More dangerous religious folk

I just read an interesting article which reminded me of my mounting frustration with "organized" religion. Here's the link. See it for yourself:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9849697/.

Apparently, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) refused to give away truckloads of water to hurricane victims that were donated by Anheuser-Busch simply because they had the company's logo on them. Sure, we're talking about a beer company here. But I don't think that too many people, God included, were all that upset about it. Considering the dilemma, what's more important: the logo on the can or the water inside of the can which provides relief to victims?! I think that this situation underscores a thoroughgoing fallacy from evangelical thinking: the misguided belief that if we associate with "unholiness", then we somehow endorse it. In this case, if we accept water with a beer logo on it, we're endorsing alcholic consumption. How on God's Green Earth can a church of God justify neglecting the needs of many just to avoid "endorsement"?! I'm reminded of the parable that Jesus told where a Samiritan, the "lowest" of all people assisted a beat up man on the side of a road, when priests and church goers all passed him by (probably because they didn't want to associate with him). I think that this is something SBC should have really thought about before completely villifing a beer company interested in helping others.

Looking at groups like SBC, it's no wonder people are turning away from the church and rejecting the Christ that we claim to represent. With all the stuff that we take it upon ourselves to call sin, who care really blame them?! Sometimes I question if the church is a safe haven and a hospital for the 'sick' or if it's an assembly for overly critical, sanctimonious, and condescending "Christians" who hold their piety and self-righteousness over people's head -- without first dealing with their own issues. David Burchett put it best with his book title, "When Bad Christians Happen to Good People". I'll drink to that (even if it is water from a beer company...)!

- ACL