Forgive my presumptuous speculation, but if any of this becomes personal, and any of us start getting too heated, lets mutually agree to stop this. It wouldn't be worth it. Alright let's do this!
Curtis, why so mechanical and serious? You organized your arguments and everything.
Much of what I was saying was rhetorical, not directed at anyone in particular. You guys were just the inspiration for what I've been meaning to write about for a while. If at any time you felt I was trying to doubt either of your loves of God and his Word, that's my bad. I could have been clearer.
I do not support Obama. Let me rephrase that: I do not support the Obama Administration. To say that would mean giving that support to his entire platform, full of ideas and plans I could never possibly fully understand or agree with. If 'liberal' means supporter of Democrats, I am not that either. The thing about political parties is that if you belong to one side, that automatically means you are against the other. Both parties are filled with people: beautiful, wonderful, and loving people. I couldn't imagine being against any of them.
I honestly don't agree with your views on the government. I do not want anarchy, and I don't have any ideas for an alternative, but our government is a flawed system. What else could we expect with mere humans in the driver's seat?
To say "the law has to be enforced to protect people in the future" implies that the Law is something necessary, and our only protection in some aspects. There used to be a similar Law in biblical times. Paul says that nobody is justified by that Law. He even called it a curse. I mention this simply to suggest that maybe that law, that government, aren't as vital to society as some people think it.
Is it right then, to leave the livelihood and freedom of human beings to this law and government? Is it the right of humans to judge other human beings; to punish and determine proper consequences? By judge I mean say that their actions are the equivalent of what is their nature, what's in their hearts. And declaring that they need to "learn a lesson". And we already know how judging is a bad thing.
I prefer a relational, person-to-person, approach to issues that show up throughout humanity. Letting the police departments and legislators deal with people seems so detached. Impersonal. But in this way, I agree with you. It's not pragmatic. It is impossible to find the time for, let alone get the message across to all people deserving to hear that message. It's one of the difficult, complex, no-clear-cut-answer issues that we as christians face today.
But as Paul worked in the people under Caesar's government, and Jesus under the Jewish, we should be able to go without depending on 'officials' to carry out what we believe and accept as true. And the great thing about what Jesus taught, was that he advocated a big Love that led to forgiveness. We don't forgive our brothers seven times, but seventy-seven times. It's a Love that lets us turn the other cheek. It's a Love that gives us the hope that in every person there is the ability to change, just like that same Love changed us.
This time I'm screwed for APUSH. Again. No regrets.
i just finished. i started at 4:40 T-T
ReplyDelete