Reply #33: Let me answer that one...

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

Because we're philosophically segregated.

I relocated to Milwaukee four years ago, and when I was looking for a congregation, I spent a lot of time searching for one that was liberal. Although the broader Lutheran Church is still wrestling with the subject of gay marriage, the pastor of the church I attend now was an "early adopter" on this issue, and will perform "ceremonies of blessing" if asked and, when the church finally allows it, will most certainly perform marriages.

The congregation where I attend has a variety of outreach ministries, including long-standing support of a free clinic in the inner city (the pastor's spouse is a physician who runs the place) and support for a host of other organizations that serve the poor and vulnerable in our society. Not every Lutheran congregation is this way, and so my search was worthwhile.

The point here is that I would probably not attend services if I had to do it with a pack of gibbering fundamentalists. So to your question as to why I don't speak out about hateful Christians "in my midst" its because they're not in my midst. I try to keep them as far from my midst as possible, truth be told.

The other reason why "good Christians" are loathe to speak out is that, as any good Christian knows, you're supposed to cast out the beam that is in thine own eye rather than the mote that is in thy brother's eye. I'm paraphrasing here, but the point is that you're supposed to be worried about yourself and not what other people are doing. Judge not, lest ye be judged. That sort of thing.

The Reglious Right, in their zeal to be involved with everybody else's life and in their desire to judge everybody around them, are acting exactly opposite of the teachings of the guy they perportedly worship. But you didn't get that from me!