The lead editorial in the April 10 edition of the Buffalo News was titled “The evangelical resistance.” After reading that editorial, which discussed the refusal of many evangelical Christians to be vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus, I was reminded of something that Gandhi said about Christians. He said, “I like your Christ, but not your Christianity.” The editorial was an excellent commentary on the sad mind set of many so-called Christians in today’s day and age.
When I attended Cardinal O’Hara High School back in the late 1960s, we sang a hymn entitled “They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love.” Today, unfortunately, too often we can identify Christians not by their love, but by their ignorance, bigotry, and selfishness. The News editorial mentioned a woman who gave as her reason for refusing to be vaccinated that her life is not up to her. ”It would be God’s will if I am here or if I am not here.” I just hope that woman does not apply that same warped reasoning to whether or not she will decide to stop for the next red light she encounters on the roadway.
Finally, all of us, Christian or not, need to adopt Gandhi’s declaration that “I reject any religious doctrine that does not appeal to reason and is in conflict with morality.” What a wonderful world that would be.
