In this instance, I am speaking of Tempe, Arizona Pastor Steven Robinson. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, let me bring you up to speed:

Pastor Robinson is a man with a congregation in Tempe, Arizona, the neighboring city to my own. He comes out one day a few weeks ago, and decides that this particular sermon would be the perfect opportunity to blow off some vitriolic steam, specifically at our President.

So he comes out, both guns blazing (pun very much intended, given that certain members of his church were in attendance with firearms at an Obama protest while the President was in town), and he goes off about how he prays for Barack Obama’s death every night, how he wants to “abort” him, how he wants God to hike up his sleeves, and deliver some kind of righteous transatlantic bitch slap to our nations elected leader!

I believe in the right to free speech, but I also believe there is a time and a place to keep your mouth shut!

For the record, I am a republican, I believe in God and Christ, I am pro-life, and I don’t particularly care for our President. So why am I mad at Robinson?

First, I am angry as an American. We are a nation, and we are failing. The heart and soul of America is coming apart at the seams. People are losing their faith in all that is right and true about this nation, and the more we divide, the weaker we will be as a people, and that’s when the enemy can truly claim victory. This sort of behavior acts as a knife that is further sawing away at those already unraveling stitches. It closes off the possibility of a dialogue with those who do not agree with us, both home and abroad. Other nations see the turmoil within us. Why then should they desire to be our neighbor? We set a bad example in a time when international allies are most crucial.

Next, I am angry as an opponent of abortion. I detest abortion in about 99% of the circumstances in which proponents try to justify it! But when you want to kill someone, or want them to die just because they agree with abortion, how does that make you any better than them? How are your views any better than the very hypocrisy of those who would bomb abortion clinics, and kill the practitioners? They are taking a life too! And even if you yearn to take someone’s life because they support abortion, I say you are just as wicked, and even more of a hypocrite to your cause and mine, and I sure as hell don’t want your help on my side of a diplomatic discussion!

Next, I am angered because I am being misrepresented as a Christian. No one knows me. I am not popular in the media, because I didn’t say something as brash as this pastor, so I get no attention. The media isn’t interested in what I have to say. But the media sees him, prints every word that left this self righteous hate monger’s lips. So the public reads or watches the news coverage, and they see how he is, and it plants a seed of destruction for the entire Christian population. We are all then seen as a pack of close-minded, right wing drones that can’t think for themselves, people with no passion in life, zealots with their eyes only on Heaven. It’s as bad as the Klan saying they are true Christians. So shut up, and quit making Christians look bad. Sure, the Bible says that as Christians, we will be hated and despised, and I don’t mind that so much, but not for all the wrong reasons!

Last, I am mad because God is being misrepresented by this nut job! I have read related stories about this pastor losing his temper with police officials and border patrols, resisting rational orders from a local authority that needs questions answered. Again, not exactly model Christian behavior here. Now when you pray for someone to die and then further, pray for them to burn in Hell for all eternity, I think I can safely say that you are probably not working on God’s behalf. Last time I checked that whole “WWJD” rule, if the carnal side of you just can’t stand somebody’s guts, you don’t go off and pray for them and their family to become palsied, die and then be sentenced to Hell. Instead, you get on your humble knees, and you pray FOR that person, and pray that they find the peace and love that Christ has promised us ALL, should we accept it.

The story goes that even as the soldiers bore the nails into Jesus’ flesh to hang him on the cross, even then, he was praying for them. He was NOT praying for God to set their souls on fire, or damn them. So if someone’s way of life offends you a little, and you live by these teachings that the bible clearly states, I can safely say that with God, you don’t have a leg to stand on, because no nails pierce your flesh, and no mockery is intentionally hurled straight at you!

Many people look at me weird when I say what I am about to say, but here goes: God hates sin, but not the sinner. If God is capable of loving Osama Bin Laden, and I believe He does, you can bet He loves Obama. They and we are all part of His creation. Their sins are not, just as our sins are not. Therefore, let God judge the man who openly rejects the free gift of salvation.

So that being said, I will pray for our President, though I continue to disagree with some of his current views. As for the good Pastor, well for him, I’ll just keep my mouth shut, just like he should have. I think that’s fair.

-          Rev. Derrick Mendonca