Okay, Evangelicals: What’s My Sin? Who I Am or What I Do?

A response to Dan Foster’s “The Problem with ‘Hate the Sin, Love the Sinner’”

Rand Bishop

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Photo by Delia Giandeini on Unsplash

I grew up in the church. I was an Episcopal altar boy, sang in the choir, and was confirmed by the Bishop as a devoted soldier in Christ’s army. I loved the ritual of Sunday services, the call and response, the hymns and the chants. I vividly recall the rapturous thankfulness I felt, gazing up at the image of Jesus on the cross, the Son of God, who sacrificed his earthly body to make it possible for a lowly sinner like me to someday be redeemed and enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

I became disillusioned with organized religion in my late teens.

Still, I never lost my hunger for spiritual fulfillment. This innate curiosity led me to study world religion, to discover the commonalities shared by all faiths, while discarding religiosity and dogma inconsistent with the core values of love, forgiveness, charity, and grace.

Ultimately, I landed in a comfort zone, accepting that some things are unknowable. I learned to embrace the mystery. I’ve come to believe that absolute certainty acts as an impenetrable roadblock obstructing the pathway to true spirituality.

“One of the functions…

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Rand Bishop

Bishop's latest book, the semi-autobiographical novel, Long Way Out, is available in e- and print editions through most major online booksellers.