It is rare that I try to tell conservative Christians how they should treat people, but today I had my fill when someone posted in a Wesleyan Covenant Association (WCA) group a blog post calling the LGBTQIA+ the name “Rainbow Mafia.” Just as I always encourage my progressive friends to not name call, I merely pointed it out that we don’t need to call people names, immediately I was given the weakest argument anyone could come up with “Well Jesus called people names!” I call it a weak argument because Jesus was God incarnate. In calling these religious leaders all these names, the Lord Jesus did not react in anger or malice toward these opposers. Instead, He declared their true character in hopes that they would come face-to-face with the Truth about themselves and repent.
When discussing the split of the United Methodist Church, what does it tell the world when Christians will call people names instead of engage in thoughtful discussion? What these Christians want to deny is that our very own Book of Discipline says in Article IV. Inclusiveness of the Church: The United Methodist Church acknowledges that all persons are of sacred worth. All persons without regard to race, color, national origin, status, or economic condition, shall be eligible to attend its worship services, participate in its programs, receive the sacraments, upon baptism be admitted as baptized members, and upon taking vows declaring the Christian faith, become professing members in any local church in the connection.This goes along with the biblical teaching that all humans on earth are descended from Noah, and, in turn, from Adam, who was created in the image of God. (Genesis 1:26)
The only directive that we have in the Discipline is 304.3: The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. Therefore self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in The United Methodist Church. 341.6: Ceremonies that celebrate homosexual unions shall not be conducted by our ministers and shall not be conducted in our churches.
Beyond that we don’t have any directives. To me the name calling is a form of bullying/abuse. Abusive name calling pushes them farther from the truth. And while the Bible doesn't talk directly about bullying, but that doesn’t mean that we can't use biblical principles to address the issue. The Bible commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:31) and to treat others the way we would like to be treated (Luke 6:31). There is no room in the Christian faith for belittling or abusing someone. Every person, regardless of what he or she looks or acts like, is created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27; James 3:9-10) and is worthy of the dignity that God gives to every person.
Whether John Wesley, the founding father of Methodism really said this, there are three rules which every Christian should strive: Do no harm, Do good, stay in love with God.
So let’s take a look at the three rules:
Do no harm, is anybody ever truly successful by doing no harm. Most of us would say yes, I do pretty good job at not doing any harm, I haven’t killed anybody, I haven’t caused anybody any problems, so I’m doing pretty good on the first rule. we have to ask ourselves this, have we gotten angry in the past couple of days, well that’s harm to ourselves, so then we are not good at keeping the first rule.
Second Rule, Do good. We believe because we aren’t bad people so that must mean that we are good people right. Not necessary, the disciples came up to Jesus and said, Good Teacher, and Jesus immediately said why do you call me Good, no one except for the Father is Good. So if Jesus himself said he isn’t a good person then we have truly missed the mark.
Third Rule, Stay in Love with God. Do we really need to discuss this rule? We don’t read the Word of God like we should, we don’t pray like we should, nor do we live our lives in the most holiest way like we should.
So why did Jesus call people names? Being the Omniscient God that He is, He infallibly knows what is in man. Hence, He knows when people are sincere or phonies. Throughout Matthew 23, we find Him renouncing the Pharisees - using various derogatory names. In using them against these religious leaders, it was not His intent to manifest hatred, resentment, wrath, or malice toward them for opposing His ministry. He simply called them names in order to reveal to them their true character and in hopes that they would "wake up" and repent of their sins. Are you guilty of calling people names and then justifying it by saying that even Jesus did the same? He happens to know the character of all men for He reads and knows their hearts. The question is - Do you?
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