Godless America

[Ebguy]

Awww, nobody think's that's a good idea? It worked for us when I was part of a particular cause against a certain cult.

 

[dayhiker]

Ya, there are problems in this world and America also.

I think things are better today than most of history. But there are seeds that are sown that will have a lot of problems for us in the future and it will effect the world as far as I can tell.

I'm talking about all the people that live beyond their means. Seems to me that includes Christians as much as non Christians. People have borrowed a lot of money. We have also puched our government to borrow a lot of money and promice to give us even more money. All this will cause our world to crash and what we are seeing today is a major bump on the way to that.

Im my mind this it way more powerful in bringing judgement on us than abortion, sexual immorality and homosexuality that I read most Christians complaining about.

That's my thought.
dayhiker

 

[AnneSally]

You completely misunderstood me. I didn't say I believed that. But for people who are nonreligious this is sadly the view of Conservative Christians that they do get to see. As much as I hate Westboro Baptist Church for spouting out their hate, at least they get out in the streets and show their views. I'm saying that if we must make this world a better place, we should be as vocal as they are but about God's love.

Oh. Sorry for misunderstanding you.

 

[Nadiine]

When someone comes up to you hug them, smile, say something short like, "Jesus loves you and so do we. We'd love it if you came to church on Sunday." Then give them a flier with inspiring Bible quotes and the address of your church and the time Sunday School and service starts.

No offense here, but I don't advise hugging strangers while trying to
get them to go to your church or a ministry.

I know I wouldn't appreciate that from a religious group I didn't know
anything about first.

 

[dayhiker]

Personally, I love a hug from anyone. As to weither I'd go to their church on the invitation ... that is a much more complicated thing.

 

[Nadiine]

Personally, I love a hug from anyone. As to weither I'd go to their church on the invitation ... that is a much more complicated thing.

namely in a culture where people claim Christianity but
refuse to go to any church at all.

 

[AnneSally]

Personally, I love a hug from anyone.

me too....I'm a prolific hugger....

 

[Nadiine]

me too....I'm a prolific hugger....

even from strangers on a street?

 

[AnneSally]

even from strangers on a street?

no, not strangers....but if we'd chatted for a while and got on well, and then we were parting and it was just a friendly hug goodbye, I would be ok with that, but not straight away with no warning, that would freak me out abit...

 

[Rochir]

What always makes me wonder is why European countries don't have
the same high violence rates when they're very liberal...

Amongst others - very strict gun laws!

 

[Cris413]

me too....I'm a prolific hugger....

me too...

I love hugs...'specially kid hugs...they give the absolute best hugs ever!

 

[AnneSally]

me too...

I love hugs...'specially kid hugs...they give the absolute best hugs ever!

Indeed! Hugs are lovely.

 

[Alive4Evermore]

I don't go up to strangers and hug them though.

 

[Ebguy]

Well my point is that standing there saying, "Jesus loves you" won't do much. Hugging people was an idea. But you have to demonstrate God's love to win people over. Remember faith without works is dead.

 

[CaliforniaJosiah]

I understand your position, and think there IS an important part that acceptance of a Holy Supreme Being is important to morality.

On the other hand, I'd SADLY remind you that probably the most secular nation in the world, Sweden, also has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. I understand that Japan - one of the LEAST Christian nations on the planet - has a lower murder rate than the most Christian of nations. And that the moral "history" of the USA is hardly so simple. They didn't call it "the wild west" for nothing, mobs just hanging people without any justice or trial was often quite common, and while we have the horror of abortion today we had nearly 200 years of slavery - often DEFENDED by the religious in our land.

But, again, I agree with what I think is your BASIC position: morality is certainly more sound when it is based on God rather than simply society. The BEST morality flows from the will and heart of God - as we keep His Commandments, including the Great Commandment: to love as He first loved us.



.

 

[Nadiine]

Well my point is that standing there saying, "Jesus loves you" won't do much. Hugging people was an idea. But you have to demonstrate God's love to win people over. Remember faith without works is dead.

Sorry, I disagree with this.

Witnessing alone IS demonstrating God's love - and WE don't
"win people over"... if God isn't doing the work in & thru the
person PRIOR to your 'good work', your good work does no
good and is useless to change.

