[Reposted from a Previous Blog]
I recently read an article about a boy, Jamey Rodemeyer, age 14, who committed suicide because of bullying. This article focused on how the hate and bullying continued even after his death with things like ‘You’re better off dead!’ and ‘We’re glad you’re dead!’ being chanted at a homecoming dance.
The article then went on to completely disregard the issue at hand and therefore any useful solution. Unfortunately this whole tragic event, and others like it, is being categorized as a gay issue. Jamey Rodemeyer was a gay teenager, and the bullies saw him as easy prey and attacked. However, we do a grave disservice to this young man and what he endured when we allow this event to be hijacked by advocates of the homosexual lifestyle.
It is a fact of life that people who are in pain will cause pain to others.
Bullies are bullies because of the pain or anger or low self-esteem they suffer, not because of who they target. Whatever the root cause, by tearing down someone else, a bully makes themselves feel powerful and therefore better about their own situation, relieving their own pain, temporarily. Or, sometimes, they simply want to draw people's attention away from their failings by drawing attention to others. However, this 'fix' is like a drug, and it requires more pain inflicted on others to keep their own feelings at bay. As someone who was bullied fairly extensively throughout junior high and high school, I do have some experience with this issue.
This unfortunate individual may have been seen as a convenient target because he was gay and in their mind perceived to be weak, but he was bullied because the bullies were never taught to deal with their misguided pain and anger. The issue is not homosexuality, the issue is what causes bullies to become bullies.
I was targeted often because I was small, skinny, and often times socially awkward. These combined with a more passive nature screamed "easy target!" to any would-be bullies in the area. But there was not a hatred for skinny, awkward kids. The bullies themselves had friends who were comparatively skinny and awkward. I was just perceived as an easy target, an outlet for their own pain and anger at their own situation. I know this because when it became obvious that I would not cower and be intimidated and therefore was not as easy a target as they imagined, they usually moved on to easier prey.
I had non-christian acquaintances who would occasionally bash on Christians. When I would speak up they would say, "Oh, not you, you're cool." For whatever reason, they decided I was off the target list while others just like me were fair game to be picked on. The issue was not the religion. The issue was what relief they could get out of the act of tearing someone else down, and in their world, I wasn't a convenient target.
Bullies who target homosexuals are not a special breed of bully. Their act is no greater a misconduct because of who they chose to bully. The tragedy is that over the last decades we have been creating more and more of them and turning them loose on our kids.
I believe this increase is directly related to the fact that our culture is moving away from Christianity and the teachings of Jesus found in the bible. Think about it. What does Christianity teach about the individual?
We are all created in the likeness of God. (Genesis 1:26) A God fearing christian is less likely to lash out at those around him/her when they believe each person is uniquely created by God in His own likeness.
We are all sinners. (Romans 3:10) We are a screwed up, fallen, corrupt people. When you know the wicked desires and feelings inside you are not who you are meant to be, you are less likely to give in to them.
We are all loved. (John 3:16) If you genuinely believe that the creator of the universe loved someone else enough to sacrifice Jesus on a cross to pay for that person's sins, who are you to mistreat them? You realize that God loves them as much as He loves you. A person with that knowledge is less likely to purposely cause harm to a loved one of God.
Most importantly, when we know that our Heavenly Father loves us, and that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14) the pain and anger that drives bullying eases. The faults we try to hide no longer matter as much. The anger we feel at ourselves or at others fades. We don't need to hurt others to "feel better about ourselves" when we have the Holy Spirit telling us that we are loved by God.
Every wicked and corrupt thing in the world comes from the sinful nature within us that we are all born with, and only the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross could pay the price for that sin. Christ paid the price for our sin through His death and overcame it through His Resurrection. We share in that life. (Romans 6:5-6)
Through that new life we can leave behind all the corruption that urges us to hurtful acts, such as bullying. The true issue at hand in any tragedy is the need for forgiveness and righteousness that can only come through Jesus Christ.
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