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Posted on 07/06/2010 6:54:33 AM PDT by Brian Kopp DPM
Case in point: I prefer my french fries with steak sauce or ketchup.
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LOL. It is ‘fry sauce’ all the way for me (Utah habit).
And, Quix, I empathize with you, I don’t have dentures (I have full implants b/c of my age) but it took me awhile to relearn how to eat things and I was cranky too.
And tasty too ... with a nice mint sauce.
You would hope and pray that were the case, but sadly it is not. I too often see those who would rather live a comfortable lie than face the uncomfortable (and often painful) truth.
It is not the presenter that offends it is the word of God that offends
Oh, really? There are those who make a peculiar claim about God being utterly singular, and about a guy named "Mohammed" being a prophet. I find their message inherently offensive. Deeply so.
Is their message, therefore, true?
Jesus never compromised or softened His words “Does this offend you?” (John 6:61).
Um ... yes, indeed. John 6 is one of the reasons I'm Catholic. But I understand that some folks found (and find) it offensive.
The concern is not how you think other people will receive the message, but being faithful to deliver it..
Nonsense. In John 6, Christ delivered His message in a completely inoffensive manner ... which is more than can be said of many folk on pseudonymous internet forums. If you wish to find examples of Christ delivering His message in an ascerbic manner, you'll have to look elsewhere. (They do exist. Even in John's Gospel.)
While I fail to see any relevance in your quote from St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians, I think this passage is addresses this topic excellently:
1 Corinthians 9:
19For whereas I was free as to all, I made myself the servant of all, that I might gain the more. 20And I became to the Jews, a Jew, that I might gain the Jews: 21To them that are under the law, as if I were under the law, (whereas myself was not under the law,) that I might gain them that were under the law. To them that were without the law, as if I were without the law, (whereas I was not without the law of God, but was in the law of Christ,) that I might gain them that were without the law. 22To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak. I became all things to all men, that I might save all. 23And I do all things for the gospel's sake: that I may be made partaker thereof.
It says nothing of taking on an offensive manner, but rather of taking on a manner appropriate to each situation.
Which Gospel?
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth..."(Romans 1:16). What is the gospel of Christ?
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved".(Romans 10:9) "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13).
Is this part of the Gospel of the Kingdom?
Certainly not everyone who claims to be ‘preaching the gospel’ is preaching what I think is the Gospel. In fact, what many folks preach who claim to be ‘preaching the gospel’ is contrary to what I think is the Gospel. A third party, trying to discern who is preaching the correct Gospel might have many criteria by which to judge. I suggest that offensiveness, whether of the preacher or the message, is a poor criterion for such judgment.
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And that would be the wrong criteria. It isn’t what you or I THINK, it is what the Bible says.
And your non answer spoke volumes. I honestly don’t care if you think I am arrogant or not, I only care what Christ thinks. I preach to please HIM not you or any other man.
In the case of spiritual matters the line was drawn at the foot of the cross and throughout the new testament as related by the Apostles and others.
The writing and words of man that toe that line are often wise and worthy of our acknowledgment and study. Those that cross it are fallacious at best, acutely heretical at worse...
I tend to agree with you, svcw
A more typical example of "intemperate" (I would have chosen the term "overwought") that really does get posted in this forum, might be:
are we seeing . . . some Jr High sociology/psychology experiment wherein
some characters with little to no experience in the topics concerned . . . & negligible, IF ANY, understanding . . .
decide to see
HOW MUCH, HOW HIGH,
they can pile on
MEAN-NESS, ARROGANCE, cluelessness & SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS PUREED WITH ABSURDITY
all perhaps to just see how big a chorus of naysayers they can get to join the rabid fault-finding alley cat garbage can chorus.
All without a clue as to the spirit such stuff erupts out of, operates in . . . and certainly no clue about HARVEST TIME . . . in Maya Angelou’s words.
