Let me start off by saying that my name is Jordan Adams and I am a freshman at Iowa State. I am a Christ-follower who attends the Christian organization The Salt Company. This writing is in response to the opinion written by Sophie Prell In the Sept. 25 article of this newspaper. Sophie and those who agree with her: Let me assure you that my intentions are not to try to disprove every point made in the article, but, in fact, that I agree with many of the points made.

Let me explain. Sophie made the point that religion confuses her, especially Christianity. She is confused as to how the Rev. Howard Douglas Porter of Hickman, Calif., could be convicted of embezzlement, first-degree murder, elder abuse and attempted murder. I, too, am confused and distraught as to how a “Christian” could do such things. This confuses me so much because it is not the Christianity that I have experienced.

You see, God is a God of love, kindness and mercy. When Jesus was on Earth, he spent his time healing people and having companionship with sinners. I often ask myself why, as Christians, we do the things that we do. The Bible answers this for us. Romans 10:9 states: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The basic belief of Christianity is that we have all sinned (Christians and non-Christians alike) and the only way we can be forgiven of sins is through Christ.

You and I together ask the question of how Christians who serve a loving God can behave like this. The answer is simple: Because we are sinful. This is not an excuse. This is not saying that we, as Christians, have the right to behave in terrible ways; it is simply a fact that we have all gone against the will of God.

The point was made that Christians can get caught up focusing on things like homosexuality and forget about the suffering people in this world. You are absolutely right. God does not believe in homosexuality, but he also does not believe in things such as lying and coveting, which I have done myself. We are guilty as charged, but this very reason is why we come to God for forgiveness.

So I ask of you that you would not look simply to Christians to find out who God is, but that you would seek God out and discover God for who he is and not be turned off by our inability to represent him.

I want to take this opportunity to ask all non-Christians to forgive me for not representing Christ to you, because like many others, I have messed up. I ask that you would look beyond the Crusades, beyond the protesting of funerals, beyond the corrupt churches, and look into the eyes of a loving God who wants to forgive each and every one of you.

Romans 8:38: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Thank God that he will always love me, even when I do not represent him. I do not condone or give excuses for my actions or the actions of Christians; I simply ask you to look to Jesus, who hung on the cross to pay for both my sins and yours alike.

Jordan Adams

Freshman

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