Chrysalis Kat said:
Truly one of the best Christian sites on the internet!
ETA: I thought you meant the site, not the CF forum.
http://www.whosoever.org/
I believe in tolerance and equality. In another post, I even clarified that the title of my sermon, "A Brotherhood of Man," is a quote from a John Lennon song. My topic is actually broader, including brothers and sisters, man and woman.
I sympathize with the feelings expressed in the intro page, and I encourage the attitude that "Whosoever Will, May Come." I fully accept my non-traditional brothers and sisters on this Earth. (Heck, I even accept traditional people, although I don't always agree with them.)
That being said, let me disagree with the opening statement of the entry page to that website, which reads :
"The United States, as a nation, does not possess any of the qualities of blessedness that Jesus spells out. "
The United States, as a nation, does indeed possess those qualities. There are people in the United States who live in poverty. There are people in the United States who reach out to others with love and generousity.
There are also people in the United States who don't, notably certain corrupt leaders. This is the same all over, not just in America.
Now, perhaps I fall short. Perhaps I don't possess any of those qualities Jesus spelled out. Perhaps I'm too rich and selfish to count myself among those who possess those qualities. But there are other people who are not.
We are a rich nation, where the meek, the hungry and the peacemakers are marginalized
The meek, the hungry and the peacemakers are no less Americans then those who oppress. When you say "we are a rich nation," you include the marginalized ones, unless you're only talking about meek foreigners. When you say "The United States, as a nation," that includes those who are marginalized.
not only in society at large, but within the nation's churches, as well.
The nation's churches? There are a lot of churches in America--Roman Catholic, Baptist, Unitarian Universalist, The United Church of Christ. When you say "the nation's churches," that's a lot of churches. I wouldn't make so broad and sweeping a statement.
We are not God's chosen nation --
I think they all are.
we are a nation forsaken by God --
Somewhere, there is a gentle, sweet old lady. She has weakness in her bones, pains from her artheritis. Sometime soon, she is going to have to decide whether she is going to buy prescription medicines this month, or food. She may be weak, she may be poor in wealth, but I do not believe for a minute that just because she lives in Ohio, New Jersey or Conneticut, or that just because she is suffering, that it is because she lives in a nation which is forsaken by God. Rather, it's those who have forsaken God who lead her to her condition--God forsakes no one.
-- a nation that has forgotten that to be truly blessed is to be humble and meek.
The author of that page may accuse me of forgetting that to be truly blesses is to be humble and meek. The author doesn't know me, but he may accuse me of that. I can take it.
But I wish he wouldn't accuse other, less fortunate of my nation, a nation which I love despite those who are lacking in certain levels of compassion, because I know there is goodness and kindness to be found here, good people, caring people, and people in need as well.
Respectfully, I don't think it's necessary to say that the nation is bad ,when you really mean that there are some bad people, even bad policies and bad decision makers, in the nation.
America is a beautiful place with beautiful people. So are many other places in the world. There is a donut surrounding that spiritual hole you are pointing out. I believe we do need to address the problems expressed in these sentiments, but we shouldn't attribute them sweepingly to "America," but to the individuals within America who are oppressing others.
Respectfully,
Charlie
DudeIRock,
