Tonight I watched a show that pointed out how people's persecution of the obese, the handicap, the 'ugly,' the less well educated, etc. can completely turn people off to Christianity. The reason people are turned off toward Christianity at that point has NOTHING to do with the faith itself...they don't get that far...they stop at the fact that a follower of the faith is saying one thing and doing another. While none of us are perfect, we should be striving to uplift not destroy. Don't dislike people because of certain physical features--appearance, health, or knowledge wise. Instead befriend them in this critical world, and listen to what God said--LOVE THEM.
1 John 4:19-21, "We love because He first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God, yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother."
So it really isn't a matter of why you a predisposed to racism, or mocking handicap people, or finding your strength by pointing out others weaknesses...fix it. Either pick up the cross and focus on the challenge of loving more than skin deep, or realize that you are at best luke warm and God doesn't have a pretty plan for the lukewarm and half-hearted...that means Hell. We need to put more effort into not deterring people away from God and the church...the devil is a powerful tempter and we don't need to be giving him any assistance.
As my mom always told me when I was little, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." ...words often spoken to a child, but that are important to adults as well. If you're convinced you can't love overweight, handicap, 'ugly,' etc. people equally, try closing your eyes and doing it. Literally...a few toe stubs from running into the wall and you'll want to be hugging every wheel chair on the block.
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