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I wrote in my article, “I have been a Christian now for nearly 50 years and I still can’t get over the fact that so many fellow believers in the West appear to be so angry. “We read the words of Jesus in John 13:35 (New King James Version), who said, ‘By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.’ “But where is the love in these times? Almost daily, I receive hateful e-mails that are forwarded to me attacking other Christians, the President, and a plethora of other things. Most are Urban Legends that have not been checked, but they still get sent. “A cottage industry has sprung up on the Internet of individuals and groups that spend most of their time in an attack mode. I call it the ‘Wild, Wild West of the Blogosphere.’ “I am not sure what non-Christians make of all this anger that is being spread far and wide by people who claim name the name of Christ.”
Norm Nelson, the host of Compassion Radio, responded by saying, “Bravo. You hit the nail on the head with this one. Everything you said was true . . . and much needed. Give ‘em heaven, brother!” Stuart Bennett, a former BBC editor now living in Virginia, said, “Thank you so much for your article asking: ‘Why are Christians so angry?’ “I believe this is a psychological problem rooted in the issue of sin and forgiveness. The fact is that most Christians have a difficult time accepting they are forgiven for sins of the past and they often carry guilt. So, they are really angry at themselves. “The only way to deal with this guilt; (unless they actually read the book of Romans) is to project it onto other people! Consequently, they don’t feel so bad. Hey, if someone else screwed up worse than me, that makes me look good! “Secondly, many Christians are quick to judge and quick to speak. You just have to notice how quickly Christians forward emails that spread rumors about a Christian leader who has ‘allegedly’ fallen into sin, or that Wal-Mart is now selling sex toys… only to find out later that this was indeed SPAM. But, by then the damage has been done! Are we really so gullible?” Bob Tolliver of Life Unlimited Ministries (lifeunlimited@centurytel.net) said, “In response to your article on ‘Angry Christians’, I agree with your assessment. As a retired but still active missionary/evangelist/pastor, I’ve been preaching and teaching on the subject for the past 25 years, and have been fascinated by what I’ve seen the past four or five years in particular. “Anger, I think, exists in two forms coming from two sources — righteous indignation over something you know to be wrong or unjust, and a revengeful anger that flows out of a sense of bitterness, unforgiveness, or entitlement. One is justified, the other is not. “It appears to me that many Christians are indignant over the fact that freedoms are being perpetually stolen, believers are being persecuted, and the needy are being neglected . . . all on a global scale. Unfortunately, many others are bitter and angry to the point of verbal attacks and physical actions, unable to discern between personalities and issues. “I appreciate the vast array of articles you include, and almost weekly incorporate some of the links into my weekly ‘Shoulder To Shoulder’ e-letter I’ve been writing and sending for the past twelve years. Another comment came from Alan Pasho based in Mar del Plata, Argentina, who stated, “Thanks for the article about ‘Why are Christians so angry?’ I think the anger has a lot to do with pride and how to deal differences with our fellow believers. Those angry believers feel they must correct others and they must fight against flesh and blood to do it. But actually we have spiritual resources to deal with differences and problems with others; chief among them is the power of God’s love. Chuck Thompson from Crown Financial Ministries said, “Like you, I receive those emails that are forwarded by Christians who don’t even bother to see if they’re true. “I sometimes visit www.Snopes.com to get the truth about a particular email and then send the link back to sender. [You can also check with www.truthorfiction.com, Dan Wooding] “I don’t think a single person has ever thanked me for doing this. I think they’re embarrassed.” The final message came from an anonymous ANS subscriber who said, “Thank you for this timely email. I have been working for a mission’s organization for 25 years and just this year some of the leaders have decided to reject me and my family of five. “Although the leaders could not pinpoint what it was that I had done to deserve this treatment, at one point in the process I asked forgiveness because I had obviously offended them. Their response was ‘it is not about forgiveness.’ How sad that was to hear. “It is all about forgiveness. Reading your email was a good reminder in the power of forgiveness no matter the circumstance. I have chosen to forgive them, and trust that one day they will do the same. [I am] longing for that day.” So I am hoping that those of you who read my story and these comments at this Christmas period will also examine yourself and your anger and stop this constant barrage of hate messages via email and on the many web sites. I know from first-hand experience, that this kind of behavior eats away at your faith, joy, and spiritual walk. The Apostle Paul, writing in Galatians 5:22-23 (New King James Version) said, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Why not give it a try before you go to bed tonight? Apologize to those who you believe have harmed you. Let go of your anger towards them, and then you too, will begin to experience what the Apostle Paul was talking about. You have nothing to lose – but your anger.
** You may republish this story with proper attribution. Send this story to a friend. Share This story is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of the ASSIST News Service or ASSIST Ministries.
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