Welllll, trying to live somewhat cautiously and in the spirit of your query or comment here . . .there have been plenty of RC posts/threads doing such . . . The nuances are slightly different here and there but the fiesty, harsh hostilities are quite in evidence—often enough worse—on the RC side of things.
Prottys are commonly construed as being reprobates on their way to hell etc. . . . ink on paper worshippers [some are] . . . etc.
AGAIN—I don’t really have a problem with that . . . some Prottys somewhere undoubtedly deserve such harsh labels. People are people. We are flawed critters.
BESIDES, IT’S ONLY WORDS . . . and words on a screen from folks I never have to sit down to coffee with nor carry out their stinking garbage even to the curb for. So, I have no need to let any cortisol into my blood stream over such stuff—true, all the more so when not true.
The Protty “system” . . . clubs, denominations, even congregations . . . are . . . things—outside of me. They may or may not be deeply cherished parts of my RELIGIOUS life—but they are NOT the essence of my SPIRITUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. That is heart to heart and spirit to spirit.
ALL THE OTHER STUFF, IS AT BEST . . . SUPPORTING PROPS IN THE PLAY.
Why should I get all energized and irate over furniture on the stage? A bean bag chair or scared table from the Salvation Army is worth dumping cortisol in my blood stream over? NOT BY A LONG SHOT!
So, feel free to rail away. All the STUFF out there—is just furniture. What’s between my heart/spirit and God is unassailable—quite secure IN HIM.
What I object fiercely to is the double standard—to wit—RC’s can rail away at all kinds of aspects of Protty spirituality AS WELL AS RELIGIOSTY in very fierce and harsh language. But the minute a Protty turns the tide to the least degree, the self-righteous sanctimonious wails and whines begin about how utterly evil and beyond the pale the Prottys are.
What balderdash.
Actually, many times, Prottys don’t even have to be fierce or harsh. Just stating things matter of factly from our perspective is PERCEIVED as being harsh regardless of the even temper of the tone in the Protty statements. That’s a real trip!
We really have strongly fierce perceptions, biases, Biblical understandings, sensibilities etc. about what we are utterly convinced is hell damning blasphemous idolatrous Mary stuff up one side and down the other.
RC’s seem to have some death-wish sort of compulsion to rub Maryolatry stuff in our faces, stuff it up our noses and stick it into our eyes with rusty daggers . . .
AND THEN
when we forcefully respond . . . the wails and whines begin about how horrible WE are!
Sorry, but that balderdash does not cut it with me by a very wide margin. Double standard hypocrisies—especially about such UNBIBLICAL issues—are always likely to garner my fiercest of responses.
The other set of fierce triggers probably has to do with the RC edifice/magicsterical stuff as a whole. We see that as idolatrous as well—and horribly so—and that’s not even getting into what to us is the UNBIBLICAL claims about little pebble Peter being the rock foundation of the church universal. Just the fact that so many RC’s seem to put the edifice BEFORE GOD; BETWEEN THEM AND GOD sets our teeth on edge and causes our spirits and stomachs to churn.
That’s not likely to change any time soon. Those are the realities of our differences.
And for the RC’s to insist that they can throw rocks and rusty daggers at our hearts and sensibilities but we can’t say a thing in response unelss we say it in the most polite tones wrapped in 12 layers of Mary’s hankies . . . just doesn’t cut it and never will.
Sometimes—too often to my sensibilities—even the thread titles are rather assaultive and at least fiercely baiting.
To me . . . several things are wise, important, Biblical, thoughtful and practical.
1. Things not immediately and intimately BETWEEN AN INDIVIDUAL AND GOD—are assailable in any number of even fierce and even harsh terms. That’s the reality of intensely felt RELIGIOUS stuff amongst human critters.
2. Things that ARE intimately BETWEEN AN INDIVIDUAL AND GOD are automatically unassailable. That doesn’t keep flawed humans from getting their . . . all in an uproar because they CHOOSE TO BE OFFENDED. But it’s silly. How can satan himself successfully assail what’s strictly between God and an individual unless the individual assists in the destructive effort???
3. Hyperbole, satire, ridicule etc. are all plentiful in Scripture. They are useful techniques for highlighting, emphasizing, bringing into bold relief various factors, issues, themes, . . . whatever . . . by bringing to vivid light the inherent absurdities in silly perspectives and positions—on all sides.
4. Folks who’s cortisol levels are going to be increased from reading such should stick to the caucus threads. They take their lives into their own hands by reading any post that might the least bit upset them. Thin-skinned folks should stick to the caucus threads.
