Taking Sides
I just finished writing a big long post about “taking sides”. It was a jumbled mess of thoughts that were not coming together. But, I have to say something.
Here’s the heart of it. Recent events in sports culture have divided people. Brought people out of their shell. I heard Christians lashing out against Tiger Woods and I have no clue why. We don’t know him. We have no facts. It’s none of our business. And, yet, we took sides.
Now, there is a church and a local critic going at it and I am watching it happen all over. We don’t know the people involved. We don’t know the facts. It’s none of our business. Yet, we are still taking sides. I don’t get it.
We should be praying for Tiger. We should be praying for this church and the victim. We have no right to express our opinions on this situation, based on whether or not we like something or not. Whether we agree with a Pastor or a teaching, or whether we disagree. We have no right to attack or defend. It’s not our place. We don’t know what’s happening. We do not have the right to place some sort of “godly” wrath on anyone. Even if we had all the facts, we wouldn’t have that right.
The church keeps beating the crap out of itself. It’s dumb. It’s gotta stop. And the only way I know how to help that process, is to stop taking sides. In my last post, I made the comment “We seem to over hype events in America. Both in defense of it…as well as opposition to it.” I stand by this. I do it myself. And I believe we do it, because we like taking sides. We like it too much.
So, hold me accountable to not taking sides. But, I am asking you…join me.
Dude. Amen. Is it possible we were seperated at birth?
Definitely. Im just bummed you got the looks
How completely wrong is it that that first thing that came to my mind when reading this comment thread was Prince & Sheena Easton’s “U Got The Look”…
“u sho’nuff do be cookin’ in my book……”
David´s last blog ..Worship : 6 December 2009
Ha! I would sing something from Roxette maybe
It’s only taken 20 years to get that song OUT of my head…
“na na na na na. na na na na nah na na na na nah na. na na na na nah na na na na nah na.”
Still…best name for a greatest hits compilation ever – “don’t bore us, get to the chorus” hahaha
Confession…
I still have Roxette in my itunes library
oh heck yeah.
But then, I have pretty much everyone I’ve ever vaguely liked…even if I don’t now.
(for the record…I completely agree with this post btw…since I’d only implied that by retweeting
)
I got that…vaguely
I think that it’s about more than just taking sides. A lot of the time it’s about wanting to be right, or be on the right side. Everyone wants to be a plus… and for that to happen we need to make some one else a minus. Sad.
Nicole´s last blog ..Surrounded by Glory
So true Nicole.
i have a crush on your brain.
and, other things.
your awesome wife´s last blog ..i am not humble.
This is one thing I’ll; take sides on…and agree with totally
Thank You!!!
One of the down sides of social media/internet is that you can get all embroiled in stuff that is none of our business.
I’m not taking sides.
PS) Luv Sheena Easton and Roxette
Its easy to get sucked into the hype online. you are right.
Hey, Hey –
I have a confession too…
I don’t have itunes at all.
There’s more than two sides in all of this you know…more than just the right side and the wrong side; there’s also inside and outside.
I hope that makes sense.
badguy´s last blog ..Alive 2009
Bad! Good to see you hear. Of course, I kind of need to write something for people to be around
I 100% agree with you. There are never 2 sides. Not only are more people and perspectives involved, but there is very much a different outlook morally and spiritually.
St. Brent, I completely agree with you. As I started to see twitter updates and blog posts spring up, condemning or not-condemning Tiger, all I could think was: Why do people of the church feel this is important enough to have a media opinion about?
We are called to higher things than celebrity and politics.
I’ve always liked the images of us focusing on Jesus. When we place our eyes on those things around us, it becomes about us and we get involved in serving self. When we focus on Jesus. Our perspective and view instantly changes.
I touched on this with a blog entry about gossiping. Taking sides and taking potshots at either side is gossip. Like Ephesians says that GRIEVES the Holy Spirit. We can and should do better.
Jay´s last blog ..Stop Gossiping!
People love to see other people fall. When a guy like Tiger (who really never had a “scandal” before) gets hit, it’s like a feeding frenzy.
