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Why Christians Don't Understand Non-Christians
ArGee | 1/3/01 | ArGee

Posted on 01/03/2002 11:19:13 AM PST by ArGee

A very rich man decided that he wanted to show kindness to the people of the fair city where he lived. Since he was very rich indeed, he decided to throw a banquet for the entire city. He rented the largest sports arena in the city and began his plans. He planned for huge amounts of the best food possible, making allowances for every religious and medical diet. He advertised the banquet in every possible manner - television, radio, billboard, door-to-door canvassing. Considering that there might be some who could not travel, he arranged for free bus transportation to and from the event, and some special-needs vehicles for all who could not ride busses. He even scheduled the banquet to run for 24 hours a day for several days so that everyone could be sure of being served.

He planned long and hard and finally the big day came. The rich man ate quickly and then went about wishing all his guests well and personally making sure that all had every need met. After a while he went outside to tour the grounds and talk with those who had not yet gone in, and those who had already left. Everyone was happy. Many were profusely thankful. It was a glorious occasion.

At one point the rich man noticed a group of people sitting outside a locked door with most unpleasant looks on their faces. Sensing they were not happy, he went over to them. He did not introduce himself but simply asked them if he could be of service.

"We want to go in through this door," one of them replied.

The rich man explained to them that the hall was arranged to feed a large number of people as quickly and effortlessly as possible. This required order inside, and the entrances and exits had been carefully planned to be as efficient as possible. He then offered to go call one of the golf carts that were avaialbe to help people who could not walk far to take them to the entrance. But the man replied, "We do not want to go in the entrance. We want to go in this door. We don't understand why we can't go in any door we wish. We think the man who set this banquet up is mean and hateful for insisting we go in through the entrance. He has tried to bill himself as a very kind man by offering this banquet, but he is not kind at all if he will not indulge us and let us go through this door.

The rich man was distressed at these words, but still attempted to please these people. He tried once more to explain to them what was behind this particular door, and how if they went in this door they would disrupt the meal service being offered inside. He offered to drive them himself, not only to the door, but inside the hall to their tables if they would only go through the entrance to enjoy the meal. Again the man said, "No, but only a hateful man would keep us from going through the door of our choosing. And we will sit here and tell anyone who will listen to us what an awful man he is until he lets us in."

At that the rich man was enraged and he shouted, "Enough." Then he called a police officer to have them thrown off of the property and ordered that they not be allowed to return until the banquet was over and all the scraps had been hauled away. Then, mourning for their loss, he turned to visit with other guests.


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To: ArGee
Oh, and I've never had a prayer fail. Maybe you're trying to use it for the wrong purpose?

Anecdotal evidence is unverifiable.

621 posted on 01/04/2002 9:53:23 AM PST by LuvItOrLeaveIt
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To: Vast Buffalo Wing Conspiracy
Actually, this story seems to apply more towards certain kinds of fundamentalist Christians who insist that there is only one door into the banquet,

Guilty. Christ said this was the case. I believe Him. Whether I believe Him or not won't change the reality.

Shalom.

622 posted on 01/04/2002 9:54:05 AM PST by ArGee
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To: RnMomof7
"In my denomination the pastor is the decision maker."

Baptist's pure democracy is both a blessing and a curse. On one side, that democracy decentralizes power and helps to eliminate those who would "lord it over the flock". At the same time, that democracy can lead to some very strange things (As a prespected former pastor of mine once said, "The majority is never right!").

With that said, however, I recognize that the recent resurgence of conservatism within the SBC only occurred as a result of that democratic structure. If the previous "heirarchy" had held the type of power that your pastor does, then things would have never been changed.

623 posted on 01/04/2002 9:54:38 AM PST by Jerry_M
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To: ArGee
What do you mean by "independently verifiable."

Results must be reproducable and falsifiable.

624 posted on 01/04/2002 9:54:41 AM PST by LuvItOrLeaveIt
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To: Elsie
Few, Many, either way...both words are relative and neither one is a percentage.

I did not go back and check to see what I had written on my original post because I am at work and tried to keep my post brief. It seems that you took offense at my statement as if I directed it at you. Now it seems that you are interested in provoking me into an argument. I was speaking from my own personal experience, and I do not believe that I have ever met you (though I could be mistaken). I was referring to some of the Christians I have personally encountered. If you are not one of those persons, I was not talking about you and it makes absolutely no sense for you to be offended.

625 posted on 01/04/2002 9:56:10 AM PST by occam's chainsaw
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To: the_doc
Today's most popular evangelists represent conversion as being as easy as walking down an aisle and confessing Christ.

Actually, it is as easy as seeing Jesus for who He is and bending your knee. And even that is easy because He reveals Himself to you, and your knee will bow of its own accord if you will only allow it.

Shalom.

626 posted on 01/04/2002 9:56:20 AM PST by ArGee
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To: occam's chainsaw
Tolerate?

