Opinions
An open letter to non-Jesus followers and those hurt by the Church
Friday, 10 April 2009 11:40 | Written by Mike Hartzheim, Pastor at Quest Church |
  
Jesus offered hope and unconditional love. He offered a life of meaning, purpose and joy. He stood in opposition to the religious leaders of his day. They offered condemnation; Jesus offered forgiveness. They set themselves as lords over the people; Jesus came to serve. They demanded obedience to oppressive religious laws governing every aspect of life; Jesus offered freedom to live better than the law demanded through the power of the Holy Spirit. Religion was a taming and civilizing force. Jesus said, "Come, follow me," offering an adventurous life lived by faith. The response to Jesus was strong - the "sinners" absolutely loved him and the religious folks killed him. Strother Web Sound Off: What do you think of the City Council decision to loan RED Development 9 Million dollars?
Monday, 18 May 2009 09:33 | Written by Michael Nagles, Publisher, StrotherWeb.Com |
Although it was theoretically an advance on money already promised, many find the loan ill timed while the economy is so weak. How do you feel about that? Is the loan beneficial to the citizens of Lee's Summit, or should RED have been left to wait until the expenditure made more sense? |
As a matter of full disclosure, I love Jesus. I'm a pastor. And despite our countless faults, I love the Church. But like others, I've become convinced that the greatest threat to the cause of Christ is the religion that bears his name - Christianity.
In a controversial, and narrow, decision, the Lee's Summit city council voted last week to loan RED Development nine million dollars to go towards the construction costs at Summit Fair Shopping center. The loan was approved by a vote of 5-4, only after the Mayor cast a tie breaking vote.