CHRISTIANS HATE EACH OTHER!

CHRISTIANS HATE EACH OTHER!

My name is Raphael Paiva, 34 years old, born and raised in a Baptist church. In all this time, I have witnessed countless events within the church. After all, we have to realize that the church is a bureaucratic institution formed by men and women, so there will be flaws/errors. I have always participated in the music department: solo, duet with my mother, group, Worship Ministry and Choir. For 10 years, I wrote the newspaper for my church. In 2015, at PIBVP (First Baptist Church in Vila da Penha), I was excluded from the Worship Ministry for posting videos of me dancing on the internet. According to the then Worship Minister, people from the Ministry came to him and said that I was committing lewdness and that my presence in the Ministry was a stumbling block for others. In this same church, young people were discussing my sexuality in a group. They even said that one of the girls in the group was my ‘gay cure’.
 
This text is to show that Christians hate each other. This text is to show that Christians sabotage themselves. I will cite the singer and composer Jessé Aguiar as an example. When he was in Gospel Music, many Christians went to his social networks and questioned his sexuality. Many said ‘Future Jotta A’, ‘We already know your future!’, ‘That coke is Fanta!’, ‘If it isn’t, it’s showing signs!’, among other malicious comments. Last year, when he when he came out as gay, Christians started going to his social networks to comment: ‘I already knew!’, ‘I believe in miracles!’, ‘He will return!’, ‘Let’s pray for him!’, ‘He is possessed by demons!’, ‘It was God who gave you the gift! He has a purpose in your life!’, ‘The world will witness the great miracle!’, among other comments. This week, Jessé Aguiar posted a video from the church pulpit. And, of course, the brothers in Christ returned to their networks to share the love of Jesus: ‘These people come close to me with their mouths and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me!’, ‘Have they fixed it yet?’, ‘This pastor should teach them doctrine first!’, ‘He doesn’t seem to be repentant!’, ‘I don’t think he’s returned to Christ!’, ‘He’s returning because he lost money outside the church!’, ‘Those who seal it don’t make a profit!’, among other loving comments. So, dear readers, this is the level of ‘brothers in Christ’ we have on social networks. When he was praising, they criticized. When he left, they criticized. Now that he is supposedly trying to return, they are already criticizing.

 
Observations:
I. They are doing the same with Maria Marçal!
II. Many Christians put themselves on a pedestal where everything that is contrary to what they think becomes wrong, sinful, heretical.
III. Many Christians sum up ‘homosexuality’ as sexual intercourse or, worse, as the devil.
IV. There is no ‘gay cure’! What I believe can happen (and does happen) is that LGBT people stop practicing because of Christ. After all, according to the Bible, the sin is not being LGBT; the sin is the practice.
 
I was talking to a well-known Candomblé follower about religious leaders who commit rape and pedophilia. She came to talk about the cases of pastors. In response, I showed her the cases of holy fathers and priests. After a while, I asked her if she would share the cases mentioned in the same way she shares the cases of pastors. And her answer was clear, short and objective: “Why would I share them?” Whether it makes sense or not, I still don’t have an opinion, but in other religions, they defend themselves. We Christians invite people to church, pray for them, fast for them, and at the same time, we judge and point the finger. We exclude ourselves! I am not saying that we should cover up crimes. On the contrary: everything must be transparent. But can you see how we sabotage ourselves!?
 

“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”

[1 Timothy 01:15]

 

Raphael Paiva