Can we make MN less hostile?

[barnhart]

I realize those passages but I'm talking about respect? Can't that lead people to a false sense of understanding doctrine? As I be the early church writer's father's theologians they address these things with syrong protection over truth as did Jesus, I'm talking about people professing to be Christians

Valerie, you have posted some things that seem like error if not heresy to me. How would you prefer I respond going forward.

Be specific. Id appreciate knowing what I've posted that you consider heresy. Thank you. An answer. If someone is promoting heresy I don't expect respect for me or anyone else.

But that is your way, not mine...

[Valerie]

Valerie, you have posted some things that seem like error if not heresy to me. How would you prefer I respond going forward.

Be specific. Id appreciate knowing what I've posted that you consider heresy. Thank you. An answer. If someone is promoting heresy I don't expect respect for me or anyone else.

But that is your way, not mine...

Well Im going by what Scripture teaches on dealing with heresy, but i also feel it is not kind to accuse someone about having been in error or possible heresy as you did me, without having actually addressed it with me. Is that respectful? I feel clueless what you're referring to.

[QuietlyListening]

I would love to see everyone stop labeling others. What one calls a liberal, another calls a conservative- everything starts with your starting point of view. Just state your views, kindly show how you disagree and stop the labels or the attacks.

While this isn't personal attacks of people on MN, truly labeling, and name calling other people you speak about, especially people in authority over you, is uncalled for. It doesn't matter if it's Lincoln, Clay, Nixon, Clinton, Trump, Biden, Obama, or Joe Schmo, name calling is uncalled for and is not honoring of scripture. We are called to respect and honor those in authority over us- we don't have to agree with them or like them but we need to show respect by how we talk about them, so avoid name calling.

Alluding to others as the trouble makers doesn't help either. Whether it is bluntly naming others or alluding to people, what good does this do but get backs up? Once again, state your views and show how you disagree .

This is just my opinion.

[Josh]

I would love to see everyone stop labeling others. What one calls a liberal, another calls a conservative- everything starts with your starting point of view. Just state your views, kindly show how you disagree and stop the labels or the attacks.

All point of views are not equal. If you like, instead of referring to people as "liberals", I can use Biblical language, which is a lot harsher than "liberal".

[Sudsy]

I would love to see everyone stop labeling others. What one calls a liberal, another calls a conservative- everything starts with your starting point of view. Just state your views, kindly show how you disagree and stop the labels or the attacks.

While this isn't personal attacks of people on MN, truly labeling, and name calling other people you speak about, especially people in authority over you, is uncalled for. It doesn't matter if it's Lincoln, Clay, Nixon, Clinton, Trump, Biden, Obama, or Joe Schmo, name calling is uncalled for and is not honoring of scripture. We are called to respect and honor those in authority over us- we don't have to agree with them or like them but we need to show respect by how we talk about them, so avoid name calling.

Alluding to others as the trouble makers doesn't help either. Whether it is bluntly naming others or alluding to people, what good does this do but get backs up? Once again, state your views and show how you disagree .

This is just my opinion.

Thankyou. These are good exhortations. 1 Peter 4:8 gives us another

Above all, have fervent and unfailing love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins [it overlooks unkindness and unselfishly seeks the best for others].

[Bootstrap]

I would love to see everyone stop labeling others. What one calls a liberal, another calls a conservative- everything starts with your starting point of view. Just state your views, kindly show how you disagree and stop the labels or the attacks.

All point of views are not equal. If you like, instead of referring to people as "liberals", I can use Biblical language, which is a lot harsher than "liberal".

I think using biblical language and following the examples of Jesus and Paul would be a great step in the right direction. Perhaps it's useful to look at the way Jesus spoke to others about Pharisees, and the different ways that Jesus spoke to various Pharisees on different occasions, comparing that to the way he spoke to sinners, tax collectors, Gentiles, lepers, etc.

