Me Against Baptist Church Lady

[rockytopva]

I have been visiting a church that is close to Virginia Tech. They have created a big church that is popular and has drawn thousands. Noting....

1. Contemporary type worship
2. Casual atmosphere
3. Welcoming - Have a place for coffee and fellowship
4. Lots of people that apparently come from different countries and attend Tech
5. Nothing Baptist advertised. To find out that they are affiliated with the Southern Baptist church takes a long Internet search on their web site.

I try to come to church friendly and shake a few hands. Well, someone of African descent came to visit Sunday with a "Make America Great Again" hat on. He seemed very meek yet friendly with no evil in his personal air. I told him I liked his hat as I passed by. After shaking a few hands I went to the coffee bar and there he was being confronted by an elderly white lady over his hat. She was chastising him letting him know that his hat represented Donald Trump and if he knew what all that meant. I stepped in and told her I liked his hat and would buy him another one if he liked.

Before I got to the point of being thrown out of the church I took my coffee to another conversation... Wondering how close I came to being shown the exit doors!

 

[canadyjd]

I have been visiting a church that is close to Virginia Tech. They have created a big church that is popular and has drawn thousands. Noting....

1. Contemporary type worship
2. Casual atmosphere
3. Welcoming - Have a place for coffee and fellowship
4. Lots of people that apparently come from different countries and attend Tech
5. Nothing Baptist advertised. To find out that they are affiliated with the Southern Baptist church takes a long Internet search on their web site.

I try to come to church friendly and shake a few hands. Well, someone of African descent came to visit Sunday with a "Make America Great Again" hat on. He seemed very meek yet friendly with no evil in his personal air. I told him I liked his hat as I passed by. After shaking a few hands I went to the coffee bar and there he was being confronted by an elderly white lady over his hat. She was chastising him letting him know that his hat represented Donald Trump and if he knew what all that meant. I stepped in and told her I liked his hat and would buy him another one if he liked.

Before I got to the point of being thrown out of the church I took my coffee to another conversation... Wondering how close I came to being shown the exit doors!

First: I don’t think I would wear a MAGA hat to church. It is a political statement and I want to focus on God.

Second: I don’t think I would have injected myself into their conversation. I suspect it wasn’t the first time the gentleman in the hat has been confronted when wearing it. You had already expressed support.

Third: Don’t know how close you came to being kicked out. I guess it would depend on how aggressive you were in defense of the hat.

It appears you used good discretion by removing yourself before the conversation got too heated.

peace to you

 

[rockytopva]

First: I don’t think I would wear a MAGA hat to church. It is a political statement and I want to focus on God.

Second: I don’t think I would have injected myself into their conversation. I suspect it wasn’t the first time the gentleman in the hat has been confronted when wearing it. You had already expressed support.

Third: Don’t know how close you came to being kicked out. I guess it would depend on how aggressive you were in defense of the hat.

It appears you used good discretion by removing yourself before the conversation got too heated.

peace to you

I wanted to tell that lady to... Leave him alone!

But... It would have not presented itself in a way constructive to church spirit. I have actually felt like visiting the church after hours and discussing the matter to one of the staff members.

 

[tyndale1946]

I wanted to tell that lady to... Leave him alone!

But... It would have not presented itself in a way constructive to church spirit. I have actually felt like visiting the church after hours and discussing the matter to one of the staff members.

Matthew 18: 15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

If it was your problem, then address the one you had a problem with in private... You weren't wearing the hat, you were an observer... The woman wasn't addressing you and if the church has a problem with it they will address the woman... As the old saying goes don't make a mountain out of a molehill... Brother Glen

 

[HatedByAll]

Have I reached the point where I am so old that what I consider normal no longer exists?

As a kid, we were told to take our hats off when we were inside. We did not wear hats in school or at the dinner table. You could wear a hat at a sporting event such as a basketball game or when you were almost exclusively in the company of men such as at a gun show, trade show, etc, but if you were likely to sit down with women in an inside area, you were to take off your hats. It was a sign of respect.

I know the examples above may be dated, but here in the South, it seems to me that it is still the expected norm not to wear a ball cap of any type inside a Church. Political or not. Even in more Charismatic type Churches I can't remember any men wearing hats inside of them either.

 

[rockytopva]

Matthew 18: 15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

If it was your problem, then address the one you had a problem with in private... You weren't wearing the hat, you were an observer... The woman wasn't addressing you and if the church has a problem with it they will address the woman... As the old saying goes don't make a mountain out of a molehill... Brother Glen

The same applies for that lady openly insulting a new-comer in front of others.

 

[Alan Gross]

there he was being confronted by an elderly white lady over his hat. She was chastising him letting him know that his hat represented Donald Trump and if he knew what all that meant.

If she knew what it meant, she'd have kissed him.

I stepped in and told her I liked his hat and would buy him another one if he liked.

Very noble of you. Thank you.

Way to step in and give this visitor some support he seemed to need.

And way to step out, Christlike, and put your sword back in its sheath right quick, until it's more needed.

She was doing what is called, "sinning", and had no Bible support.

Well, someone of African descent came to visit Sunday with a "Make America Great Again" hat on. He seemed very meek yet friendly with no evil in his personal air.

I'm not sure how familiar he might have been with certain society and church mores.

A.) Paul said not to cause a stumbling block for the weak, for an example less violent than jumping a person's case, etc.

12 "But when ye sin so against the brethren and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. I Corinthians" 8:12.

B.) I've seen a video of a man grabbing a MEGA hat off a black fellow's head and stomping and challenging them to a dual, etc. That is a specific insolated anecdote, but one that we've seen a lot of. He obviously didn't know that wearing one could be hazardous to his health and even dangerous.

C. I have confronted a group of God-called preachers setting at a table drinking tea, at a fellowship get-together. I had to tell them. Tell them WHAT? Drinking tea was sinful, of course. I barely knew them and it was maybe ten years later that I was truly ushered into the fold by them. They must have thought I was a Drink Nazi or something. Dunno ( 40 years ago).

I had to learn to be as nice as possible, for God's sake. That lady probably makes a good Baptist. (wow, I'm Baptist and always have been. When we are judgmental or get bitter, though, look out! Time for revival.)

Oh mon dieu, I've done a worse faux pas than that.

Try this; Our adult Sunday school teacher got a couple of women's names wrong when he was saying they looked like they were dressed alike.

Getting those names wrong was a great source of embarrassment for him.

I told him in the prayer meeting that his faux pas wasn't messing up their names, it was telling them they were dressed alike.... crickets.

I apologized to him and told him that was no way for me to be treating my brother in front of the other men. I wasn't helping him out, any! Everything is peachy, now. I talked to him later about 70 times 7 and he said, "that's one". Cool guy. I was new to their church....

 

[Centrist]

I prefer keeping politics & religion separate, like science & religion. There is only so much that can be shared before someone has a tizzy.