In case you’ve never heard of them, the Westboro Baptist Church are the folks who are infamous for picketing the funerals of soldiers with signs that say things like “God hates fags.”
It’s become very fashionable on Facebook and such to take “brave” stands against them.
Um… that’s not brave. They’re midguided idiots with no power. Everyone who’s decent in any way despises their conduct. Protesting and standing against the Westboro Baptist Church is as safe, cozy, and majoritarian as it gets.
It’s easy to hate them.
Who is bringing them the gospel?
Many folks on the left of American politics might be surprised to learn that I — a passionate conservative Christian — believe I have more reason to hate the Westboro Baptist Church than they do. After all, every day, with every protest, with every hateful sign, they profane the name of my best friend and King.
I know Jesus. He’s a friend of mine. He does not hate any human being. He would never use a word like “fags.” And every time the Westboro Baptist Church says otherwise, they are spreading a painful lie about someone I love.
The conduct of the Westboro Baptist Church is best described as sin. They are, quite literally, taking the name of the Lord in vain.
The bible provides guidance about how to deal with someone who calls himself “Christian” and yet not only sins but refuses to change that behavior:
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. –Matthew 18:15-17
So what should we do with the Westboro Baptist Church? We should treat them as those who don’t yet believe, or as tax collectors, one of the most hated groups in biblical times.
But what did Jesus say to the most famous tax collector in the bible?
As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. –Matthew 9:9
That, my friends, is the story of Matthew, the author of the first gospel.
If we are to follow the Matthew 18 guidance about how to deal with unrepentant sinners who call themselves Christians, it’s about time someone starts loving them, inviting them in, and telling them the truth about Jesus. No one needs to hear it more.