[open]Why do us Christians do this?

[Im_A]

why do we(including myself) have a need to condemn...something in our faith? (this is to ALL Christian, not just conservatives or people who oppose some of liberal Christians' ideas.)

is to make us feel more righteous than the "other side"?

is it because of what Jesus did on the cross that now as followers we are to take His place?

to spread the Gospel, so we condemn the bad to show the good?

because we are scared of becoming what we condemn without end?

because God failed to show us the full truth that we learn it in progression?

i could probably add more questions to speculate with, but it's just been really big on my mind when i read people's (of all the sorts) threads here at CF in their debates. we have one side condemning homosexuality, then one side condemning pride and arrogance and judgementalism. we have both sides with research, credibility with some standard to show that we are smart that we can justly filter between heresies, we can condemn something/someone, filter the good seeds from the bad seeds.

just something i guess i don't understand. i'm not saying i'm better than anyone else either. it's been programmed in me ever since conversion. if you see something wrong in a believer, point it out to no extent. when all you realize is nothing was really done for anyone, except pointless debate, then you see it happen and you see people with same areas of study/credibility/knowledge, coming to two different conclusions on either their condemnation or whatever...things don't make sense for me.

 

[Mskedi]

I think it has less to do with malice and more to do with critical thinking and trying to get an understanding of what one can believe.

 

[112657]

I have been thinking about this a lot. For me, I don't like it when someone feels the need to say "you are doing 'x' and it's a sin." Worry about your own sin. But, I know some were brought-up to believe that we need to point that out to one another.

Frankly...I guess I don't understand someone feeling that their soul is in jeapordy because they haven't told me what a sinner I am. I think that "fixing" that which is in ourselves should come before we start looking outward at others. And honestly, I have never met someone who I thought was in a place to do that. And, if you feel that pointing out sin is necessary, then find someone that believes as you do, pick a night, and point out each others sins till your heart's content! Then you can feel good about it, and you haven't insulted someone by forcing your ideas about what sin is on someone who didn't ask you in the first place.

But that's just my opinion.

 

[FLANDIDLYANDERS]

Well, deep down we are all hypocrites.

Most often we condemn that which we have struggled with in the past and are fighting ourselves to overcome - and so get really annoyed with people who, from our perspective, are struggling with "old" issues.

or

We condemn that which most tempts us because we desire it so but realise the harm it causes us - and often we resent those who can do such a thing without remorse!

or

We genuinely think something is wrong and can't help but blurt out the conclusions we have made, because reaffirming them out loud (and thus in our own minds ) enables us to more fervently believe it.

I say "we", of course i mean "i". LOL/cry.

 

[ImaginaryVoyager]

Well, I think a lot of it is pride, on both sides. A lot of things come back to our own personal selfishness and pride. We are more concerned about being 'right' than with sharing God's compassion with others. And, I know, I'm just as guilty as anyone else.

 

[GK]

I think it's because we're scared and we don't believe God really does love us. We read his book and tell other people God loves us just because he loves us, but deep down, we still feel like we have to earn his love. We see all the crap in our own lives, all the stuff we've done wrong, and we know God couldn't really love us. It's all just a big trick. So we find ways to convince ourselves we're worthy of God's love (when the ironic twist is that we aren't worthy, which is the point). Some of us try to attain perfection of our own accord. In doing so, we construct our little boxes of what perfection looks like (because there's no way we can really be perfect). Then, we defend our boxes to the death, because if you tear down my box, I'm exposed in all my unloveliness.

Most of the arguments we get into, whether liberal or conservative, evangelical or apostolic are built from the boxes we've constructed and our attempts to make ourselves appear worthy. It won't stop until we all realize God really does love the whole world, including you and me, and not because we're worthy of it, but because it delights him to do so.

 

[eRev]

why do we(including myself) have a need to condemn...something in our faith? (this is to ALL Christian, not just conservatives or people who oppose some of liberal Christians' ideas.)

We're human.

 

[Multi-Elis]

The bad stings. The good we take for granted.

 

[Kgreg]

Some might not believe it, but I do it because I'm concerned about others' salvation if there is unrepentant sin in their lives.

You can tell me to mind my own business and worry about my soul, not yours.

You can tell me that I don't do it in a gentle, loving way as the NT instructs us to, and I'm guilty of this sometimes.

I do it because I think it's what God wants me to do.

 

[eRev]

Some might not believe it, but I do it because I'm concerned about others' salvation if there is unrepentant sin in their lives.

You can tell me to mind my own business and worry about my soul, not yours.

You can tell me that I don't do it in a gentle, loving way as the NT instructs us to, and I'm guilty of this sometimes.

I do it because I think it's what God wants me to do.

I used to think I could judge another’s salvation. What measure would I use? How am I to see another's heart? It is the essence of one's being where the Spirit causes regeneration. It is from that place, the epicenter of one's self that they yield to God. Without the ability to see there, I have come to understand all I can judge is another’s fruit. Even in that area I have a limited view from which to pass judgment.

How does one tell if another's sin is repented of? How does one know wether or not another has been before the throne asking forgivness (70 x 7). What is sin for one may not be sin for another. Again, it is the Spirit that brings things to light, leads, molds and shapes the believer into the image of God. No change is permanent unless it comes from the Spirit within. If this is true than wouldn't one be better lifting another in prayer, and loving them as they are, rather than discussing / teaching / correcting / bringing to light anothers sin?

Your belief in unrepentant sin and its relationship to salvation is YOUR belief. My view of salvation is that it is not probationary.

 

[Im_A]

I used to think I could judge another’s salvation. What measure would I use? How am I to see another's heart? It is the essence of one's being where the Spirit causes regeneration. It is from that place, the epicenter of one's self that they yield to God. Without the ability to see there, I have come to understand all I can judge is another’s fruit. Even in that area I have a limited view from which to pass judgment.

How does one tell if another's sin is repented of? How does one know wether or not another has been before the throne asking forgivness (70 x 7). What is sin for one may not be sin for another. Again, it is the Spirit that brings things to light, leads, molds and shapes the believer into the image of God. No change is permanent unless it comes from the Spirit within. If this is true than wouldn't one be better lifting another in prayer, and loving them as they are, rather than discussing / teaching / correcting / bringing to light anothers sin?

Your belief in unrepentant sin and its relationship to salvation is YOUR belief. My view of salvation is that it is not probationary.

AMEN E-REV! i couldn't agree with you more.

and might i add (if you don't mind), if one really cares about the salvation of someone, they should be living a life that will plant seeds...seeds that God can work in THEIR life. we may never know who we all affect with the Gospel. it's not our buisness to know. if one believes the spirit is active, then one should not play the role of God and trust in Him and not their ownselves.