How Many Of Canada’s Baptists Are Offending?

For 30 years, a church in downtown Medford, Massachusetts, has been choosing to use its front signboard to address people's consciences through what some call "offensive" and "divisive" messages.

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….Messages such as "New Orleans: Natural disaster or God's anger with sin?" -- "If we didn't abort our children, the U.S. wouldn't have to hire illegals" -- and "Homosexuality is sin" are the kind that locals find "disturbing," "offensive," and creating "dissension," according to an August 9 media report on the Boston Globe's website.

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.…the pastor states. "Jesus, when he was here on earth, he was controversial, as we know. He's the one that said [as part of the Sermon on the Mount] we should be salt and light in this present, dark world."

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….[Pastor] Michael believes the Christian's job of speaking out for truth and righteousness is not always what the world wants to hear, but must be done to warn them of sin -- however, he says so few do it, the ones that do are seen as out-of-step with the community thinking.

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These days Baptists are more likely to be accused of “fundamentalism” than most other Christian groups. But is it a case of “fundamentalism” or being “counter-cultural?”

I’d like to see more Christian congregations being counter-cultural because I know part of their counter-cultural witness will be to expose the evil of abortion. If they are standing up for unborn children then very likely it’s because they are standing up for Christ.

Is it “offensive” and uncharitable to post such signs outside of a church?

Do they really "lack Christian virtue” and “create dissension, not unity”?

The real question I think is: Are they representing and pointing to the truth?

Like graphic images of abortion, they may have their disturbing aspects, but do they point people to the truth, thereby helping them on to God and to salvation in Christ?