Tolerance just ain’t what it used to be.
Besides Lord and Savior, We’ve heard Jesus called many things. Some say he was a prophet, some say he was a post-modern hippie in pre-modern times, some say he was just an ordinary guy who thought love was a good idea, and many more. But I never heard Jesus called this name before. The police in the UK think that Jesus was a hooligan. That’s right. A hooligan.
What other conclusion can you come to after hearing this story. Dale Mcalpine, a part-time Christian preacher in the UK was handing out leaflets on the street when he got into a conversation about homosexuality with a passer-by and a police officer. He told them that he believes as the church has always believed, that homosexuality is a sin.
May 3, 2010 at 4:22 pm
This comment is certainly not meant as an argument, but rather as an important point to take away from this story…
Troublesome as it is that Christians continue to be persecuted for simply expressing their beliefs in public conversation, it should come as no surprise. Jesus warned us that following Him would not be easy, for this very reason. That in fact, following Him would make our earthly existence that much more difficult. Let us never forget that, in essence, Jesus WAS a hooligan in his time. He lived about as counter-culturally as anyone ever has, and paid the ultimate price for it. Through these modern day persecutions that we face as Christians, His love and grace are made perfect in us, and we are made more Christ-like in the process. These trials and tribulations are more or less a requisite part of the Christian life, and have been since Jesus' time. Let us never forget that to follow Christ will ALWAYS be counter-cultural, and that we should embrace that fact and allow those persecutions not only to grow our own personal faith, but to make us instruments of His will for the world to see.
May 3, 2010 at 8:22 pm
Jenna makes a fantastic point…
But being arrested for hooliganism? Is that a real thing or a made-up term? (The reason I ask is because I make up terms all the time!) Those Brits are wacko.
May 3, 2010 at 8:37 pm
Hooliganism is an all-too-real phenomenon in Europe. It is often seen around soccer matches and it is often instigated by neo-nazis. That fact is what makes the charge so serious. Note that the police didn't call Jesus a hooligan–they jumped to the conclusion that the preacher promoted hooliganism.
Moreover, I strongly believe that to reduce our Lord to a counter-cultural hooligan does His Gospel a great disservice. Neo-Nazis pride themselves on being counter-cultural. Our Lord came to bring healing. I doubt that he was endorsing hooliganism when he talked about bringing a sword–rather, I believe that he was referring to what can (not always) happen.
Finally, I seriously doubt that most liberals want to slaughter Christians.
May 4, 2010 at 12:09 am
I'm with Jesus. Once in awhile a misdemeanor is justified…
http://heyitsjustablogman.blogspot.com/2009/10/jesus-commits-misdemeanor.html