Political contentions

[W2L]

Oh please. Different Christians have separate brains. We are going to disagree. One Christian is going to believe that free enterprise is the best way to bring the most wealth to everyone. Another Christian will be convinced that socialism is the best way. They are both good Christians. They are both intelligent and educated. But they have been persuaded by different economic philosophies because they THINK DIFFERENTLY. So what?????? It's all part of having separate brains.

It seems to me that it's you that is wigging out over little things.

You can ignore it if you like, but rival factions are works of flesh.

 

[W2L]

Psalms 37:7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret—it only causes harm.

 

[bbbbbbb]

Psalms 37:7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret—it only causes harm.

Psalm 73
Surely God is good to Israel,
To those who are pure in heart!
2 But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling,
My steps had almost slipped.
3 For I was envious of the arrogant
As I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For there are no pains in their death,
And their body is fat.
5 They are not in trouble as other men,
Nor are they plagued like mankind.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace;
The garment of violence covers them.
7 Their eye bulges from fatness;
The imaginations of their heart run riot.
8 They mock and wickedly speak of oppression;
They speak from on high.
9 They have set their mouth against the heavens,
And their tongue parades through the earth.


10 Therefore his people return to this place,
And waters of abundance are drunk by them.
11 They say, “How does God know?
And is there knowledge with the Most High?”
12 Behold, these are the wicked;
And always at ease, they have increased in wealth.
13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure
And washed my hands in innocence;
14 For I have been stricken all day long
And chastened every morning.


15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
Behold, I would have betrayed the generation of Your children.
16 When I pondered to understand this,
It was troublesome in my sight
17 Until I came into the sanctuary of God;
Then I perceived their end.
18 Surely You set them in slippery places;
You cast them down to destruction.
19 How they are destroyed in a moment!
They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors!
20 Like a dream when one awakes,
O Lord, when aroused, You will despise their form.


21 When my heart was embittered
And I was pierced within,
22 Then I was senseless and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You have taken hold of my right hand.
24 With Your counsel You will guide me,
And afterward receive me to glory.


25 Whom have I in heaven but You?
And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27 For, behold, those who are far from You will perish;
You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You.
28 But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
That I may tell of all Your works.

 

[W2L]

Psalm 73
Surely God is good to Israel,
To those who are pure in heart!
2 But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling,
My steps had almost slipped.
3 For I was envious of the arrogant
As I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For there are no pains in their death,
And their body is fat.
5 They are not in trouble as other men,
Nor are they plagued like mankind.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace;
The garment of violence covers them.
7 Their eye bulges from fatness;
The imaginations of their heart run riot.
8 They mock and wickedly speak of oppression;
They speak from on high.
9 They have set their mouth against the heavens,
And their tongue parades through the earth.


10 Therefore his people return to this place,
And waters of abundance are drunk by them.
11 They say, “How does God know?
And is there knowledge with the Most High?”
12 Behold, these are the wicked;
And always at ease, they have increased in wealth.
13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure
And washed my hands in innocence;
14 For I have been stricken all day long
And chastened every morning.


15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
Behold, I would have betrayed the generation of Your children.
16 When I pondered to understand this,
It was troublesome in my sight
17 Until I came into the sanctuary of God;
Then I perceived their end.
18 Surely You set them in slippery places;
You cast them down to destruction.
19 How they are destroyed in a moment!
They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors!
20 Like a dream when one awakes,
O Lord, when aroused, You will despise their form.


21 When my heart was embittered
And I was pierced within,
22 Then I was senseless and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You have taken hold of my right hand.
24 With Your counsel You will guide me,
And afterward receive me to glory.


25 Whom have I in heaven but You?
And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27 For, behold, those who are far from You will perish;
You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You.
28 But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
That I may tell of all Your works.

thanks bbbbbbb, i love that psalm.

 

[bbbbbbb]

thanks bbbbbbb, i love that psalm.

It is one of favorites, as well.