The only thing we do quicker than putting people on pedestals is tear them down. (or maybe put them back up again)
Mike Mahoney´s last blog ..Sunday Setlist – December 6
Let me tell you why we are lashing out against Tiger. Golf is a game known for integrity. I watch golf to get away from the garbage that goes on in other sports. Then, out of nowhere Tiger Woods brings his NBA-like behavior into the sport of golf. Nothing wrong with holding Tiger accountable for his actions. I personally am glad people are taking sides, as long as they are taking the side based on a conviction that is based on the teachings of Jesus. After all, Jesus was the most outspoken person of all time. He said that you could not get to the Father without believing in him. Too many Christians are wimps. We need to be the ones driving the culture, rather than reacting to the actions of others.
Since it’s Christmas, I will choose not to respond to this ridiculous comment
You call it a ridiculous comment and don’t elaborate? This goes back to my comment about alot of Christians being wimps. Too afraid to confront the culture. Too afraid to respond when confronted themselves. And too afraid to take a stand even if it appears they are taking sides. I wonder why no one ever comes down on Martin Luther King for taking sides.
That is why our culture is disintegrating. Too many good people stand by and do nothing.
If you were indeed taking the highroad, just say nothing. Don’t call a comment “ridiculous” and fail to back it up.
And when are we gonna quit beating up on the church for taking a stand on things? The problem with churches is that many of them fail to proclaim that Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to salvation, particularly in mainline denominations.
Churches need to be BOLD, not wimpy and not worry about offending someone if they take a stand on an issue. That is one of the reasons why church attendance is in decline. There is no reason for people to go to church if the church merely mimics the beliefs and culture of the society as a whole.
Satan is the enemy of the church, and way too many churches are afraid to say the “S” word. That not only includes Satan but “sin.”
The biggest enemy of true Christianity are these so-called Christian churches that don’t teach the Bible is the infallible word of God, that don’t teach Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to salvation, and that are too afraid to confront the culture.
Geez dude. Get the stick out of your ass and lighten up.
There is nothing I could say to “win” you over and frankly, I’m not interested in arguing with you.
Sorry that my comments elicited profanity. But, my question really is, should the church just be irrelevant and never speak out against anything?
This is happening in alot of mainline denominations because they don’t boldly proclaim the gospel. I have seen way too many Christians that get huffy anytime a preacher preaches against anything, even if it is Biblically based.
No need to come down on someone who is speaking out as long as what they state is Biblical truth. If that just happens to offend someone, tough.
Jack, dude, (or whoever you may be since you hide behind a wall of anonymity – way to go to bring ‘integrity’ or ‘taking a stand’ when you don’t even post using any means of identification – hilarious!) – are you sure you’re not from the Church of Tiger Woods, and have had your feelings hurt a little?
This has got nothing about Christians being too weedy to speak up. Let’s rewind a little – in your first comment you rattle on about golf = integrity & horrible old Tiger ruining it for everyone. Then you make an enormous mind-altering stretch of imagination leap to somehow make it about church and Christianity.
First thing – does Tiger claim to be a Christian? Not that I know of. Is Golf now a religion? I guess going by your first comment, it is for some people (maybe even you?). So all celebs must hold Christian morality, and all things you love must exhibit similar ethics.
Well done, you’ve just created for yourself an idol of a sport, and made Tiger Woods into Lucifer. That’s quite breathtaking, really.
Since you’ve set out to be the advocate against weak Christianity, you should maybe try to at least have an argument that makes sense. We cannot expect people who aren’t Christians to have a Christian moral compass! It’s hard enough for Christians to do it – and this is not an excuse, but surely we’re ALL running the same race towards perfection in Christ. We learn, we grow, we make mistakes, we receive grace, we don’t make the same mistakes again (hopefully).
And if you’ve already achieved that perfection for yourself – wow – I’d better throw out my entire belief system and follow you instead.
