[Mad Dawg]

I guess in my "faith tradition" it is considered acceptable, upon encountering someone bleeding to death, to shut up and try to stop the loss of blood and THEN to preach at him. Other traditions, it seems, are content to let 'em bleed, and is sermons don't save 'em, to hell (literally) with 'em.

I wonder if the pastor ever asked your Dad why he didn't come in?

AND I wonder if, imagine, someone like me and some of my homies double-teamed your dad into a family intervention, a treatment facility, and then daily AA meetings until he was well enough to see what a sinner he was and finally was ready to open his heart to the Lord ... if that happened would we be dismissed by the pastor because we didn't actually preside over the conversion?

Again, I think pouring concrete is as much about building the house and shingling the roof. I'm learning that for others, the contractors who pay attention only to roofing are justified in saying "Well the house was predestined to fall," if no one lays a good foundation.

Different strokes. For me, I'd rather wait and see the house stand than have a good way of exonerating myself should it fall.

[1000 silverlings]

The old man went in. Then he went out. Finally he was baptized. Then sometimes he went in, sometimes he stayed out. It was his choice. Nobody, not even the pastor can do more for you than you are willing to do yourself. In the bible, neither Jesus or the apostles, or the disciples, ran after people and harrassed them.