I read, and write, a lot of comments on online news stories. Recently I saw a comment that particularly intrigued me, though not in the way its writer intended. I don’t remember what the story was about, but it dealt with one of those issues where the reactions reveal a sharp divide between Christians and non-Christians.
The comment in question began, “Hey Christians – if you don’t want to be hated, here’s what you need to do.” What followed amounted to, “Just completely abandon your convictions in controversial but crucial areas!”
Well, I have news for the author of the comment: It is not our goal as Christians to avoid being hated. In fact, Christ’s words in the Bible make it clear that our being hated is quite inevitable.
If Christians are not free to be Christians, then freedom does not exist.
