Eightball
Senior Member
- Oct 13, 2004
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- #61
oh the mellowdrama..
it's funny how we never see secular america having to tell the AMISH to stop pushing their dogma onto people. Funnier still, we just don't see the AMISH complain about being picked on by big bad evil non believers. In fact, the AMISH live and let live.
Certainly, Jerry Fallwell and the Microsoft Preacher above don't fall into that realm of religious tolerance. If you choose to be a christian then good for you. I hope that works out for you. It's hardly "rubs like sand paper against unsaved man's life/agenda" until the alter jockey of the day comes along and starts rationalizing aggression in the name of jesus. Again, Jesus took his word to the whores without having to use ceasar to eliminate whores altogether. I wonder if there is a lesson here besides getting some quivering lip action on.
Interesting that you mention the Amish. They may live life outwardly in biblical ways, but God looks at the heart of man.
Out of the heart of man comes actions that reveal that soul or heart condition.
Whether a person is legalistically following biblical directives or lives by the golden rule of trying to not have any impact on anyone but themselves throughout their lives is not the indicator of salvation from God.
Surprisingly, I met a Kenyan gentleman that is a very strong, biblical Christian, and his missionary work is with the Amish, in, you guessed, the U.S.A./Pennsylvania and area.
We had a very long discussion about his missions work, and he revealed some very surprising things about the Amish people. In so many ways, they are extremely bible ignorant. Not saying it in a derogatory way, but they live a live of gentleness, and communal work in their community, with support for one another, with great work ethics, yet they have very little biblical knowledge.
This missionary, has been accepted in the Amish community with open arms, as these folks are very "color blind", but there aren't very many of them that are actual born again Christians as Jesus revealed in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and of course the Epistles of Paul, James, John, Peter, Jude, etc...
Yes, one can be peace loving, and charitable, and still not have salvation, as it is not determinate on behavior or works, but initially by a transaction of faith or belief in Christ as Savior and Lord of one's life.
Back in the bible days, there was young man that came to Jesus and told Him that He wanted to be His follower. Jesus said, asked this young man if he was obedient to God's commandments, and the young man said, "yes". Then Jesus said one more thing. "Go sell all your possessions and then come follow Me.". The young man walked away down-hearted and sad.
Why? Cause this young fellow outwardly was a wonderful, friendly guy. Probably would throw his coat over a mud puddle for a little old lady crossing a rainy street if he lived in our present age. Yet he lacked what was most important. The inner change of nature wrought by God through the faith transaction that allows a man/woman to be born again to a new life. He was willing to live the life, but was unwilling to give his life.
Self, can be ugly and can counterfeit itself into a sweet smelling rose, but it's still just dung to God, cause it gets in the way of man having a total one on one with his Creator.
Amish are people.......like all of us. They have chosen a lifestyle that doesn't make waves in society, therefore, society assumes they are the perfect picture of Godly life. Society has defined the parameters of Godly life as being P.C., non-discerning towards others, and basically little "blips" in human history.
Jesus said that He came for the sick, not the well. That was tongue and cheek on His part, as we are all sick. A portion of humanity knows that they are sick to various degrees, a larger portion denys it totally, and intellectualizes their spiritual state, and lot in life, as a means of deflecting what they don't want to ponder.
Give a man with an I.Q. of 90, gobs of Godly wisdom, and he's miles ahead of the man with a 180 I.Q. and no Godly wisdom. It's not unlike the smartest man in the world jumping out of the doomed airplane thinking he has the second to last parachute that he stole from a poor Boy Scout. All is left is this Boy Scout and a minister. The minister tells the Boy Scout to take his parachute, as he is ready to die, because he is at peace with God and knows he has eternal life. The Boy Scout, tells the minister to not to worry. There are still two parachutes left, because the smartest man in the world jumped out of the plane with the boy's backpack on. I probably skewed this joke that's been around for years, but I think some will get the drift of it.
We can be so smart that we can actually delude ourselves into thinking that we have all the answers. Pride is an insidious thing that preys on the intelligent more often than those that know their true spiritual and mental lot in life.