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 - Endorsed - Indifferent - Contested
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| The Nashville Statement
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Name:Daniel
Home: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
About Me: I used to believe that evolution was reasonable, that homosexuality was genetic, and that people became Christians because they couldn't deal with the 'reality' that this life was all there was. I used to believe, that if there was a heaven - I could get there by being good - and I used to think I was more or less a good person. I was wrong on all counts. One day I finally had my eyes opened and I saw that I was not going to go to heaven, but that I was certainly going to suffer the wrath of God for all my sin. I saw myself as a treasonous rebel at heart - I hated God for creating me just to send me to Hell - and I was wretched beyond my own comprehension. Into this spiritual vacuum Jesus Christ came and he opened my understanding - delivering me from God's wrath into God's grace. I was "saved" as an adult, and now my life is hid in Christ. I am by no means sinless, but by God's grace I am a repenting believer - a born again Christian.
My complete profile...
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Daniel's posts are almost always pastoral and God centered. I appreciate and am challenged by them frequently. He has a great sense of humor as well.
- Marc Heinrich
His posts are either funny or challenging. He is very friendly and nice.
- Rose Cole
[He has] good posts, both the serious like this one, and the humorous like yesterday. [He is] the reason that I have restrained myself from making Canadian jokes in my posts.
- C-Train
This post contains nothing that is of any use to me. What were you thinking? Anyway, it's probably the best I've read all day.
- David Kjos
Daniel, nicely done and much more original than Frank the Turk.
- Jonathan Moorhead
There are some people who are smart, deep, or funny. There are not very many people that are all 3. Daniel is one of those people. His opinion, insight and humor have kept me coming back to his blog since I first visited earlier this year.
- Carla Rolfe
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| About Being Wrong Or Right. |
While every Christian ought to strive to be correct in what they believe, there is never any excuse to be haughty in one's opinion, right or wrong.
I don't think I have ever met anyone who held onto some opinion they knew to be wrong. I have known many who have expressed uncertainty about something they are persuaded, that is they feel they haven't got a full grasp of it, and admit to some conviction about the direction their persuasion leans, but wouldn't feel comfortable dogmatically with their own position - but that is far from holding a known "wrong" conviction.
To be sure, my presumption is that all Christians are sincere, but not all Christians have equal discernment. I presume that just as I have found error in other well meaning and sincere brothers and sisters in the Lord, so too I anticipate that however closely I study the word of God, and however highly I exalt the truth above my own opinion and agenda - yet I anticipate that I too must have blind spots, and therefore I strive to remain humble and teachable in spite of my convictions.
My hope of course is that whether I am right or wrong, I remain open and willing to listen, and that I remain polite and reasonable. The truth is best adorned I think by a willingness to be tested, and a willingness to lead those who are teachable into it. This willingness to listen and be taught is not just some shrewd tool we pull out so that our arguments are always given from a forced and disingenuous social high ground - for such high ground is a hollow facade, and at best deceitfully patronizing if it is not sincere. No, it is always better to assume that in every encounter God has given the other as much light as you have received or more, and that there is room in every discussion to be instructed - and to come to such instruction humbly.
I am of course less than perfect in following this prescription myself, but it is the path I strive to keep my feet on.
I have found however, that the default way the world deals with a conviction that it is right about a thing, is to adopt a patronizing stance against those who don't get it, as though their ignorance were willful and obstinate. They assume the role of a schoolmaster and the moment their own opinion is assailed, they become politely venomous, or worse, shrill and self righteous. We have all seen it happen. Two polite Christians find they disagree, and within a few exchanges, the person of Christ is being defended by two carnal combatants tearing each other to shreds to the applause of the enemy.
I have read just today a remark on another blog about how such and such a blog is so sour because the people who post and comment on that blog are always ranting about how right they are, and how wrong everyone is who disagrees with them, and suggesting that any humility that is found there is necessarily false.
That saddens me. Not because it is so poisonous, but because there is room for everyone to do some self examination when it comes to such things. Would that we would adorn Christ with the utmost vigor in our intramural discussions.Labels: Advice, edification, how to be a Christian |
posted by Daniel @
11:50 AM
 
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| 12 Comments: |
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In hindsight, I really wish I could have worked the word "fickle" into this post. oh well.
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Indeed, and the gamesmanship involved in winning arguments only serves to separate those people who are trying to listen and learn from those who may have the truth, but who are using tactics to trump a person instead of their position...
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Gamemanship is a good word for that. Well said.
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Wow. Great post and convicting as well, since I was involved in such an exchange myself today.
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Daniel, you wish you had used the word "fickle" - why is that? Are you feeling fickle?
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"They assume the role of a schoolmaster and the moment their own opinion is assailed, they become politely venomous, or worse, shrill and self righteous."
Hmm. Something for everyone here to think about...Yep, that means me too.
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Rose - I should have liked to use the word fickle in describing the default way in which the world tends to defend their opinion. Fickle I say because what they are typically doing is defending themselves vicariously through their opinions, and in doing so their argument cannot remain terribly stable, because it is bouncing back and forth between defending itself, and defending the one who holds the opinion. Fickle seemed a good word to describe that particular flavor of inconstancy. Plus, it rhymes with pickle, which makes it a funny sounding word to me.
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Mark, until that final day, we will all have room to grow. Let us encourage one another therefore unto that growth, and praise our Lord as He grants it.
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Daniel,
Your description of the word "fickle" reminded me of the meaning of the word "capricious," as described by a former French professor of mine during my university days. He referred us back to the original Latin word from whence it hailed - "capri," meaning "goat," and then he promptly imitated a goat struggling downhill on rocky ground. That left the image and meaning indelibly imprinted in my mind and likewise taught me the value in learning the origins and roots of words.
Sadly, it rhymes not with "pickle." But it does rhyme with "delicious". :-D
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We all have room to grow in our attitudes... and even our expositional competency.
Every Blessing in Christ
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Rose, I certainly have room to grow in my reliance upon God in all things, including but not limited to expositional competency.
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In hindsight, I really wish I could have worked the word "fickle" into this post. oh well.