curse His enemies, but called for their forgiveness. 
I've learned the hard way how hard Christian faith can make it to set healthy boundaries and to live into your worthiness. So I don't want to shame people for wanting basic protections and having their needs met. And yet, I really blanche at anything that resembles Christian entitlement. If we want to demand our religious freedoms, we better be willing to demand those freedoms for those who hold different religious beliefs. If we want to honor our faith by breaking discrimination laws, we don't get to call out "discrimination" back. We get to pay a fine or go to jail. Those are actual choices. It's ok to be radical. Jesus certainly was. But if you think being radical will have no consequences, you don't understand the term.

Look Past the Words and Hear the Message

Huh, so it turns out, some people really hate cursing. Like, to the point that they will read something I've written, find it compelling and then not share it publicly because I used two curse words. I'm trying to walk my brain back to when I would feel so offended by two words that it would negate the other few hundred. It's such a tricky thing for me to understand. I'm more the type to write a disclaimer and then post whatever I find compelling. And yet, there are different words that I find offensive. If an article used racial slurs or anything derogatory towards women or people who identify as LGBTQ, I can't imagine a disclaimer would suffice. 
I guess I'm wondering, how important is this sacred cow, this issue of two curse words? If they were used in throw away instances, I could see why it would feel unnecessary and just crass. But the most offensive word I used in this specific post, one of the juggernauts (the "f-word") was used in reference to deporting Muslims for their religion. The act of considering electing someone who finds this to be a good solution for to our immigration issues, refugee fears and terrorism threats is so appalling to me that sometimes big words come out. Isn't it better to drop f-bombs than to round up Muslims? I think so. No, I know so. I recognize that one of my hopeful audiences has a barrier to listening past cursing and yet I'm hoping to respectfully push back that barrier to get to the bigger issues at hand. I know that I can make good points without cursing. Yet, cursing is part of how I highlight the importance of something. Ugh. 
It's a delicate thing to write publicly, trying to bridge the gap between where I started and where I am now while still staying true to myself. I don't like offending people. That is ingrained in me and is a part of why I was so suited to ministry (winky face). But there's this other part of me, this voice that grows louder and frankly, more offensive. It is this voice of advocacy, this woman within who says "I don't like hurting people, so much so that I will hurt people to protect the people who are hurting more." That's an uncomfortable place for me to be. To risk offending Christians with my passion for advocating for people who might be being hurt by Christians. Hmm...I think I found my answer. If my cursing offends you, I apologize for the offense. And yet, I do not regret the place my offensive words come from and I hope to God (literally, I do not throw that around) that you can look past them if they make you cringe in order to hear the purpose they fulfill. I think there is room for us to be uncomfortable. Join me there.