Proposing a Truce

Vanity | 6/27/03 | Antoninus

[Antoninus]

Friends,

In light of recent national and international events, it should be clear to most of you that the Christian underpinnings of western civilization are being knocked out from under our feet. Recent acts of judicial fiat in both Canada and in our own country have made it abundantly clear that the "post-Christian" world envisioned by anti-Christian radicals for centuries now may be close at hand.

Rather than continuing to scratch and claw our own eyes out over our differences (which will not, by the way, be resolved on this forum) I suggest that we call a temporary truce. Nearly all of us have the same cultural values including an abhorrence for abortion, a desire to raise our children free from intrusive and pervasive immorality, a revulsion at the "gay" deathstyle, and a desire to express our religious convictions publicly without threat of punishment.

If we continue on our current trajectory, is there any doubt that Christians will be reduced to the status of second class citizens? There are already whiffs of persecution emanating from Canada and some European countries. Are you truly prepared to face this threat if it arrives here? Of course, there is something to be said for being imprisoned and stripped of your family and possessions for expressing your Christian beliefs. But how many of us in our soft communities are ready to face the same trials that routinely confronted our early saints?

I maintain that there is much we can do to turn the tide. First and foremost, taking a cue from the citizens of Nineveh, we should put on sack-cloth and ashes (at least figuratively, if not literally) and seek personal repentence. Second, we must get active. If you're already active, prepare to become moreso.

The activity I'm proposing is not simply political, though that is a part of it. It needs to be evangelical--I accuse myself and my Church in general of going mainly soft on this issue. Indeed, many of the most celebrated evangelical Catholics are converts (!) And for you Evangelical Protestants, I challenge you to turn your fervor away from trying to convert pious and believing Catholics and train your theological cannons on the great and growing mass of secularized, sexualized youth. In short, I believe that a new, powerful burst of evangelization is the only thing that can save Western civilization from the otherwise unavoidable implosion of anarchy.

At any rate, if you think I'm being ridiculous or overstating the problem, just imagine we were back in 1990 and I told you that within 15 years, the Supreme Court would declare sodomy to be a constitutional right and that Canada would consider two homosexual men the moral equivalent of marriage.

If we unite, we can win. If we stay divided, we cede the victory to the forces of darkness. Your choice.

John answered him, saying: Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, who followeth not us: and we forbade him. But Jesus said: Do not forbid him. For there is no man that doth a miracle in my name and can soon speak ill of me. For he that is not against you is for you. (Mark 9:38)

[Choose Ye This Day]

"Well, thanks for posting this, Antoninus. It was worth a try, and your sentiment and intentions were 100% spot on. But alas, it ain't gonna happen. We're on our own."


Yes, agreed, I thought (and still think) it's a great idea. As a Christian who loves the Savior, Jesus Christ, I would enjoy standing side y side with other Christians to decry the moral degradation of our society and culture--the scourges of pornography, drugs, immorality, vulgar media, rampant violence, abortion, etc.

Unfortunately, as one of the token "heathen Mormons" here, I realize that many of my Christian brothers and sisters would rather see me tarred & feathered and converted to Christianity (too late, I'm already here) rather than have any contact with me apart from theological bashing, which for too many on this forum is nothing more than intellectual onanism. So be it.

Possible solution: How about gathering a ping list of cooperative types--Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox, Mormon scum, Jewish, etc.--anybody who cares about preserving the moral fabric of our society?

Rather than the backwaters of the Religion Forum, where somehow contention is expected to lead to conversion, let's discuss these issues in the News Forums and make our case against the anti-morality crowd. Could this be done?

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Vince! You messin' round with Duke's Charger again?

[Choose Ye This Day]

It all comes down to: what do you perceive to be the greater evil, other Christians or those of other faiths whose beliefs may be different than your own, but still try to live good, decent lives and teach their children to be honest, industrious, and kind; or those with no belief in a Supreme Being and those who believe that mankind need not live according to a Higher Law. Which group poses a greater threat to our society?

If anyone is interested, you may want to read what Dennis Prager has written on ethical monotheism, and our shared Judeo-Christian values.

http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/Judaism/mono.html

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/dennisprager/dp20030225.shtml

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/dennisprager/dp20021023.shtml

http://www.dennisprager.com/articles_by/values.html

http://www.dennisprager.com/articles_by/reckoning.html

[fishtank]

"Except that is what happens. Focus on the Family has worked with Mormons and some of the churches that deny the trinity."

