MY NEW HERO
Dolly Parton
In an interview with Billboard, Dolly Parton made the risky decision to point the finger at Christians for judging the LGBT community…. “They know that I completely love and accept them, as I do all people,” Parton said of her gay fans. “I’ve struggled in my life to be appreciated and understood. I’ve had to go against all kinds of people through the years just to be myself. I think everybody should be allowed to be who they are, and to love who they love. I don’t think we should be judgmental. Lord, I’ve got enough problems of my own to pass judgment on somebody else.”… But Parton didn’t stop there—she went on to criticize Christians directly…. “But as far as the Christians, if people want to pass judgment, they’re already sinning,” Parton concluded. “The sin of judging is just as bad as any other sin they might say somebody else in committing. I try to love everybody.”
I’m frequently asked why someone who doesn’t believe in God writes so much about Christians. My response is that I don’t write about Christians; I write about hypocrisy. I write about those who call themselves followers of Jesus Christ, and yet judge others based on their fears and prejudices…that have nothing to do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I write about those who are as much Christians as I am the Queen of Denmark…and that seems to anger those for whom it hits a little too close to home. This is particularly true since I’m dealing with this sort of conflict within my own family, someone who calls themselves a Christian, and yet, instead of practicing tolerance, judges me and finds me wanting. Even as they judge me, they fail to see the arrogance of their actions even as they completely ignore the teaching of their Savior they profess to revere. If I were a better person, I’d let it roll off my back, but I admittedly don’t deal well when faced with hypocrisy.
One of my biggest frustrations has been Christians who stand idly by and remain silent while their faith is hijacked by bullies. They’re mute while hypocrites and thugs use Christianity as a way to line their pockets as they discriminate against those they define as “less than.” When good and decent Christians don’t stand up to those who would hijack their faith, they become complicit in the hatred, prejudice, and discord spread by those who claim the imprimatur of the Almighty.
This explains why I have so much admiration for Dolly Parton. She not only affirmed her Christian beliefs by speaking out for love, tolerance, and understanding…she also called out Christians who see no problem with passing judgment on others. That she was so sincere is something that shouldn’t even be newsworthy; it should be the minimum expectation. Unfortunately, we live in a world rife with judgment, hatred, and discrimination…often by those who claims to revere a Savior who preached love, charity, and tolerance.
I devote a lot of time, energy, and column inches to taking Christians to task. It seems only fair, then, that I acknowledge when someone stands up for things that actually ARE Christian values. Dolly Parton, unlike far too many Christians, not only stood up for her Christian beliefs, she took to task those who would use their Christianity as a tool of hatred and discrimination.
Would that more Christians could follow her example and stand up for peace, love, and understanding. I suspect this world would be a far better and more compassionate place if they did.