5. The little pebble Peter was all hot and bothered about another Disciple. Jesus said, what is that to you—follow me. LOTS OF THINGS just don’t eternally matter to us personally. So what if a list of RC’s think I’m the devil incarnate. It’s somewhat annoying and could be mildly offensive if focused on . . . but so what. God knows who and what I am—HE made me and trained and conditioned me into who I am today. HE is my paymaster, my God, my king, my Savior, my Deliverer . . . what can man even DO to me.
6. SO WHAT about what man merely says/writes to/about me. What cheap thrills! And if it’s stuff OUT THERE—outside of me . . . all the cheaper. All the sillier to allow cortisol to flood my blood stream over.
7. Many folks require shock treatments to even wake up to the issues involved sufficiently to even think seriously about the pros and cons and implications of the various factors and issues. That’s just simply true of a number of different personalities. Denying those folks their required shock treatments seems rather cheeky and calloused, to me. We all have had to have shock treatments to wake up over this or that serious issue or flaw at some times in our lives. Why rob others of the same benefit?
8. Bitterness; mean spirited personal assaults; vengeful resentments . . . all such acted out deserve to be slapped down harshly immediately. But that would take some mind/heart reading, now wouldn’t it. Best leave all such to God. But it seems reasonable to offer a properly put observation about how a given post strikes one in terms of one’s own feelings, impacts—without mind-reading etc. Trouble is, those awash in bitterness, pride, mean-spirited vengeful stuff . . . are least likely to take things reasonably and consider external stuff as JUST EXTERNAL STUFF. Which should be a clue to them that some internal adjustment is in order BEFORE they post anything to anyone.
9. We COULD have some collaborative fun hereon—even unifying collaborative fun—even with fierce satire, ridicule, analogies and the like. But folks would have to decide to not be personally offended at STUFF OUT THERE—outside of their personal relationship with God.
10. Folks would have to decide that given fiercely extreme differences in theological, religious, spiritual issues, facts, histories, sensibilities, biases—THERE WILL ALWAYS BE OPPORTUNITY for intense emotional interactions. But that it’s immature to react to them as 2 year olds.
11. We can consider the source and go on . . . laughing. OR we can consider that it’s STUFF—out there, over there—not my heart, spirit, life-blood. It’s a thing—regardless of how revered or hallowed or precious to us—it’s still an external thing. Often it’s not even a tangible thing—it’s a CONSTRUCT—AN ABSTRACTION—AN IDEA—AN INTANGIBLE IDEAL OR FANTASY OR IMAGINATION. And for such we are ready to strangle one another???? God forbid!
12. Words only have power to disturb our peace with God IF WE GIVE THEM THAT POWER—REGARDLESS OF HOW TRUE OR UNTRUE—REGARDLESS OF WHO SAID THEM OR HOW THEY SAID THEM.
13. Experience should likely teach us . . . those things which leave us feeling most irate . . . are likely precisely those things God would have us re-evaluate the priority of—that they have in our life.
14. The only way any of us will get out of this alive anyway—is through the Rapture. So what’s the big deal? Be at peace. It’s only words about ideas. So what if they are important ideas and even strong words. Still nothing to lose our peace over.
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Thanks for your personal query. Doing OK. Feeling . . . something . . . that I have so many things undone that I’d rather have accomplished. Yet, I do my best to redeem the time so I guess—no-not guess—I should let all that tooo go and LET GOD in ALL areas! LOL.
God’s best to you and those you love,
Watch that cortisol level, Quix. ;o)
Instead of being offended and/or meeting fire with fire, we Christians ought to rejoice whenever we are falsely accused for Christ’s sake.
As it is, the Atheists call me "Fool" for not seeing things the way that they do. The Muslims call me “Infidel” because I do not see things the way they do. The Mormons call me “Apostate” because I do not see things the way they do. The Catholics call me “Heretic” because I do not see things the way they do. Some call me “Gnostic” because I do not see things the way they do. And some have accused me of having a demon.
And I rejoice over all of these false labels and accusations! John the Baptist and Jesus Christ our Lord were also accused (Matthew 12 et al)
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.
The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners.
But wisdom is justified of her children. – Matthew 11:16-19
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified together. - Romans 8:12-17
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. – Ephesians 4:29-32
But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all [men], apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And [that] they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. – 2 Timothy 2:23-26
GREAT response, Quix.