What would Jesus do? He wouldn't call another person 'filth' like Sen. Tom Woods did
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
I am writing in response to Sen. Tom Woods' words in February at a Tahlequah Chamber of Commerce legislative briefing. He was speaking in response to a question about the death of Nex Benedict and people who identify as LGBTQ+.
Here are his words as quoted in The Oklahoman.
“We are a religious state, and we are going to fight to keep that filth out of the state of Oklahoma, because we are a Christian state — a moral state.” The context of his words suggests that he was speaking about people who identify as LGBTQ+. What he wants to fight and keep out of this state are attempts to advocate for their rights.
I support Woods' right to disagree and disapprove of a person’s sexual identity and to call them sinners based on his religious beliefs. But I challenge his description of another person as filth, especially when it’s based on his identity as a Christian.
And this may be the most important thing I say in this letter: My disagreement with his words comes from my identity as a Christian, as a follower of Christ. I believe his stance is antithetical to the life and teachings of Jesus.
Woods did not call these people wrong or sinners or enemies of his faith. He called them "filth." Filth is something that is considered loathsome or foul; it can corrupt or defile. When Woods calls another person filth, do I conclude that he sees them as loathsome and vile, whose presence can defile him and others?
For me, filth describes trash or refuse. I would never use this word for another person. Again, not because it is uncivil, but because it goes against the life and the spirit of Jesus and the God whom Jesus revealed to the world.
If I were to decide that someone is wrong, I would enter into discussion with them. I would share my perspectives and create a space for them to share theirs. If I were to decide that someone is a sinner, I would state clearly what I see in their behavior and attitude that makes me come to that conclusion, and I would be willing to hear how they understand their behavior and attitude. If I were to decide that someone is an enemy of my faith and way of life, I would explore ways to love them. This is what Jesus tells me to do. This loving would not be mere tolerance, or out of love telling them how wrong they are. It is a love that would create a place for them in my life so I could know them. Know them as fully as I can, even if I decide to disagree with them.
More: Oklahoma leaders claim to follow Christian principles, but their actions say otherwise.
All of these actions are driven by my identity as a follower of Christ. From Woods I hear that he wants to get rid of certain groups of people, not disagree with them or even to interact with them in any way. He wants to get rid of them. It is much easier to hold and maintain that stance when he sees them as filth, not as individuals created and living in the image of God.
As a Christian, part of living in a diverse society is learning how to live well with those who see the world differently. For me, calling a certain way of looking at the world “filth” is not an expression of that living well. For me, it is not an expression of the identity of a person who is a follower of Christ.
Gary Hardwick is a retired Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) minister and a Licensed Professional Counselor in Oklahoma.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Calling another person 'filth' is not what Jesus teaches us to do
