CONDEMNATION
One of my friends who writes a blog suggested in a recent post that we read Matthew 7:1 and he also suggested that reading the Sermon on the Mount in its entirety would be good. I decided that I would refresh my memory and in my Contemporary English Version verses 1 and 2 of chapter 7 read, "Don't condemn others, and God won't condemn you. God will be as hard on you as you are on others! He will treat you exactly as you treat them." Wow!
I have received some negative feed back lately for some of my remarks about stem cell research and I have chosen not to delete my negative comments and don't plan to unless they contain obscenities. I think it is fair to take as good as I give. I also think that it is fair for me to say how I feel about current affairs without being judged. If things that I have said have sounded judgmental and have offended then I apologize. I do not take back anything that I have stated because these are issues that I feel strongly about. The taking of a life for any reason is a serious issue whether it be fighting terrorism, war, capital punishment, abortion, driving a vehicle in such a manner that a life is carelessly taken, murder and any others that may come to mind. I do not think that stem cell research falls into this category since we are talking about two frozen cells that in all probability are going to be thrown out at some point anyway. That is its own discussion and maybe the whole idea of creating those stem cells in the first place needs to be rethought. If their use brings cures for things such as cancer, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury and other life threatening and taking disorders then who wouldn't want a life changed or saved, especially if it were your loved one? Isn't that in essence creating life? Seems pretty Christ like to me to want this for the less fortunate physically.
Before I digress further I want to make one thing clear, I am a born again Christian and my God as I understand Him is my guide in all that I do--except sometimes when I'm driving the car and even then I don't resort to stupid dangerous stuff. I may sometimes speak out before God has had a chance to shut my mouth and for that I do have regrets. Being judgmental is one of the sins with which I have always struggled and continue to on a daily basis. I keep working on it but I doubt that I will ever reach perfection in that area. I guess I am trying to clarify for myself who I am. I am loving, tender, caring, committed to living by Christian principles in the best way that I know. There is a lot that I don't understand about Christianity and try and seek as I do there is a lot that I am unable in my finite mind to understand even after having it explained. As someone once said, "God isn't finished with me yet." I agree that He has lots of work to do in me and I pray continually for Him to grow me into the person that I am to be.
Since I live alone I do not have someone to share my thoughts with on a daily basis. This blog is my means of shooting off my mouth and in so doing to sometimes clarify my thoughts and ideas. I'm happy when anyone responds with ideas and clarifications or for that matter agrees with me. I hope in the future that you will feel free to not be anonymous if you don't agree with me or if you want to stand in judgement of me. I can take it. Dear readers, keep those comments coming and if you are more righteous than me then pray for me.
I have received some negative feed back lately for some of my remarks about stem cell research and I have chosen not to delete my negative comments and don't plan to unless they contain obscenities. I think it is fair to take as good as I give. I also think that it is fair for me to say how I feel about current affairs without being judged. If things that I have said have sounded judgmental and have offended then I apologize. I do not take back anything that I have stated because these are issues that I feel strongly about. The taking of a life for any reason is a serious issue whether it be fighting terrorism, war, capital punishment, abortion, driving a vehicle in such a manner that a life is carelessly taken, murder and any others that may come to mind. I do not think that stem cell research falls into this category since we are talking about two frozen cells that in all probability are going to be thrown out at some point anyway. That is its own discussion and maybe the whole idea of creating those stem cells in the first place needs to be rethought. If their use brings cures for things such as cancer, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury and other life threatening and taking disorders then who wouldn't want a life changed or saved, especially if it were your loved one? Isn't that in essence creating life? Seems pretty Christ like to me to want this for the less fortunate physically.
Before I digress further I want to make one thing clear, I am a born again Christian and my God as I understand Him is my guide in all that I do--except sometimes when I'm driving the car and even then I don't resort to stupid dangerous stuff. I may sometimes speak out before God has had a chance to shut my mouth and for that I do have regrets. Being judgmental is one of the sins with which I have always struggled and continue to on a daily basis. I keep working on it but I doubt that I will ever reach perfection in that area. I guess I am trying to clarify for myself who I am. I am loving, tender, caring, committed to living by Christian principles in the best way that I know. There is a lot that I don't understand about Christianity and try and seek as I do there is a lot that I am unable in my finite mind to understand even after having it explained. As someone once said, "God isn't finished with me yet." I agree that He has lots of work to do in me and I pray continually for Him to grow me into the person that I am to be.
Since I live alone I do not have someone to share my thoughts with on a daily basis. This blog is my means of shooting off my mouth and in so doing to sometimes clarify my thoughts and ideas. I'm happy when anyone responds with ideas and clarifications or for that matter agrees with me. I hope in the future that you will feel free to not be anonymous if you don't agree with me or if you want to stand in judgement of me. I can take it. Dear readers, keep those comments coming and if you are more righteous than me then pray for me.
posted by dddonna @ 7/21/2006 10:58:00 AM
6 Comments:
At 1:13 PM,
JT Evans said…
You needn't defend yourself. I thought this parable of Jesus from Luke 18:9-14 was relevant to the current discussion: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee (said): 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted." The way to exalt oneself, as this Pharisee did, is to condemn others. But Jesus said that isn't the way it works. (Not us. Jesus. Remember Him? OK, Anonymous?)
At 2:01 PM,
Anonymous said…
tTo JT evans: We're all sinners who do not deserve anything that the Lord gives us or does for us, me included of course. All that I'm trying to say is that all of us must come to grips with what we need to do to inherit eternal life. We all have our versions of what that means, but we all must get there by accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour. That is the only way. That inludes repentance and then sinning no more. I'm the last one who would say that I'm a perfect Christian. The only thing important fo me here is that we ALL gain eternal life at the end of this one.
At 2:54 PM,
dddonna said…
Anonymous, I just told you in my blog that I am a born again Christian. I believe jtevans too is a born again Xian--he just doesn't shout it from the anonymous side of a computer. Come on anonymous, let us know who you are. Would it surprise us if you are someone we know--I don't think so. I have lots of conservative family and friends. I'm not even sure what the point is that you are making here. Repenting of your sins is no guarantee that you will never sin again. If you believe that you are badly informed.
At 6:44 PM,
Anonymous said…
This is my last comment to you. I hope that things work out for you.
At 9:11 PM,
dddonna said…
Anonymous, thank you for your posts and I do hope that things work out for you too. Sorry you are giving up on me. I thought it was rather fun. Life is great.
At 9:12 PM,
Anonymous said…
Amen
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