1 Corinthians 5
 
 1.  It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife.
 2.  And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?
 3.  Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present.
 4.  When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present,
 5.  hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature  may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.

Rebellion?

 Well......... THIS is what Samuel told Saul it was.
 
 1 Samuel 15
 22.  But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
 23.  For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king."
 
Joshua 24:19
 Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the LORD. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins.
 
You make the call.............

627 posted on 01/04/2002 9:57:15 AM PST by Elsie
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To: Elsie
Ok, is the keyboard you are typing upon any evidence of intelligent design?

The keyboard itself is not. The factory that makes the keyboard is.

Trot out your alleged god's factory, or at least give me an address to visit it myself.

628 posted on 01/04/2002 9:58:51 AM PST by LuvItOrLeaveIt
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To: McGavin999
Thank you.

Shalom.

629 posted on 01/04/2002 9:59:10 AM PST by ArGee
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To: discostu
Restitution doesn't make it right.

I guess then, that you are also against 'reparations' for slavery in this Country?

630 posted on 01/04/2002 10:00:45 AM PST by Elsie
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To: dpa5923
Thank you.

I don't know how to bookmark in FR. You could always try the Browser's bookmarks?

Shalom.

631 posted on 01/04/2002 10:02:19 AM PST by ArGee
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To: occam's chainsaw
Now it seems that you are interested in provoking me into an argument.

Naw...... I'm not.

Go back over the last 600+ in this thread and you'll find that many of the things I post are BEING argued, but the argument is not with me.


(However, with Exigence now weighing in, we'll just have to see....... ;^)
632 posted on 01/04/2002 10:03:59 AM PST by Elsie
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To: Exigence
Thanks for showing us what tolerance looks like.

Oh, I tolerate them all the time. Identifying them as snobs doesn't mean that I don't tolerate them, it just means I recognize them for what they are.

It is necessary to identify a trait before you can make the choice to tolerate it. It's impossible to consciously choose to tolerate something unless you are aware of it's existence.

633 posted on 01/04/2002 10:05:28 AM PST by occam's chainsaw
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To: OWK
Dear OneWithKnowledge.

You are an intelligent person, but you often post as someone who would rather not have knowledge. There is a way to pose a question that shows you desire knowledge, and a way to pose the question that shows you want to put someone off guard.

There sure are a lot of things that don't make any sense about this stuff.

I submit that this is an example of the latter.

Every Christian struggles with G-d's decision to destroy people as He did a few times in the Old Testament. There is an answer, but it is not short or easy.

Do you really want to know what the answer is?

Shalom.

634 posted on 01/04/2002 10:06:18 AM PST by ArGee
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To: LuvItOrLeaveIt
The keyboard itself is not. The factory that makes the keyboard is.

And if the factory is shut down due to a strike and producing nothing, what is THAT evidence of?

635 posted on 01/04/2002 10:06:56 AM PST by Elsie
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To: nmh
I see your point, and at a base level I agree. But it is not quite as simple as all of that.

If G-d could get through to me, proud and stubborn as I am, He can get through to anyone.

Why, then, do they not receive His love? It is a real problem.

Shalom.

636 posted on 01/04/2002 10:07:57 AM PST by ArGee
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To: discostu
Bribing Job after the fact does not make the situation any better.

A bribe is something given to another to influence what they WILL do. Doesn't apply here.

637 posted on 01/04/2002 10:08:36 AM PST by Elsie
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To: Elsie
And if the factory is shut down due to a strike and producing nothing, what is THAT evidence of?

This is what I get for answering a poor analogy.

Okay, the keyboard is not and the factory is not. The designer himself is evidence of the design.

Trot out the designer of the universe.

638 posted on 01/04/2002 10:08:38 AM PST by LuvItOrLeaveIt
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To: Magician
Nevertheless, God tells us that in the long run, ALL GOOD MEN GO TO HEAVEN

Thank you. As a believer in the G-d of Abraham and the Tanak, can you tell me where G-d says this?

If I remember correctly, during the first century there was a big disagreement among the Jews over whether heaven even existed.

Shabbat Shalom.

639 posted on 01/04/2002 10:10:00 AM PST by ArGee
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To: Jerry_M
I too see it as a blessing and a curse. In our particular church my pastor and board have decided that NO decision will be made by him acting alone..or a simple majority on the board.They need 100% agreement. This frees the pastor from being the "fall guy" and it allows the Holy Spirit to stop those not hearing well. For instance the pastor wanted to air condition the church.He could have just done it,but because of the agreement it had to come to the board. One man said no..that ended it..interesting that later in the year the REASON why it should never have been done was clear..God had other plans for that money.

Everything in our church is board driven.Including ministry accountibility.

I am comfortable with that .

640 posted on 01/04/2002 10:10:36 AM PST by RnMomof7
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