An Open Letter To Those ‘Christians’ Who Applauded The Orlando Shooting

I don’t know who you think you are, and I am not certain you do either if you’re applauding the Orlando Massacre and “Christian”. If Christians are called to love one another under the premise that people are all equal, then what sense does it make to elevate oneself on a pedestal ? If Christianity, a philosophy of unconditional acceptance, kindness and compassion, calls  to “love one another”, then there is no tolerance for the lack of tolerance as shown by a Sacramento pastor and various people on Twitter falsely attributing their comments to “Christian” justification.

Let us not forget that Christ Himself was the one who showed compassion for not only all of us, but especially for those who were “outcasts”: the lame, the lepers, etc. Let us not forget that  everyone can appreciate the dignity of each and every person. Let us not forget that if respect is something we appreciate for the sake of being human, then it is something we are expected to give to others for the same reason. Let us, regardless of differences in beliefs or sexual orientations, be kind to one another  even if one person disagrees with another’s “choice.” If being kind and accepting is asking too much, then let us not be cruel. At the very least, let us be civil of differences as Christianity teaches.

I am not saying you have to be Jesus Christ and you have to be friends with those who are different than you. You don’t. Rather, you do need to show respect and should you welcome a challenge, love. Again, you do not have to be exactly like Christ. However, if you claim to be following him and you’re applauding a massacre, then there exists an inexcusable discrepancy between your beliefs and your behaviour. I realize that no follower of any faith is perfect, but in the aforementioned cases, there is something deeply disturbing – both ideologically and socially- about championing a philosophy of love in these contexts. These people may claim to be Christian, but their comments are not.  Yes, people are not “their mistakes”, but I don’t think these people see a mistake and I think they identify quite strictly with their commentary. They see their comments as incorrect extension of a philosophy to which they have subscribed.

Sometimes we act as if love were scarce or ran in short supply, when in reality, quite the opposite is true. Love is one of the very few things that when given away, it is not divided, but rather, multiplied. Besides, it is “examples and not opinions” that will change the world anyway.  To those celebrating the Orlando massacre: your “Christian” inspired behaviour has changed the world, but not in a way that aligns with the true spirit of Christianity. The comments are far from civil; they are inhumane and wrong. They are more than offensive; they are vicious and violent. They are hateful.

Never did Jesus advocate for show hate. Never did Jesus rank one human above another. Never did he say one person’s life is worth more than another. He said to love a neighbor as oneself, and the sacred profile intrinsic to (any) human life is no exception to this concept.

Let us remember that if Christians truly believe all are the children of God -yes, all- then they called to share the love with Christ to others. Just as Christ always chose some to love (in the purest sense, respect), for Christianity teaches that all are children of God. People of the LGBT community are people. Who is one person to say who is not a child of God or worse: Who is one person to rank one human life as superior to another?

I realize I too am human and imperfect, but I also realize that all equal in the eyes of God and the in theory, the law. You don’t have to be non Christian to see that there is something wrong with accepting a philosophy of unconditional acceptance, compassion and kindness on a conditional basis shares these virtues with a select few. To those who celebrate the death of any innocent minority, particularly the Orlando Shooting, I hope you seek forgiveness.

Christ did not hate, so neither should a “Christian” or any person who appreciates respect for the sake of being human.  So for the love of God, let’s share some of it-literally.