Deception - Part 1

Over the past few weeks I have encountered more and more deception and distortion of the Word of God than I can handle. Mainly from the Westboro Baptist Church, or godhatesfags.com who are spreading a message of God's hatred...a very non-Biblical perspective. They recently rallied in Michigan where my brother-in-law lives and held a picket rally in front of a high school. The language they used made me sick. This quote is from an article about the picket, since the notice on their website has since been taken down since the date passed. I did verify at the time that it was a direct quote from their site:

“WBC to picket the worthless brats who attend East Lansing High School, as well as their teachers and parents who have taught them from the cradle that God is a liar. You reprobates will hear some truth for the first time in your lives, to wit: God does NOT love everyone and it IS NOT okay to be gay or to fornicate with anyone or thing you please. Instead, you are to flee youthful lusts that war against your soul and seek to live sober, righteous and godly while on this earth.”

Are you kidding me? Even from the most basic verse of the gospel message proves this perspective twisted and out of line. My husband put it best when responding to a friend of ours about the topic:

"For God so loved *the world* that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."
John 3:16.
Contrary to what those people at WBC seem to think, that does not say 'for God so loved the heterosexuals...' The world includes everybody, every single person regardless of their sins.
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
~Romans 5:8

I can't imagine what happened to make these people think that their message is the truth. Though it is said that "He (Satan) was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." - John 8:44

Though I know it is not a popular belief and may be offensive to some, I do believe that homosexuality is a sin. But I believe that homosexuality is a sin just like when I lie or when I am angry with someone or anything like that...Homosexuality isn't the only sin or the worst sin and yes, heterosexual people also commit sins, and even sexual ones. But to convey a message that God hates anyone besides Satan is wrong according to every word of the New Testament. (Arguably, once Jesus came things changed a lot. Gentiles were included! Woot!)

It's like they are taking the role of Jesus as the Judge over all. They speak as if they know people's hearts, or even God's heart.

For those who have been hurt by interactions with Christians before, and for all those who have been presented with a distortion of God's truth, for what it's worth I am sorry. I am truly sorry for the way some people choose to convey the word of God. I do not presume to have a better understanding or a more thorough knowledge than any other, but the Word of God is clear on many counts, including the one addressed in this post. So for what it's worth, I'm sorry.


One of our ideas while I was in a college ministry was to set up a confession booth where we would invite students in and apologize for all of the wrongs the church has caused throughout history. I think we need that now more than ever.

So basically, I have been really disheartened by the distortions of the truth that I have been hearing. I have another one to talk about as well, but not enough time at the moment to do it. Part 2 still to come. 

- Erica

"Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. 'Come now, let us reason together,' says the LORD" Isaiah 1:17-18