Posted on 09/14/2002 9:45:39 PM PDT by Dog Gone
People of true faith should have zero need to adjust their observances for the sake of communing with those of opposing faiths.
As my daddy use to say, "there are only two kinds of people in this world: 'saints' and 'aints'."
But it is the teaching of a particular God that offends. A revealed One. One who talks. One who is absolute. One who is here and has been involved with humankind throughout history. One who demands true love and obedience. One who has a personal Name.
A God who personally makes atonement for the sin of the world by taking on human flesh and suffering all that human flesh deserves by its sin. A God who chooses a people to be His very own and enjoins them to pray unceasingly. A God who demands the utmost devotion to Himself alone and no other God.
Now that is offensive! Especially when He reveals Himself specifically as such. Pure allegiance to a single, eternal, personal God. A God not of one's own opinion or making.
After all, who is any God to say to a man, "You shall have no other Gods before ME?" That's offensive. It certainly has no place in world that, by nature, disavows the existence of any particular "God."
Yeah, He always was a sticking point....that's why they nailed Him on the cross. He still is. Praise to all who held firm.
LOL I like your daddy! :o)
Oh, he's confused? I would think the tip off as to what constitutes a Christian is in the name, Christ ian. Without the sure knowledge that Jesus is the Son of God and one with the Godhead, then one is not a Christian.
No one that attempts to strip Jesus of his divinity is a Christian. No one that puts idols and false gods before Him is a Christian. No one that accepts all religions as true and on a par with Christianity, is a Christian.
As far as the Muslims go, Islam highjacked the Torah and twisted it with lies and falsehoods. But this is normal for them. Why on earth, would anyone expect a Christian to worship with such as these? Why would anyone expect a Christian to give respect to a false religion based on twisted lies? Why would anyone expect a Christian to elevate a religion based on proven falsehoods to the level of legitimacy required to put it on a par with worshipping the God of Abraham and his Son, Jesus Christ?
The problem that the Jews and the Muslims had was not that they were not invited to come, they were, but when told that Jesus would be first and foremost at this event they abstained of their own volition now they can stop whining about it. Christianity is the main religion of the USofA and we will not ask Jesus to wait in the back room like our politicians do. Those that don't like that fact can stay away, but we will not ask Jesus to stay away so as not to offend those that hate his name.
If they are offended by Jesus they are free to go do their own thing, why would they need as large an area as the Christian celebration? Their numbers don't warrant it and they have no business attempting to hide themselves in the majority in the attempt to legitimize their beliefs when they hate with a vengence the majorities Saviour.
Jesus is the Christ, the son of God. What is complicated about that? Christians are the people who believe that.
What could possibly be the point of a religious observance that forces the people in attendance to deny the basis of their faith?
I doubt, if a Muslim were invited to speak, or pray, that he would be required to avoid all mention of Mohammed or the Koran. And I doubt any Muslim would agree to any such condition. And I doubt further that any Christian who invited him would require it.
It is insulting to expect Christians to avoid mention of Jesus Christ, and if they are real, and committed, it isn't going to happen.
I personally see nothing wrong with a religious observance that includes people of more than one religion. But I don't believe in generic prayer. You shouldn't imagine that the Christians are going to erase the center of their faith from their vocabulary in the interest of a false inclusiveness.
"Inclusiveness" is meaningless if it is not based on respect. "Inclusiveness" means the right to pray and worship in the vernacular you know, and in the tradition you know, and for a Christian there is no faith and no prayer separate from Christ.
If you are going to invite a Christian to speak, and to pray, don't imagine you are going to write the script for him.
Muslims were invited to be in attendance, and I have no doubt that any remarks made from the stand would have been completely respectful of any Muslims who were there. Christians are like that. Christians are inclusive in a way that Muslims have not yet shown themselves to be. But no Christian is going to mask his faith with a kind of de-natured religiosity in the name of inclusion.
But note; despite the efforts by the Interfaith people to be "inclusive" by avoiding mention of Christianity, no Muslims showed up for it anyway. Muslims are not by and large, inclusive. They are not particularly respectful of non-Muslims. And why ever would they want to commemorate 9/11 with non-Muslims?
Advised any and all listeners that "No one comes to the Father except through Me", of course (which is exactly what he did do).
That phrase means that Chirst decides who can get to the Father.
Are you privy to Chirst's decision process?
Does Christ have free will or is he bound by your rules?
Naw... I am just observing that Jesus specifically stated that...
...unless a man believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, that man will die UnSaved.
Shockingly enough, Mr. Rock, Texas Baptists are the largest single denomination in Texas Baptist Country.
If they need the biggest venue, news flash -- that is to be expected. I guess you could make them all go meet in a barn somewhere instead... but you'd need a pretty big barn.
So what is the big deal? We all die sooner or latter.
But not all die "in their sins". Many die... Saved.
You sure read a lot into that stuff. If I am hungry when I die, then I "die in hunger." Where do you get this "saved" stuff from?
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