We have all heard the expression walk the straight and narrow. The belief being that the road to heaven is indeed a straight and narrow one. I was raised to believe just that. It is indeed a straight a narrow set of parameters. Do unto others as you would have others do unto you being the primary directive. If we all did exactly that, we would all be happy. But unfortunately that isn't the case, nor will it ever be so. Each of us will, at some point decide we are exempt from that. Oh it is to varying degrees, but true for us all. I do expect certain actions from others. When those actions are not forthcoming I will react. I may take action to, shall I say, stimulate the response I was hoping to receive. That action will often be contrary to what I would like you to do to me. That is where the path gets crooked, as we dodge and weave our way around the truth. The path is widened to allow others to pass!
These thoughts came to mind as I read a posting the other day. This posting was concerned with the way Christians are practicing their faith. The gest of the article was that by calling others out on their sins, by imploring them to change their ways, Christians were in some fashion betraying the faith! The general premise being, Jesus preached forgiveness and tolerance for everyone. I won't argue that point, he certainly did that. The thing is, he preached, and he did offer forgiveness. There was a stipulation to that forgiveness however, that stipulation being " Go and sin no more. " Whoever wrote that article seems to have either forgotten that part, or chose to ignore it. To me it is the fundamental basis for forgiveness, this action we call repentance! And just what is repentance? Repentance is understanding the error of your ways. It isn't just being sorry for past misdeeds, or even naming those deeds. To truly repent is to change your ways. To " go and sin no more. "
The whole discussion centers around defining what is sin, or sinful. That has certainly been changed over the years. We have the ten commandments, those are pretty clear directives as far as I am concerned. Do this and don't do that. The question is, if I would like you to do whatever to me, does that make it not a sin? I ask the question based on my initial premise of the golden rule, do unto others. But then wouldn't that depend upon me telling you what I want? If I want it, it is not a sin even if it something you don't want? If you want something, it isn't a sin? And then having determined that is what you want, but I believe that to be a sin because it is something I don't want, I am required to forgive you, and in fact support your choice to sin because it isn't sin if you want it? Somehow I don't think that is how it is supposed to work. In that way, sin or wrongdoing however you wish to phrase that is only determined by my own desires. Well now, isn't that convenient.
Epictetus said: All religions must be tolerated, for every man must get to heaven is his own way. I believe that wholeheartedly. We must remember that tolerance is not acceptance. Those are separate actions. Tolerance does not involve me supporting or condoning an action or actions. In fact tolerance is nothing more than a failure to act upon something that irritates me! So your insistence that tolerance means I should condone or support your actions is actually quite intolerant! Tolerance is listening to what I have to say, politely and attentively. Acceptance, is agreeing.
These thoughts came to mind as I read a posting the other day. This posting was concerned with the way Christians are practicing their faith. The gest of the article was that by calling others out on their sins, by imploring them to change their ways, Christians were in some fashion betraying the faith! The general premise being, Jesus preached forgiveness and tolerance for everyone. I won't argue that point, he certainly did that. The thing is, he preached, and he did offer forgiveness. There was a stipulation to that forgiveness however, that stipulation being " Go and sin no more. " Whoever wrote that article seems to have either forgotten that part, or chose to ignore it. To me it is the fundamental basis for forgiveness, this action we call repentance! And just what is repentance? Repentance is understanding the error of your ways. It isn't just being sorry for past misdeeds, or even naming those deeds. To truly repent is to change your ways. To " go and sin no more. "
The whole discussion centers around defining what is sin, or sinful. That has certainly been changed over the years. We have the ten commandments, those are pretty clear directives as far as I am concerned. Do this and don't do that. The question is, if I would like you to do whatever to me, does that make it not a sin? I ask the question based on my initial premise of the golden rule, do unto others. But then wouldn't that depend upon me telling you what I want? If I want it, it is not a sin even if it something you don't want? If you want something, it isn't a sin? And then having determined that is what you want, but I believe that to be a sin because it is something I don't want, I am required to forgive you, and in fact support your choice to sin because it isn't sin if you want it? Somehow I don't think that is how it is supposed to work. In that way, sin or wrongdoing however you wish to phrase that is only determined by my own desires. Well now, isn't that convenient.
Epictetus said: All religions must be tolerated, for every man must get to heaven is his own way. I believe that wholeheartedly. We must remember that tolerance is not acceptance. Those are separate actions. Tolerance does not involve me supporting or condoning an action or actions. In fact tolerance is nothing more than a failure to act upon something that irritates me! So your insistence that tolerance means I should condone or support your actions is actually quite intolerant! Tolerance is listening to what I have to say, politely and attentively. Acceptance, is agreeing.
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