Is this pushing an ideology?

[Maori Aussie]

This is true of any church, and hopefully of any building for that matter. But when a PRIDE flag hangs outside of a church it says one very important thing to me... therein resides a Christian.

Any type of sinner is welcome to my church!
I think we have most of the bases represented in the congregation...

 

[partinobodycular]

A Christian on your terms.

Well, a Christian on the terms of loving thy neighbor as thyself, which I suppose you could call mine, but actually I read it in a book somewhere.

 

[ozso]

Well, a Christian on the terms of loving thy neighbor as thyself, which I suppose you could call mine, but actually I read it in a book somewhere.

What does loving thy neighbor as thyself mean to you? In most cases with the non-believer it's supposed to mean "see things my way, agree with me, approve of me, don't tell me anything I don't want to hear, do whatever I want, DO NOT TALK ABOUT SIN!".

 

[partinobodycular]

What does loving thy neighbor as thyself mean to you?

While it's true that I read it in a book, that's not where I actually 'got' it. I used to spend a lot of time on East Colfax in Denver. What Playboy magazine once called the longest and wickedest street in America. There was quite an eclectic group of people on East Colfax. Sometimes I'd walk from Civic Center Park all the way out to Aurora, and then turn around and walk back. Other times I'd just sit on a bench in the park that used to be above the downtown bus station, and watch the people down below go by. Or I'd sit over by McDonald's with the homeless men, waiting for the shelter to open. Sometimes I might be there until 1 or 2 in the morning. Bankers, CEO's, shoppers, students, homeless people, drug addicts, prostitutes, and general ne'er-do-wells. East Colfax and The 16th Street Mall was home to all of 'em. Then of course there was the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, impressive name and an impressive building. Of course I'd sit and watch those folks too.

After a while you come to realize that they're all just people. Good... bad... didn't matter, they're just people. There but for the grace of God, as they say. I learned not to judge. I learned to accept people for what they are. And I learned to forgive, not because they needed it, but because I needed to learn to do it.

So you see when it says love thy neighbor, that means everybody to me, sinner or saint it doesn't matter. And when folks start to separate people into righteous people and unrighteous people, well that just doesn't sit right with me, they're just people. They may have gotten things wrong in their life. They may have suffered more than they wanted to or needed to, but they're just people.

Now when someone hangs a PRIDE flag outside of a church, that makes me smile, because that's somebody that gets it. That's somebody that learned to forgive. That's somebody that learned to love their neighbor.

I can accept the fact that homosexuality may not be as ideal as many of its advocates seem to think it is. But neither do I believe that rejecting them is the answer. So I'll do what I was called to do, love my neighbor. If it means accepting the sinner and being rejected because of it... then I'm good with that.

Write that on my headstone. Here lies partinobodycular, he's spending eternity in hell, because he loved his neighbor.

 

[Maori Aussie]

While it's true that I read it in a book, that's not where I actually 'got' it. I used to spend a lot of time on East Colfax in Denver. What Playboy magazine once called the longest and wickedest street in America. There was quite an eclectic group of people on East Colfax. Sometimes I'd walk from Civic Center Park all the way out to Aurora, and then turn around and walk back. Other times I'd just sit on a bench in the park that used to be above the downtown bus station, and watch the people down below go by. Or I'd sit over by McDonald's with the homeless men, waiting for the shelter to open. Sometimes I might be there until 1 or 2 in the morning. Bankers, CEO's, shoppers, students, homeless people, drug addicts, prostitutes, and general ne'er-do-wells. East Colfax and The 16th Street Mall was home to all of 'em. Then of course there was the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, impressive name and an impressive building. Of course I'd sit and watch those folks too.

After a while you come to realize that they're all just people. Good... bad... didn't matter, they're just people. There but for the grace of God, as they say. I learned not to judge. I learned to accept people for what they are. And I learned to forgive, not because they needed it, but because I needed to learn to do it.

So you see when it says love thy neighbor, that means everybody to me, sinner or saint it doesn't matter. And when folks start to separate people into righteous people and unrighteous people, well that just doesn't sit right with me, they're just people. They may have gotten things wrong in their life. They may have suffered more than they wanted to or needed to, but they're just people.

