(Please note this is Christian Discussion, and is directed toward people of belief)
Oh what a brilliant thing it is. Zealous belief. The impression one gets that they are right and can sit in judgement of others. In sitting back over the last little while, not posting, it's been interesting to watch a zealous fervor grip the forum. Judgement, condemnation, insult. 'Those Christians', 'the damn religious', 'wrong', 'stupid', 'ignorant'... the list of insults and judgements both blatant and veiled, implied and yelled flat out in the faces of anyone attesting to a belief, has been an interesting look at what the people saying such things seem to dislike within Christians.
Mirror mirror on the wall.
It struck a chord for me. One of loathing to be totally honest. I hate zealotry when I see it. Judgement and insult tend to make one look mighty low. Which made me stop to wonder....
When (if) we see this kind of judgement, insult, condemnation coming from within our selves, from within our own churches, do we speak up loudly enough? Do we set a good foot forward? I know the churches I've attended don't act like this. The Christians I know don't run around judging and insulting 'non-believers'. In expecting zealot nutjobs to not be rude and insulting, yet something obviously makes people feel that it's okay to treat 'belief' with that attitude.
I'd find an honest look at it from the point of 'belief' to be a bit of fresh air in here.
Oh what a brilliant thing it is. Zealous belief. The impression one gets that they are right and can sit in judgement of others. In sitting back over the last little while, not posting, it's been interesting to watch a zealous fervor grip the forum. Judgement, condemnation, insult. 'Those Christians', 'the damn religious', 'wrong', 'stupid', 'ignorant'... the list of insults and judgements both blatant and veiled, implied and yelled flat out in the faces of anyone attesting to a belief, has been an interesting look at what the people saying such things seem to dislike within Christians.
Mirror mirror on the wall.
It struck a chord for me. One of loathing to be totally honest. I hate zealotry when I see it. Judgement and insult tend to make one look mighty low. Which made me stop to wonder....
When (if) we see this kind of judgement, insult, condemnation coming from within our selves, from within our own churches, do we speak up loudly enough? Do we set a good foot forward? I know the churches I've attended don't act like this. The Christians I know don't run around judging and insulting 'non-believers'. In expecting zealot nutjobs to not be rude and insulting, yet something obviously makes people feel that it's okay to treat 'belief' with that attitude.
I'd find an honest look at it from the point of 'belief' to be a bit of fresh air in here.