 

[Open Heart]

You can ignore it if you like, but rival factions are works of flesh.

You can deny it if you wish, but Christians don't have clone brains.

 

[W2L]

You can deny it if you wish, but Christians don't have clone brains.

Listen, you are arguing with the apostle Paul, not with me

 

[Open Heart]

Listen, you are arguing with the apostle Paul, not with me

Only in your imagination.

 

[W2L]

Only in your imagination.

No, its clearly listed in Galatians 5. Paul also says we should glorify God with one voice, not two or three. Its the one voice which glorifies God. If we are divided over politics and we argue, this doesn't glorify God.

 

[W2L]

1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing

Philippians 2:2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery,[c] fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders,[d] drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 

[W2L]

Romans 12:2New King James Version (NKJV)
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

 

[RadioBunny]

If I speak with someone who has a different opinion than me, that's at the very least having a conversation. We don't have to hate each other. To call on Christians to not have opinions is just nonsense. God made us to interact with each other, and because we all have differing opinions or ways of seeing things, interacting can be a frustrating thing. But that's just one the things we HAVE to deal with. It's necessary to even having relationships at all. We HAVE to deal with conflict in relationships, because we're just so different. And it's not necessarily a bad thing. Part of the beauty of living with other people IS the conflict. It's learning to deal with them, and treat them as the Lord would have you treat them even when it's hard.

Let me underline what you've underlined, and bolden the parts I feel you may have overlooked.

1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing

Philippians 2:2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

No one's condoning hatred or attacking others because of their beliefs. It doesn't mean I can't have a political opinion. And having an opinion doesn't mean I can't follow Christ. Serving God comes first. Before anything. Before party, before country. If the way I live proves that, and the way you live proves that, than it follows that we ought to have the same love. That we ought to be humble. That we ought to be blessing each other. That we're like-minded.

 

[W2L]

If I speak with someone who has a different opinion than me, that's at the very least having a conversation. We don't have to hate each other. To call on Christians to not have opinions is just nonsense. God made us to interact with each other, and because we all have differing opinions or ways of seeing things, interacting can be a frustrating thing. But that's just one the things we HAVE to deal with. It's necessary to even having relationships at all. We HAVE to deal with conflict in relationships, because we're just so different. And it's not necessarily a bad thing. Part of the beauty of living with other people IS the conflict. It's learning to deal with them, and treat them as the Lord would have you treat them even when it's hard.

Let me underline what you've underlined, and bolden the parts I feel you may have overlooked.

1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing

Philippians 2:2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

No one's condoning hatred or attacking others because of their beliefs. It doesn't mean I can't have a political opinion. And having an opinion doesn't mean I can't follow Christ. Serving God comes first. Before anything. Before party, before country. If the way I live proves that, and the way you live proves that, than it follows that we ought to have the same love. That we ought to be humble. That we ought to be blessing each other. That we're like-minded.

This isnt about having an opinion. Its about being divided into political factions instead of being united in Christ. Dissension is a work of flesh. Its a work of the flesh whether you want to admit it or not. Also, i didnt ignore parts of the scripture. You did. You can call it conversation if you wish, but i know better. I was involved in politics half my life and i see the hatred and the dissension between political parties. Those are both works of flesh. Im done with this debate now. I dont care what anyone does., i just speak the truth as i see it. Peace.

 

[RadioBunny]

This isnt about having an opinion. Its about being divided into political factions instead of being united in Christ. Its a work of the flesh whether you want to admit it or not. Also, i didnt ignore parts of the scripture. You can call it conversation if you wish, but i know better. I was involved in politics half my life and i see the hatred between political parties. Im done with this debate now. I dont care what anyone does., i just speak the truth as i see it. Peace.

