Sunday, November 16, 2008
Two Things Christians Should Keep in Mind When Dealing With All These #$#(*$# Idiots
Lately one of the personal flaws that has been bothering me the most is that I am a bit, shall we say, unmerciful, in my blog posts. Now some of my repeat targets I have at least talked with over email, and I'm pretty sure I'm not making them cry. Still, a lot of times I will hit Publish Post and then think, "Is this really something I want going up under the headline, 'A pro-Jesus...blog'?"
When I find it necessary to recalibrate myself, and begin effecting* change rather than entertaining my loyal readers, I remind myself of two things:
(1) We are all brothers and sisters in Christ, even if some of us don't know it. (I'm not trying to "force my religion" on anyone, but let's face it, there are certain implications of my worldview. If I think an omnipotent Being created the universe and everyone in it, well, that includes atheists.)
(2) Jesus chose Saul, a person who was literally persecuting His followers, to be the chief publicist for His word. We shouldn't write off anyone as "irredeemable."
* Yes that is the proper spelling.
When I find it necessary to recalibrate myself, and begin effecting* change rather than entertaining my loyal readers, I remind myself of two things:
(1) We are all brothers and sisters in Christ, even if some of us don't know it. (I'm not trying to "force my religion" on anyone, but let's face it, there are certain implications of my worldview. If I think an omnipotent Being created the universe and everyone in it, well, that includes atheists.)
(2) Jesus chose Saul, a person who was literally persecuting His followers, to be the chief publicist for His word. We shouldn't write off anyone as "irredeemable."
* Yes that is the proper spelling.
Comments:
Actually, I would differ with you on whether we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. We are, however, all human, created in the image of God.
Christ does not ever refer to the Pharisees, for example, as His brothers. He calls them a "brood of serpents", not very compatible with "brother".
Jesus violently chased the moneychangers out of the temple. There is a time and place for everything.
Congratulations on the spelling. As long as you never use the non-word "alot", and properly distinguish between "your" and "you're" I'm mostly OK.
Greg
Christ does not ever refer to the Pharisees, for example, as His brothers. He calls them a "brood of serpents", not very compatible with "brother".
Jesus violently chased the moneychangers out of the temple. There is a time and place for everything.
Congratulations on the spelling. As long as you never use the non-word "alot", and properly distinguish between "your" and "you're" I'm mostly OK.
Greg
Bob,
I appreciate your spirit of brotherhood. We're to be gentle as doves, yet remember our King returns with a sharp two-edged sword from his mouth.
Christ offers His salvation to everyone (i.e. the "world" in scripture), but there are some that refuse it.
"God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them." 2Corinthians 5:19
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
"He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John 2:2
Imagine a ship sinking in the ocean of sin. Christ offers to pull everyone [the 'world'] from the water (universal justification) but some choose to try to save themselves (subjective justification.)
Googling site:wels.net is very helpful.
I appreciate your spirit of brotherhood. We're to be gentle as doves, yet remember our King returns with a sharp two-edged sword from his mouth.
Christ offers His salvation to everyone (i.e. the "world" in scripture), but there are some that refuse it.
"God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them." 2Corinthians 5:19
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
"He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John 2:2
Imagine a ship sinking in the ocean of sin. Christ offers to pull everyone [the 'world'] from the water (universal justification) but some choose to try to save themselves (subjective justification.)
Googling site:wels.net is very helpful.
# posted by 
: November 17, 2008 at 6:44 AM
: November 17, 2008 at 6:44 AM
"We are all brothers and sisters in Christ, even if some of us don't know it."
And we all have Buddha mind, even if some of us don't know it!
And we all have Buddha mind, even if some of us don't know it!
Greg,
I know some Christians disagree with me on that point, but to me it seems straightforward that if God is everyone's Father, then...
Gene, maybe we all do have Buddha mind. I don't really know what that means. If there really is a God (and He is accurately though not completely described in the book called The Bible) then it would stand to reason that other people throughout history would have stumbled upon His nature etc. I just think that Jesus of Nazareth was the one human being in history who understand His nature best.
I know some Christians disagree with me on that point, but to me it seems straightforward that if God is everyone's Father, then...
Gene, maybe we all do have Buddha mind. I don't really know what that means. If there really is a God (and He is accurately though not completely described in the book called The Bible) then it would stand to reason that other people throughout history would have stumbled upon His nature etc. I just think that Jesus of Nazareth was the one human being in history who understand His nature best.
This is one of the problems with blogging, and a reason why I discourage it. There's a temptation to shoot off ideas that haven't been fully developed in unsophisticated and sometimes rude prose.
Instead of blogging, better to spend that time writing 20+ books, like Murray Rothbard.
Instead of blogging, better to spend that time writing 20+ books, like Murray Rothbard.
# posted by : November 19, 2008 at 8:51 AM
: November 19, 2008 at 8:51 AM
True dat, Sukrit! It is much better to put your undeveloped ideas in rude and unsophisticated prose in books than on the Internet!
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