Well, you won't see it in my behavior, for one thing. As I said, it's one thing to show respect versus disrespecting someone.
I can respect that a murderer still has rights. I can respect that they still are a child of God, even if they don't believe it. It doesn't mean I have to like them.
Respect can often mean validating that person. If I don't respect the person for the decisions they are making I'm certainly not going to say "hey, I think it's okay that you do that". Some people think that's disrespect. If I say "that is a stupid thing you're doing" some people think that's disrespect. If it is, I'm okay with that type of disrespect then.
It's not really an easy concept to explain, which is why I think Blessed is taking too much from it. Saying respect is something earned doesn't mean I automatically disrespect EVERYONE until they earn my respect. It just means that a person doesn't get respect simply for existing.
respecting someone and liking someone is of course not the same thing.
you do not need to validate someone by respecting them. if people think that you are then they dont understand the meaning of extending respect. if you respect someone in christ then you must respect who christ thinks they are. one definiton of respect - the one im using is -
'have due regard for (someone's feelings, wishes, or rights).'
it is okay to say you think something is stupid if you do it out of love.
you say that you dont disrespect them if they havent earned your respect, and i understand and thank you for clarifying, but i still see a problem with saying anyone has to earn your respect.
if we are honest, there is nothing in us to respect. god says our rigteousness is like filthy rags.
there is also the respect of admiration but we aren't talking about that. you said you dont respect someone for simply existing. well, i say that someone's mere existence demands some respect. that's god's creation. you don't need to respect anything ABOUT that person, but you have to respect their innate worth as a human being. they don't need to earn that.
maybe i am reading a lot into it, but i think this is one thing jesus did a lot better than all of us. and i think we all could do with trying a lot harder to love people by default rather than waiting for something to validate them to our senses.
and the only reason i said this is because you came here saying you dont respect binge drinkers. i used to fall into that category. so why did you come here to insult me. you said you don't share this disrespect, but you did. instead of disapproving of the action, you made a sweeping judgement with your words. words are powerful and yours echoed feelings of judgement that many alcoholics feel.
so i say either choose your words better, or respect people but not necessarily thier actions. you only hurt people by saying you don't respect them for behavior the are struggling to change.
never once did jesus approach someone and say 'i dont respect you but i respect that you are a child of god." he would say, "i don't respect this sin, now i forgive you, go and sin no more." condemnation was not his mission. it shouldn't be ours either.
