Looking Down On Others

[JerryNumbers]

Looking Down On Others

Its not looking down on others when a person takes a stand on their beliefs. This saying is an attack the more liberal have use against the more conservatives that takes a strong stand on what they believe.

I offer my congratulations to the more liberals, for when they start this attack, your looking down on us, against the more conservatives, it generally gets the topic locked down quite quickly. That is the more liberal starts the attack, yet the blame for personal attacks is pinned on the more conservatives.

Yet I expect it, for the Bible tells me the world will not like My ways.

[heartstrings]

Who judges whether they are liberal or not? I wonder what some of the Calvinists would call me if they new how much I detested their doctrine? A liberal? Does what they say, make me whatever they label me?

[HappyChristian]

No, what gets topics locked is insufferable attitudes from people. When anyone - whether they are more liberal or more conservative - begins taking conversation beyond the pale, the thread will be locked.

When David danced before the Lord, I would guess he was showing "liberal tendencies"...and his wife Michal looked on him and despised him in her heart. God didn't judge David, though. He punished Michal by causing her to be childless - because of her contempt toward her husband. All too often, threads become mired down in who is the more spiritual and who isn't spiritual based on one person's (or two or three) opinions on what they think everyone in the world should be doing. That, as I mentioned in the thread I locked which inspired this thread, is a form of pride. I realize that none of us like to be shown that we are being prideful, but it is what it is.

Christianity today has come so far from what Christ intended - we (and I say that generically) focus on the letter and not the spirit, just like the pharisees. And compassion is driven out...all in the name of "love."

When we, as adult Christians, cannot have a conversation without proclaiming that one or the other is in some sort of sin because of their actions (with NO scripture to back it up, other than verses pulled out just to support that pet thought), we are indeed guilty of looking down on whomever the target is - and that is the very same contempt Michal had for David.

[John81]

I've seen threads get locked where plenty of Scripture was put forth but because some don't want to accept that Scripture is to rule every aspect of our lives they are dismissed in favor of man-made ideas.

That said, I have no idea what's being discussed here.

As for Cavlinism, Arminianism, and whatever else there is, I wouldn't call any of those conservative or liberal.

The term conservative is supposed to stand for one who wishes to conserve the original...such as the Constitution as intended by the Founders with regards to politics, or such as one who seeks to obey the Word as given in Christianity.

When Scripture says we are to live our lives a certain way, then holding to that would be the conservative position. When some say they don't have to abide by Scripture, or they attempt to reason away why Scripture doesn't apply to them, or to this or that, then that would be a more liberal position.

Still, after thought, I have no idea what this thread is supposed to be about!

Even if we differ in some areas, that doesn't mean we have to or should look down on another. This is especially true if we are all born again brothers/sisters in Christ.

Still wondering what this thread is about...

[Brother Rick]

I don't know what we're talking about either but I'm starting to get offended, let's lock it down!

[HappyChristian]

I don't know what we're talking about either but I'm starting to get offended, let's lock it down!

:bleh:

[blossom]

There is a tendancy to get personal when one gets passionate about a stand, not much grace given in these circumstances by some.

[HappyChristian]

There is a tendancy to get personal when one gets passionate about a stand, not much grace given in these circumstances by some.

Absolutely.

Being passionate about a stand is a good thing, especially when the stand is scriptural - rightly divided. Too often we come to a point in our lives where we've made decisions, believing them to be scriptural based on principles, but then that grace mentioned is absent toward others who haven't seen things the way we do. The unfortunate tendency is to then pummel the person we think is not doing things the way we believe scripture would have everyone in the world do them.

Certain things in scripture are clear beyond doubt. Other things are not so clear cut. Principles are there to help us, and the Holy Spirit, as our Teacher, will guide us. One principle in scripture does not nullify another principle, but too often we try to create a scenario where that is the case. And we aren't kind about it. And then, too often, when we are called on it, we go on the attack.

We forget verses like "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." We are all human, and sometimes tend to forget that we can all fall...

"Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." There's that word grace - unmerited favor. Salt preserves - and Jesus told us that we are to be salt as well as light. Yes, salt can burn, but if our speech is with grace, the salt we use with our fellow Christians will preserve, not burn (for no purpose...salt in a wound does not heal, it just burns). I find it interesting that God says seasoned with salt, and NOT pepper...

All too often, we use the excuse that Jesus pulled no punches with His words. And He didn't. But when He was harsh with his words, it was with the Pharisees and Saducees. Not the common folk. He was patient with them.

We can disagree with each other, and that's fine. But the WAY in which we do it needs to be scriptural just as much as the scripture we quote needs to be in context.

[1Timothy115]

This cell block is getting rowdy...what is it they do in prisons when the inmates will not behave themselves? Oh, I know, lock down.
:tapping:

[Pastor Matt]

I decided a long time ago to allow topic authors the option to lock their own topics. They can lock it down for any reason they see fit, if you don't like a topic that you did not start, just don't post in it. As far as topics that mods lock, well, if I/we locked every topic that I/we did not agree, then the whole board would be locked (except the whats for dinner thread, I love food). :)

[1Timothy115]

I decided a long time ago to allow topic authors the option to lock their own topics. They can lock it down for any reason they see fit, if you don't like a topic that you did not start, just don't post in it. As far as topics that mods lock, well, if i locked every topic that I did not agree with something, then the whole board would be locked (except the whats for dinner thread, I love food).

My post was purposefully tongue in cheek...is there an emoticon for "tongue in cheek"? Edited February 23, 2012 by 1Tim115

[Pastor Matt]

My post was purposefully tongue in cheek...is there an emoticon for "tongue in cheek"?

Haha, maybe we need one. My post was mainly replying to the original post, I was too lazy to click "quote".

[swathdiver]

Who judges whether they are liberal or not? I wonder what some of the Calvinists would call me if they new how much I detested their doctrine? A liberal? Does what they say, make me whatever they label me?

We judge based on the Scriptures. If memory serves, liberal in the bible meant "unbelief".


I stand corrected, thanks! Edited February 24, 2012 by swathdiver

[HappyChristian]

"And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem." 1 Cor. 16:3
Liberality means " The quality or state of being liberal or generous."

Isaiah 32:5-8 "The vile person shall no more be called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful...The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right. BUT the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand." No, liberal in the Bible does not mean unbelief. Let's be careful of applying meanings of today to scripture...

There are other verses in the Bible which use the term liberal - and all in a way that shows the word is a GOOD thing. In point of fact, the term liberal USED to mean a good thing here in America. Classical liberalism promotes limited government, constitutionalism, rule of law, due process, liberty of individuals...all the things so-called conservatives are for. The reason it's called classical is to differentiate it from social liberalism, which is what people mean when they use the term liberal nowadays.

By the same token, the term conservative means to preserve. Conservatives want to maintain the traditional way of looking at things. That isn't always good, because in America today, the traditional way of looking at things is not always what our founders had in mind...

We do judge based on scripture - at least we are supposed to. But all too often we judge on pet ideas that we stick a scripture onto...

[heartstrings]

That shows liberal in a whole "new" light. I want to be one of God's liberals. Yes, word meanings have certainly changed over the centuries and this is just one example. It's just like the word "dumb": Today it's used to denote "stupidity" but in the King James Bible it has always meant "silent" or "unable to speak". I suppose that since the Devil can't destroy the Word of God, he tries to pervert the language we use to understand it with. But back to the word "liberal"; today's so-called "liberals" stand for such things as "pro-choice", "gay rights" and other wickedness. So by their perverted definition, I am not a liberal.