Machroi´s last blog ..A Face Only A Mother Could Love: Non-Trad, Trad Irish Stew
Hey Brent! I’ve been sorting making the blog-rounds today after totally neglecting the blogs I used to read regularly.
This is a great post and I agree. I haven’t really been paying attention to much attention to this Tiger Woods thing, mostly because it seems like this sort of stuff happens all the time anyway. Obviously I don’t agree with what Tiger did and do see where Mr. Jack is coming from. You know, how that sometimes the church can be a little wimpy and afraid to be bold, but I don’t really see how that’s relevant to this post at all…oh well. What I’m getting at is that you don’t have to support everything a person does to love or care for them. Instead of condemning Tiger for doing whatever he did, we should pray for him and for the many others like him in this society to have a changed heart. And constantly have the same prayer for ourselves, being just as sinful as they are. I mean even God, who has every right to condemn people since He truly is perfect, chooses to show grace, mercy, and love.
RaquelTWG´s last blog ..Stats Suck Sunday
Oh and he even wrote an apology and everything…jeez, give Tiger a break. I’d say calling him the corrupter of golf is a little extreme [Machroi's Lucifer of golf thing comment was funny, hehe]…
RaquelTWG´s last blog ..Stats Suck Sunday
Jack–
I have to first second some thoughts by Machroi–if you want to speak of integrity and taking a stand do it…..it is impossible for anyone to take a stand behind a cloak of anonymity…no one can see you.
Secondly…you mention that Jesus took stands…you are absolutely right–he took stands when the situation warranted it…let’s analyze the situation at hand…we have a non-Christian caught in a bout of immorality. Can we find a parallel situation in the Bible, more specifically in the life of Christ? Yup…try the account of the woman caught in adultery(sound familiar?) in John 8:1-11. Christ did not take sides. He showed her grace and love…seems like that is EXACTLY what is suggested in this post. Tiger does not need us to tell him what his sins are….he knows full well. If we are going to try to emulate Christ as you suggest, we should probably pick an example that fits. Just sayin’..
Brian Senecal´s last blog ..I can do all things…and I am thankful
reading thru the comments…im just glad God holds my future and not man.
if i am being honest in my estimation of self, like the Word tells us to do, then i have no right to cast judgment on Tiger. at all. but what i can do in situations like this where i can be in direct connection to, is extend love and grace and truth. the same as Christ does to me on a daily basis.
I’m with you dude… I try to see the human side of these celebrity “scandals”. We forget that tigers a person just like the rest of us… There are men and women who cheat on their spouses everyday and we don’t see national media coverage.. Or tmz on their doorsteps… Now don’t get me wrong.. I totally think infidelity is wrong. And there are even some musicians who I boycott due to things they’ve done.. Like chris brown and kanye west. They’re the only two on my boycott so far actually. But I expect nothing out of these celebrities as society has made it easy for them to claim Christ and at the same rate disregard Him… I say let God handle tiger.. Follow your moral compass on supporting him… But who are we to judge anybody when our sin was nailed to the cross right beside his?
Brian, you totally nailed this. Jesus was always offering grace to the sinners, and telling off the religious people who were looking to throw stones.
Jesus never implied that the sinners were not in the wrong, but he also never condemned them.
He had plenty choice words for religious people: vipers, sons of satan, et al.
First, if Tiger is not a Christian, how can he know what his sins are? He is a Buddhist and probably has no concept of what is really right and wrong. So, are we supposed to just shut up and not hold him accountable? Nothing wrong with good old fashioned accountability, as long as it is done in love.
Second, why do non-Christians get a free pass as far as morality? It applies to EVERYONE, Christian or not. For example, if a non-Christian robs a bank or has an abortion, is that less serious than if a Christian does it?
Third, grace is there for the taking, assuming Tiger confesses his sins.
Fourth, I don’t worship at the altar of Tiger Woods. Lost respect for him when he drops “f bombs” whenever he hits a bad shot. This is something not consistent with golf, which is indeed known as a gentlemen’s game. And even before this scandal broke, I never considered Tiger much of a gentleman to begin with.
