Subject: So what do we learn from all this? |
Bible Note: I am still as puzzled as ever. Where do Christians learn this attitude? Is it something they read in the Bible? Is this the idea that these folks are supposed to take over and rule the world? Have they, or some of them, been appointed already as judge? I know that some of them believe that, and it is a fantastic thing. You say that the questions and concerns you raised were motivated by a desire for me to succeed. I do not believe you. You are illustrating to me a fact I’ve learned. You do not know your own heart. The heart is deceitful. You ask “If we do something we shouldn't even though it appears to harm no one can God still bless it?” and I have no idea what you are talking about. It sounds like you have appointed yourself a judge of what “we shouldn’t do” and you do not seem to be qualified at all. You appear to be a frustrated father looking for other children to control. I suppose anyone who seems gentle and humble is a candidate for your program. Or maybe you are a retired policeman. I wonder why you speak of “the right way” to do things when I know nothing of your qualification or authority to do this. I could understand if you had begun with, “I have been appointed monitor of web manners and I judge that …” Your statement about asking permission tells me that you are ignorant of the thing called the Internet and how it works. As far as I know the Internet is a free-for-all information sharing medium. When someone puts something on the web it is available to anyone and anyone can link to anything without asking your permission. Anyone can say anything and only the owner of a site has the opportunity to change it. And now you are arrogant enough and presumptuous enough to tell me that I am “at the very least” being presumptuous. I suppose it could be worse and you will check with your superiors in the legal hierarchy before you decide. If you wanted to put a sign in your yard pointing to your ministry I would let you. But if I knew that your ministry was to judge and attempt to control people, I would remove it. You say unless I have asked permission to speak of my ministry on another web site then I am being presumptuous. I can just imagine what would happen if I visited your church. Then I could not talk there about mine. Then there’s the kicker: “That speaks volumes about you and your website”. EdB. I could ignore retorts like this. I wonder why it causes my blood pressure to rise. Somehow, in responding to this I feel that I am stooping low. But I know that there are others like you, on Christian web sites, in Christian churches, in Christian and non-Christian places everywhere. I have met some of them. Likely as not there are others reading this who feel the same way you do. They may well write in to say that they support you. You may find support from Lockman. I may be shocked but not surprised to find that I have broken their rules. They may ban me from their site. I do not know if it is their rules you use to judge my post. OK. I absorbed the shock you gave, and I will absorb theirs too, but I am still as puzzled as ever. I should actually say I am amazed, for that is what I am. For the life of me I cannot understand where Christians get this attitude. I thought we were supposed to be humble and loving people. But alas, we are the judges. Is it in the Bible that you learn this behavior? Of course not. You have not so learned Christ, though perhaps you think you have. One of the ways we learn is by imitation, and I just dread to see this spread. What if I accepted you as my teacher, then I’d be imitating you. I would say that you are not only arrogant, but you are yourself presumptuous. I could assume I knew you and find some other faults as well. I might even be able to gather some of your posts to substantiate my charges. But that would not be God’s way. Who appointed me your judge? Along life’s way I’ve met you, and my only responsibility is to love you. That is why I spent the time to redo my site because I thought you really wanted to visit it again. But with all the volumes you have read about me and my site, I suppose you won’t. That is why, one of the reasons, I took the time to write this. Since you have a gavel, I hope you also have a mirror. Take a look. We have been talking about sanctification. My the Lord help us in it. Mote or log I trust we can remove them. We are together in this, my brother, if we name the name of Christ. Your behavior affects me. My the Lord help us to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. May we not be resentful. At the end of the day there is one Lord, and one faith. May we be found promoting him and it, and not hindering. |