People hear only what they want to hear... Always...
For some reason (whether it be bad Christian contacts, an unclear view of Christianity, or just a general dislike for Christianity and a rebellion against God) many have this view of Christianity that says man is worthless, destined to a life of self defeat and guilt; all is evil, nothing is good except this spoiled, red-headed step child of a god who demands way too much; charity and concern for others is a mere facade, a false projection of the Christian life that is in place to somehow fool the rest of the world into believing Christians have good character, a self defeating projection since the very nature of Christianity seems to be untilled land, infertile for any seeds of love to grow, selfishness and arrogance incarnate; a religion of mass ignorance and herd-like mentality, a tell-me-where-to-go-because-i-dont-want-to-figure-it-out-on-my-own-religion...
Of course, views like this, many times, are not so much persecution, but merely an acting out of basic human character: we look at the worst and blanket it over the rest... i believe it is referred to many times as stereotyping... its everywhere (and to avoid stereotyping, i will not say everyone does it); after 9/11 muslims are the anti-christ to many, although there are many muslims who, while by there own creeds they should be, are not oppressive or hostile... oppression comes from people, not from ideas or religions, even if those ideas demand oppression... for example, many deny Christianity on the basis of its oppression... while there has been oppression in the past through different Christians, Christianity is not an oppressive religion...
so, someone may look back in history and see the major oppression of the RCC, they then come back to today and cast that blanket over evangelicals... or they may even cast the fundamentalist blanket the same way... after all, didn't many of Mohammad's ideas stem from his encounters with false and/or perverted Christians?... and didn't many of our God-rejecting "great minds" whose works are studied today also form many of their views based on false views of Christianity... even further, the cornerstone of many modern day views and worldviews is called "anti-theism"... (seriously, how serious can you take something when it is merely built of the rejection of something else? funny how modern worldviews all begin by saying: "theism? nu-uh")
it has been a real struggle being in college... i study so many ideas from so many sources it drives me crazy sometimes... everyone has an opinion, everyone has a bias... and what seems most frustrating, is that some of the most ignorant, biased minds of the past are those held in high esteem in much of american academia today... with every new idea and every new opinion i encounter i find myself confronted at all angles with attacks... this world is so hostile toward Christianity... and while it has not caused me once to feel any doubt, nor has any other worldview or theory shown me any substantial proof to "disprove" my faith, i constantly feel the need to bring the truth to these people... i am in constant diatribe with these many worldviews and opinions... but one thing that i have come to realize recently is that people are not always reasonable... so, logical arguments based on reason and fact have no power against heated opinions...
so what am i to do in a world where people hear only what they want to hear, always?.. maybe i can try to be more like Jesus... maybe i can spend a little less time mulling over opinions and discussions and spend a little more time talking to someone who has noone to talk to... may be i could spend a little less time tied up in my own academic affairs and a little more time teaching someone about the Kingdom of Heaven... maybe i could spend a little less time in my own selfish affairs and a little more time fulfilling the needs of those who are in need around me... maybe i could spend a little less time worrying about the ignorance of Nietzsche and the bias of Freud and a little more time studying the truth of God's Word... and maybe i could spend a little less time focusing on the opinions of a biased, fallen world and a little more time focusing on my heavenly Father...
yes... that sounds refreshing...
after all, people hear only what they want to hear...
Always...
For some reason (whether it be bad Christian contacts, an unclear view of Christianity, or just a general dislike for Christianity and a rebellion against God) many have this view of Christianity that says man is worthless, destined to a life of self defeat and guilt; all is evil, nothing is good except this spoiled, red-headed step child of a god who demands way too much; charity and concern for others is a mere facade, a false projection of the Christian life that is in place to somehow fool the rest of the world into believing Christians have good character, a self defeating projection since the very nature of Christianity seems to be untilled land, infertile for any seeds of love to grow, selfishness and arrogance incarnate; a religion of mass ignorance and herd-like mentality, a tell-me-where-to-go-because-i-dont-want-to-figure-it-out-on-my-own-religion...
Of course, views like this, many times, are not so much persecution, but merely an acting out of basic human character: we look at the worst and blanket it over the rest... i believe it is referred to many times as stereotyping... its everywhere (and to avoid stereotyping, i will not say everyone does it); after 9/11 muslims are the anti-christ to many, although there are many muslims who, while by there own creeds they should be, are not oppressive or hostile... oppression comes from people, not from ideas or religions, even if those ideas demand oppression... for example, many deny Christianity on the basis of its oppression... while there has been oppression in the past through different Christians, Christianity is not an oppressive religion...
so, someone may look back in history and see the major oppression of the RCC, they then come back to today and cast that blanket over evangelicals... or they may even cast the fundamentalist blanket the same way... after all, didn't many of Mohammad's ideas stem from his encounters with false and/or perverted Christians?... and didn't many of our God-rejecting "great minds" whose works are studied today also form many of their views based on false views of Christianity... even further, the cornerstone of many modern day views and worldviews is called "anti-theism"... (seriously, how serious can you take something when it is merely built of the rejection of something else? funny how modern worldviews all begin by saying: "theism? nu-uh")
it has been a real struggle being in college... i study so many ideas from so many sources it drives me crazy sometimes... everyone has an opinion, everyone has a bias... and what seems most frustrating, is that some of the most ignorant, biased minds of the past are those held in high esteem in much of american academia today... with every new idea and every new opinion i encounter i find myself confronted at all angles with attacks... this world is so hostile toward Christianity... and while it has not caused me once to feel any doubt, nor has any other worldview or theory shown me any substantial proof to "disprove" my faith, i constantly feel the need to bring the truth to these people... i am in constant diatribe with these many worldviews and opinions... but one thing that i have come to realize recently is that people are not always reasonable... so, logical arguments based on reason and fact have no power against heated opinions...
so what am i to do in a world where people hear only what they want to hear, always?.. maybe i can try to be more like Jesus... maybe i can spend a little less time mulling over opinions and discussions and spend a little more time talking to someone who has noone to talk to... may be i could spend a little less time tied up in my own academic affairs and a little more time teaching someone about the Kingdom of Heaven... maybe i could spend a little less time in my own selfish affairs and a little more time fulfilling the needs of those who are in need around me... maybe i could spend a little less time worrying about the ignorance of Nietzsche and the bias of Freud and a little more time studying the truth of God's Word... and maybe i could spend a little less time focusing on the opinions of a biased, fallen world and a little more time focusing on my heavenly Father...
yes... that sounds refreshing...
after all, people hear only what they want to hear...
Always...
posted by Sojourner at 8:33 PM
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