Candace Owens is a conservative media personality – I hesitate to use that term because I know too many conservatives who are patriotic, faithful, and kind – who, for some reason, have risen in the ranks of right-wing media as a respected source of information. In a recent interview, however, she questioned why the Nazis would have done some of the sadistic experiments that are known to be historically accurate, calling them “absurd” and a “tremendous waste of time and supplies,” ultimately labeling them as “bizarre propaganda.” Owens has made anti-Semitic proclamations in the past, questioning the veracity of the Holocaust.
Why does this matter? Until this spring, Owens was a Reformed Evangelical Christian; that is, until she became Roman Catholic. While no specific reason is given, her decision is most likely related to Catholicism being the faith her husband practices. Her being Catholic isn’t the point of this thought; what I find of concern is her claiming to be a follower of Jesus while promoting anti-Semitism and being a Holocaust questioner. It is one of those strange disconnects that too many people live with; the idea that we can call ourselves people of faith while, at the same time, spouting ideas that are the opposite of the teachings of Jesus.
Over the last couple of weeks, I have had a number of conversations with people who have confessed that their pastor/priest/minister preaches a lot about hate. This in no way surprises me; a lot of clergy like the fire and brimstone approach and find it to be an effective way of instilling the fear of God in their congregants. And yes, there are plenty of passages in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures that tell us that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom or is helpful in being faithful. I reject this idea because it doesn’t fit in with the overall message of Jesus. And while He does use some imagery that should strike fear in our hearts, the general message is that love is the most important part of having a relationship with God and each other.
This focus on fear, anger, hate, and judgment may be why Christianity is in such turmoil, and why so many people have rejected it. You can’t go around telling people that Jesus/God loves them and then treat them like they are vermin. You can’t lift up God’s love and then treat people like dirt. My experience is that there are too many mean, angry people in our pews, and they are literally living contradictions. And it isn’t that we aren’t allowed to get angry – the Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 4, “Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil.” Jesus told His disciples that their anger was the same as murdering someone; Jesus Himself got angry, so I am still unclear about His meaning. Anger is a natural emotion that, if not worked through, can lead to violence. Like any emotion, it needs to be experienced and tempered.
We are all flawed and have times when we aren’t our best selves; this is one reason I think that having an active faith life helps us. To embrace anger and meanness as faith values is to completely misinterpret who God wants us to be. I am glad that Ms. Owens practices her faith; I hope she can use it to let go of her willingness to lie. That isn’t a Jesus-thing to do.
Prayer – Holy God, we are all prone to doing things we know we should not. Help us, every day, to consider, pray, and work towards being a better person of faith. Amen.
Today’s art is by Jan Tetsutani.