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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: LuvItOrLeaveIt
Oh puleeeeese! If your skin is THAT thin, what are you doing here???
Main Entry: 1ev·i·dence
Pronunciation: 'e-v&-d&n(t)s, -v&-"den(t)s
Function: noun
Date: 14th century
1 a : an outward sign : INDICATION
b : something that furnishes proof : TESTIMONY; specifically : something legally submitted to a tribunal to ascertain the truth of a matter

661 posted on 01/04/2002 10:38:18 AM PST by Elsie
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To: Elsie
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.

I don't see the connection here. Are you claiming that all non-Christians sleep with their mothers and therefore should not be tolerated?

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.

What does this have to do with what I posted? I never even used the word rebellion. Are you trying to say that since God won't forgive sinners on judgement day, Christians shouldn't forgive non-Christians? I am not trying to be sarcastic, I just don't understand your points and how it relates to my post. Can you put it in your own words?

662 posted on 01/04/2002 10:38:39 AM PST by occam's chainsaw
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To: Elsie
Oh puleeeeese! If your skin is THAT thin, what are you doing here???

Any other comparison you would have chosen to make would have been fine, just do not use any form of comparison to Clinton when you insult me on this forum in the future.

My discussion with you on this thread is now at an end.

663 posted on 01/04/2002 10:40:29 AM PST by LuvItOrLeaveIt
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To: jethropalerobber
that's actually the very thing that started me doubting that there is a God. behind every detail of the nature of God, i could not help seeing a reflection of the central hopes, fears, and uncertainties of humanity.

Ding-Ding Ding-Ding...

Go over there and pick yourself out a prize.

664 posted on 01/04/2002 10:40:43 AM PST by OWK
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To: jethropalerobber
behind every detail of the nature of God, i could not help seeing a reflection of the central hopes, fears, and uncertainties of humanity.
And well you should!
Genesis 1
26. Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
27. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
665 posted on 01/04/2002 10:40:55 AM PST by Elsie
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To: Elsie
Now now..........

We'll get a flame war going.

What gives Elsie? Are you claiming that there is no such thing as a Christian snob? Snobs come in all flavors, including Christians. Or do you honestly believe Christians are above such behavior?

666 posted on 01/04/2002 10:42:31 AM PST by occam's chainsaw
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To: LuvItOrLeaveIt
Golly! I guess it IS that thin..........
667 posted on 01/04/2002 10:42:44 AM PST by Elsie
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To: ArGee
Club 54 was a fancy, exclusive disco in NYC c. 1978. Lot's of cocaine, sex, etc. I think the reference JG meant was to the exclusivity.
668 posted on 01/04/2002 10:44:51 AM PST by Celtjew Libertarian
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To: occam's chainsaw
What gives Elsie? Are you claiming that there is no such thing as a Christian snob?
For EVIDENCE I give you My discussion with you on this thread is now at an end.

You tell me........

669 posted on 01/04/2002 10:45:16 AM PST by Elsie
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To: Elsie
Golly! I guess it IS that thin..........

Or perhaps your comments were simply out of line...

But I guess self-criticism is a bit too much for some.

670 posted on 01/04/2002 10:46:31 AM PST by OWK
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To: LuvItOrLeaveIt
do not use any form of comparison to Clinton
At least there have been no 'comparisons' to.....
Hitler,
Stalin,
Pol Pot,
Darwin,
Manson,
Bush or FDR yet.
671 posted on 01/04/2002 10:47:57 AM PST by Elsie
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To: OWK
Or perhaps your comments were simply out of line...

But I guess self-criticism is a bit too much for some.

Thank you.

672 posted on 01/04/2002 10:49:51 AM PST by LuvItOrLeaveIt
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To: LuvItOrLeaveIt; OWK
If you two REALLY desire knowledge and/or evidence, send me your mailing addresses privately, and I will send you a very interesting book.

It tackles arguments like yours at length, and is written by a former, and SERIOUS skeptic. Otherwise, just keep sitting outside that locked door, pretending you have the right to tell God what to do.

673 posted on 01/04/2002 10:50:07 AM PST by HeadOn
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To: ArGee
p.s. The world is analog. Digital is just a passing fad.

Ummm... Analog and digital are equivalent. They are merely two different coding schemes for the same information. Digital can have all the resolution of analog and vice versa. In practice though, digital actually has higher resolution due to limitations in the resolution of analog recording mediums. It is a commonly held myth that there is some fundamental difference between the two that stems mostly from a lack of understanding of the relationship between analog and digitally coded forms of a signal. I know this is a little off-topic, but it is an old myth that needs to be squashed (sooner better than later).

674 posted on 01/04/2002 10:50:29 AM PST by tortoise
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To: OWK
Or perhaps your comments were simply out of line...

Connect the dots........

His refusal to admit to 'evidence' is what brought this all on.

675 posted on 01/04/2002 10:51:43 AM PST by Elsie
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To: Elsie
At least there have been no 'comparisons' to.....

Hitler,

Stalin,

Pol Pot,

IMO, comparisons to Clinton are worse than comparisons to those you listed.

676 posted on 01/04/2002 10:52:00 AM PST by LuvItOrLeaveIt
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To: HeadOn
Otherwise, just keep sitting outside that locked door, pretending you have the right to tell God what to do.

Which God?

677 posted on 01/04/2002 10:53:05 AM PST by OWK
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To: winstonchurchill
It's the same circle St Augustine drew. After spending about 100 pages on analysis of the seemingly contradictory nature of the aspects of God (ie how could God have created everything, know everything and be 100% good and yet the world has natural disasters (aka First Order Evil)) Augustine finally bailed on the whole thing, decided that you could not apply Greek logic to a Hebrew diety, faith and reason were incompatible. The difference between OWK and Augustine is that OWK decided he prefers reason and Augustine prefered faith.
678 posted on 01/04/2002 10:53:28 AM PST by discostu
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To: Elsie
Well, I don't know what to say. You typed a lot, but said nothing, really.

Thanks for proving my point.

679 posted on 01/04/2002 10:54:09 AM PST by occam's chainsaw
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To: Elsie
His refusal to admit to 'evidence' is what brought this all on.

I think you're attempting to rationalize your behavior.

680 posted on 01/04/2002 10:54:31 AM PST by OWK
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