Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!sdd.hp.com!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: fuhry@think.com (Debbie Fuhry) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: This Present Darkness Message-ID: Date: 10 May 91 06:54:42 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Thinking Machines Corporation, Cambridge MA, USA Lines: 37 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article henning@acsu.buffalo.edu (Karl colossal Henning) writes: >Michael Podeszwa writes: > >>I've always been taught that "Judge not lest ye be judged" was not >>to say that we shouldn't judge, but that whatever standards we use >>to judge will be used for us as well. If we couldn't judge, who >>could say murder is wrong? > >That's a socially pragmatic interpretation, perhaps; but really, >that's not what it /says/. It doesn't /say/ "do unto others as >you would have them do unto unto you"; it /says/ "do not judge -- >or you'll be judged yourself". > >kph >-- Regarding the attitude a church should take to sexual immorality by its members, Paul writes: "I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people - not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave the world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swinder. With such a man do not even eat. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. Expel the wicked man from among you." (ICor. 5:9-13) It doesn't get much clearer than that, I think. Unfortunately, much of the Christian church has gotten it backwards. We fall all over ourselves judging the world (which is so obviously sinful -- but that's God's job, not ours), and let people get away with almost anything as long as they are part of the church! Scripturally, expelling someone from the church for blatant and unrepentant immorality is clearly mandated. Debbie Fuhry fuhry@think.com