Today a friend was telling me about a funny scene from a Simpson's episode. In it, one of the Flanders kids made a funny remark. The Flanders family is the kooky Christian family. You know, the dumb goody two shoes people who love Jesus. My friend said, "That's how I picture your family." And then she laughed...
I felt my face fall. I got angry. Unfortunately, I did respond a bit icily, "We're Christian, but we're not dumb." Anyone who makes fun of your faith should be set straight right away. I don't blame this person, because she is ignorant of the fact that a life with Christ is the best life. The Simpsons, while funny, does make Christians look like Jesus freaks. Whatever. I remember my mom telling us when I was young, "Be a fool for Jesus." So, here I am.
2 comments:
Reminds me of the mandatory diversity training I had to go through when I joined the big company where I work. After this long exercise where we were supposed to make up names, occupations, etc for people based solely on their photograph, and then find out what their real story was, the class was asked if there was anyone out of the 20 people pictured that class members wouldn't want to work with. Turns out there was, and a couple class members were proudly vocal.
"I wouldn't want to work with the former seminarian who's now a homeschooling dad," said one new employee.
"Neither would I," said my new coworker. "I wouldn't want to work with a bigot."
Oh, the irony. At least our instructors went on to correct the outspoken class members, and I put in my two cents. But I've never felt so unwelcome in a work environment, and it was painfully obvious that it's socially acceptable to negatively stereotype Christians.
Wow, that's amazing, Ellen. People are so used to criticizing Christians that it's almost second nature and socially acceptable.
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