And the whole "liberal" versus "conservative" war must not be allowed to replace biblical discernment. These words don't even occur in the Bible. Were the Pharisees more conservative than Jesus? They seem to have been very zealous about the Law and strict in its application, but they did that in ways that did not honor God. And some of that was the hostility or contemptuous indifference they showed to people they considered sinners. So how do we practice righteousness in a way that is more like Jesus and less like those who killed him because they were offended by him? I think that's what we should focus on.

We need Christians who look at the woman caught in adultery and say both "neither do I condemn you" and "go and sin no more". Jesus could do that. Many Christians can only do one or the other but not both. If we want to learn to respond to issues in a Christlike way, we need to set aside the political framing of every issue and adopt biblical framing, ask ourselves how Jesus responded at the time, looking at the whole of the Gospel.

And in setting aside the political framing, we need to see the real conflict as the world versus the Kingdom, not liberals versus conservatives. Really, I don't see how we can otherwise claim to be Christians pursuing the Kingdom of God by looking to what Jesus said and did.

[Josh]

We need Christians who look at the woman caught in adultery and say both "neither do I condemn you" and "go and sin no more". Jesus could do that. Many Christians can only do one or the other but not both. If we want to learn to respond to issues in a Christlike way, we need to set aside the political framing of every issue and adopt biblical framing, ask ourselves how Jesus responded at the time, looking at the whole of the Gospel.

Yet that's not the only thing in the NT says about adulterers. There's quite a bit of ink about what happens to adulterers, and false teachers, and more.

This is how the Bible speaks about those who support sin:

Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

I haven't regularly used that strong of language in debating those here on MennoNet who support obvious sins like adultery, homosexuality, fornication, and abortion. Perhaps I should start.

[nett]

I would love to see everyone stop labeling others. What one calls a liberal, another calls a conservative- everything starts with your starting point of view. Just state your views, kindly show how you disagree and stop the labels or the attacks.

All point of views are not equal. If you like, instead of referring to people as "liberals", I can use Biblical language, which is a lot harsher than "liberal".

I think using biblical language and following the examples of Jesus and Paul would be a great step in the right direction. Perhaps it's useful to look at the way Jesus spoke to others about Pharisees, and the different ways that Jesus spoke to various Pharisees on different occasions, comparing that to the way he spoke to sinners, tax collectors, Gentiles, lepers, etc.

And the whole "liberal" versus "conservative" war must not be allowed to replace biblical discernment. These words don't even occur in the Bible. Were the Pharisees more conservative than Jesus? They seem to have been very zealous about the Law and strict in its application, but they did that in ways that did not honor God. And some of that was the hostility or contemptuous indifference they showed to people they considered sinners. So how do we practice righteousness in a way that is more like Jesus and less like those who killed him because they were offended by him? I think that's what we should focus on.

We need Christians who look at the woman caught in adultery and say both "neither do I condemn you" and "go and sin no more". Jesus could do that. Many Christians can only do one or the other but not both. If we want to learn to respond to issues in a Christlike way, we need to set aside the political framing of every issue and adopt biblical framing, ask ourselves how Jesus responded at the time, looking at the whole of the Gospel.

And in setting aside the political framing, we need to see the real conflict as the world versus the Kingdom, not liberals versus conservatives. Really, I don't see how we can otherwise claim to be Christians pursuing the Kingdom of God by looking to what Jesus said and did.

The only person I know of here not claiming to be a Christian is Franklin. So far everyone has treated him very graciously.

As far as those claiming to be Christians, but advocating for abortion, homosexuality, and other mortal sins, I think Jesus would have much harsher words for them.

[Bootstrap]

Yet that's not the only thing in the NT says about adulterers. There's quite a bit of ink about what happens to adulterers, and false teachers, and more.

And also quite a bit about sins of speech and the fruit of the flesh.

This is how the Bible speaks about those who support sin:

Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Let's read that in context:

Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.

So if we are eager to avoid sin, I think that means looking at the whole list. To me, it's striking how often sins of speech and sexual sins are addressed in the same lists of sins in the New Testament.

[Robert]

I haven't regularly used that strong of language in debating those here on MennoNet who support obvious sins like adultery, homosexuality, fornication, and abortion. Perhaps I should start.

I hope not.