A Place To Candidly Discuss Issues That Relate To Christianity

Archive for November, 2009

The Vanity of Theologising

In Bible, Life, People, Theology on November 17, 2009 at 11:28 am

By Marc

I spend most of my free time reading, writing or thinking about matters theological. I listen to sermons, debates, even audio books or Bible chapters over and over again in the hope of better understanding the puzzles and riddles in the story the Bible tells and how this relates to my life and the world around me.

It was Elizabeth who first pointed out that all this activity, intriguing as it may be, is not good in and of itself if it does not lead to more and better love of God and those around me. This is a simple and obvious observation to anyone who knows the greatest commandment but I wonder if it doesn’t need restating and we don’t need to highlight this problem. I know of no passage in the Bible which says God wants us to synthesise as many Bible texts as we can before we die and produce the best and most water-tight theology or theory yet many people, myself included, spend our time trying to do this out of a deep-rooted and wide-spread conviction that good beliefs are more important than good lives. But surely, as Brian McLaren says, judgement will not simply be a case of God looking inside our heads? Read the rest of this entry »

Oh For The Love Of Prejudice!

In Life, People on November 4, 2009 at 3:09 am

by Elizabeth K

I cannot believe the prejudice within me sometimes, and it’s like a predator that is good at hiding until it spies an unknowing prey.  The interesting fact is that I’m the person who speaks out against racism and segregation, not the one who lives by it.

Charity to me used to be defined as seeking out a foreign family in the neighborhood and dropping off all of my junk at their house, unwanted items that would have normally gone to the local thrift store.  These days I understand that isn’t charity at all, but it’s actually hatred, or racism.

I started to realize this when a Mexican family moved in next door.  Their extended family moved in with them.  I was scared of them at first and I wouldn’t let my kids play with their kids unless it was under strict circumstances.  But, being neighbors, we couldn’t help but get to know each other and I realized they are not much different than my American white neighbors.  Sometimes I give them stuff, but they give me stuff too, because we’re friends and we like each other.  Charity is actually love but that word has taken on a different contextual meaning over the years. Read the rest of this entry »

Should Believers Treat Non-Christians Differently Than Christians?

In Uncategorized on November 2, 2009 at 7:50 pm

by Elizabeth K

I have noticed a trend among Christians who band together perhaps to support each other as a spiritual family and then tend to view outsiders somewhat differently.  This can take place within a church denomination, a midweek church community group, or even a Christian family unit.  Do we have a primary responsibility to one group of people more than others, and if so, how should this devotion look in everyday situations?

Here is an example.  A pastor and his family was traveling abroad and attending a missionary conference in Eastern Europe.  He and his family which included sons, daughters and grandchildren, rented a large van to accommodate their traveling.  They generously offered a missionary and her newborn baby a ride across town to attend the conference. Although there were not enough seat belts, there was enough space in the van for all.  The pastor, who drove the van, made sure that each of his family members had seat belts while the missionary as well as her newborn rode without them.  Was this the right decision of the pastor?

Here are some more questions to ponder:

While the Bible exhorts us not to be a respecter of persons, such as distinguishing the rich from the poor when we gather together, does it tell us that we must love our brothers and sisters in Christ more than those outside of the church?

Are there or should there be special privileges for the poor who are church members than the poor in the community?

Are adopted children treated differently than biological children?  Do parents have more of a responsibility towards their biological children than say, their children’s friends?

Does God view the saved and the unsaved differently and does He love one group more than another group? Read the rest of this entry »