A "Black Swan Event" is when the unexpected occurs, causing a huge mindshift and change in how the world works. People never imagined that Black Swans existed, until the discovery of the first Black Swan... (as per book "The Black Swan", by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, 2007, that sold over 3 million copies)

Is a perception change the next Black Swan Event? Consider that by changing perception we might change the world. Look at everyday things from different angles. Find beauty in the unexpected...
Change our thinking, change our actions, change our world!

See that all people are part of God's puzzle and have something to give. Black swans do exist. The ugly duckling was actually a swan who needed to discover himself and where he fitted and be who he was meant to be. To the last, the lost and the least, you are beautiful as you are.
May all who visit this page feel God's touch and experience His blessing...

Tuesday 21 May 2013

Two Reasons Why People Are Apparently Excluded From Church

I discovered that people can be excommunicated from church if they are a danger to the safety of children or if they teach anything contrary to what Jesus taught (according to some churches' rules I assume). I found this quite interesting as I was essentially asked to leave a church because I said that Jesus told us to continue to honour the Ten Commandments, so I must have fallen into the second category. Note: I did not teach. In fact I first wrote my Ten Commandments article as a result of the interactions at a church where I was being taught what it means to be a Christian and it would have been beneficial for people to persevere with me if I was going wrong and explain why they thought as they did. I didn't have much of a clue about what the Law meant, and what they meant when they said Jesus did away with the Law, after all, what I read in my Bible is that Jesus said to teach the commandments.


I do realise I may have been wrong now, especially as I can see the gaps I missed and I need to rewrite the article, and of course at the time I also found the verses about being led by Spirit, but that we follow the moral code then anyway. Jesus said we must continue to teach the commandments (Matthew 5:19). He did not necessarily say to honour, but this is implied. An example of what I mean by I need to change the article is: did Jesus mean we must teach the whole Law, or the Ten Commandments only? Further on in Matthew 5, Jesus makes reference to an eye for an eye being done away with, as of course this is not love, and He said instead of that we must bless our enemies, so He did rewrite some commandments that are part of the Law.

But, coming back to the first reason given for excluding people from church, those of people who pose a danger to children. Jesus ate with sinners. He gave forgiveness to murderers. Many, many people who have previously been criminals have been called by God to do His work. If people are a safety risk to children, shouldn't they then be watched around children, but not excluded from church? Asking such people to leave church, the very place where they may change and become good citizens, is taking back the lifeline that God holds out to everyone. And of course it releases people back into the community where they may become bitter and broken and stuck in old ways with no-one to guide their paths.

Why single out these people for exclusion from church? There are many other types of problem people around--I am more worried having someone who is a wife abuser sitting next to me than a person who might harm children, as someone who harms children usually does this quietly out of sight and will not likely harm anyone if they are watched--they can be easily controlled by not leaving them alone with children. Someone prone to domestic violence on the other hand might lash out in a church, in front of many people. So why are there no concerns raised for many other types of people? Why the exclusive focus on people who pose a safety risk with children--is this because of the church's reputation for previously hiding child abuse?

Again I say, aren't you then taking away the lifeline these people are looking for, as they may want to change their lives and come to God? Are we moving towards segmented churches for groups of people? I am not sure, and I realise it is a complex topic.

I do know that God invites all to His table (Romans 14).

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