The Lazy Christian

THE RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH MEANS THE RIGHT TO FREE EXPRESSION. It is unfortunate that today’s Christian has decided to nix their responsibility as a Christian to carry out the great commission, a term coined based on the Bible’s instruction to “go ye therefore and teach all nations...” So many are just content to stay home and eat cheetos until time to go to church and annoy the pastor with the munching of cheetos.

THE RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH MEANS THE RIGHT TO FREE EXPRESSION. As one who has grown up in the right-wing evangelical movement, I was taught this value and it’s corresponding Bible verse so much that it ended up being the one value I never forgot. It was shouted from pulpits, Sunday School classes, and from my parents, grandparents, foster family, aunts, and uncles, and beat into my head with sledgiest of sledgehammers. The seriousness of this instruction was so engrained into me, that for the vast majority of this time, I would carry my Bible with me everywhere I went, sharing its words with anyone who dared even glance at my Loony Tunes tie. A small part of my departure from this life can be attributed to my realization that I was alone in my actions.

THE RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH MEANS THE RIGHT TO FREE EXPRESSION. I was recently entangled in an argument with one of my family members regarding the details of this value, an argument that started my thought process that has resulted in this article. In the argument, I and this family member argued over the righteousness of allowing sinners into the home. He argues that to allow that kind of sin into his home is to invite demons, where I argued that one cannot fulfill his duty as a Christian if he turned them away... no matter how much latin they muttered under their breath as they left. If he were truly secure in Christ, he need not worry about demonic activity.

THE RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH MEANS THE RIGHT TO FREE EXPRESSION. On a bigger scale, it is becoming more noticeable through right wing politics that this kind of thinking has spread out all across the evangelical movement. Instead of teaching people about the sin of homosexuality, dressing in drag, aborting pregnancies, and living in accordance with the gender/hairstyle they are born with, the Christian right has decided to force these beliefs on the country through the passing of law. This is pure, unadulterated, laziness. Not so much on the part of the politicians, as they have to do a lot of work to get these ideals codified, but on the part of the average Christian.

CONGRESS SHALL MAKE NO LAWS REGARDING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF RELIGION. With laws in place, no longer will a Christian have to work to convince others of Biblical teachings. People will have to abide by those teachings regardless of whether they are believers or not… and make no mistake about it, people are less likely to believe in something they are forced to live by.

CONGRESS SHALL MAKE NO LAWS REGARDING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF RELIGION. There is a lot of debate amongst the Christian Right and the secular population as to whether this country is founded on Christian morality or not. The Treatise of Tripoli, The Jefferson Bible, The Prime Directive an the Danbury Baptist Church letters are brought on a regular basis and the divide on this topic is intense. However, ideologically, it doesn’t matter what side you come out on: this country got its start by breaking free from a religious ideal that was being forced on the population. The laziness of the Church of England was its downfall.

THE RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH MEANS THE RIGHT TO FREE EXPRESSION. CONGRESS SHALL MAKE NO LAWS REGARDING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF RELIGION. In summary, the correct thing for a Christian to do is to continue doing as some of them already do: Put up your “Choose life” billboards, post your Facebook status updates with scripture, and even go one step further… go into the cities and talk to people. This is how I was brought up. This is how it’s supposed to be. Share your gospel the way it’s supposed to be shared… not through force of law, but through the love of your heart. If you have to rely upon force to get your ideals into the world, your ideals aren’t strong enough. An ideal or belief based on truth does not need help to spread. Truth stands on its own merit. Just spread it and see how far it goes. Forcefulness is a weakness.

As it stands, people can and should be allowed to identify with whatever gender they want, love whoever they want, and run around squawking like a parrot in the middle of central park if they want. That is the nature of living in a free country. If you don’t like it, you can either shut up and keep your thoughts to yourself, or you can fulfill your responsibilities as a Christian to inform that parrot impersonator that they are an afront to your sensitive constitution. Live and let live. Be and let be.

And last of all... let's not forget our inalienable rights: The right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.