I am an old school, new school Christian. I was raised to be old school, yet finding my own way and my own voice within the new school. This change in me did not happen overnight. In fact, just two years ago, you would have caught me in all different Facebook comments spreading all of my judgmental, barely reading the bible half knowledge, all over the place. Yes, I had some nerve!

I was sitting high on my mighty high horse of "I am Christian hear me roar" until someone busted my bubble. Christians always have a scripture for everything. There’s a scripture for when you are happy (rejoice in the Lord always Philippians 4:4) a scripture for when you are sad (when the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them Psalm 34:17). A scripture for hard times (call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me. Psalm 50:15), and a scripture for when life is good (Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Deuteronomy 28:3). Using scripture for those reasons are great. They can uplift and help you to refocus and realign yourself with where you want to be as a Christian.

The problem is, we Christians begin to use the scriptures to “check” someone else, or to condemn someone else’s behavior and choices. When did condemning someone else become the new Christian thing to do? Saying to someone, “Hey you are bad, you are evil and you are going to hell”, how is that productive? How is that winning souls to Christ? Scaring people into heaven, is that the goal? Too many people have experienced this condemnation and judgment first hand. How many people have left the church because of this?

Speaking of judgment, back to my reality check. So I was doing my due diligence on Facebook, having meaningless Facebook comment rants about how homosexuality is not of God and bad and an abomination in God’s eyes, using the all too famous scripture (If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. Leviticus 20:13). There was a girl in there that I grew up with, known her for decades and she knows me and my offline personality and temperament. She sent me a message and she said one simple sentence: DO YOU EAT SHRIMP? Taken aback I said, yea why are you going to make me some? She said, "no but just by you eating shrimp that is an abomination according to the Bible" ( And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you Leviticus 11:10 ) Immediately, I thought she was mistaken (Remind you that I have never read the Bible from cover to cover especially the Old Testament). She went on to say that the same chapter of the Bible who speaks on homosexuals being an abomination is the same place you will find that eating shellfish is an abomination. That threw me for a big loop. How can that be? Looking further into it, I also saw that lying is an abomination too (Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight. Proverbs 12:22 ). This was my reality check.

There is a quote that goes around on social media, I’ve seen it as a meme and a tweet, and it says do not judge me because I sin different from you. In the Bible it says that the letter killeth but the spirit gives life (2 Corinthians 3:6). I meditated on all of these things and the reality smacked me in the face. Can you imagine how many people have been hurt, turned away, damaged forever because of this judgment. I mean, look at the Westboro Baptist church for God’s sake. Their website address is literally godhatesfags.com. What part of God is that? Really? It reminds me of the irony that all of the members of the Klan are also “Christians” and always have been. Scary isn’t it? If lying is an abomination also, why don’t we see websites that says godhatesliars.com? You know why, because everyone lies or has lied before. There will not be a godhatesshrimpeaters.com for the same reason. We Christians need to get our lives together, seriously. If everyone was constantly on trial for who they slept with or was attracted to, church would be empty. Everyone sins. Sin is sin, so how about we quit throwing stones and judgments and instead do what we were commanded to do and that is love. Period. Love is universal; it transcends borders and helps to break down any obstacle or wall. In 2016, how about we just love the hell out of each other, literally.