Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!usc!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: paulb@midas.wr.tek.com (mst) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Christians abetting Satan? (Was: gulf crisis, spiritual help...) Message-ID: Date: 20 Sep 90 07:34:50 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Quality Software Engineering, Inc. Lines: 54 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article daveh@tekcrl.labs.tek.com (David Hatcher) writes: >Forgive me and my insistance on keeping this subject going. But this >thread has presented me an opportunity to express what I find most >distastful with in the general attitude of the Christian tradition. >>I don't see how you can suggest that I should not oppose beliefs that >>I believe to be wrong on issues that I belief matter. > > >[Maybe we mean something different by oppose. I do not suggest that >you should be stopped from believing or talking about things contrary >to Christinaity. Rather, Christians have a duty to say what they >believe, and to answer contrary claims. It has been often said that communicating the gospel is most effective within relationships. Let me make a corrolary to that: Disagreement over issues (especially religious) is usually only effective from within relationships/friendships. If I proclaim loudly (or quietly) to : "You are wrong.. so there! ... I won't pray with you .. you tool of Satan!", the chances of that statement having ANY good result in the hearer's ears is exceedingly slim. If on the other hand, I listen to a friend, explain and explore our differences, and let them know that I take THEM seriously, they may be able to hear what I say and I may be able to clarify my own understandings. (I might even find out that., Gasp!, I am wrong on some thinge :-). To those who started this discussion by calling on Christians to join in prayer for peace: 1. Yes, we differ on what true prayer is, and so probably can't engage in the same exercises, BUT: 2. thank you for challenging us to pray for peace. To those Christians who have so self-righteously used that request as a chance to condemn others, I have only the words of a marine drill seargent to paraphrase the deafening response of the net: I CAN'T HEAR YOU! By the way, as a `disciple` of C.S. Lewis and Francis Schaeffer I'm not exactly wishy-washy on theology.