Good Evening, Randy.
Taking in the World Series as I type.
If you don’t mind, I am going to bring back the line that started this diversion in the thread:
"Randy Carson:
The Middle East conflict exists for one reason and one reason only: Satan hates God’s chosen People and uses the Muslims to kill them.
My question was this: Do you hold anything against the Palestinians? If so, do you forgive them?
I personally have no dog in that fight on either side.
One does not have to have a “dog in the fight” to be cheering one side or the other. Are you saying that your statement does not show favor to the Israelis? If not, please explain why only the hatred on one side is of “satan’s use”. It’s okay and natural to play favorites, it is not a problem. I described the possible problems in my last post.
I’m simply looking at things from a decidedly Judeo-Christian perspective.
Did you give the “Muslims” the benefit of the doubt? That is a Christian perspective. Did you forgive the “Muslims”? That would be a Christian perspective. Did you seek to understand people, to find their good intent? That would be a Christian perspective. I am trying to give you the benefit of the doubt, here, but I do not see an explanation of your statement. You said that satan is using the Muslims. Is this something you actually
know, did God tell you this? Did satan? I am giving you the benefit of the doubt in believing that you do not intend to bear false witness, that you mean no harm in the statement even though it can be seen as very provocative and capable of triggering a lot of anger in some people. Do you forgive the “Muslims” if you hold anything against them? That would be the Christian perspective.
And I agree with you that God loves everyone and desires that none should be lost. I’m also familiar with the Catholic Church’s position on the question of whether Muslims worship the same God as Catholics. Finally, I’m very conscious of the fact that God will save whom He will regardless of what I think about the situation.
This, indeed reflects a Christian perspective, in my view.
Now, to get to the answers for the questions you ask, we have to go back a few steps, so to speak, and three questions need to be answered first.
Was Judaism founded by God or man?
Was Christianity founded by God or man?
Was Islam founded by God or man?
I fail to understand why the answers to these questions have any bearing on the questions I asked. If you could explain why these questions are pertinent, I would be happy to give an answer. We are called to forgive, to give the benefit of the doubt, to refrain from false witness, and to love everyone regardless of whether they are Muslim, Jewish, or Satanist. Randy, would you please explain your thinking so that I can understand from where you are coming?
Seriously, Randy, if you would like to drop the whole thing, that is fine. We all say and write things that do not really reflect our thinking. Was this one of those times? Join the foot-in-mouth club. I am a life-long member.
Shoot. Giants lost game 3. It was close, though.
Pray, with me, for reconciliation in the Middle East. Prayer is much more productive than trading narratives.