Fifth, Tiger did a lot more than just say a bad word or hook his drive out of bounds. Look at what he did to his family. Probably exposed his wife to sexually transmitted diseases. Ensured more than likely that his kids will grow up without their daddy at home. Are we supposed to ignore this?
Sixth, I am not a Tiger fan, I am more of a fan of Phil Mickelson. But, Phil is not perfect. Witness his meltdown in the 2006 U.S. Open:)
Seventh, I can see where people could interpret holding someone accountable as judging. But, sometimes I think “being judgmental” is used as a weapon to keep sincere people from holding others accountable.
Eighth, Jesus had bad things to say about religious people who did not live by the faith. He is not against people who hold others accountable to true Biblical standards. Jesus didn’t look the other way when people were doing ungodly things.
Ninth, if we are critical of someone who is judgmental, are we not being judgmental against someone who is judgmental?
Tenth, for the record I am more likely to watch golf when Tiger is not in the field. I like golf, and hate the fact that Tiger is somewhat bigger than golf and makes the game seem somewhat like a circus. It is unfortunate that we are not talking about golf (which I love) but about Tiger. And when he returns, he, not the tournament he is playing in, will be the story.
“Eighth, Jesus had bad things to say about religious people who did not live by the faith. He is not against people who hold others accountable to true Biblical standards. Jesus didn’t look the other way when people were doing ungodly things.”
Please, show me where, in scripture, Jesus “held accountable wrong doing in the non-believer…
Where did Jesus say that non-believers were exempt from the teachings of the Bible? I am sure they would love to be able to cast aside those inconvenient commandments about stealing and killing!
So, judgement is ours…not the Lord’s???
The Bible is clear as to who extends judgement to the non-believer.
What about the terrorist who tried to blow up the airliner in Detroit? Should we remain neutral on that one as well? Personally, I’ll give Obama credit on this one, even he was able to say this was an act of terrorism.
So, Tiger is an act of terrorism???
Dude, do you want to talk politics? Or do you want to talk Holy Spirit?
“First, if Tiger is not a Christian, how can he know what his sins are? He is a Buddhist and probably has no concept of what is really right and wrong. So, are we supposed to just shut up and not hold him accountable? Nothing wrong with good old fashioned accountability, as long as it is done in love.”
How can you hold someone with different beliefs and moral standards accountable? They don’t follow the same rules as you do. You can say a football player is wrong for carrying the ball because the rules of basketball say that carrying the ball is a turnover.
@Jack?
#1 = sin may be a poor word choice when applied to non-believers…he may not understand the concept that adultery is a sin against God, but my point was merely that he knows right from wrong…if he didn’t…he would not have tried to cover it up.
#2 They don’t. It isn’t our job to give them a free-pass or to punish them. It’s God’s. They will pay the price for their sin on Judgement Day. Our job is not to extract anything as a penalty for sin, but to love them and show them the Gospel and let the Holy Spirit do the rest. Read 1 Cor 5:1-13 … Paul tells us that it is not our business to judge a non-believer.
1 Cor 5:12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”
#3 covered by @inWorship
#4 Your opinion of the man’s golf etiquette is honestly irrelevant. But I recognize you are responding to someone, but the point stands…it appears to me from your posts that much of your passion in this debate is fueled by your opinion of Tiger and his impact on the game of golf.
#5 Absolutely not. Don’t believe that was EVER suggested. Look at the story of the woman at the well. Again Jesus didn’t take sides, but essentially presented her with the Gospel. Which is what our response should be. We should basically be loving on his family by not slamming him publicly, and those with access to be there and support him and his family.
#6 ummmm ok?
#7 You are right…it is…we do need to be holding our BROTHERS & SISTERS accountable…with Love (see 1 Cor 5 above)
#8 He didn’t have a problem with people lovingly holding others accountable maybe…but that is definitely not what is going on with Tiger and being referred to in this post. No one suggested looking the other way….but merely to be praying for Tiger and his family.