Now when someone hangs a PRIDE flag outside of a church, that makes me smile, because that's somebody that gets it. That's somebody that learned to forgive. That's somebody that learned to love their neighbor.

I can accept the fact that homosexuality may not be as ideal as many of its advocates seem to think it is. But neither do I believe that rejecting them is the answer. So I'll do what I was called to do, love my neighbor. If it means accepting the sinner and being rejected because of it... then I'm good with that.

Write that on my headstone. Here lies partinobodycular, he's spending eternity in hell, because he loved his neighbor.

Jesus died for sinners, not the saved.

 

[trophy33]

Let's take it another direction. Muslims.

In what context, safe space? The same thing like with a Jew or with a Christian. Or with an atheist. Let them do their work and that is all.

No common company prayers, no "various religion days" celebrations etc. No flags or messaging on walls, work desks.

It may be different in different contexts - for example in a monoculture like Poland it will be not harmful for a company to have a Christmas party or a Christmas tree or something like that, because they are all culturally the same. In such cultural contexts (Poland, Hungary, Japan, Muslim countries...), diversity would be rather disruptive for their societies, because their culture is based on unity, not on diversity.

 

[ozso]

The concept that the Christain church doesn't accept sinners doesn't make any sense. If that was the policy, there wouldn't be any Christian churches.

 

[JEBofChristTheLord]

The concept that the Christain church doesn't accept sinners doesn't make any sense. If that was the policy, there wouldn't be any Christian churches.

Christ the Lord welcomes and accepts repentant sinners.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

In what context, safe space? The same thing like with a Jew or with a Christian. Or with an atheist. Let them do their work and that is all.

Quite often, because Muslims are of Arabic decent or as in the case of women , wear hijab, they can be identifiable. And then be targeted for abuse and insult.

 

[Laodicean60]

I believe this to be true just by looking at some kids today, including one of my own.

"College is meant to be a melting pot of cultures and perspectives. It is meant to be a place where students can harness free speech and broaden their horizons by exposing themselves to unique views whether liberal or conservative. This is what is meant to open their minds and prepare them for the professional world. However, the exact opposite has been happening in the past few years. Students nowadays have developed a need to be protected from words and ideas that they deem hurtful or unacceptable — a trend that is now becoming more known as the coddling of the American mind (Lukianoff & Haidt, 2015).

As more and more learners demand safe spaces within their colleges, “language police" and “political correctness" have become the norm and so is vindictive protectiveness. In this article, we will outline how educational institutions are coping with this new culture of building safe spaces in colleges to meet the needs of students. In addition, this will also briefly discuss safetyism and its impact on the dissemination of knowledge in higher education. With this, teachers and learners alike can understand this trend and learn"

https://research.com/education/coddling-college-students

 

[trophy33]

Quite often, because Muslims are of Arabic decent or as in the case of women , wear hijab, they can be identifiable. And then be targeted for abuse and insult.

And Christians want to wear crosses, Jews their specific hat and hair style etc. Every group would like to do something specific for the group. And even various individuals would prefer different things. Not to say ethnicities, men vs women...

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

I believe this to be true just by looking at some kids today, including one of my own.

"College is meant to be a melting pot of cultures and perspectives. It is meant to be a place where students can harness free speech and broaden their horizons by exposing themselves to unique views whether liberal or conservative. This is what is meant to open their minds and prepare them for the professional world. However, the exact opposite has been happening in the past few years. Students nowadays have developed a need to be protected from words and ideas that they deem hurtful or unacceptable — a trend that is now becoming more known as the coddling of the American mind (Lukianoff & Haidt, 2015).

As more and more learners demand safe spaces within their colleges, “language police" and “political correctness" have become the norm and so is vindictive protectiveness. In this article, we will outline how educational institutions are coping with this new culture of building safe spaces in colleges to meet the needs of students. In addition, this will also briefly discuss safetyism and its impact on the dissemination of knowledge in higher education. With this, teachers and learners alike can understand this trend and learn"

https://research.com/education/coddling-college-students

Thank you. I thought we were only talking about signs and pins. i did not know about "Safteyism" in education.