That's fine. I see the hatred too. And I'm not condoning it, nor am I trying to make it seem like a benign thing. Make no mistake, the only thing I called conversation, was indeed conversation. I said at the very least, two people talking who have different opinions are having a conversation. Key words "at the very least." I am making a distinction between hating people because of their political views, and simply having political views. If you have an opinion, then you automatically have a dissenting view. If you have a political opinion, it falls under a view of some political faction out there. Does this mean you hate others for not having the same opinion? Not necessarily. That is up to you. We are already divided by our opinions. All of us. It cannot be helped. There is an endless number of groups among us. We are divided by many criteria. But the fact that we are the body of Christ must take precedence over that. Peace.

 

[W2L]

That's fine. I see the hatred too. And I'm not condoning it, nor am I trying to make it seem like a benign thing. Make no mistake, the only thing I called conversation, was indeed conversation. I said at the very least, two people talking who have different opinions are having a conversation. Key words "at the very least." I am making a distinction between hating people because of their political views, and simply having political views. If you have an opinion, then you automatically have a dissenting view. If you have a political opinion, it falls under a view of some political faction out there. Does this mean you hate others for not having the same opinion? Not necessarily. That is up to you. We are already divided by our opinions. All of us. It cannot be helped. There is an endless number of groups among us. We are divided by many criteria. But the fact that we are the body of Christ must take precedence over that. Peace.

We can have agreement though. We need to let go of things that divide us however. I use to be into politics. I gave it up for the Lord. I gave it up so i could love my political opposition. I will no longer offend them, or put a stumbling block in their path. Its my job to share love and welcome people into the body, instead of being contentious. I no longer engage in political dissension. Thats what we must do, in my opinion. Anyway, thank you for your patience and reply.

 

[W2L]

Love and brotherhood are better than political contention. Isnt love good?

 

[Open Heart]

This isnt about having an opinion. Its about being divided into political factions instead of being united in Christ. Dissension is a work of flesh. Its a work of the flesh whether you want to admit it or not. Also, i didnt ignore parts of the scripture. You did. You can call it conversation if you wish, but i know better. I was involved in politics half my life and i see the hatred and the dissension between political parties. Those are both works of flesh. Im done with this debate now. I dont care what anyone does., i just speak the truth as i see it. Peace.

What does a political candidacy have to do with the gospel? We are to be united on things of faith.

Now, concentrate on that. All denominations need to be in dialogue, including the Catholic/Protestant split, with the goal of restoring doctrinal unity.

 

[The Brown Brink]

If I speak with someone who has a different opinion than me, that's at the very least having a conversation. We don't have to hate each other. To call on Christians to not have opinions is just nonsense. God made us to interact with each other, and because we all have differing opinions or ways of seeing things, interacting can be a frustrating thing. But that's just one the things we HAVE to deal with. It's necessary to even having relationships at all. We HAVE to deal with conflict in relationships, because we're just so different. And it's not necessarily a bad thing. Part of the beauty of living with other people IS the conflict. It's learning to deal with them, and treat them as the Lord would have you treat them even when it's hard.

Let me underline what you've underlined, and bolden the parts I feel you may have overlooked.

1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing

Philippians 2:2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

No one's condoning hatred or attacking others because of their beliefs. It doesn't mean I can't have a political opinion. And having an opinion doesn't mean I can't follow Christ. Serving God comes first. Before anything. Before party, before country. If the way I live proves that, and the way you live proves that, than it follows that we ought to have the same love. That we ought to be humble. That we ought to be blessing each other. That we're like-minded.

Wow!
Wow!
Such beautiful thoughts!!
So beautifully said!

Thank you!!!

 

[W2L]

What does a political candidacy have to do with the gospel? We are to be united on things of faith.

Now, concentrate on that. All denominations need to be in dialogue, including the Catholic/Protestant split, with the goal of restoring doctrinal unity.

Exactly, what does it have to do with the gospel? I believe any contention is rooted in the flesh. I cannot understand how the spirit would have us divided into political factions. Thats what i believe.

 

[W2L]

So which side does the Spirit guide you to follow? Republican, Democrat, or libertarian? Surely God is not guiding His Church to join different parties. God is not the author of such confusion or contention. So which party belongs to God?