#9 It’s not about someone being judgmental, but whether or not that judgement is applied with Biblical standards. See Matt 7 & 1 Cor 5
#10 has nothing to do with the conversation.
BTW–If golf is a “gentlemen’s game” dos that making the LPGA a fraud?
Brian Senecal´s last blog ..I can do all things…and I am thankful
10 commandements…err…convictions…
Convenient…
Sigh. There really is no talking to people who just don’t make any sense.
Yeah, insult someone when you are losing the argument:)
In my post I would say 10 opinions:)
“Third, grace is there for the taking, assuming Tiger confesses his sins.”
Your talking about forgiveness. Grace is to be extended to all, And Mercy is a blessed virtue, Matthew 5:7
Hey, I never said send Tiger to the stockade:)
Yes. You did. If he doesn’t “confess his sins” what do you think should take place?
No, I never did. I just said he gave the sport of golf a black eye. I would say let this all play out. His sponsors are smart to pull back from him, as his image will not help to sell alot of the products associated with the demographics that watch golf. And it doesn’t hurt for Tiger to hear criticisms of his behavior. He has been told his whole life he was gonna transform the world. Seriously, that’s what his dad used to tell him. This controversy might help him get a dose of reality and help him realize he is no more special than anyone else.
And, there are alot of Christians on the PGA Tour; I hope they can reach out to him and share the love of Christ. Guys like Paul Azinger, Kenny Perry, Zach Johnson. Hopefully some good can come of this.
I personally think he should take a year off and sort all this out. It would be good for him and good for the game of golf.
So, If he doesn’t “confess his sins” what do you think should take place?
What I think is irrelevant. His sponsors will work out how much off-course revenue he can make.
And I’ll let God work out the spiritual issues here:)
“And I’ll let God work out the spiritual issues here:”
You will???
what he did has nothing to do with golf.
what he did gave HIS WIFE A BLACK EYE.
It has alot to do with golf, because the majority of the American public associate Tiger Woods with golf. After all, can you name the golfers who won the 4 majors last year? My point is that you would have probably guessed Tiger won at least 2 of them, which he didn’t.
And golf IS a gentlemen’s game. It is the type of game where you call penalties on yourself. Different demographics from other sports as well.
i respectfully disagree.
what he did was a mistake. a huge one. and the person it effects the most is his wife…his family. who gives a rip about golf. that is not the priority, and it shouldnt be the main focus here.
he can walk away from golf forever and the world wil continue to move on and orbit. but his wife and children…thats a whole other story. and one that is of WAY more importance than sticks that hit balls.
Well, the sport of golf is hurt by this. Ratings are so much higher when Tiger plays. They might spike the first time or two when he comes back, but he has alot to do to remake his image. And the big audiences may not return longer term.
And, I am sure his sponsors are totally embarrassed by this. A company like Accenture certainly doesn’t want to be associated with Tiger.
Then the sport of golf has some evaluating to do. If the sport is based on a man, theyve messed up.
Golf should be about golf, not a popularity contest.
That has nothing to do with tiger, he’s just exposed golf and the golf fans, lack of integrity, when it comes to the sport.
It’s true, people love to see other people fall. Maybe it makes them feel they are somewhat better than others. It’s terrible. When the news first came out, even the radio DJs were asking ppl to call in and take sides.
Don’t judge, don’t gossip. It doesn’t help in anyway. Worse, it is the reason Christians are called hypocrites. If we care, just pray.
The reason Christians are called hypocrites is because non-Christians don’t understand the faith. Everyone is a hypocrite. Ever see Al Gore and Barack Obama bumper stickers on the back of big gas guzzling SUVs? And I think too many times when non-Christians accuse us of hypocricy, we play into their misconceptions of the faith by saying “you might have a point” rather than showing them examples of hypocricy in their own lives.
I would say don’t gossip, but nothing wrong with stating facts either.
“The reason Christians are called hypocrites is because non-Christians don’t understand the faith.”
Huh???
