The text below is my response to a message received by a friend in regards to my raw style of speech and (I believe) the context of many of my posts on Facebook. The friend was apologizing that they were unfriending me. I have left the friend anonymous. The friend is very much involved in the Christian faith and I hold no malice towards them. I have not included their initial message to me out of respect to them. I have created this blog in order to bring to light some hypocrisy of some "Christians" and to sprinkle a bit of my own thoughts on the subject. Enjoy. Nathan
(Facebook Friend), don't ever be sorry for living your principles. One should respect the principles of others but be true to their own first. I am who I am. Ultimately you have to ask yourself the question of whether Jesus would unfriend me or not. I am the consummate anti-authoritarian, non agressionist, anti-war, iconoclastic, radical for peace. Some people find my mannerisms rough, crude, foul, and distasteful. So, I understand your sentiment of tolerance. I respect whichever decision you make. I recently cleansed myself of undesirables on Facebook myself -they simply were incapable of being peaceful.
If this be the end of our cyber friendship then I must leave you with a parting message below that I hope you will take to heart. Since I may only have this one moment to speak one last time on a serious matter, I am employing you to consider a message. I do so in complete respect and love. I hope the message will stick with you. And, I ask that you pray about it.
In my quest to find what it meant to be a Christian I found the greatest lack of Christianity in organized religion. I found the least amount of Christian principles in Christians. If I were to find and understand the teachings of Christ I simply had to ignore, well, Christians. Then, after discovering and researching the actions and teachings of Christ and to apply them to life here and now, I realized I had to speak some serious truth to power- just as he did. IF IT IS SO that we are only answerable to the one authority (God), then It would require me to reject the authority forced on me by other men (earthly authority) regardless of the consequences. Ergo, I reject government, the State, taxation, the political process, etc. Why? Because I see the State for what it is: Force, aggression, theft, murder, kidnapping, and coercion. It is simply incompatible with the laws of God. I wholehearted accept the Sermon on the Mount as truth. In the Acts of the apostles it was said that we must obey God as ruler rather than men. This is what discourages me most about Christians. In Luke 22:25, "And He said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so.". I do not get my freedom from the barrel of a U.S. soldiers gun in the sands of the middle east - I get it from God. I do not follow the will of the world - I follow the will of God. I do not recognize the law of men but of natures God. I am a sinner, yes. IF this be not the teaching of your savior then I do not accept your savior for I believe that by being silent about the atrocities of our Gentile Kings (take the bombing of the children’s hospital) then you are not being true to the teachings of Christ. In fact, all I've ever heard is complete obedience to our earthly masters from the so-called Christian "leaders".
I ask that you forgive me for my language for being upset that a NATO missile slammed into a children’s hospital in Lybia that was probably bought by funds stolen from me via taxation -Even if it was 1/2 of a cent towards the purchase. I don't think God would care that they were Lybian or American or brown or white or gay or Democrat, friend or foe. Thou shall not steal. Thou shall not kill. These are not my words... Is this not the word of God? Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
I believe, my friend, this message is lost. It is most lost in the church. It has been replaced by fancy "entertainment" and glorifying the church in the churches name. If we are to be blessed by God then we must speak even the most uncomfortable truths in the face of power. I believe that rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God. Do with this message as you will. If this be our last message in 2D then I bid you farewell and no hard feelings. I speak only from the heart utterly fearless of what I've said above because I believe that we are judged in this world not by the character that we present to the world but by the character we present to God. There is a big difference.
Take care,
Nathan
