Conservatives in America treat liberals like Ninevites? What of grace?

[GoldenEagle]

GoldenEagle- maybe there is a difference between political liberalism and liberal Christians? What type of liberal are you referring to?

Both types Rev. Okay gotta go.

[Guest shiloh357]

In the past couple of months simply here on the boards people who have conservative (Scripturally or Politically/socially speaking) have attacked/questioned the faith of those who believe in socialism, evolution, and that homosexuality isn't a sin.

 

Attacked in what way?   Challenged the legitimacy of their theology, or claimed that they were not true Christians and were not saved?

 

I simply have an issue with treating non-salvation issues as salvation issues. God is able, willing, and active in the lives of those around us. Why do we think that bluntly speaking the truth (without love or grace) will somehow convince others they are wrong?

 

A friend of mine had some health problems due to some self-destructive habits (smoking, over eating) and the doctor told her that she was morbidly obese and that her way of life was a series of very bad choices and that if she didn't start exercising some self control and kick the ciggarettes, she would be dead in a year.   He was blunt and to the point and she needed to hear it straight.   It scared her enough to change her life.

 

But more to the point, how is bluntness not loving or graceful if you are telling the truth?   Bluntness simply for the sake of being rude and mean would be graceless, but simply telling the truth and not mixing it with sugar isn't "unloving."   Liberalism is handing us some very dangerous perversions when it comes to theology and calling that kind of theology what it is, is not a lack of grace.  The fact that I don't treat false doctrines that come from liberal theology as occupying the same moral level as biblical truth doesn't mean I am lacking in grace or love.  

 

We are also called to be salt and light.   Ever put salt on an open wound?  Ever noticed how offensive light is when you are suddenly exposed to it when your eyes have been adjusted to the darkness in a room?   In the NT there is a word that is translated as "righteousness," but it is the Greek word agothosune and it refers to a form of righteousness that doesn't spare sharpness in order to produce good.

 

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. (Prov. 27:6)

 

There comes a point where we need to stand strong for truth, even if others around us are offended at the strength and lack of compromise in our stand.  We should not be intimidated by those who want to pervert our stand for truth as a cruel and unloving posture toward others. 

[revolutionist90]

 

Flesh wars against flesh but the spiritual man wars against the spiritual. I think we see liberal's agendas and mistake them for the enemy.

 

The enemy is the destroyer.

The enemy is Satan and his fallen angels. Every person we encounter is a potential heir to God in Christ - if they repent, turn from their sins, and confess Jesus Christ is Lord. Jesus paid an incredible price on the cross for our sins around 2000 years ago. Why do we feel we have to "put people in their place" when it comes to those with a more liberal mindset?

The enemy uses the liberal agenda to further his own agenda. But I would also say that the enemy can use the ultra conservative (legalism) agenda to further his own agenda as well.

 

God bless,

GE

 

Oh so you mean legalism? I was very confused for a while with what you are specifically asking conservatives to do with liberals but you are really speaking about legalism. Is legalism an actual conservative only term? Can't liberals also claim legalism but instead use their own twist? Legalism is strict obedience to the law system so for liberals the law is not the Bible but whatever they believe in from the world. For example, a person could say that if you do not support abortion you must be anti-woman since for that person Feminism is the law and must be strictly governed. A person could also say that if you do not support evolution in its entirety that you must be anti-science and be rejected by the science community for that person science is a god and must be strictly governed. 

 

But to bring it back in terms of religious legalism it is wrong to say that if a person supports abortion they are not saved or will lose their salvation since that is God's domain. But I don't think calling something a sin=questioning salvation but I do think supporting sin brings to question how close the person is to God and if they believe in the Bible. 

[Qnts2]

 

In the past couple of months simply here on the boards people who have conservative (Scripturally or Politically/socially speaking) have attacked/questioned the faith of those who believe in socialism, evolution, and that homosexuality isn't a sin.

