First, a brief disclaimer:
It occurs to me that perhaps I watched too many Looney Tunes episodes as a kid (see post: Just Call Me Roadrunner). However, I'm making a valid point in my own way, so just roll with it, would ya? :)
Everyone remembers Ralph the Wolf, right? I know, I know, he looks a lot like Wile E Coyote...but he is NOT! Oh, no... THIS guy is a wolf! LOLWhile Ralph is cute and somewhat harmless, as was obvious by his unsuccessful attempts to catch sheep on Sam the Sheepdog's watch; there is a similar predator in the real world that is much more dangerous.
BEWARE: The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
AKA: Fake Christians!
Yup. Unfortunately, they are not simply cartoons.
Fake: Noun: A thing that is not genuine; a forgery or a sham.
Adjective: Not genuine; counterfeit.
I suppose not all things that are fake are harmful:
Faux fur. Not so bad, saves little animals, is easier to care for. A good kind of fake.
Some things are fake because the real thing is not readily available. Like, ummmm….Fake blonde hair (hmmm….I don’t know ANYONE personally who is guilty of this).
Some are fake because, well, honestly I’m not sure why at all. Take for example:
Fake tan (ahhhhh, especially the orange version, like Snooky!)
All of these are simply imitations. Imitations of something that truly exists. None of them are hurting anyone (except perhaps our eyes in some cases).
But...I’m talking about FAKE CHRISTIANS today. This is something that truly makes my stomach turn. For grins, I did a Google search of the words ‘fake Christian’, just to see what would come up.
Here’s a good definition that popped up:
“Someone who attends church services with the intention of appearing as a genuine Christian but whose intentions are solely to misguide others on his true nature”
BA-DUM-PUM! Those are the people I am talking about!
So, this brings me to wondering WHY people would want to give the perception that they are Christian? What do they gain? If you don’t believe in the walking the walk, why would you want to pretend to?
To give people a false sense of security. That's why! To gain their trust, and then deceive them in an effort to advance themselves. Creepy, right?
In today’s world, everyone is online it seems. And in the cyber world, a person can be anything they choose to be. Much like a pedophile can hide behind the identity of a 12 year old girl, and stalk their innocent prey behind a fake photo and profile in a chat room; a fake Christian can hide behind a false identity online and paint a portrait of a holy person that simply does not exist.
We all know at least one person who claims to be a Christian, but treats people horribly, has no moral character and will use others to get ahead. Don't we?
I've witnessed 'Christians' who have extramarital affairs. I've witnessed 'Christians' who have stolen from others, who will stand in a church and speak ill of others. I've seen them backstab in order to get ahead, I've seen them turn their heads when others did wrong rather than stand up for what was right.
It's all fake. They walk around with their heads held high because they throw an envelope in the collection basket, but when it comes time to actually act on it; they choke.
Now, please do not misunderstand. I am in no way claiming to be a perfect Christian. There's no such thing. I know I make mistakes. I know sometimes I say or do things that do not represent God. I'm not pretending to be something I'm not here.
I'm simply saying that in a world where everything seems to be fake:
We have sugar substitutes and butter substitutes to cook with, and fake cigarettes to smoke and fake beer to drink...
At least something should still be authentic. Christianity.
Either you are, or you aren't. Why does their have to be gray here, too? I mean, seriously, I've got enough gray in my hair, I don't need it in my church. If you wear a cross around your neck, have a fish on your car, or ESPECIALLY if you stand at a pulpit and preach the 'gospel' to others.....dangit, I want to believe it's because you mean it! Not because it's cool, or because it makes you seem reliable...or because you want to sneak into my pasture and eat my damn sheep!
Yet, sadly, that's not the case. If only there were a way to distinguish the fake from the real deal. Like a retinal scan, or one of those little beeper things that makes stolen items set off an alarm at the store. Unfortunately, we all have our gut instinct that probably DOES set off an internal alarm when dealing with some of these schiesters...but we ignore them. We ignore them because we want to see the good in people, or we feel WE aren't being Christian if we doubt people's intentions.
Even better, wouldn't it be awesome to have the ink alarm tags (like they have on clothing) on everyone that claimed to be a Christian? And then, if they are faking it and doing something terrible, BAM! Ink everywhere!!!
Yeah, now THAT would rock!
Until one of us figures out how to do all of this, we are going to have to rely on our internal alarm system. As true Christians, we have to stick together. We have to form a reliable network and watch out for the wolves. It's sad, but true.
And for any wolves who may be reading this...Sam the Sheepdog is watching. He goes by the name of God. Maybe you have pulled the wool over the eyes of some simple human beings, and patted yourself on the back you succeeded. But, just remember...The Big Guy doesn't forget. Someday, when you least expect it, He's gonna call your number. And then???? Ohhhhhh, Lucy, you gotta lotta 'splainin to do!
Do us all a favor. Find a new gig. We have more than enough Snookie to go around, we don't need MORE fake. K?
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