The Christian Metal Realm

A Mere Peasant Age : 29 Joined : 08 Dec 2007 Posts : 2494

I've noticed with these internet forums, this and others, that people do not "listen" very well. And by "listen" here, I of course mean -"examine closely" and "reflect upon", since one can't actually "listen" to the written word in a literal sense.

Instead, we ( I include myself here) like to React in order that we might satisfy our NEED to be right, maybe forgetting that everything of what we know, and can know, is a gift from our Heavenly Father.. any knowledge we posses, any ability to receive that knowledge, any wisdom, any education, any fate which allowed us our educations or ability even to be educated... was all a gift, from the Father (GOD). Was it not? Maybe it is our every increasingly Narcissistic culture that has promoted this in us?

Sure, you may have, through your limited free will, worked hard with the opportunities our Heavenly Father provided you, but who has allowed you to even work hard to begin with? God.

I would say modern Christians as a whole have become egomaniacal, arrogant and pompous. We hide behind sarcasm and wit to fain our arrogance, all the while possessing a FALSE pretense of piousness. This is dangerous behavior, as a Christian. For it leads to Pride.. of the highly sinful variety... and remember ...if you don't think your Prideful, that means you most certainly are.

I have noticed this in particular with a few members on this board of whom you know who you are. The ones who must always be right, and whom speak as if they are always in a lecture, even when they're wrong..faining Boldness for what is actually Conceit. Speaking as if they speak from Gods own mouth and as such are throwing away the gifts God has given them. This saddens me.

I don't expect anyone to change..because alas..I can only by miraculous help from Our Father, change at all myself. But I wanted to cast this criticism to you all for what it's worth. You will accept or reject it as you will.

Maybe it's just me who is getting sickened by the pompous arrogance that passes for debate among Christians these days.. yes..maybe it's just me..? But then again I believe it just reminds me of why I am not and never can be Religious.

Regardless..feel free to cast criticism at myself, for I am indeed worthy of much and am all ears. \m/
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εν αρχη εποιησεν ο θεος τον ουρανον και την γην

Death is the only way out.

Play it LOUD!! Age : 51 Joined : 06 Jan 2007 Posts : 9290

Points:

1. Good post. IMO of course. Twisted Evil

I don't agree with all you've said......but I agree with the 'lion's share' of it. Twisted Evil

2. You said:

Age : 21 Joined : 18 May 2007 Posts : 2442

I agree with part of that, though I can say that most Christians I know aren't fully represented by your observations. They mostly seem to be well meaning people who are aware to know when to be repentful.

But there are also those that tend to fly off the handle more often than not without really thinking of what they say. As a result they come off as...well what we see (and I lump myself in with them on occasion). It all goes back to wanting to be right, I guess.

Either way, you see now why I avoid discussion with those who can't do it without being extremely rude.

Also, most will tell you it was never about "religion" to begin with. Alot of what you say ties back to a passage in James (1:24-27), which is really what I sight in a religion argument.
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"He had discovered Time and Death and God"-Aldous Huxley

A Mere Peasant Age : 29 Joined : 08 Dec 2007 Posts : 2494

It's all about getting back to basics I think. It's easy to stray from them. The basics of resting in Christ. Which requires the denial of self.

Nothing can set you astray more than ones own hidden Conceit. Imo.
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εν αρχη εποιησεν ο θεος τον ουρανον και την γην

Death is the only way out.

Joined : 20 Apr 2007 Posts : 243

Age : 41 Joined : 24 Oct 2007 Posts : 1684

Subject: Re: Listening and slowing down. Sun Mar 30, 2008 12:42 am

Joined : 20 Apr 2007 Posts : 243

Age : 34 Joined : 07 Apr 2007 Posts : 1932

Guilty as charged. Embarassed

Joined : 07 Nov 2007 Posts : 2122

You know what's really ironic? People who post about how eeeeeeeeviiiiiiiiil others are who always think they are right. Let's be honest for a moment, m'kay?

Who here thinks that you are right all of the time?

OK. Now, who here thinks that you are wrong all of the time?

My guess is that there aren't too many people raising their hands, and there's a reason for that: most of us realize that neither statement is true. I certainly don't think I'm right or wrong all of the time, and neither should you.

The problem isn't that people think they're right or wrong all the time - the problem, in my ever-lovin' opinion, is that there are a certain core group of people who make broad assumptions based on a few posts on a stinkin' message board. They look at, say, Valediction's avatar or username and immediately think that everything he posts here is exactly what he is: that he is the sum of his posts. They see him and think that he's little more than a theonomy-pushing political science fan, and draw the line right there.

Or, they look at me and think that all I am is an argumentative right-wing conservative stark raving Presbyterian... and then they slap labels like "egotistical" or "pompous arrogance" on me because they aren't able to come to terms with the fact that I don't agree with them on an issue or two. To some degree they're saying to themselves, "Well, he's egotistical because he thinks he's right... he should realize that I'm right, and then he wouldn't be egotistical".

Well, here's a couple of responses to the complaints I've seen lodged here. Please consider these my official responses on this matter:

Complaint #1:
You're egotistical because you think you're right!

Response #1:

Matthew 7
3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
4 Or how can you say to your brother, Let me take the speck out of your eye, when there is the log in your own eye?
5 You
hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will
see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

Complaint #2:
Christians shouldn't debate forcefully, because it's not Christian!!!!!

Response #2:
Galatians 5
10 I have
confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view than mine, and
the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 11 But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why
am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has
been removed. 12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

Complaint #3:
What will the world think about us? They'll see us and they won't think we're nice, fluffy people! Why, they'll hate us all!

Response #3:
Luke 6
22 Blessed
are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you
and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! 23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.
26 Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.

Complaint #4:
People in the Bible didn't debate like this! The good people were always nice, and they certainly never called each other names!

Response #4:
I Kings 18
26 And
they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called
upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, O Baal, answer
us! But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around
the altar that they had made. 27 And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, Cry aloud,
for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he
is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.

Matthew 21
12 And
Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the
temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the
seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you make it a den of robbers.

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- Rush Limbaugh

"...remembering those years. Pot had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow when you could afford it."
- Barack Hussein Obama

A Mere Peasant Age : 29 Joined : 08 Dec 2007 Posts : 2494

Joined : 07 Nov 2007 Posts : 2122

Joined : 20 Apr 2007 Posts : 243

Joined : 07 Apr 2007 Posts : 114

One of the underlying problems we all have is that we as Christians have at the core of our being the knowledge that we are right and the rest of the world is wrong.

We need to remember to turn that switch to off when discussing amongst ourselves.

Age : 21 Joined : 18 May 2007 Posts : 2442

I think it's more than that. It's not that we're right, but it's like Rich Mullins says: "God is right and the rest of us are just guessing".
_________________
"He had discovered Time and Death and God"-Aldous Huxley

A Mere Peasant Age : 29 Joined : 08 Dec 2007 Posts : 2494

A Mere Peasant Age : 29 Joined : 08 Dec 2007 Posts : 2494

Play it LOUD!! Age : 51 Joined : 06 Jan 2007 Posts : 9290

Dropout said:

Play it LOUD!! Age : 51 Joined : 06 Jan 2007 Posts : 9290

5Mins said:

Joined : 20 Apr 2007 Posts : 243