jwinslow;1125183; said:
This is where I think you're taking it too far. I agree that man is flawed and untrustworthy in his judgments, whether they be about scurvy rival coaches or interventions. But your 'rhetoric down toning', especially this line, comes across as a bit more than just an cautionary bit of advice.
To you - and Grad, and no doubt to others that may be so. But to many others, it seems not at all objectionable. Surprise to nobody: the belief set held by the hearer conditions the response. I've explained twice what my intent was, so if anyone still chooses to question that at this point, I could honestly give a shit.
I mean if you live your life believing we can't have a clue what His Will might be... well then what is the purpose of praying? I'm guessing your words might be falling further to the extreme than you intended.
I do agree that much can be questioned, especially in the murky realm of the average american christian and what God has done for them.
Do we have a clue what his will is? Yeah. The Sermon on the Mount and many, many other clearly stated instructions tell us what we need to do if we wish to follow His will. But you want to tell me what's God's will regarding some nice diabetic who wants to starve for 40 days, or what God thinks about the baby cooked in a microwave oven, then I'm gonna have to pass on that. Why did my dad die of cancer, New Orleans flood, my best friend kill himself and the Gators win in Arizona, God's will wise? Or more theologically grounded, the question of election (the Presbyterian Sect as Grad calls it:tongue2:) or stell cells or contraception? These last questions are not so clear to me. Maybe its me.
It does not take a rocket surgeon to know that it is not in God's plan for us to violate the Golden Rule as a hobby, but that does not - in my mind - in any way - remove or invalidate my statement about how we can know His will on things like Katrina. Which was my little point.
You didn't answer a lick of his points about pursuing God's will as a centerpiece of Christianity.
No. I didn't.
I understand there was a personal thing about whether he considered you a Xian, but I'd really like you to rectify how you serve God and seek to do His bidding with such a human (read Auburn SAT scoring) understanding.
Gonna have to wait until Friday it seems. Trial tomorrow.
...
Within the context, it certainly came across as very close to dismissal (at least of forming hard opinions you can believe in). The later clarification was better, but also smashed next to (return?) shots at grad's religious high horse of truth, which taints the rest of the message.
Well, momma did say I taint right.
...
I'll let you sort out the 'prove your xianhood' side issue, whether he was saying you weren't a card carrying member, or emphasizing that seeking, learning & knowing God's will is a foundation to Christianity.
He was saying i was not a friend of God, did not know God, and otherwise acting as, in the vernacular of the Spanish Gnostics, a "Ricardo Cabeza."
While he may feel that i was dismissive or rude, I feel the empathy for the equine dais acquired altitude sickness emanating from his camp.
I would have probably worded it differently if I were grad, but would've raised a similar issue of how your faith aligns itself with some of those lines (not that questioning is unchristian, but rather the 'cant ascertain his will' part). I do wonder if grad's response would have been different had you left your parade at 'sometimes us flawed humans misperceive God's will' while skipping the 'we have no clue about his will' portion.
And if Jeffcat's response would have been different he'd be a Mod.
Brilliant juxtoposition with the post right after yours
