St. John's Church

It's not good, in my personal opinion, when a church welcomes partisan hatred into its midst, and "neither supports nor opposes" prejudices and threats against other members of the community. St. John's does not heed Jesus's Sermon on the Mount. It does not stand up for the marginalized. It does not say "no" to members who threaten the freedom and dignity of others. At moments that call for courage, grace, and justice on behalf of the outcast, St. John's parish leadership instead fears offending the powerful -- the people whose motto is "I got mine." Any parish can quote a Bible in its homilies, but it takes true integrity to quote the Book in self-critical humility rather than cavalier supremacy and self-satisfaction. To serve the Great Commission, the church must speak an emphatic NO to state-, church- and militia-sponsored violence against minorities across West Texas. The church must set an example for its members, not accommodate their ignorance or worse, their hypocritical conspiracy theories. St. John's needs to do better. Honor the marginalized by name. Convict the sins of our Fox News culture. Stop behaving like the Sadducees who praise God on Sunday while joining all week in mob demonization and persecution of their neighbors.