Speaking in an interview with Christian Broadcast Network (CBN) News about his faith, Hollywood star and SNL comedian Rob Schneider explained his faith, particularly how Jesus “grabbed” him when he went astray and how Christianity is radically exceptional in that if focuses on love.
Speaking about how Christianity’s focus on love is so racially different, Schneider explained, “There are other religions out there that say, ‘Well, kill your enemy; hate your enemy.’” Continuing, he added, “And we have a religion that says, ‘Love your enemy. Love thy neighbor as thyself … love others.’ What a beautiful way to go through life.”
Building on that, he explained how he tries to live that out in his life, saying, “So if I am going to lead my life and be an example, as Christ compels us to do, then I have to do it even if it hurts. Even if it stretches how I used to feel. And that is forgiveness. The beautiful thing about forgiveness is it isn’t the person, it’s you who end up feeling better.”
He further explained how Jesus didn’t let him stray too far, saying that Jesus “grabbed” and “hugged” him when he started to stray too far. Schneider said, “I think Jesus only lets you stray so much. And I think at a certain point, He grabbed me again and hugged me.”
Schneider also commented on how things started to change for him when he married a Catholic woman, saying, “And then [a] very, very strange confluence of things. I married a Catholic, and she was very patient with me, and she’s been the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Further noting how God guided him back when he strayed away, Schneider said he “would have dreams of Jesus Christ.” He added, on that note, “Like many Christians, I did stray… But there was a continuing pull back, knowing where I needed to be and to be home.”
Schneider also said, “There is something behind all this thing and that is love. And love is God. That’s the creation of everything. When you take a look at the flowers and sperm zoa, there’s way too much of it that seems to be necessary for those flowers to continue. It seems to be there’s not a necessity for all the stars in the skies, [so] there seems to be a celebration of existence.”
Also during the interview with CBN News, Schneider spoke about the Shroud of Turin, saying, “When you dig into the Shroud of Turin, which is the burial cloth of Jesus Christ, you realize that it could not have possibly been, as they say, a medieval forgery. ” He added, “What the Shroud of Turin ultimately is is the receipt. That’s why it’s such an important thing. It’s … the receipt of the price that was paid by Jesus Christ’ forgiveness for all of humanity.”
Featured image credit: By Super Festivals – https://www.flickr.com/photos/superfestivals/48480559301, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=86365697