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In Reply to: Further Explaination on My Thoughts posted by Mike W. on February 25, 2002 at 15:59:22:
OK, this is easier to understand now but I don't see why we, as Christians, should have to stone people just because they don;t share our beliefs. In fact, I think most Christians would be happy to accept the way Jesus handled it with the woman who was about to be stoned.
Using your example, in the United States, we often forget that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Also, that the most important quality of humanity that God has given us is freedom of choice. Not even He directly interferes with us on that, because that freedom of choice is precious and totally Godly.
Jesus Himself had choices. Who are we to take those choices from people and push behaviours on them? The law is there to only keep certain type of people in check (1 Tim 1:9-10), the ones who break the law regardless whether they are Witches or Warlocks. If they are not breaking the law, we have no business interfering with them.
But this is not a blanket statement, if they are in a pathline to obstruct or destroy Christian work (within the law), as a Christian I would think I have not only the right but the obligation to say something about it if I see it and called to do it.
If a person is doing something wrong and bad, I may use my own discernment to behave a certain way. It is mainly between this person and God. On the other hand, if this person is actively and purposely proselatizing to gain adepts to an ungodly cause (you fill in the blanks), it goes beyond his/her own sin and becomes an active agent of the hosts of evil in the spiritual war we are waging as Christians.
The other way to see this is that they can exercise their freedom as long as they don't interfere with my freedom. In the subject of homosexuality, it is not that what Christians should blast. As Christians, we should be aware that it is the result of a person's choice. What I would object is when there is the agenda of proselitising that life style, which goes beyond the personal choice to be a social intention I oppose.
It has become acceptable to blast Christianity when Christians present the NT viewpoint but at the same time it is OK to be "educated" by homosexual organizations.
As a Christian I cannot see me accepting homosexuality as a natural way of life. At the same time, as a member of society, I would reject initiatives that would try to legislate the right of homosexuals to exercise their choices in their private lives.
In other words, I will not push the Bible on them as long as they don't push their homosexuality on me. The same thing is true with all other things I may find unacceptable as a Christian.
I like your example of a wheel and its spokes. All of them have to have the same length, if one is longer, the wheel will not work well. We have to be aware of how all of them work together and make a sound decision. But we all have our own inclinations as well as experience and decide to give more importance to some elements than to others.
In my opinion, the danger lies in believing we are correct in our view and others are wrong (in other words, that our set of priorities is the correct one). That rigidity is what cults exploit. It exists in every walk of life and not only in religious views. That is why I think being able to examine our beliefs is a positive thing and boards like this, where open discussion in encouraged, are very good to spiritual growth.
