It is understandable why the New York Times\u2019s Editorial Board would conclude that Christians view sinners as inferior\u201d\u201dthe tragic history of Christianity, even within our own country, offers many examples of Christians who have used sin as an excuse to dehumanize, discriminate, and hate others. However, these abuses are not the proper consequence of Christianity, but a disgusting distortion of that faith.<\/p>\n
Contrary to the Editorial Board\u2019s portrayal of sin, the tradition Christian teaching is not that certain people are \u201cinferior\u201d\u009d or \u201csecond-class\u201d\u009d because of sin.<\/p>\n
According to most Christian traditions, all humans are subject to inherited sin, \u201call have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,\u201d\u009d as St. Paul writes. What is true of Cochran and equally true of each of his subordinates is that they are sinners in need of God\u2019s grace. St. Paul, one of the greatest figures in Christianity, gave the most powerful example of this by referring to himself as the \u201cchief of sinners.\u201d\u009d People, all people, are sinners, people who commit \u201cvile,\u201d\u009d \u201cvulgar,\u201d\u009d and \u201cinappropriate\u201d\u009d sins. This is reflected in Cochran\u2019s book, where he actually includes having multiple sexual partners and sex outside of marriage as sins that are also vile, vulgar, and inappropriate. \u201cLustfulness\u201d\u009d and \u201canything tending to foster sexual sin and lust\u201d\u009d are condemned too, which undoubtedly includes every member of the Atlanta Fire Department, at one time or another. We are all sinners.<\/p>\n
And yet what is equally true is that we are each made in the Image of God…<\/p>\n