Posted by Steve on Friday, September 14, 2007 at 11:51:36 :
In Reply to: Re: Ray, No Need To Speak Up.... posted by Ray on Friday, September 14, 2007 at 07:08:18 :
Ray,
I agree with your post for the most part.
The point is, the guy reached out on a Power Wagon site. Not a political or religious site.
While I respect his views, what do they have to do with fixing our trucks?
The reason that I posted in the first place was due to what I feel is a complete lack of respect for the beliefs of other people by the born again crowd. This thread was just another example of it.
The attitude that comes across is that it's fine if you happen to be Christian. If not, too bad because you don't worship a "real" god anyway and we (Christians) don't respect what you believe.
If one does not happen to believe in Christianity, then they are wrong and that's that.
I don't buy that.
Nor do I believe it was God's will to have people behave in such a manner.
"John 3:16 "For whoever believes in Him, shall not parish, but have everlasting life."
John was writing of believing in the Father, Creator of the Universe, Allah, (whatever one chooses to call the greater power in his particular religion). He wasn't writing of one specific religion. People have inferred that part.
It is not so black and white. It's my belief that if an individual is a good person, that does the best that they can and doesn't take advantage of their fellow man, that they are living their life in the manner that God, Allah, The Creator intended.
That belief is not tied to any church, collection basket, hype, fallacy, lies or anything else.
Further, if one looks at the Bible and looks at who Jesus CHOSE to spend his time with, he CHOSE to hang out with the thieves, prostitutes, criminals, etc because he knew they were at least genuine.
Who he spoke out against were the hypocrites, pharisees, sadducees, charlatans, etc as he felt they were far worse because they presented one image and were corrupt underneath.
While your statistics look daunting, I would challenge you to break them down further. How many of those supposed Christians really go to church on Sunday? How many actually live their lives in a manner as God intended? How many are actually honest?
That is where the disconnect lies and for folks to have the attitude that Christianity is the only way then go cheat with their neighbors wife, or write bad checks, or take advantage of others, doesn't work for me.
Hence, I wrote what I wrote requesting that others keep their beliefs private.
I don't need to know of Ray as a Christian, Muslim, or a black man or as an Asian, but rather just as Ray.
Granted there are more Christians in our society than other religions. However, the founding fathers of this country took great pains to separate church and state because of the religious persecution that they experienced in England.
This too is being trampled on by religious zealots and is very dangerous.
Thanks for your comments and this discourse. I do respect your views and wish you well. Hopefully, you will also find it in your heart to respect others that may have different beliefs than yours.
"Believe me when I say I am who I am...do not listen to the hypocrites, nor the pharisees, nor the religious persecutors...do not look to them for me, but look inside your heart...listen to what is tells you."
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