Evangelical Christians
Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 1:32 pm
This thread is being created to continue the discussion about Christians and unhijack Wade’s thread concerning ISIL.
First, an apology to Pole Lock for bring his morals into question as a result of my getting heated about his comments in the above mentioned thread. I hope you understand I was angry when you compared Christians to ISIL.
I’ll start by saying that I consider myself to be an Evangelical Christian, but probably not in the sense that most people understand or use that term. I have never knocked on anyone’s door, never accosted anyone in the street, never marched with whacked out signs about Hell, in an attempt to get others to believe as I do. I believe my God meets us with a spirit of Grace and Love rather than hellfire and damnation which I heard preached plenty as a child. I try to live my life in a manner consistent with my faith to the point that I hope to attract interest rather than promoting Christianity. My God’s glory is complete in His own Triune being as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and He doesn’t need me to push Him one those that do not want to hear His message. I believe that He does, however, desire community while all who seek community with Him. If asked, I will take all the time necessary, or allowed, to discuss what my God means to me and how my life has changed because of that fact to anyone, anywhere and anytime. So in that respect, I identity as an Evangelical Christian.
As a decent human being, I try to practice love, tolerance and understanding in all regards, even concerning touchy spiritual issues. I do not attack others for their beliefs or complete lack thereof. Nor do I believe that spiritual identity necessarily leads to moral conduct nor lack of spirituality to immoral conduct. For simplicities sake, I’ll just define moral conduct as living by the Golden Rule.
Certainly, members of every organized “religion” have committed outrageous acts in the name of their gods over the course of human history. Likewise “godless” peoples have committed outrageous acts for reasons we would all consider barbaric. The point is that we all imperfect and more often than not, tend to live out of our own self-interest…..creatures of The Fall if you will.
So why the long post? I simple ask that if you don’t hold to the same beliefs as I, please don’t disparage my choice of spiritual identity by likening my “group” to ISIL or any other stated hate group for that matter. Please don’t take every opportunity to bring the faults of Christian up and I’ll try to continue practicing tolerance to all who believe differently than I.
We have so many challenges facing our nation that I don’t think it wise to invest time and energy being divisive…..the politicians are quite capable of that without our help.
If you wish to promote another spiritual path, or atheism for that matter, then start a thread devoted to furthering that ideology instead of tearing another down (this is not directed at any individual). I realize I will probably take some of heat for sharing my faith and opinions, but that’s ok, I’m a big boy with an identity rooted in and loving and faithful Father.
First, an apology to Pole Lock for bring his morals into question as a result of my getting heated about his comments in the above mentioned thread. I hope you understand I was angry when you compared Christians to ISIL.
I’ll start by saying that I consider myself to be an Evangelical Christian, but probably not in the sense that most people understand or use that term. I have never knocked on anyone’s door, never accosted anyone in the street, never marched with whacked out signs about Hell, in an attempt to get others to believe as I do. I believe my God meets us with a spirit of Grace and Love rather than hellfire and damnation which I heard preached plenty as a child. I try to live my life in a manner consistent with my faith to the point that I hope to attract interest rather than promoting Christianity. My God’s glory is complete in His own Triune being as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and He doesn’t need me to push Him one those that do not want to hear His message. I believe that He does, however, desire community while all who seek community with Him. If asked, I will take all the time necessary, or allowed, to discuss what my God means to me and how my life has changed because of that fact to anyone, anywhere and anytime. So in that respect, I identity as an Evangelical Christian.
As a decent human being, I try to practice love, tolerance and understanding in all regards, even concerning touchy spiritual issues. I do not attack others for their beliefs or complete lack thereof. Nor do I believe that spiritual identity necessarily leads to moral conduct nor lack of spirituality to immoral conduct. For simplicities sake, I’ll just define moral conduct as living by the Golden Rule.
Certainly, members of every organized “religion” have committed outrageous acts in the name of their gods over the course of human history. Likewise “godless” peoples have committed outrageous acts for reasons we would all consider barbaric. The point is that we all imperfect and more often than not, tend to live out of our own self-interest…..creatures of The Fall if you will.
So why the long post? I simple ask that if you don’t hold to the same beliefs as I, please don’t disparage my choice of spiritual identity by likening my “group” to ISIL or any other stated hate group for that matter. Please don’t take every opportunity to bring the faults of Christian up and I’ll try to continue practicing tolerance to all who believe differently than I.
We have so many challenges facing our nation that I don’t think it wise to invest time and energy being divisive…..the politicians are quite capable of that without our help.
If you wish to promote another spiritual path, or atheism for that matter, then start a thread devoted to furthering that ideology instead of tearing another down (this is not directed at any individual). I realize I will probably take some of heat for sharing my faith and opinions, but that’s ok, I’m a big boy with an identity rooted in and loving and faithful Father.