Just got this charming response from an anonymous Bellsouth user at IP address 70.156.107.34 -
I live in New Orleans and I just found your site. For someone “pursuing holiness”, you are a closed-minded, judgmental b*tch.
People like you give Christians a bad name.
And thanks so much for that mature, thoughtful, constructive criticism! Give me credit for at least one thing, please: I have the courage and moral fortitude to stand behind my opinions. I don’t blog anonymously or send profane anonymous comments to people with whom I disagree.
Ah you KNOW you can’t use sarcasm with children, nor argue with them, nor use logic. The understanding just isn’t there.
I love it when I get the random troll coming through. I always figure it means I’m doing something right. lol
Expletives aside, I have to say I agree with his/her assessment. You seem more intent in striking others down and passing judgment for not believing exactly as you do, rather than speaking the truth in love.
And yes, I know, you’re not interested in what people think of you as much as for standing for the truth of God’s word.
Be that as it may, all I’m saying is that it is possible to disagree with someone WITHOUT calling into question the sincerity of their faith or generalizing their beliefs based upon one or two issues.
1 Corinthians 13:1
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-5,
“Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not easily provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered[. . .]“
You may very well be correct in everything you believe and in your opinions; however, it’s not necessarily what you say but how you say it.
The end of that passage says how “for now we see in part, but one day we will know fully as we have been fully known.” It’s one of my favorite parts because it allows me to rejoice in the fact I’m not being held responsible for how “correct” I am in my theology but how correct I am in my heart, in my relationship with Christ and in my relationships with others.
Feel free to completely ignore or respond to this but I hope you and your readers understand the intent with which it was written.
Actually, I can’t ever remember taking any heat for any theological position I’ve taken on this blog. The heat I’ve taken is for having the temerity to have political opinions on a blog entitled “Pursuing Holiness” as if being a “good” Christian means either not having political opinions or only having liberal political opinions.
As for “striking others down and passing judgment,” Ollie, I’m not sure what you mean by that rather violent description other than expressing a contrary opinion in forceful, though civil, terms. That’s being “closed minded” and “judgmental?” The inverse of that – evidently the ideal of being “open minded” – is to not have opinions, or perhaps to express them in a way that denies I really believe them, in the “what’s true for me may not be true for you,” postmodern style.
What interests me is that in accusing me of being “judgmental” and “closed minded” the emailer – with whose opinion you concurred – has closed his/her mind against me and my views and judges me! Did he/she read this blog and think, “Gee, I wonder if she has a point. Maybe I should try to understand why she holds that opinion with which I disagree strongly. Maybe I should consider it at length instead of sending an anonymous comment cursing her out.” On the contrary, this person spent less than five minutes on this blog before sending that charming screed. Can you help me understand why this tolerance and open-mindedness only seems to go in one direction?
You describe speaking the truth in love and criticize me for not doing so, while agreeing with someone who decidedly did NOT do what you demand of me. I “seem more intent” on doing what you describe in violent terms – “striking someone down” – but you warn me about generalizing based on one or two issues. Ollie, have you been reading this blog for long? On what is your view based and is it fair for me to conclude you’ve just done the exact same thing you accused me of doing?
As for questioning the sincerity of anyone’s faith… I honestly don’t care how sincere someone may be – if they’re wrong, their sincerity is completely irrelevant. But that’s for theological issues.
As for generalizing someone’s beliefs based on one or two issues… Ollie, the opinions people hold are indicative of who they are. For example, back when I was a stout defender of abortion rights, I was willfully ignorant of the truth and in fact openly hostile to it. I purposely avoided contrary information; I did everything but hold my hands over my ears and chant “la la la” to avoid hearing the truth. That was indicative not just of a political opinion I held, but of my character. While knowing someone’s political party is NOT a substitute for knowing their spiritual condition, their opinions of certain hot political issues can be extrapolated to some extent into other areas of life.
I do not contend that God is a Republican. If anything, He’s a monarchist.
I’m registered Independent, in fact, and only grudgingly voted McCain, who I never could stand. In the same month that I repeatedly defended Obama from the hysterical charges that he was the anti-Christ, I also questioned how Christians could vote for someone who promised to strike down every reasonable restriction on abortion and refused to protect babies that survived an abortion procedure. I didn’t say those people weren’t Christians. I said I honestly do not comprehend how they could do it. What are they thinking? I can’t even guess; it just makes no sense whatsoever to me. But even then, my comments to/about those people were civil, unlike my more “tolerant” “betters.”
Oh grow up, OllieJ. If you think Laura’s too mean, you would’ve really hated Jesus. You’re way too soft, man. You need to get a tougher skin so you can actually accomplish something in this world. If anything, Laura is probably too nice to some of you ignorant people. After all, how loving would it be to watch an evil act in progress and yet say nothing, or to say something but to speak softly?
And according to the verse you cited, Christians may not need perfect theology, but they should at least to “see in part.” Subjective confidence only suffices up to a point.