"Safetyism advocates the contrary. It encourages students to openly and vigorously repel ideas and words that they find unsuitable. It suppresses speech and does not teach students how to toughen up and take the bull by its horns. As a result, safetyism may inevitably set up these students for failure in life."

So students need to toughen up and get used to verbal and even physical abuse?

 

[JEBofChristTheLord]

So students need to toughen up and get used to verbal and even physical abuse?

To a Jew or a Muslim, it is profound and terrible verbal abuse, to be told that all of their devotees are going to Hell. Remember, this is the world that Christ the Lord refused to rule.

 

[partinobodycular]

Christ the Lord welcomes and accepts repentant sinners.

But it often takes time for people to recognize the things that they need to be repentant for. It's not always a watershed, and it's not always a matter of being told, sometimes it's a slow and methodical awakening, sometimes it's a long and arduous struggle, and sometimes it wasn't something that needed to be repented for in the first place.

The first step is for them to be compelled to stand at the church's door and knock. The second step is for someone inside to open the door and let them in. And the third step is time for the love and compassion of Christ to do its job.

The church isn't a place where people come in perfect. It isn't even a place where they come out perfect. It's simply a place where they come in knowing that they're not perfect, and repentance is a process that they'll be going through for a very long time.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

But it often takes time for people to recognize the things that they need to be repentant for. It's not always a watershed, and it's not always a matter of being told, sometimes it's a slow and methodical awakening, sometimes it's a long and arduous struggle, and sometimes it wasn't something that needed to be repented for in the first place.

The first step is for them to be compelled to stand at the church's door and knock. The second step is for someone inside to open the door and let them in. And the third step is time for the love and compassion of Christ to do its job.

The church isn't a place where people come in perfect. It isn't even a place where they come out perfect. It's simply a place where they come in knowing that they're not perfect, and repentance is a process that they'll be going through for a very long time.

In the meantime what degree of acceptance and tolerance is required of us?

 

[JEBofChristTheLord]

In the meantime what degree of acceptance an tolerance is required of us?

Excellent question. And I am certain that there is not one answer for all, unless it is, "whatever extent in which He has prepared us to help, while helping prevent the evil push the weaker sheep among us away from Christ the Lord".

 

[Aryeh Jay]

You do realize that there are whole sections of this website where I can't go.

I hedged my bets and became a Christian Easter Sunday in 2023 and I still can't go to those places. But then, I haven't asked.

 

[partinobodycular]

In the meantime what degree of acceptance an tolerance is required of us?

As @JEBofChristTheLord said, that's an excellent question, and one that I really, really, really don't feel qualified to answer, but I'll try. In God's house no one is required to tolerate anything, but they may be asked, and what God has asked of you isn't for me to know. It's for me to respect. For it's in my respecting of what God sees fit to do in your life that I gain the grace to accept your life.

I may not approve, but mine isn't the approval that needed to be asked for.

In God's house I'm mindful that I'm not the authority here. I don't get to choose who He calls in and who He doesn't. But I do get to choose the manner in which I welcome them, and that may make all the difference.

Boy, you ask an agnostic some pretty tough questions.

 

[partinobodycular]

I hedged my bets and became a Christian Easter Sunday in 2023 and I still can't go to those places. But then, I haven't asked.

Actually, I'm quite content over here with the rest of the heathens. They're a pretty tolerant bunch. I don't know that I'd be able to say the same about those on the other side, but they're probably cool too, and I'd probably just cause trouble.

 

[Laodicean60]

So students need to toughen up and get used to verbal and even physical abuse?

Of course they should because if they can dish it out, they should be able to take it. Unfortunately, your biases prevent you from seeing it.

Speaking of signs, it doesn't seem the kids practice what they preach. All this garbage is only for people in your tribe, not for people who don't think like you do. Do liberals have a "safe space", "accepting," or "welcoming" for Musk or any conservitive? Hypocrits!