Taking away land from natives, witch trials, segregation, and so on… done in the name of Jesus.
Manifest Destiny. The colonists decided it was God’s destiny for them to move farther west and take the land for themselves. They thought it was their right to take the land… in the name of Jesus. In doing so, they killed countless natives.
Many Christians believed slavery was an institution of God. The Old Testament speaks of owning slaves, and the Bible never forbids it. In fact, the Bible says slaves should obey their masters. Some Christians also believed they were doing people a favor by having them as slaves. Bringing people into slavery would separate them from their heathen beliefs and put them in a Christian country. Once again, in the name of Jesus.
Today, Christians can be found rejecting and scorning those who don’t share the same beliefs as them.
“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
-Mahatma Gandhi
It is hard to identify as a Christian when other Christians have done such horrible things. Gandhi was right, Jesus would never have acted this way. Jesus was a friend of sinners and commanded us all to love one another. The Bible is difficult to interpret, I know, but at the end of the day we just need to try to follow Christ’s example and live how He did on this earth.
The Branches 