This is one of many reasons I don't do somersaults every time I hear James Dobson's voice.

[fishtank]

Another way to put this is by this question: How can a Christian be allied with a Mormon over "social" issues when the two groups don't even agree about what a true marriage is?

[Revelation 911]

we dont need no steenkin truce bump

[RnMomof7]

rest actually I did not like WM's tone when he addressed you , I found it condensending and an attempt to distance himself from you. That was why I responded to him.

[Revelation 911]

Their founder/prophet is not my model for morality!

morality which most notably is defined in his marriage to 14 yr old Helen Marr Kimball. Of course thats just my opinion. Pedophiles are welcome to disagree.

[drstevej]

***morality which most notably is defined in his marriage to 14 yr old Helen Marr Kimball. Of course thats just my opinion. Pedophiles are welcome to disagree.***

Man, Baton Rouge is awaiting hurricane Bill, keep that stuff up and hurricane JR will be coming your way!

[Revelation 911]

how so? -I merely buttressed your morality contention with some historical information and welcomed a particular aspect of our society to disagree. I mentioned NO faith group or religious founder by name.

[restornu]

R7 your approach is a bit unorthodox of defending:)

WM was having trouble with where I was going to go with this imformation.

I always like to put pieces to puzzle togather by trying to lay out the timeline and than see if some pieces are vaiild for this puzzle or not.

Even though I have given a senario I still am uncomfortable with some of the MO of that Cherub as Satan.

What I have come away with is that everything God creates is prefect. Which means we all start out with a clean slate.

[drstevej]

Storm clouds gather even at the whisper of the name Helen Marr Kimball! Good thing you did not also mention Fannie Alger.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

****The Great Commission is not being fulfilled in the Religion Forum Ghetto. Its a bunch of committed Christians wasting precious time and energy rehashing the same old arguments ad nauseum, while the culture of death rolls over our land. Leave this ghetto, shut it down, and then BEGIN pursuing the Great Commission in places where your efforts may bear fruit, not do the work of the evil one, as so much debate on this Religion Forum now does.****





****To: AveMaria; .45MAN; AKA Elena; al_c; american colleen; Angelus Errare; Antoninus; aposiopetic; ...

I agree with you, and spent several weeks posting on the homosexual juggernaut here.

Results?

75% of FReepers who posted were indifferent towards or openly hostile to the traditional social conservative position against granting special rights to gays. The moderators and owners have let pro-homo SOBs run roughshod over the social conservatives trying to raise the same points you're raising here.

Some folks still function under the assumption that Free Republic is a "Conservative News Forum."

It is not.

The majority of posters here embrace Apatheism, not Conservatism.

You might as well not waste your breath on these folks here. Its been said, its been rejected by the average Apatheistic FReeper.

It seems there is no true conservative movement left in American politics. There sure as hell aren't many true conserevatives left here.


42 posted on 06/13/2003 1:02 AM CDT by Polycarp (Free Republic: Where Apatheism meets "Conservatism.")****


The Great Commission is not being fulfilled in the NEWS Forum Ghetto. Its a bunch of committed Christians wasting precious time and energy rehashing the same old arguments ad nauseum, while the culture of death rolls over our land. Leave this ghetto, shut it down, and then BEGIN pursuing the Great Commission in places where your efforts may bear fruit, not do the work of the evil one, as so much debate on this NEWS Forum now does.


BigMack

[Revelation 911]

Good thing you did not also mention Fannie Alger.

Only Pope Piel dare uttereth thee name

[Polycarp]

You are the poster child of what is wrong with the Religion Forum, BigMak.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

LOL...all I did was serve you up a plate of crow (BTW how did it taste?:) and you cut me to the heart. :)

BigMack

[Polycarp]

You serve up nothing except your usual drivel, mack. You are what is wrong with this Forum.

[irishtenor]

I can agree to using the Apostle's Creed as a litmus test.

[irishtenor]

I think he wants all of us to unite against a common foe. That is laudable. If we can unite, we can overcome the forces that are turning our country against us. (At least for a while). Even Israel would appeal to Judah to fight against their common enemies.

[irishtenor]

Me too!!!.