tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post113895192613025791..comments2023-12-21T00:14:42.856-06:00Comments on A Religious Liberal Blog: Dwighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01022414933969854363noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-1140228928156991172006-02-17T20:15:00.000-06:002006-02-17T20:15:00.000-06:00I love that so many Christians stop all sinning pr...I love that so many Christians stop all sinning prior to membership in their church. It does wonders for me. Churches should put up signs saying "Sinners not welcome here". I know I'm not.<BR/><BR/>Jesus said a lot of things, including something about setting up barriers to others seeking salvation and woe unto them who set up the barriers. He also hung out with sinners, because that's where Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-1139625454812759782006-02-10T20:37:00.000-06:002006-02-10T20:37:00.000-06:00Dan,I'd agree that inclusion for it's own sake doe...Dan,<BR/>I'd agree that inclusion for it's own sake does not work. It must be done for a purpose, ie cultivating an openess that can transform people to account of a wider world than their own valuations and experiences. <BR/><BR/>Otherwise their own sense of self and the world becomes an idol, one which too often can be re-enforced by the church, if the church is organized like most interest Dwighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01022414933969854363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-1139520881767957842006-02-09T15:34:00.000-06:002006-02-09T15:34:00.000-06:00Two points:First, of course we meet God in the Oth...Two points:<BR/><BR/>First, of course we meet God in the Other. "God is Other, People!" We meet God in the sinner, too, because all of us are sinners. But it does me no good to assure me that my laziness is not a sin (to use an example). <BR/><BR/>We can "include those who are different." We do it all the time. But "inclusion" for its own sake is not a Christian core value. "Conversion" is. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-1139342199665603672006-02-07T13:56:00.000-06:002006-02-07T13:56:00.000-06:00Dwight said... Dan Berger I'd argue that bot...Dwight said...<BR/><BR/> Dan Berger<BR/> I'd argue that both are not contradictory, that is, we experience God's transformative power through those who are different than us.<BR/><BR/> If our views, beliefs, practices are never challenged, never expanded in a way which includes those who are different, than the impetus for us to change is stiffeled.<BR/><BR/> John B<BR/> Based on Dwighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01022414933969854363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-1139333067312238212006-02-07T11:24:00.000-06:002006-02-07T11:24:00.000-06:00Dwight, you might take a look at Chip's reply to H...Dwight, you might take a look at <A HREF="http://hugoboy.typepad.com/hugo_schwyzer/2006/02/quite_some_time.html#comment-13643784" REL="nofollow">Chip's reply to Hugo</A>, at the bottom of the comments.<BR/><BR/>To us orthodox, Christianity is not all about inclusiveness, or "affirming everyone in their OKness" as Mark Shea likes to put it. It's about showing people how salvation in Christ can Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-1139329836387634802006-02-07T10:30:00.000-06:002006-02-07T10:30:00.000-06:00Doesn't obeying the will of Christ include obeying...Doesn't obeying the will of Christ include obeying the commandments of God? <BR/><BR/>The first and greatest commandment is to love God. We demonstrate this love when we do what God says to do and don't do what God says not to do. God said, "A man shall leave his mother, and a woman leave her home and the two shall become one." Show me anywhere in the scriptures where is says anything similarAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com