05-04-2006, 03:49 AM | #21 | |
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Tim
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05-04-2006, 05:03 AM | #22 | |||||||
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I tried to keep it to just one bite of the burrito, but you aren't going to let me are you? Let me see if I can address your MANY ;-) points in context.
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I think it is a common error, again respectfully and in my opinion only, that someone will take a tenet of the faith to its logical extreme without observing the corrolary principle that gives it balance. For example, Christ asked his disciples to give up there jobs and come follow him. He told the rich man that he should sell all of his possessions and give them to the poor. We are also instructed to give of our substance to the poor, sick, widows, etc. Does this mean that the only possible christian course is to give everything we have to others and that wealth is incompatible with righteousness? No, because we are also commanded to be industrious, to support our families and to work. These principles balance one another. To much of one and imbalance results. We are told that we should not judge. We are also told to avoid the appearance of evil. This means neither that spend our time in sinful settings nor that we ought to close ourselves off from the world which is sinful in nature. Rather we apply both principles to find a middle path. So to, Jesus turned the other cheek and allowed his own torture and crucifixtion and yet overthrew the tables of the money changers. He taught through word and deed that we should both turn the other cheek AND resist evil. Incompatible? I don't think so. I simply think it means there is a time for each. To the extent that one would feel it is NEVER appropriate to resist evil, I would assert that this is not really what Christ taught, understanding how incredibly presumptious it is for me characterize His teachings in this way. Quote:
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As for what scenario fits best with the gospel, for the reasons above I don't think there is a single answer. The problem I see with your argument is that you want to lay down not just your own life, but mine and my family's and our neighbors as well. When the crazy neighbor comes to the door waiving an axe and tells me he is going to kill me it is one thing for me to allow him to do so. It is something very different for him to tell me he is here to rape and murder my wife and for me to stand aside and allow it. I think that there are a great many scenarios where it would be sinful to fail to resist the evil acts of others, though I concede this must be balanced by the requirement to turn the other cheek at appropriate times. Pacifism has on many occassions wrought incredible positive changes in the world. Sometimes so has war. I personally think that a belief that only one of those courses is compatible with Christianity results from only seeing part of the picture. Just my humble thoughts. Thanks for te dialouge.
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The Bible tells us how to go to heaven, not how the heavens go. -Galileo Last edited by UtahDan; 05-04-2006 at 05:08 AM. |
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05-04-2006, 06:49 AM | #23 |
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Wow. Excellent response. You are a much better writer than I. I wish I had the ability to communicate myself like you do. My strengths are found elsewhere, though.
I don't advocate a purely pacifistic nature. I do agree that there's a context involved. We have to protect ourselves and our loved ones when there is a true danger at hand... It's an entirely different story, though, to look at what we think could possibly be problems in the future and go after them now... That would be agression, not defense. I can't support it because it seems wrong and illogical to me. Again, it's all about context, and I feel like our current foreign policy has misunderstood many of the contexts (Europe's refusal to participate in Iraq, Venezuela's neo-socialism) and seems to be more interested in flexing our muscles and throwing our weight around than in truly finding solutions to problems (some that we may in part be perpetuating). It is a tad idealistic, I know, but I believe that we would benefit from calming our foreign action down a tad and letting things simmer. It would do us good to show the citizens of the U.S., as well as the world (and I'm not just talking about our enemies -- I'm referring to our allies as well, who day-by-day are losing more and more faith in the United States that I love) that we really AREN'T interested in imperialism. That seems to be the root of the whole problem -- it's so easy to interpret the current administration's actions as unnecessary imperialism............ BAAAAAAAH I'm rambling. I need to go to bed. We just need to take a step back and let things marinate for a little while. It'd clarify for us which problems are genuine and which ones are only being caused by our meddling, our intervention, our little fingers in every corner of the world. Tim
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05-04-2006, 05:09 PM | #24 | |
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"The time is coming when you will have to choose between what is easy and what is right." |
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05-04-2006, 06:16 PM | #25 | |
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05-04-2006, 06:17 PM | #26 | |
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05-04-2006, 06:44 PM | #27 | |
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05-04-2006, 06:53 PM | #28 | |
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While I am against "brute force and abject ignorance" and in favor of "patients (sic), long suffering, a willingness to listen, not act hastily, bridling of pride, humbleness, meekness, a contrite spirit," I do not feel that preemption and these qualities are mutually exclusive. |
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05-05-2006, 03:58 AM | #29 |
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Tim...you think Iran is nothing but talk eh?
So what would you think after they start producing Nuclear Missiles and terrorists I'm sure are already lining up in droves to make sure they get their hands on it. To say pre-emption in every situation is unjustifiable is extraordinarily and shockingly naive.
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05-05-2006, 01:26 PM | #30 | |
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Tim
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