What woeful ignorants ye "men of God"
Walking those paths His feet never trod
Trafficking the lies your own hearts evoke
Teaching for truth what His lips never spoke
Your doors are locked! Your windows shuttered!
Immune to rappings and white wings fluttered
Huddled with heresies, what righteous men you be!
Narrow visioned! Half blind! Unable to see
The broad, broad path before thee
me
010108.073051.6
I don't understand how Ms Green can be so.... gentle... so gracefully kind in responding to error. I don't have it in me. Most of the time it is good to both be patient, and exercise patience, but sometimes it is best to just be blunt. I'm good at that, if nothing else.
There is a little truism I've discovered since I started blogging three years ago. The Internet, for all its marvelous connective properties is not a particularly useful tool in regards to changing minds or hearts, let alone winning souls. That's not to say it doesn't happen! And I grant you, I've not tried as hard as I could have, but I have fought tooth and nail with heretics... which counts for little in the greater scheme of things. Crowns go to Soul Winners, not Warriors.
The internet allows anyone to be as bold as they dare, because it's unlikely the guy you insult will bloody your nose-- anonymity grants the milquetoast courage! No one is swayed because anyone can cut and paste, and no one has to be an expert at anything to be thought of as an expert by the denizens of Hyper-Cyberia.*
Because there is no real human interaction here, changing anyones mind about firmly held beliefs is difficult at best. And considering the spiraling downfall of morality not just in America but in the world at large, AND the rapid growth of sin and degradation, especially in Hyper Cyberia, it's a wonder ANYONE comes to know the LORD here. [As an aside, flipping through the channels last night Sunday afternoon what to my wandering eyes should appear? Young women doing "belly shots" off the bare midriffs of other young women proceeded by mouth to mouth exchanges of fruit. Yes, girls locking lips with girls. On VH1. Teaching the youth of America and the world that this is acceptable behavior for young men and women. This is how far our culture has fallen. "...every man did that which was right in his own eyes."]
But it is a wonder, a miracle if ever there was one-- that ANYONE finds God on the Internet. Especially since anyone can be an expert. Anyone a prophet. The saddest truth in this is that the genuine seeker is often led astray. But God still takes 'em where He can find 'em, so to speak. Come as you are, wherever you are-- He's not picky in that respect.
Despite the heretics, all too abundant in Hyper Cyberia, there is only one LORD, one way to COME, and on that basis alone, only one GENUINE faith. And that faith goes by only one name...
The Bride of Christ.
Not Catholic, not Pentecostal, not Unitarian, not Episcopalian. Just The Church-- The Bride of Christ.
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* Hyper-Cyberia: I may have just coined a term... not that it'll ever see broad usage-- I'm not so vain. Google has 0, Zero, hits for "Hyper Cyberia" which denotes (to my mind) the vast superfast/ever-changing cyber-wasteland that is the modern Internet.
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The Internet, for all its marvelous connective properties is not a particularly useful tool in regards to changing minds or hearts, let alone winning souls.
No, perhaps not. But it's a fine place for meeting and engaging in conversations from a wide swath of humanity - some who will disagree with you, some who will agree with you and some whom you may find hard to understand at all. And vice versa.
Despite its limitations, I feel I've met some exceptionally cool folk who I have little doubt that I would be friends with if I met them in person. I'll go further - I DO have a friendship and a kinship with some folk I've met online.
I think the power of the written word allows folk to develop a community of sorts that is more real than virtual.
No. One doesn't change minds or convert souls online. But then, one doesn't do that in person, either.
For my part, I've no interest in changing minds of converting souls. Changing minds is the unique province of each individual and saving souls is the province of God.
Seems to me.
It is like I say about pro-life reasoning. I'd be glad to debate the head of Planned Parenthood or the like anyplace, anytime. Will I win them over such that they quit profiting from abortion? Doubtful. But I'll take my chances with the middle ground every time.
P.S. Yes, Ms. Green is great. She preaches the truth in love clearly and repeatedly. Praise God for people like her!
I like the term "Hyper-Cyberia". I think I coind a new term (techno-moron)myself a long time ago but I never thought to look it up on google. I think I'll do that now.
Have not seen this myself, as I've only recently started regular visits to her blog. It's pretty difficult to debate an issue without judging the arguments of the opponent. This does not breech the "Judge not" mandate in my opinion. We'd get nowhere in the world if we did not judge ideas or opinions as having value or no value. Such a charge seems to be a tactic for deflecting ANY critiques or accountability for a position or behavior. "Don't judge me" more often than not means, "I don't want to consider my actions or beliefs in terms of right or wrong, I just want to engage in them, so back off." Confidence in one's position should preclude any worries over being judged. Worries about being judged indicates a strong possibility that perhaps the judged should re-examine his point of view.