She was in Creative Drama today, and the students were supposed to choose something from a variety of items and improvise doing something with the item that you wouldn't expect. (e.g. using an upright vacuum as a microphone and stand)
One of the students went to the collection of items, picked up a statue of Jesus, and then pretended to shoot it with a gun.
Miriam was pretty upset by this. She thought it was very disrespectful and disturbing.
But it's also an incredible different between legislated religion and personal choice. In Muslim countries, you must respect the religion, because 1) Islam forbids disrespect of its prophet, and 2) It is against the law to not follow Islam. In America, a nation founded by Christians, those who developed our constitution did not require you to follow Christian principles, and Christianity itself expects disrespect and hatred.
In John 15: 18-19, Jesus says, "“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."
Christians are supposed to welcome hatred and abuse because of our faith.
In Matthew 5: 10-12, Jesus says, "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
I wonder what Christians were sitting in that class and didn't even feel the pain that Miriam felt at this behavior.
Good verses. These are PROMISES from God, but not ones we usually "claim."
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