Evil People

Not that long ago there were litmus tests in the church [and since church was important back then, society too] that declared whether a person was righteous or evil. The tests were, swearing, smoking, tattoos, drinking, gambling, sex outside marriage - that sort of thing. Indeed this showed a very shallow and judgmental church - as long as you didn't drink, smoke or swear you were a good person - otherwise you were evil and to be scapegoated. [My how things have changed!]

Jesus talked to the religious righteous of his day about the more important issues being justice, mercy and faithfulness; not majoring on the minors. Learning to show grace and forgiveness, while maintaining high values. [Matt 23:23]

With the sidelining of the church in our society, a new breed of self-righteous high priest has arisen, with the same shallow way of operating. Today the new litmus tests to determine righteousness or evil are issues like gay marriage. If you are for it, you are righteous, if you are against it you are evil, prejudged and easily dismissed - indeed, search your feelings after reading this, if you don't want to read on perhaps you are the new breed!

What distresses me most about this debate is the polarity on both sides, the shallowness of the debate and that the old mistakes of the church are being made by the new moral police. If you are against gay marriage you are obviously homophobic, backwards, ignorant, a religious bigot, prehistoric. There is no chance to enter a cordial debate, to look at nuances and shades of grey. The issue is black and white, the litmus test of good and evil. [This is true of the other extremist position too - 'you must be against it!'] Such a shallow, black and white, simplistic situation is what is most disappointing to me.

Meredith Resce came upon this type of black and white debate as a Family First candidate in South Australia at the last federal election. She went to a 'question the politicians' event organised by the local Uniting Church. She knew it was coming - 'do you support gay marriage'. These good church people had already pigeoned holed her and judged her, dismissing her before she began - she was against it [political suicide in this liberal church]. They wouldn't listen to her reason's why. She has many good, close gay friends who are willing to openly talk about it and listen to her 'grey'. But she was judged, juried and executioner-ed - scapegoated as one of those evil people.

There are very few truly evil people in our society - just people; a complex mix of good and evil, weeds and wheat growing in the same field - whom God will sort out at the end [Matt 13:24-30]. We have this strange, human, 'Die-hard' desire to scapegoat the evil people. If we do society will be saved!

Strange thing, because there was one guy was was scapegoated by society at the time - and we believe he does save us, not because he was evil, but because he was good.