They did cite their beliefs....people are basically good.
They did cite their beliefs....people are basically good.
It's hard to be a ACLU hating, philosophically Libertarian, socially liberal, fiscally conservative, scientifically grounded, agnostic, porn admiring gun owner who believes in self determination.
Chuck, we miss ya man.
كافر
Sadly if we apply Bizarro Berkeley logic that scenario is entirely plausible. In a huge irony, Islamist believe homosexuality is a crime punishable by death, women are property, child rape is permissible and anyone who doesn't strictly adhere to their brand of religious fundamentalism can be put to death but when you point out their hypocrisy because they hate Americans who simply don't agree with homosexuality, object to radical feminism and choose to be religious they reply "it's a different culture so it's not the same thing."
Seems to me if the US would just actually engage in a little bit of Imperialism, since they are being accused of it anyway, we could just keep one of these countries that we waste time rescuing the people from themselves and their preferred culture and we could establish a country based upon Western Democracy and Roman concepts of a Republic where people would be free to own guns, make their own decisions about religion, have free speech, free expression and practice a little bit of conservatism to preserve such ideas. If it happens to have natural resources such as oil, even better.
I'm thinking Turkey would be a candidate since they are so fond of invading places like Cyprus. We can let the Russians have Syria as a trade off.
It's hard to be a ACLU hating, philosophically Libertarian, socially liberal, fiscally conservative, scientifically grounded, agnostic, porn admiring gun owner who believes in self determination.
Chuck, we miss ya man.
كافر
Don't understand your reference to Mormons.
As for missionaries. Whether they get my criticism or not would depend on the situation. Number one on the list is are they actually proclaiming the true gospel. If their situation is dangerous yet not completely suicidal I wouldn't criticize at all. Being a spokesman for God has always been dangerous to one degree or another. I try to always have sympathy for those that are murdered no matter what their beliefs...nobody deserves to be murdered at the hands of another. The problem with this couple is that they put themselves in a bad spot because they believed a lie. If their intention was to prove that people are good, they didn't believe God or even history apart from God. Even history shows the barbarous nature of man.
While I don't disagree with your worldly view, it seems at odds with things like this.
"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
Now I'm no expert, but it seems like Jesus is telling people to go out and love your fellow man, even with consequences be damned.
My Mormon comment was based on the fact that the people I've met who truly seem to try and walk the walk and are the most polite and courteous people I've ever encountered are often Mormons. They will do almost anything to rescue others to the true faith of Mormonism.
It's hard to be a ACLU hating, philosophically Libertarian, socially liberal, fiscally conservative, scientifically grounded, agnostic, porn admiring gun owner who believes in self determination.
Chuck, we miss ya man.
كافر
Yes loving God and neighbor are commanded, but we must be careful about the definition of love. Biblically speaking it's an action more than a feeling. Affections do play a part. So, loving God and neighbor would primarily involve keeping God's commandments...toward God and toward neighbor. Keeping those commandments must be done for the right motives also...for the glory of God. Consequences do play a part in that God isn't asking Christians to put themselves in hopelessly suicidal situations willy nilly. Has every Christian been called to be a missionary, a pastor, an elder, an apostle etc; etc., the answer is no. There are times when we are to flee persecution, there are times to defend ones life. God never tells us to purposely seek suffering. The first thing God has called me to, beside 1st loving Him, is to love my wife and children, and to take care of them to best of my abilities. Do I live up to loving God and neighbor as God has commanded...of course not, but I'm learning. Keep in mind that the perfect embodiment of love, Jesus Himself, whipped the money changers and drove them from the temple for their grievous sin against God.
As far as your experience of Mormons goes, I could say the same for many of the Christians I've met. (I don't consider Mormons to be Christians). Believer and unbeliever can manifest various degrees of civil righteousness...no one is as bad as they can be. There would be a huge difference in motivation for those good works though.
Last edited by TomMcC; 08-17-18 at 03:18.
Their concept has no logic to it (as usual). Without evil, there would be no such thing as good, no light without dark. One exists because the other does.
Bookmarks