Some christians are blind sheep, some christians are divided, and some christians are wonderful loving people....just like the ones that are preached about.... you decide who you are.... who cares what anyone else thinks you are....The only person that has to look you in the mirror in the morning is you..... it's not what's in the mirror but what's left inside.... Is there s difference in the face that you put on for the public and the one that hides under the mask....well then you have a real problem.

Spider,

Your thread offers a stimulating point of view about the outside perceptions of our motives as Christians and the perceptible causes of the wrinkled brow when confronted with our zeal.

Zeal because the quiet Christians are not heard from. Often, the quiet ones are people with a charismatic magnetism that is very attractive and moves others to seek friendship and companionship half heartedly from the quiet ones that leads to alienation once the foundational principles of the quiet Christian's persona are known to exist for what they are.

Such Christians are often shunned or distanced because of the moral reservations that prevent being plundered by selfish suitors and such that CHOOSE to not surround themselves with a visible presence and reminder of the lack of self disciploine within their own hearts and would rather serve their own wanton desires externally. We are not easy prey in that regard. However, we are prey for those that would exalt themselves by belittling our resolve. Still, living through external justification of lacking inner strength and character to submit to self constraint and self governance with clear values and moral judgements for personal growth is viewed as narrow minded.

It is oxymoronic and duplicitous to be held in suspicion and contempt for the faith and hope that we possess and yet be equally if not more attracive to strangers for our content and character.

The blindness we are accused of comes from the ignorancve of our inner strength found only in our personal relationship with God and that relationship is a hidden treasure only attainable by entering into to discover for oneself. The discernment that gives the Christian must be contemptuously seen as arrogance by the double minded and unstable that lack the fortitude and will to shed fears and seek God for themselves. We know love's power and the breaach between the Christian and others that alienate themselves from us speaks to the filter that the unbeliever is seiving us through, not our own discriminative image.

How we are divided within ourselves as Christians is even more profoundly maligned by the outsider looking in on our convictions and self discipline with regards to our world view and how we share the navigational treasures we possess by oue own example.
We are all led by a force that shows how well our lives are blessed to interact with our neighbors while maintaining our souvereign accessions to God for direction and purpose while we serve the mission and objectives of our faith in sharing that same treasure with everyone in our lives as that becomes relevant to the need others have of knowing and understanding our content and character that so attracts attention.

Being divided is not what is at the core of our experience, but rather being unified in one accord that is led by God and the self policing direction of His will upon our discipline.
Though time and subsequent generations inherit the institutional aspects of our communion and faith, God still is very much souvereignly enthroned with the charge of being our benevolent dictator of things holy in every generation. Always fluid and in the moment is the life we lead and the lead we follow.

That is lost on those that are unwilling to exercise their own choice to enter in and learn of Him.

We are not blind, nor divided.

The world that is blind and divided is confused already.

It must be us that wear this label coming from those that know us not, or the label worn would be the mirror that others see of themselves.

Surely then, justifications are being made and the accusation that we hide behind God for justification is antithetical to the justifications being made by detractors that would have us be the source of consternation at the expense of excusing their own justifications for being so selfish and shallow regarding our strength and courage and bravery that torments all that cannot bear to wear such armor in tough terrain and walk in inclement weather on dangerous paths in foreign and hostile environments.

Perhaps reminders are in order.

thats why Christ said "I am the way"
to be like Christ is Christianity.to follow His teachings are the true measure of the Christian...the divided sects are mans
doing, not His.

thats why the whole of the Bible points to Him.

if it doesn't point to Christ, lead to Christ, emulate Christ...
it is mans work/word.

call me BAAA...

That is not possible when there are people who continue to insist that they are right and everybody else is wrong, and do not have the ability to step away from their own belief system to consider what the other person might be saying and why. If you or these "other people" want "peaceful conversation about religion" they should go to their church and talk to people who think the same as they do instead of going to a forum with all kinds of people and try to tell them that they are wrong.

You have said that you "know you are right."




People are totally responsible for their own feelings. Other people have no idea what to say or what not to say to avoid hurting someone's personal feelings. We don't know them well enough.

We do however, have the right to speak freely, our thoughts and impressions. How can we communicate with each other, or get to know each other, if we are so easily offended by everything they say?

If you were truly NOT insulted, or hurt, you would not have even used the word "insult" and you would not have threatened to tell the moderators. UNLESS you were just trying to be a terrorist and exert power over others or make some kind of point.



No we don't. You don't like your failings pointed out to you. And you are not in any position of knowledge or authority to be pointing out my failings to me. My failings are my problem, not yours. I don't remember asking you to evaluate my failings.

(My X-husband made it a daily practice to point out my faults. You know what it got him? A divorce. Now I don't have any faults.)

The point is this. You will get nowhere with people by pointing out their faults.




You would not call them "insults" if you did not think they were. I never intentionally tried insult you. I was telling you how I was thinking and why. Instead of accusing me of insulting you, you might have tried to figure out why you were projecting certain impressions.

If different people seem to be telling you the same thing over and over, then you might want to ask yourself what kind of impression you are presenting to others, instead of taking the role of victim and complaining because everyone is attacking you and all Christians.

Are you being a good example for your faith?


Jeannie