Agreed. The New Testament is quite clear on that. (Of course, I don't think I've EVER seen the quoters of Paul on this also cite Paul's counterbalance verse on this -- 1 Cor. 13:6: "Love rejoices in the truth." ... IOW...true love doesn't avoid telling the truth and be "enablers" to people on pathways embracing things other than the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ...Otherwise, Paul wouldn't have offered to trade place in hell with his fellow Jews, as he did in Romans 9:1-3)
I vent here and speak respectfully to others.
Indeed. Kudos.
But what I usually find from commentators like Mindbender -- and perhaps you as well (I don't know enough about you...or even Mindbender, for that matter)...is that some Christians have a great degree of difficulty separating critiques of worldviews vs. critiques against the person.
For example, if I critique homosexuality -- in a manner that still shows the homosexual is of great value to God -- then I am NOT guilty of "disrespecting" the homosexual just because I speak negatively of homosexuality.
The reverse of that is also true: A homosexual can speak negatively of Christianity -- without assigning "baggage" that they are necessarily speaking against the Christian.
Now obviously, somebody CAN do both: They can attack Christianity and the Christians to whom they are talking...just like homosexuals can be attacked along with homosexuality.
But too many church members have little discernment in even making such a distinction...and they wind up making these things interchangeable.
[To Mindbender] You are correct no matter what many here are saying. But I suspect yo know this already.
Well...what I've noted about this post, Mindbender's post, and Protect the bill of rights' post...is that you're all pretty vague in commenting what was really problematic about specific posts in this thread. (Bill of rights mentioned something about "anti-Christ" without us being able to find such a reference; and you, vp, are "amening" Mindbender's vague reference to "attacks" that aren't very specific)
(I hope none of you discipline your own kids that way...ground them for doin' "something" wrong...but don't ever 'xplain what was exactly problematic...didn't your parents ever teach any of you NOT to be generic in your critiques?...or is it that you're not really objecting to anything specific...you just want to attack posters in general???)
I point out all the time that the sin is wrong. There is a vast difference in doing this and an outright attack on a person. Lots of people hold many religions near and dear to their hearts (false, yes) and attacking them with vitriol is not Christs way. Don't care what any angry FReeper tells me. I'm friends with a few Mormons, and I tell you if I were to say anything close to what people here are saying about Mormonism to them not only would it drive a wedge between me and them, but more importantly, it would drive a further wedge between Christ and them.