THey consider us hypocrites, because we are! A Christian is to Love God and Love People. The greatest commandment. Everyone knows this. non-believer as well. When Christians disobey this command, we are hypocritical…
Christians are hypocrites, but no more so than anyone else. We never call out non-believers on their hypocricy. By bashing other Christians on this, all we do is play into the prejudices of non-believers. Sure, Christians are hypocrites, as are non-Christians.
“We never call out non-believers on their hypocricy”
DUDE!!!! That’s what your doing to Tiger. Are you that blind???
I never called out Tiger on hypocricy. I am calling out people who are always calling out Christians on hypocricy without calling out non-Christians for not living up to their belief systems.
For example, the environmentalist who drives an SUV. Or, the animal rights person who eats meat.
Let me remind you of your opening statement…
“Let me tell you why we are lashing out against Tiger”
The reason Christians are called hypocrites is because non-Christians don’t understand the faith
um. no. its because christians are hypocrites.
and the reason why there are so many messed up, opinionated, prideful people in the world is because people dont deal with their mess and own faults. AND hypocrisy.
No, HUMANS are hypocrites. No one, Christian or non-Christian, can live up 100 percent to any belief system. That is because we are HUMAN, not divine or not machine.
For example, remember Carl Rowan, the liberal newspaper columnist who advocated Gun Control and who shot at some thugs that tried to get in his swimming pool?
Christians are no more or no less hypocritical than anyone else. In most cases they are LESS hypocritical than the overall population. When someone falls it just makes bigger news because Christians are hated by non-Christians.
“Christians are no more or no less hypocritical than anyone else. In most cases they are LESS hypocritical than the overall population.”
Yikes! We are the ones that live to a standard. you might want to rethink this hugely overstated opinion…
Hey, why is it that the “tolerant” liberals are the ones who always are the ones calling us names?
“Hey, why is it that the “tolerant” liberals are the ones who always are the ones calling us names?”
Huh? What does this have to do with anything?
The point is, only someone who is a Conservative Christian is ever labeled as a hypocrite. These limousine liberals never get labeled as that for not living lifestyles consistent with their values. That is my point.
We concede this argument too much to nonbelievers and never show them that they too are hypocrites. Christians don’t have a monopoly on hypocricy. It is a HUMAN condition, not a CHRISTIAN condition.
We are never asked to point out someone elses wrong doings, to defend our own. That is 100% not biblical.
Proverbs 12:1 states that whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but who hates correction is stupid. Nothing wrong with holding someone accountable.
Jack, we are never asked to hold a non-believer accountable. There is a ton wrong with accountability, when it is not asked for. When it is not accepted. When it is not an option.
Jack, you are defending and back peddling, based on your original intention on this blog. I am going to sleep. Please, I am begging you, to seek grace and mercy and understand what loving God and loving people means.
We are never asked to let a non-believer have a free pass either. After all, holding a non-believer accountable is a teachable momemt if done right.
Loving God and Loving people means being willing to stick your neck out when someone is doing wrong and calling them on it. It doesn’t mean putting our collective heads in the sand, as our society does all too often.
This guy is amusing. Telling us to tell non-believers what they do wrong to justify our own wrongs…wow.
And I really don’t think that we should be holding non-believers accountable to a standard of obedience that doesn’t even apply to them. And they already know about moral standard, so it’s not like we should rub their flaws in their face…Mostly, humans [that's everyone] do the wrong thing not because they think it’s right, but because they don’t care if it’s wrong. It’s called pride. Therefore, we shouldn’t be pointing out non-believers’ sin to them and fool ourselves thinking that we’re helping them. We have to give/show them a reason to want to turn from their sin –God’s love for them.
RaquelTWG´s last blog ..Stats Suck Sunday
Actually you are taking this out of context and making a point that was not intended by the author. This point of this proverb is that one should be open and acceptable to receive discipline. Says absolutely nothing about the value of holding someone accountable. You may infer that, but you also must weigh it against the remainder of Scripture like 1 Cor 5:12 & 13:1
Brian Senecal´s last blog ..I can do all things…and I am thankful
“No, HUMANS are hypocrites. ”
yah. i know. i was simply replying to your…
“The reason “Christians” are called hypocrites is because non-Christians don’t understand the faith”
work with me ‘jack’.
