“This Is What Democracy Looks Like!”???

This is what democracy looks like,” is a mantra we have heard over and over from those attempting to justify the crossing-all-boundaries antics of an incensed left during the brouhaha over the recent Supreme Court nominee’s confirmation. Senators shamelessly attack the nominee with twisted, foundationless, knowingly false accusations attempting to assail and incriminate him, and, when confronted with the baselessness and vileness of what they have done, they respond, “This is what democracy looks like.” The media refuse to report any forthcoming thing that would exculpate the nominee but report every vague manufactured rumor they think will impugn him and, when challenged, denying any wrong in publishing what is totally unfounded, demur, “This is what democracy looks like.” Hecklers interrupt the proceedings, yell unsubstantiated, hurtful, vile things, accost someone trying to have supper in a restaurant, shout down a speaker giving an address, stop, as an organized, paid mob, hysterically screaming, a legislator trying to use an elevator, and their defenders nod approvingly and pontificate, “This is what democracy looks like.” I am thinking, “No, this is NOT what democracy looks like. This is what anarchy looks like. You must have no idea what democracy really is.” I am also thinking, “If this is what democracy looks like, I’m not sure I want democracy.” As upsetting as this is to me and to millions of Americans, I’m not writing to explore and expound on what democracy truly looks like and how wrong these leftists are. No, I’m writing because this hypocritically-uttered, democracy-perverting protestation reminds me of a question that I in the last decade have been asking myself over and over: “What does genuine Christianity look like?” Those I mentioned above point at their uncivil despicable behavior and label it with “This is what democracy looks like.” A preacher shouts about hating gays. Members of a church scheme and campaign to oust a pastor because he resisted the church boss. Evangelical youth in great majority profess they see nothing wrong with pre-martial relations—and practice what they profess. Preachers spout curse words while preaching. The most popular pulpit message is the encouraging of each to aggrandize and inflate one’s ego with self-pep talk while he is on his way to fulfilling his dreams of wealth, power, and pleasure. Christians in political arguments on social media post the same ad hominin vitriol as that posted by avowed, atheist anarchists. (All of that is just a random extemporaneous sampling.) Whether we proclaim it or not, the message to society is “This is what Christianity looks like.” Ten years ago, sitting in a church while on vacation, mulling over the state of American Christianity, I kept hearing that question, “What does true Christianity, true faith, true belief, look like?” I began to search the NT. My intent here is not to share any conclusions I came to, but, I must confess, I still find myself looking on at the self- professed Christianity of our contemporary church world and asking, “Is this what Christianity looks like?” Of the hecklers mentioned above I find myself wondering: If that is truly what democracy looks like, why do you have to say so to lovers of democracy? Wouldn’t they recognize it? Likewise, I believe that genuine Christianity is as such that people recognize it when they see it—and when they don’t. I see or experience that which, I believe, is in direct opposition to the teaching of the NT, the Spirit of Christ, love, etc., and ask, “Can those folks in honesty point at their lives, beliefs, and practices and say, ‘This is what Christianity looks like’?” Then I find myself in a greater quandary; can I look at my own life and honestly declare, “This is what Christianity looks like”? I must admit I am much less confident than the recent nominee protesters. I would hate for those who do not know Christ to observe my life and say, “If that is what Christianity looks like, I’m not sure I want Christianity.”

“This Is What Democracy Looks Like!”???

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