Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Stand Up for Jesus

Over the weekend at the Emmy Awards, so-called and self-proclaimed comedian Kathy Griffin, receiving a Emmy trophy, began to lambaste and take the opportunity in front of a national audience to say some disrespectful, degrading things about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let it be known at the outset here that Jesus doesn't need for me or anyone else to stand up for Him. He is perfectly capable of standing on His own but the reason I am firing back and outraged is because, were her comments changed to say anything about Mohammed, or Allah or Hinduism or Buddha. The reason why she didn't speak of any of them in particular is there would be a riot and cars would be set ablaze, people would be hurt or killed, death warrants sworn out for the perpetrator. But when it comes to Christianity it is an easy target because we preach Christ and Him crucified and resurrected and the only one who can forgive sin.

It should be pointed out Kathy Griffin is a former Catholic and from what I understand even some Catholics are not happy with her tirade. The fact of the matter she is not going to make one iota of difference in who Christ is, the truth of Christ for salvation or the reason we worship on Sunday. But I am a believer and if someone uses God's name in vain it offends me. If they use it around my wife or children I let them know I don't appreciate it. If someone uses language that should never had been allowed on television 25 years ago, then it is time to speak up. The time has come for the "redeemed of the Lord to say so". In our wonderful country she is allowed to say anything almost that she wants. I am allowed to refute her ranting as hate speech and disgusting just as much however.

She has referred to Jesus as dead so He would not do anything about her ranting anyway in past comments. She has referred to Christians believing in fairy tales, but so do children she says. The point of all this is that in some twisted way Kathy Griffin thinks this will revive or bolster her career.

Here is what Kathy Griffin said without the specific wording that is offensive and slang and something that we do not use in our everyday language at our house. Upon receiving the Emmy and holding it in her hand she said: "I guess hell froze over. A lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know no one had less to do with this award than Jesus. So, all I can say is, s*** it Jesus. This award is my god now," she concluded. Earlier this year she described herself as a "complete militant atheist." In June she was quoted in a homosexual magazine as saying, "If you don't believe in God, even though you don't try to inflict your atheism on anyone, people get furious. And yet we have to listen to everybody's God this and Jesus that. I'm sorry it bothers you that I don't believe in God. I don't care what you believe in. Whatever."

To be quite honest in America she can say what ever she likes even if it were vulgar and rancid. I am more concerned for her soul than I am about making a point that I am offended. I am not sitting in a corner crying because someone has attacked the Lord. They have been doing that for thousands of years now. My point is had it been any other so called religion we would have had riots and bedlam in the streets.

The Kathy Griffins of this world will always be there. I am concerned with Christians carrying their Bible and living godly and not giving the unbelieving world an opportunity to see a double standard or double talk in the Christians life. We have for too long sat back and are taking it as it comes and thinking, "well I'm going to Heaven no need in getting so engrossed in all this". I am writing this article on Sunday morning and no doubt there will be Christians sitting at home this morning or working in the yard or just using Sunday the Lord's Day as their day. No wonder when the car doesn't leave the driveway the neighbors wonder whether we believe what we say we believe or not.

This is not going to change the fact that Jesus is the Lord and Savior and He is returning soon, real soon. But it does mean I am going to speak up, stand up and rise up when my Lord is attacked. God help me never to be like Peter at the betrayal, at the crucifixion and be silent and say that I don't even know the man.

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