Wednesday, May 24, 2006
GodBLOGGING and Labels
I have been pretty sanctimonious these last few days about the pronouncements from the "Truly Reformed" about the eternal fate of Roman Catholics and homosexuals. I want to emphasize that I am not perfect. I certainly make judgements about people. It is necessary to to get through the day and to conduct business. I may even utter my conclusions to close associates behind closed doors; people whose confidence I can rely upon.
Sometimes here in the world of Godblogging we think we are in the narthex just chatting with a few friends. We forget that our words are a Google/Technorati search away from anyone in the world "listening in."
You see, that's the problem when we start declaring things like "The Roman Catholic Church is not a true church," or "unrepentant homosexuals cannot be real Christians." Because anyone in the world can read it, and you label yourself a Christian and my brother, I now have to live with the consequences of your words.
There is a state of undeclared cultural war between the church and the homosexual community. Maybe in the TR churches they don't have to worry about such things, but in my church I have to have relationships with homosexual people - many of whom don't want to talk to me because they read your words and think I think they are not real Christians. In fact, all I really think is that they are sinners, just like me.
The fact of the matter is that most homosexuals want nothing at all to do with Christians because of the kind of declarations we have been seeing out of some TR sources lately. Now how precisely are we supposed to reach them with the gospel when they run at the very sight of us? - Just because some poeple don't have the common sense to NOT put some of their opinions on their blogs.
This is public debate - this is not a private chat - Those are why God invented email and instant messaging.
I have no question that on blogs and in chat rooms and bulletin boards throughout the homosexual culture, the words of our TR friends are being quoted and linked, and the wall between Christians and homosexuals is growing ever higher and thicker.
Worse, I know that is true when it comes to the Roman Catholics because I have been hearing from them. If you believe they are destined for the infernal fires of eternity (NOTE: I do not), don't you want to reach them with the good news of Christ? So why in the world would you take pains to publicly erect a barrier between you and them? Helping them - helping anyone - see their sin is part of evangelism, but pronouncing them simply damned is another thing indeed, whether merely assumed, or confidently declared. (although I am forced to comment that I absolutely fail to understand how a theological disagreement rises to the level of sin)
I have reached out to some of my more loquatious and eriudite Catholic friends in the last week, hoping to persuade one or more of them to write posts on my blog and take up the gauntlet on this debate. One of them, who has asked not to be named, but would be quite recognizable if I could, responded - in part - with these words
If we want Godblogging to make a difference, we need to wake up here folks. People actually read these things, and not just other people that agree with you. Every word you write, every syllable you type, echoes throughout the entire Internet for anyone, ANYONE, to find, read, and react to.
Remember that the next time you are ready to declare an entire group of people as hellbound.
Related Tags: homosexuality, Christianity, Roman Catholics, barriers, the gospel
Sometimes here in the world of Godblogging we think we are in the narthex just chatting with a few friends. We forget that our words are a Google/Technorati search away from anyone in the world "listening in."
You see, that's the problem when we start declaring things like "The Roman Catholic Church is not a true church," or "unrepentant homosexuals cannot be real Christians." Because anyone in the world can read it, and you label yourself a Christian and my brother, I now have to live with the consequences of your words.
There is a state of undeclared cultural war between the church and the homosexual community. Maybe in the TR churches they don't have to worry about such things, but in my church I have to have relationships with homosexual people - many of whom don't want to talk to me because they read your words and think I think they are not real Christians. In fact, all I really think is that they are sinners, just like me.
The fact of the matter is that most homosexuals want nothing at all to do with Christians because of the kind of declarations we have been seeing out of some TR sources lately. Now how precisely are we supposed to reach them with the gospel when they run at the very sight of us? - Just because some poeple don't have the common sense to NOT put some of their opinions on their blogs.
This is public debate - this is not a private chat - Those are why God invented email and instant messaging.
I have no question that on blogs and in chat rooms and bulletin boards throughout the homosexual culture, the words of our TR friends are being quoted and linked, and the wall between Christians and homosexuals is growing ever higher and thicker.
Worse, I know that is true when it comes to the Roman Catholics because I have been hearing from them. If you believe they are destined for the infernal fires of eternity (NOTE: I do not), don't you want to reach them with the good news of Christ? So why in the world would you take pains to publicly erect a barrier between you and them? Helping them - helping anyone - see their sin is part of evangelism, but pronouncing them simply damned is another thing indeed, whether merely assumed, or confidently declared. (although I am forced to comment that I absolutely fail to understand how a theological disagreement rises to the level of sin)
I have reached out to some of my more loquatious and eriudite Catholic friends in the last week, hoping to persuade one or more of them to write posts on my blog and take up the gauntlet on this debate. One of them, who has asked not to be named, but would be quite recognizable if I could, responded - in part - with these words
To be honest, anyone who could claim Catholics are not Christians is not worth arguing with. The great weakness of protestant thought is its irrationality. Anyone who would take such a position would never be swayed by arguments. I have always found it much easier to convert atheists and agnostics to the Catholic faith because they have spent time wrestling with the ideas and are ready to debate. The protestants I find just select a couple of favorite bible verses and repeat them endlessly and exclusively.That is quite an indictment. All that wonderful, systematic, reformed thought reduced to dogmatic repitition.
If we want Godblogging to make a difference, we need to wake up here folks. People actually read these things, and not just other people that agree with you. Every word you write, every syllable you type, echoes throughout the entire Internet for anyone, ANYONE, to find, read, and react to.
Remember that the next time you are ready to declare an entire group of people as hellbound.
Related Tags: homosexuality, Christianity, Roman Catholics, barriers, the gospel
