Christians Need to Die....and Eat Humble Pie

I am not advocating violence against Christians; I am proposing that Christians do what their (our) Leader commanded: to ‘deny themselves and take up their cross daily’. How strange that a Faith with self-sacrifice at its core could become historically a vehicle for frequent suppression and oppression and currently be represented by many who want either to impose their views on society or who insist on promoting those views in an assertive and combative fashion.

A few weeks ago, I blogged about the ‘gay cake’ controversy in Northern Ireland and argued that a liberal society ought to provide generous space for dissent even if that dissent is unpalatable to most of its members. I continue to believe that such should be the case.

I want to look now at the other side of the coin. If Christianity is modelled on self-sacrifice and altruistic service of others what are the implications of this for the ways in which Christians should relate to the rest of society?

Self-sacrifice does not require denying one’s core beliefs and values, but it must encompass a willingness to accommodate these in a culture of humility and service of others. In most Christian responses to the ‘gay cake’ controversy, I have found such accommodation sadly lacking.

It is entirely right that Christians should be free to state their opinions even if at times, they are misguided. It is also entirely right that, to be genuinely Christian in character, these opinions ought to be promoted in a spirit of service; offered in kindness and for the good of others, without any recourse to sophistry (I have sat through too many sermons where ‘loving your enemy’ has been presented as ‘beat him to a pulp for his own good’).

Paradoxically, in wishing to promote their freedom of expression as Christians, followers of Jesus are under an obligation to restrict that very freedom in ways that they should not require of others. This, of course, is not a matter of law, but of Christian morality, service and witness.

So, what might the ‘Christian bakery’ do to reflect its intrinsic Christian character? One possibility is for it voluntarily to offer a generous apology to the customer in question. I should hope that the case could then be settled out of court. Alternatively, it could voluntarily restrict its services in such a way that all members of society could avail of all of its services. This might cost them a small amount of business, but would that not be part of self-sacrifice?

As for Christians ‘leaders’,  I think that it might be useful for some of them to reflect on the words of Northern Ireland’s First Minister and ask themselves if it is time for them to ‘wind their necks in’ before insisting on exercising their perceived rights, a small sacrifice to make compared to crucifixion.