OK so maybe all of us ‘wimpish Christians’ (because you know, that is in no way insulting, is it, ‘Jack’?) should just stop now because you can’t argue against someone who is so clearly right about everything.
To paraphrase a well known quotation (hey it MIGHT be in the bible, along with ‘Golf is a gentleman’s sport’!) – Golf is merely the ruination of a good walk.
Machroi´s last blog ..A Face Only A Mother Could Love: Non-Trad, Trad Irish Stew
Geez!!!!!!!!! What an interesting “conversation”!!!! I’m surprised Jenni wasn’t on here doing some sort of kung-fu or karate! She scares me! Ha!
How do some people get things so turned around in their mind?? Oh, wait, I grew up like that! My mother would take something simple (or not) and rework it the way she heard it. To her, this reworked idea was truth. No talking back or you were grounded. Her mind still blurs what she selectively hears. Kinda like “Jack”. The words don’t even make sense. Glad I don’t have to like “Jack”, but I will love him. No matter what. Nanny nanny boo boo!
Shellie (baylormum)´s last blog ..Stats Suck Sunday
Sorry guys, I really don’t have time to cast stones at Tiger as I can’t see too clearly due to the log in my own eye. Lucky for me there’s this guy, Jesus, who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty with my crap. His hands are clean and he’s trying to help me keep my hands clean too.
Maybe when that whole process is done, I’ll have time to judge the media-reported actions of a man I’ve never met.
But for now, there’s a hurting world out there and so I’m gonna let this man do eye surgery on me so I can maybe do some good put there.
RaquelTWG 28 December 2009 at 11:04 am #
This guy is amusing. Telling us to tell non-believers what they do wrong to justify our own wrongs…wow.
And I really don’t think that we should be holding non-believers accountable to a standard of obedience that doesn’t even apply to them
___________________
By the way, I never said to tell non-believers what they do wrong to justify our wrong, but to get them over their own self-righteousness. They don’t have to worry about “hypocricy” concerning Christian teachings because they don’t adhere to them. But in alot of ways, those who trash Christianity embrace other philosophies or world views where they are not always consistent with their beliefs, which is by definition hypocricy. And they need to understand that they are no better, and indeed sometimes worse, in the generic category of hypocricy.
For example, the environmentalist who drives a gas-guzzling SUV, the labor union member who buys an imported car made with non-union labor, etc. My point is that hypocricy is a HUMAN, not a Christian trait. Similarly, SIN is a HUMAN trait, not a non-Christian trait.
Does this mean non-believers can steal, kill, etc and not be held accountable? I understand they might not know what is appropriate to wear to church and cut plenty of slack here, but we all are accountable to living up to God’s commandments. This is kinda scary. I always thought God’s commandments applied to everyone and that Jesus died for our sins so that all of us can have eternal life IF, and only IF, we confess our sins.
And I certainly don’t know how not telling someone something is a sin is doing them a favor. They need to know about God’s love, how he loved humanity so much that his only son died for their SINS. Yes, their sins. I think too many people are afraid to mention this. This is the exact reason why God loves us so much. If we don’t talk about that, how in the heck can they understand how much God really loves us?
Being politically correct has gotten the church nowhere. It seems that the more politically correct the church gets in dealing with sin or in preaching the gospel, the fewer people come to church. This explains the declining church memberships in America, particularly in the very liberal mainline denominations.
Is Brit Hume of Fox News taking sides? Read this link and let me know what you think.
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/01/08/fox-tiger-and-christianity-a-defense-of-brit-hume/
You seriously don’t get it. Brit didnt ridicule or stand against Tiger or his actions. Brit didnt tell Tiger he was wrong. Brit told Tiger that the Christian faith was a place for Tiger to find healing and redemption.
Brit gets it.
Question, what do you think the “good news” is?