A Truce on the FR Religion Forum for Lent. (Vanity)

2/20/2007 | Redgolum

[redgolum]

Ladies and Gentlemen.

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the start of the season of Lent. A season where we are called to reflect on the death and resurrection of Christ, and the reason He had to die in the first place. A time to repent, and to realize just how fallen and sinful we are, and that our sins are why Jesus had to be nailed to the cross.

Lately, here in the FR Religion forum, there have been a lot of articles attacking other Christians. Now, there is a place for doctrinal discussions, and they are often fruitful. However the last few weeks have seen us once again getting more biting and hateful.

Since this is the season of Lent, let there be a truce for a bit. Let us all pause and reflect on the Incarnation of God, and the Sacrifice of the Cross. Remember that while we disagree with some of our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are all still called by Him to love one another. Let us at least try to show that for a short season.

[Tax-chick]

I wish you the best in your campaign!

[trisham]

Best of luck.

[OldFriend]

Why confine the truce to one thread. Wouldn't it be nice if we could be more civil to everyone on all the threads. Simply state your case without tearing down the other party?

Too much to ask?????????

[Rightly Biased]

So we give up arguing for Lent?

[redgolum]

LOL! Baby steps.

[DarthVader]

We should all try to live up to this as Paul told the Corinthian church which was rife with division. These words call to us loudly even today.


1Corinthians 1

1Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord* and ours. 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.


4 I give thanks to my* God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, 5for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— 6just as the testimony of* Christ has been strengthened among you— 7so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

10 Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,* by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you should be in agreement and that there should be no divisions among you, but that you should be united in the same mind and the same purpose. 11For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters.* 12What I mean is that each of you says, ‘I belong to Paul’, or ‘I belong to Apollos’, or ‘I belong to Cephas’, or ‘I belong to Christ.’ 13Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14I thank God* that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name. 16(I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power.

18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.’

20Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. 22For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, 23but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

26 Consider your own call, brothers and sisters:* not many of you were wise by human standards,* not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, 29so that no one* might boast in the presence of God. 30He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31in order that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in* the Lord.’

[polymuser]

It's all about...pride.

[Alex Murphy]

So we give up arguing for Lent?

Who said we're giving up arguing? I utterly disagree that anyone would even suggest such a proposition!

[lastchance]

LOL.

[Talking_Mouse]

What a wonderful idea. I do hope that we take it to other threads, and other forums too. I will be with you in spirit, however, to boast in the Lord (as DarthVader has reminded us) I will not be here on the Free Republic during Lent, since you people are one of my great pleasures. I will continue to pray for all of you and ask that you pray for me.

When we meet again at Easter I expect to hear wonderful things about the harmony of all the religion threads.

[Claud]

Let us all pause and reflect on the Incarnation of God, and the Sacrifice of the Cross.

Hear, hear!!

Those nails, that crown of thorns, that scourge, and that cross of 2000 years ago were fashioned from every nasty remark we make to each other on this forum, every prideful condescension, every condemnation and judgment in the fashion of the world.

[siunevada]

Yeah, but....

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you realize that we will be judged more strictly,
for we all fall short in many respects. If anyone does not fall short in speech, he is a perfect man, able to bridle his whole body also.
If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we also guide their whole bodies.
It is the same with ships: even though they are so large and driven by fierce winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot's inclination wishes.
In the same way the tongue is a small member and yet has great pretensions. Consider how small a fire can set a huge forest ablaze.
The tongue is also a fire. It exists among our members as a world of malice, defiling the whole body and setting the entire course of our lives on fire, itself set on fire by Gehenna.
For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species,
but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings who are made in the likeness of God.
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. This need not be so, my brothers.

[mockingbyrd]

I think your suggestion is very fitting.

[Rightly Biased]

my point exactly

And If I did observe Lent I sure wouldn't give up arguing no matter what your position is.

[redgolum]

???

[bornacatholic]

Check your mail.

Once Hilaire Belloc sent out Christmas Cards reading..

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel

May all my enemies go to Hell

Of course, he was just joking.

I was too. I am just in a good mood and I felt like being less than circumspect

[redgolum]

LOL! Ok, now I get it.

Belloc is an interesting fellow. Read a few of his books, and he had the sarcasm of Chesterton without the wit. Bit like being hit with a hammer by a friend who didn't want to really hurt you.

Of course I did grow among big farm boys, so that last example might not be the best.

[bornacatholic]

Well, I like to back-out with guns blazing :)

I am sure you know how much I value the exchanges we have had in here and I think you know how much I respect you -- even though you have the audacity to disagree with me..

Since i am leaving for Lent, and prolly won't be back after Easter, I figured I'd make a dramatic exit :)

Peace, brother.