This type of viewpoint makes salvation a work of US, rather than
God's saving work on a soul.
& this viewpoint is what promotes the "blame the church" attacks.
If people aren't being saved & are getting more wicked, WE get
blamed becuz we just aren't doing something right.
(we aren't loving enough, we preach against sin, we're too mean & harsh, etc. etc.) It's just false.

People don't get saved becuz they reject GOD & all His advances
towards them to draw them to Himself. We're simply the scapegoat they
use in their rejection.

 

[Cris413]

Sorry, I disagree with this.

Witnessing alone IS demonstrating God's love - and WE don't
"win people over"... if God isn't doing the work in & thru the
person PRIOR to your 'good work', your good work does no
good and is useless to change.

This type of viewpoint makes salvation a work of US, rather than
God's saving work on a soul.
& this viewpoint is what promotes the "blame the church" attacks.
If people aren't being saved & are getting more wicked, WE get
blamed becuz we just aren't doing something right.
(we aren't loving enough, we preach against sin, we're too mean & harsh, etc. etc.) It's just false.

People don't get saved becuz they reject GOD & all His advances
towards them to draw them to Himself. We're simply the scapegoat they
use in their rejection.

I understand what you're saying here sister...

God wants us to be co-laborers...and all we really need to be is willing...and He'll do the rest...

I believe it is important to desire to be rightful representations of our Lord...and again...that only happens as we give our lives to Him and the Holy Spirit transforms us to be more and more like Christ...less of us...more of Him.

Sadly...it's our imperfections some seem to focus on...forgeting there was no one perfect except for Christ Jesus.

And you are quite right...it's not us and our model...or imperfect behavior they accept or reject...it's Christ

It's a Spirit thing.

 

[MrJim]

Well my point is that standing there saying, "Jesus loves you" won't do much. Hugging people was an idea. But you have to demonstrate God's love to win people over. Remember faith without works is dead.

Sorry, I disagree with this.

Witnessing alone IS demonstrating God's love - and WE don't
"win people over"... if God isn't doing the work in & thru the
person PRIOR to your 'good work', your good work does no
good and is useless to change.

This type of viewpoint makes salvation a work of US, rather than
God's saving work on a soul.
& this viewpoint is what promotes the "blame the church" attacks.
If people aren't being saved & are getting more wicked, WE get
blamed becuz we just aren't doing something right.
(we aren't loving enough, we preach against sin, we're too mean & harsh, etc. etc.) It's just false.

People don't get saved becuz they reject GOD & all His advances
towards them to draw them to Himself. We're simply the scapegoat they
use in their rejection.

Hugging people as a tool for evangelism turns an act of affection into a manipulative gesture. Using a line like "faith without works" as reasoning to use manipulatives isn't advised and unbelievers see through the ruse.

"Witnessing alone" can appear to be little more than club campaigning ("would you like to join the Lion's Club?") if not done with a genuine Christlike love. Genuine witnessing will often manifest itself in works of kindness, not out of a sense of "duty" but a calling of love to our neighbor.

 

[Cris413]

Hugging people as a tool for evangelism turns an act of affection into a manipulative gesture. Using a line like "faith without works" as reasoning to use manipulatives isn't advised and unbelievers see through the ruse.

"Witnessing alone" can appear to be little more than club campaigning ("would you like to join the Lion's Club?") if not done with a genuine Christlike love. Genuine witnessing will often manifest itself in works of kindness, not out of a sense of "duty" but a calling of love to our neighbor.

sometimes I think we can get so caught up in trying to be effective witnesses...focused on what we're doing...

that we aren't really being useful vessels...focused on what God's doing...

 

[JimfromOhio]

Political and Christianity will always be divided no matter how hard we try. There's confusion about wanting to set up Theocracy rather than Democracy. A Christian life in this world should be different from the world, being in the world but not of the world. I do believe very much in being a responsible America citizen as a Christian. I have learned that democracy does not give me any real power at all because in God's providence, He allowed democracy to basically swamps each of us Christians among non-believers.

To me diplomacy in this world is being graceful towards others regardless how I think of them or how I feel about them. God constantly intervenes in our lives through providence. If you read the main stories in the Old Testament relating to God's providence, God providentially led Joseph, Ruth, Esther, Job and others to accomplish great things in His eternal plan.