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I also was very disappointed to hear from others posting about how anything even related to Christmas is shunned up north. "Holiday trees"?? How do you say that and keep a straight face? It really makes you scratch your head.
I just never say it unless I am being sarcastic b/c it sickens me to the core.
As I have posted previously, I was as much runnning FROM that culture as running back TO the culture of my youth which still exists in NC.
I have heard of 'Living the Spirit Filled Life' - I'll find that one to start. Is this the one you're referring to? http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f60/MurphChessLinus/spiritfilledlife.jpg (broken link)
[CENTER]I thought this one looked interesting as well, have you read it yet?
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f60/MurphChessLinus/Livingextraordinary.jpg (broken link)[/CENTER]
Thank you for those suggestions ILNC!
Yes I have both of these and they are VERY good. But I guess the best book of all is the Bible.
I transferred from NJ in 93 ,as Postmaster of a town of 311 people.After 13 years in NC I have come to realize that if you choose to live here,try not to tell the locals about how things are done "up north".They don't care!As with all humans,there are Christians in name only.There are folks who don't like "Yankees" and never will.The larger cities have more "Yankees".Make the move with the mindset that you can't change generations of hate.
Any institution run by humans is going to be very flawed, so, you have to look as a church as a bunch of sinners trying to muddle through and do their best everyday, to say you don't want to particiapte b/c there are sinners there (gossibs, liars. whatever) is a cop out.
I've always had problems with the fact that none of these sinners ever seem to change. The gossips can gossip for 80 years or more, ditto with the liars. They just go on forever and ever. Is this really OK with God? I don't find anything admirable about those kinds of traits.
If they were really trying to do their best, they would be trying to change -- but by the very fact they are allowed to commit the same sins for over 80 years and are still accepted -- I mean, c'mon! How much are they really trying to change??!!
Could I claim to be a non-smoker and then smoke for the next 50 years? It seems like the same idea. Or maybe I could just be like Congressman Foley -- straight, then gay, then a pedophile -- but that's all forgiveable, right? Isn't there a point where you have to say you are something THEN ACTUALLY BE THE SOMETHING YOU SAY YOU ARE??!! I'm so bugged by this with the Christian religion. Everyone wants to be so accepting of sinners that you can sin your whole life away and they'll still accept you.
I've always had problems with the fact that none of these sinners ever seem to change. ...
If they were really trying to do their best, they would be trying to change -- but by the very fact they are allowed to commit the same sins for over 80 years and are still accepted -- I mean, c'mon! How much are they really trying to change??!!
This problem is not unique to Christianity, I have yet to meet the perfect Jew, or Agnostic, or Hindu or Buddist. The point is we are supposed to be striving to change. If we fail, our community, family, church, temple, whatever, may or may not accept us, but that has nothing to do with whether we are alright with God. It is not as simple as Going to Church & Saying we are good, that is too simple, too mechanical. We have to honestly repent & honestly try to change.
Quote:
Originally Posted by UB50
.. Isn't there a point where you have to say you are something THEN ACTUALLY BE THE SOMETHING YOU SAY YOU ARE??!! I'm so bugged by this with the Christian religion. Everyone wants to be so accepting of sinners that you can sin your whole life away and they'll still accept you.
Yes, God will accept you . People, being human, may, or may not. We are supposed to support each other in the effort to "be Christ-like"- so far only one person has succeeded!
As to the gay thing it is really easy to point to them, & say, look, they are such obvious, flagrant sinners! Thank God I am not like them! And there you have the sin of pride. We are all sinners and all are sins are equal in the eyes of God. All sins are not equal in the eyes of society, b/c if they were, we really could not have a functioning society, wehere a gossip & a murderer were dealt with in the same way. But, whether we are right with God is an entirely different analysis.
OK, end of sermon, back on topic... North Carolina!
I've always had problems with the fact that none of these sinners ever seem to change. The gossips can gossip for 80 years or more, ditto with the liars. They just go on forever and ever. Is this really OK with God? I don't find anything admirable about those kinds of traits.
If they were really trying to do their best, they would be trying to change -- but by the very fact they are allowed to commit the same sins for over 80 years and are still accepted -- I mean, c'mon! How much are they really trying to change??!!
Could I claim to be a non-smoker and then smoke for the next 50 years? It seems like the same idea. Or maybe I could just be like Congressman Foley -- straight, then gay, then a pedophile -- but that's all forgiveable, right? Isn't there a point where you have to say you are something THEN ACTUALLY BE THE SOMETHING YOU SAY YOU ARE??!! I'm so bugged by this with the Christian religion. Everyone wants to be so accepting of sinners that you can sin your whole life away and they'll still accept you.
I don't think it's correct to say ALL of these sinners never change. I agree there are some people who don't appear to be leading the Christian life, but there any MANY who do. But I don't think we should look at people as our example we look to Jesus, to try to be more like Him. I know there are people who believe I'm saved so now I can do what I want, but that's not how it should be, now I'm saved so I want to live a Godly lifestyle and I want others to see Jesus in me. We will all stand before God one day and give an account of what we did, said and conducted our lives, I want Him to say to me Well done my child. But we are still sinners even after we're saved and we still fail from time to time but God is so forgiving when we ask over and over. This is just my thought on it from what I read in the Bible. I am trying to be what I say I am.
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When in Rome
