I was moved as a friend once described how it was to be pursued and sometimes beaten as a child by those calling him “Christ Killer.” The worst part, at least for him, was the constant role of outsider: always being the other. An irony is that Jesus was not crucified because he was rejected by the Jews of their day. In fact, his great and growing popularity contributed to the determination of some to have him eliminated.
Fortunately, conservative Christian fundamentalist leaders have largely purged from their midst anti-Jewish bigots and haters. Sadly, those same fundamentalists are still plagued by other hatreds and a persistent literalism that seems willfully to miss the teachings of our Lord. Continue reading “Forgiving James Dobson”