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or
The constant demonization and misrepresentation of Mormons has already poisoned millions of minds in the US and elsewhere. Just as the propaganda against the Jews resulted in the Holocaust in Europe, “Mormons are a non-Christian cult” is the first step into portraying us as foreigners or outsiders that will lead to another Holocaust if the thin restraint of our civilization disappears.
Why not just get it over and done with and start killing us Mormons just because we believe differently than you? After all, wouldn’t the world be a better place without us “cultists?”
The current propaganda against us will lead in that direction. So-called “Christians” will once again butcher the outsiders in the name of God. I’ve no doubt if the United States suffers a civilizational collapse that areas with large Evangelical and Baptist populations will resort to exterminating Mormons, and other undesirables like Jehovah’s Witnesses, thinking they’re doing God a favor.
The old, “Well, we never told anyone to kill them” is a pathetic excuse since the poison and hatred towards Mormons was planted long ago in their hearts to their everlasting condemnation.
It never ceases to amaze me how many FR RF posters fail to provide actual examples of the kind of "intemperance," "intolerance," or wrongful deprivation of there "right to worship" they say exists in these threads.
Pro'ly because of loads of innate temperance.
Thank you.
Nah, I just leave it to the ‘biggies’ - Person, work and Nature of Christ Jesus and the statements of the Apostles creed. Most Christian churches agree on those.
I minister to the LDS, those are the fish I fry. Most of my friends are of various denoms (even the flying inmans here) and we all consider ourselves brothers and sisters in Christ, regardless of our differing denominations.
Also, i have spent years going through denominational differences becasuse your statement is a very common objection the LDS bring up to ‘prove’ Mormonism is true, so I have to have some background.
IMO, the term “offense” and all of its psuedonyms is purely relative. It’s an emotional response to a comment, not a rational or analytical one.
It’s all in how the receiver perceives the message and the messenger.
There will be those who read something seeking to find offense instead of reading to gain knowledge. And there are those who enter into the fray with preconceived notions about the intentions or motives of the poster based on posting history or reputation. Some are well deserved, but it can be used to taint others who give the appearance of or directly support the claim/information of the poster.
No benefit of the doubt is given to the poster, they’re considered a “hater, bigot, lout, etc., etc” because they’ve posted something contrary to what the receiver expects or is accustomed to.
I don’t believe there is any “safe” ground or position from which to posit or opine.
Someone is going to find a way to be “offended”.
Good thing you are Buddhist and not Hindu. ;)
What does the Bible say? Look around what passes for Christendom these days, and you'll find numerous contradictory answers to that question. How is a third party to distinguish one from another, to find the "correct" message of the Bible in the competing fray of contradictions? By mere offensiveness?
I honestly don’t care if you think I am arrogant or not
Again, I have accused you of nothing. Furthermore, my particular beliefs are of precious little interest on this thread; I'm far more interested in the topic of how beliefs are presented, whether or not misrepresentation of other folks' beliefs is acceptable, to what extent humility should be a characteristic of Christian witness, and the extent to which folks should take care that they themselves are behaving as Christ would have them, rather than worrying about others' behaviour.
Christ delivered His message in a completely inoffensive manner
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you are kidding right? He offended the ‘religious’ of His constantly.
Elsie, I believe you have the verses for this ‘objection’?
Also, your statement that Islam must be true because it offends you is a straw man. Just because something is offensive does not make it true. That, however, DOES NOT CHANGE that the Gospel message is offensive. It is offensive to our comfortable natural sinful way of living. It knocks us off the throne we put ourselves on and finds us groveling at the foot of the Cross. The CONTENT of the message is what is offensive.
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth". (2Timothy 2:15).
Exactly
Well said, brother. Your words always have a way of keeping me in check and for that I thank you.
I have noticed that the most irritating people feel surrounded by irritable people. They seem incapable of realizing that they are the root cause.
Now that we've gored a Hindu ox we'd better throw some more briquettes on the fire. lol
I have gotten used to it..no viable response then some posters mock ..
It is an honor to be a fool for Christ
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