 

Attacked in what way?   Challenged the legitimacy of their theology, or claimed that they were not true Christians and were not saved?

 

I simply have an issue with treating non-salvation issues as salvation issues. God is able, willing, and active in the lives of those around us. Why do we think that bluntly speaking the truth (without love or grace) will somehow convince others they are wrong?

 

A friend of mine had some health problems due to some self-destructive habits (smoking, over eating) and the doctor told her that she was morbidly obese and that her way of life was a series of very bad choices and that if she didn't start exercising some self control and kick the ciggarettes, she would be dead in a year.   He was blunt and to the point and she needed to hear it straight.   It scared her enough to change her life.

 

But more to the point, how is bluntness not loving or graceful if you are telling the truth?   Bluntness simply for the sake of being rude and mean would be graceless, but simply telling the truth and not mixing it with sugar isn't "unloving."   Liberalism is handing us some very dangerous perversions when it comes to theology and calling that kind of theology what it is, is not a lack of grace.  The fact that I don't treat false doctrines that come from liberal theology as occupying the same moral level as biblical truth doesn't mean I am lacking in grace or love.  

 

We are also called to be salt and light.   Ever put salt on an open wound?  Ever noticed how offensive light is when you are suddenly exposed to it when your eyes have been adjusted to the darkness in a room?   In the NT there is a word that is translated as "righteousness," but it is the Greek word agothosune and it refers to a form of righteousness that doesn't spare sharpness in order to produce good.

 

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. (Prov. 27:6)

 

There comes a point where we need to stand strong for truth, even if others around us are offended at the strength and lack of compromise in our stand.  We should not be intimidated by those who want to pervert our stand for truth as a cruel and unloving posture toward others. 

 

 

The danger in taking a stand for the truth is that if this is done in the incorrect way, it is more damaging the any liberal agenda. As believers, we represent Jesus and rude, cruel attacks distort Jesus. What could possibly be worse then doing something in Jesus name while distorting and misrepresenting Jesus. If a person is a true believer who is doing that, then they are slamming shut the way of salvation, or not allowing the little ones to come to Jesus.

 

Bluntness is not always loving, even if a person views it as the truth. If a bride is ugly as sin, do you say that bride is ugly? There are books on what is called 'lashon hara'/speaking evil. The simple answer for the ugly bride is, all brides have a glow about them on their wedding day, and that glow makes all brides beautiful.

 

There is a higher way. Christians need to be known for Who they are for, not what they are against. Jesus desires that all be saved which means Jesus desires the every person would come to Him. So whatever Christians do and say should be measured by the idea that God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son so that whosoever shall believe......

 

Our great commission is not to tell everyone what they are doing wrong and make them toe the line, it is to go out to the world and share the good news.   

[Guest shiloh357]

 

The danger in taking a stand for the truth is that if this is done in the incorrect way, it is more damaging the any liberal agenda. As believers, we represent Jesus and rude, cruel attacks distort Jesus. What could possibly be worse then doing something in Jesus name while distorting and misrepresenting Jesus. If a person is a true believer who is doing that, then they are slamming shut the way of salvation, or not allowing the little ones to come to Jesus.

 

Bluntness is not always loving, even if a person views it as the truth. If a bride is ugly as sin, do you say that bride is ugly? There are books on what is called 'lashon hara'/speaking evil. The simple answer for the ugly bride is, all brides have a glow about them on their wedding day, and that glow makes all brides beautiful.

 

There is a higher way. Christians need to be known for Who they are for, not what they are against. Jesus desires that all be saved which means Jesus desires the every person would come to Him. So whatever Christians do and say should be measured by the idea that God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son so that whosoever shall believe......

 

Our great commission is not to tell everyone what they are doing wrong and make them toe the line, it is to go out to the world and share the good news.   

