This is a fiction, I do not mean it…*

I agree that, first, Christians actually should expect opposition, injustice, ignorance, dominance, disregard, bigotry, abandonment, abuse, slander, belittling, etc., from the world.

I don’t agree that we should, second, accept the same from within our own Christian family as they fiddle on, piously reciting meaningless christianistic platitudes they neither understand nor have bothered to examine.

I welcome the first; in fact it’s an honor. (Acts 5:41) The second is so common and tolerated that I’m a tad, shall we say, peevish. And it’s not because I hang out mostly Christians, because I don’t, especially lately, but I have definitely experienced the ‘(etc.)’ more from the second than from the first as well.

So-called ‘Christians’ (quite probably ersatz ones, anyway) have been far more cruel, in my experience, than others.

If it weren’t for Jesus Christ (and all which that Name truly means personally, practically, and ultimately), I’d stop having anything to do with Christians, especially within American Reformed Churches, and with Other Churches connected with American Reformed churches, and with people who talk about American Reformed Churches, and with their children, and with their dogs, and with their barbers.

I’m just not certain that His Name isn’t just a punchline, often invoked in Elmer Gantry-esque acts of chicanery on the part of more than a few of my acquaintances.

He (i.e., God), I’m nigh unto certain, is seen by some as a servant of theirs, someone whose Name they invoke to get what they want under some ersatz-holy cover story. It seems He (the Name, etc.) likely makes very little, if any, difference one way or another for so many men of whom I have served alongside. (Men who could, but never would, truthfully say, ‘Yes, we’ve dismissed, berated, bullied, and lied to and about you, but now you need to be a good boy, and forgive us, even though —-

1. we intend on repeating this,

and

2. we are not at all repentant nor teachable,

and

3. we know that if we weren’t hiding behind that thing in the Bible about legal actions between believers (Luke 12:57-59) over our criminality and torts against you, our coffers would be drained,

and

4. one or two of us would even be guests of the state for our mixing funds we receive and soliciting funds from others by deception.’

*a disclaimer made under advice of an attorney.