The Six Commandments?

[Vhayes]

I really have to wonder: does the wrongness of favoring one faith over another extend to the gates of the kingdom of God?

I really have to wonder: do some people confuse the United States with heaven?

Is He the original instigator of religious intolerance? One thing is sure and certain: only those who belong to God will dwell with Him in His kingdom, and no allowances will be made for political correctness or diversity. And I'm inclined to believe that those who enter therein who were raised in paganism will be grateful for the Christian influence that saved them from eternal damnation--despite the perception of those who think that influence should be confined to the home and the church building. I'm sure glad Jesus and the Apostles didn't keep their preaching behind closed doors.

I'm inclined to think the Holy Spirit can work in ways other than having a Hindu child sit in a classroom being force fed scripture.

No one is telling you to keep your preaching behind closed doors. Yet ANOTHER strawman.

[awestruckchild]

If you worship God because you feel you must, then you're missing something.

I simply MUST worship Him. It is the only response there can be to the love and mercy I have been shown. What other response can there be? Perhaps I AM missing something, but I just know that my dumbfounded gratitude bursts from my depths and literally flies out of my mouth and that to even attempt to hold it back might cause me to burst to pieces! If I am missing something, then I guess I have even more dumbfounded gratitude to look forward to!

edit to add: Just so we are clear, you seemed to suggest that a child worshiping in school was being done "just because they can", infringing on the freedom of another. I pointed out that I worship because I simply MUST or I will burst! I just make the assumption that I am not the only one who breaks out in praise at the mere thought of the undeserved mercy and grace I have been showered with. Truly, there really is no thought as to whether I may be infringing in some way on the "freedom" of another because my thoughts are wholly on God at those times.

[Vhayes]

Perhaps you have searched for the stories with the same impatience and lack of thoughtful attention with which you hastily read others posts and so this is why you could not find them?

I've found something about a teen in San Diego who was told not to bring his bible to school. Is that the story you are referring to? If it is, even the dreaded ACLU said it was a direct infringement on the teens right of free speech.

[Sojourner55]

I really have to wonder: do some people confuse the United States with heaven?


I'm inclined to think the Holy Spirit can work in ways other than having a Hindu child sit in a classroom being force fed scripture.

No one is telling you to keep your preaching behind closed doors. Yet ANOTHER strawman.

Again with the strawman. I have repeatedly expressed the view that one SHOULD NOT have a particular religion force fed to them by any government--including ours. Just as I would not want--to use your own worn out strawman--my child to be force fed a pagan belief. Let me reiterate again: I agree that the Constitution prohibits establishing any particular religion as a state religion, including Christianity. And one more time just to be extra clear: the United States was not designed or formed as a theocracy or "Christian nation," though it was founded on Biblical principles.

My beef is in the restrictions imposed on the freedom to pray, read the Bible, sing psalms, or just talk about Jesus--among those who want to do so--anytime, any place in the US. I'm NOT advocating that Christianity be crammed down anyone's throat, either by individuals or the government. I only ask that the government keep its nose--and the noses of atheists--out of the freedoms plainly written into the first amendment: that Congress shall not prohibit the free exercise of one's faith.

You keep saying there is no such infringement. You're wrong. I've seen news articles about Christian teachers reprimanded for privately reading the Bible during a lunch break, and even for silently saying grace before eating--because it offended someone at the table. I've seen many such articles, occurring in every sector of society, almost always where the harassment was unjustified. Such things do not constitute Congress establishing a law concerning religion; but does fall into the category of prohibiting the free exercise thereof. But these days, we're not all that concerned with the second clause in the first amendment, it seems.

[Vhayes]

This may be a just me thing but I have to tell you, I have never encountered anyone being offended by my bowing my head over before eating a meal. I have never been told I could not discuss Jesus with someone who wanted to also discuss Jesus.

I used to work with an atheist. He was vehement in his hatred for religion (yes, all religion) and he was extremely vocal about his abhorrence for evangelical Christianity. I listened to him quietly, there would be times I would ask him to show me/prove to me what he was talking about but most of the time, I said nothing. Until one day, I asked him to go into a conference room with me and I told him I was tired of his constant banging on Christians - that just as he had a "right" for me not to try and proselytize him while in our workplace, I had a "right" to not hear his pushing of atheism. The law cut both ways.

That was the last time I ever heard him complain about evangelicals at work.

[TomH]

Let me point out something. I'm not saying there are no news reports of anyone being prohibited from silent prayer, reading Scripture, wearing certain clothing.

I will say that in today's society, and especially the media, we find biased reports which are easily followed if you want to take them at face value.

When I hear "I've seen reports" or "I read an article", without so much as a reference to or a link for that particular accusation, how can there be reproof?

If scientific studies were conducted in the same manner as this thread, I should be able to state that I had read somewhere that the moon is made of green cheese, and expect everyone to begin placing orders for a pound, thinly sliced, to pay for the next moon mission.

Come on people. If you want to make accusations, point to the proof. Even science requires blind studies.

[awestruckchild]

Hi again V,
Well, you certainly can't be faulted in any way for not ever having experienced offending someone by bowing your head or reading your bible. If you haven't experienced it, then you just haven't.

But some others certainly have, and it really shouldn't come as any big surprise, because Jesus told us if they hated Him then they would hate us. When you hate someone, you are offended by them and they are very odious to you. You can think of nothing else but getting them to shut up.

[Athanasius]

Yes, I think I hear something...
is it....?
Oh, whew!
It's Barry WHITE.
THAT, I can handle!
Athanasius has left the building...
shame on you for scaring him like that!
I feeel scaaared when heee's scaared....
I feeel saaad when heee's saad...

This thread is really weird.

[TomH]

Hi again V,
Well, you certainly can't be faulted in any way for not ever having experienced offending someone by bowing your head or reading your bible. If you haven't experienced it, then you just haven't.
But some others certainly have, and it really shouldn't come as any big surprise, because Jesus told us if they hated Him then they would hate us. When you hate someone, you are offended by them and they are very odious to you. You can think of nothing else but getting them to shut up.

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[Athanasius]

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[Vhayes]

Hi again V,
Well, you certainly can't be faulted in any way for not ever having experienced offending someone by bowing your head or reading your bible. If you haven't experienced it, then you just haven't.

But some others certainly have, and it really shouldn't come as any big surprise, because Jesus told us if they hated Him then they would hate us. When you hate someone, you are offended by them and they are very odious to you. You can think of nothing else but getting them to shut up.

So, you have experienced people telling you not to read your bible? Or bowing your head? Or are you reading news stories that tell of those things?

[keck553]

So, you have experienced people telling you not to read your bible? Or bowing your head? Or are you reading news stories that tell of those things?

Yeah, we're supposed to hide our lamp under a bowl. Is that was Jesus said? Really?

[Vhayes]

Yeah, we're supposed to hide our lamp under a bowl. Is that was Jesus said? Really?

Huh?

I bow my head almost always before I eat - as a thankfulness for the provisions and to ask that the food be used by my body for strength and health.

I talk to Jesus a lot of the time. Most of the time out loud.

How is that "hiding my light under a bowl"?

[Bandit]

This thread is really weird.

Yes, let's try to disagree without getting really weird. (We want to keep weirdness and disagreement in distinct categories. And, yes, they do overlap sometimes, but let's not get too weird about it.)

[awestruckchild]

This thread is really weird.

Sorry, my fault. Was sort of like a private joke I guess, based on a link Tom posted a while ago in one of my threads. Sometimes I get a little silly.