 

You are confusing issues.  Bluntness in personal attacks like calling a bride "ugly" is not what is in view.   What is in view is simply having the temerity to stand by the truth and not have your stand intimidated by those who don't like what stand for, particualarly if it goes against what they stand for.  Blunt declaration of truth is not cruel nor is it an attack on a person.   It gets painted that way because it is easier to pretend one is a victim than it is to either acknowledge the truth or compose an intelligent rebuttal.

 

This is not about lecturing others about what they are doing wrong.  It is about being salt and light in a society that is adopting self-destructive behaviors and beliefs that go against the very fabric of our faith and our heritage.  Those things are important to preserve.  This is not an either/or proposition.  We are not expected to choose between sharing the Gospel and being voice for truth, as if one is opposition to the other.  We are called to do both.

[Qnts2]

You are confusing issues.  Bluntness in personal attacks like calling a bride "ugly" is not what is in view.   What is in view is simply having the temerity to stand by the truth and not have your stand intimidated by those who don't like what stand for, particualarly if it goes against what they stand for.  Blunt declaration of truth is not cruel nor is it an attack on a person.   It gets painted that way because it is easier to pretend one is a victim than it is to either acknowledge the truth or compose an intelligent rebuttal.

 

 

 

This is not about lecturing others about what they are doing wrong.  It is about being salt and light in a society that is adopting self-destructive behaviors and beliefs that go against the very fabric of our faith and our heritage.  Those things are important to preserve.  This is not an either/or proposition.  We are not expected to choose between sharing the Gospel and being voice for truth, as if one is opposition to the other.  We are called to do both.

 

Our job is not to be a light to society. It is to be a light to people and our light which we are to show is the truth about Jesus... the gospel.

 

If enough people come to know Jesus, as each individual changes, that will effect society. That is why our priority is the gospel.

 

In the future, when Jesus reigns on earth, society will be changed but people will be changed first.  The error of dominionism is the church attempting to rule, in Jesus place, but Jesus is the ruler and will rule on earth as King. Jesus will reign with an iron fist but again that is Jesus in the future, not us and not yet.   

[Leonard]

The Liberals ARE like the Ninevites.  They need to repent of following the devil's religion.  All Leftist thought descends and follows from the Marxist philosophy of Dialectical Materialism, which avers that ONLY the material world exists.

 

This is the exact opposite of a Biblical worldview.  It is DOOMING millions and millions to a Christ-less eternity, and truncating the spiritual growth of millions and millions of truly born again Christians infected by the evil a prioris of this demonic system of thought.

[Guest ninhao]

 

The enemy is Satan and his fallen angels. Every person we encounter is a potential heir to God in Christ - if they repent, turn from their sins, and confess Jesus Christ is Lord. Jesus paid an incredible price on the cross for our sins around 2000 years ago. Why do we feel we have to "put people in their place" when it comes to those with a more liberal mindset?

The enemy uses the liberal agenda to further his own agenda. But I would also say that the enemy can use the ultra conservative (legalism) agenda to further his own agenda as well.

 

 

God bless,

GE

 

 

I agree. Satan will be pleased to see both ungodly agenda ( which may be liberal or conservative/legalistic ) and ungraceful correction which potentially creates barriers. 

 

We need to overcome the destroyer's tactics with good.  ( Romans 12 )

[The_Patriot21]

I agree, and its an easy trap to fall into. Speaking for myself, over the last few weeks looking back at my posts, I realize In many cases I was coming across harsher towards liberal christians then I really should have. I know its a poor excuse, but I can be a very passionate debater-and I also have a tendency to be a little more blatant then I should be anyway, and often when I get into a heated debate, I lose my cool and come across as harsh, even sometimes rude. And this post is dead on, and I apologize if Ive offended anyone the past few weeks in (or ever) in any of my replies, my intention was not to insult anyone-but I can definetly see where some of my posts could be taken that way.

[missmuffet]

I am very conservative.I do not treat those who I consider liberal rude.Would I be setting a Christian example if I were to treat anyone in such a way?To each their own.Like I have said on here many times life is full of choices.Who am I to tell anyone how to live their life?