Norm's Honest Questions About Screwballs

[SpinyNorman]

I think if a person who is genuinely seeking God is driven away by this approach, they'll find what they need in someone else, and if they don't, it might be because they're seeking a Christianity that conforms to their expectations of what 'should' be - and the fact that God doesnt conform to our expectations or desires is something every new Christian has to learn sooner or later. Aslan's not a tame lion, after all.

I love everything you said but just one tiny little thing.

How you descern someone who is truly seeking God? How? People are so different...how do you do it. It's one thing to hope that the seeker will "eventually" find what they need in someone else.

But what if they are hit by a car not long after hearing a christian rip and tear down a non christian, or even worse a christian. What then?

What comes to mind is an admittedly extreme example, but an example none the less.

Those people who are going to Vets funerals and telling their family members their sons are dead and in hell because of America's leniancy with homosexuality, what would we say to them? We would say that are off their rockers and don't have a biblical stone to stand on of course.

But BECAUSE of people like that.....I think we need to watch what we say to whom we say it. I thkn that's what makes it so hard. At least for me.

[SpinyNorman]

No actually I really do think the statement was a veiled insult. But you know me pretty well, I considered doing that too.

Seriously.

What do I have to gain by lying to you?

Were I to have gone ahead and just blasted away at you with insults, I would have effectively taken my whole days worth of posts here and flushed them straight down the pooper.

It was not meant that way. My apology to you is genuine, which baffles me as to why you refuse to accept it, but so be it.

I don't know what else I can say.

[Darth Executor]

aw Darthy!!! (((((((((((((((((Darth))))))))))))))))))

You want another eyepatch to match?

[Sparko]

I love everything you said but just one tiny little thing.

How you descern someone who is truly seeking God? How? People are so different...how do you do it. It's one thing to hope that the seeker will "eventually" find what they need in someone else.

But what if they are hit by a car not long after hearing a christian rip and tear down a non christian, or even worse a christian. What then?

What comes to mind is an admittedly extreme example, but an example none the less.

Those people who are going to Vets funerals and telling their family members their sons are dead and in hell because of America's leniancy with homosexuality, what would we say to them? We would say that are off their rockers and don't have a biblical stone to stand on of course.

But BECAUSE of people like that.....I think we need to watch what we say to whom we say it. I thkn that's what makes it so hard. At least for me.

I think you are giving yourself way too much power Spiny. We don't turn people into Christians, God does. We are to show them the way, but the whole conversion is through the Holy Spirit. If God knows someone will become his, he will make sure it happens. He will make sure they go to the right people, hear the right things, and NOT get run over by a car until they convert. God is in control. remember that.

[SpinyNorman]

I think you are giving yourself way too much power Spiny. We don't turn people into Christians, God does. We are to show them the way, but the whole conversion is through the Holy Spirit. If God knows someone will become his, he will make sure it happens. He will make sure they go to the right people, hear the right things, and NOT get run over by a car until they convert. God is in control. remember that.

I never said we turn people into Christians. Without the Holy Spirit there is no conversion, I know that. But the verse you posted earlier keeps poking me in the back of my head. We have culpablilty for how we present ourselves to the world, digital or real.

Did you pick a super bowl winner yet?????

[SpinyNorman]

You want another eyepatch to match?

That would make him Ray Charles, not Sparko the Pirate.

[Darth Executor]

Seriously.

What do I have to gain by lying to you?

You get to keep your high horse.

Were I to have gone ahead and just blasted away at you with insults, I would have effectively taken my whole days worth of posts here and flushed them straight down the pooper.

Which is why you resorted to veiled insults instead.

It was not meant that way. My apology to you is genuine, which baffles me as to why you refuse to accept it, but so be it.

I don't know what else I can say.

Maybe if you didn't give me a Clintonian apology I'd think it was genuine. I don't want you to tell me you didn't mean to insult me and you "apologise I took it as an insult". I know you did. People don't randomly associate me with Hitler in the middle of a conversation. It doesn't make sense. The only other reasonable alternative was that you were being sarcastic, but since you told me "it was just an observation" that escape route is now closed.

[Darth Executor]

That would make him Ray Charles, not Sparko the Pirate.

Sparko's black? I thought he was a redneck.

[SpinyNorman]

Y


Maybe if you didn't give me a Clintonian apology I'd think it was genuine. I don't want you to tell me you didn't mean to insult me and you "apologise I took it as an insult". I know you did. People don't randomly associate me with Hitler in the middle of a conversation. It doesn't make sense. The only other reasonable alternative was that you were being sarcastic, but since you told me "it was just an observation" that escape route is now closed.

Dude, I did not associate you with Hitler.

I'll say it again, it is just interesting to me that someone with Hitler as a pet would make remarks about Chamberlin.

I am on no high horse. I have said repeatedly today that I am just as guilty of these things as anyone else.

Yet you continue to tell me what you KNEW I meant. I am completely vexed by you.

Why do you have Hitler as a pet anyway? Again....just asking because I find it curious.

[Sparko]

I never said we turn people into Christians. Without the Holy Spirit there is no conversion, I know that. But the verse you posted earlier keeps poking me in the back of my head. We have culpablilty for how we present ourselves to the world, digital or real.

But that is how we are to conduct ourselves. That is how we are to represent Christ to others. It doesn't mean that if we fail that they go to hell. God is stronger than us. He foreknows all who will choose him and will make sure none slip thorugh his grasp. He is God. We are not. I got saved despite a whole lot of wrong turns and I bet so did you. God was there for us and he will be there for anyone else who belongs to him and will make sure they get saved DESPITE what anyone does or says.

Romans 8 lays it out:

28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

They might not know they belong to him yet, but HE knows. God knew I belonged to him years before I ever did.

Did you pick a super bowl winner yet?????

I dont have a clue about football.

[SpinyNorman]

Sparko's black? I thought he was a redneck.

I can't think of any famous blind white males.

[Sparko]

Sparko's black? I thought he was a redneck.

are you humor impaired? he meant BLIND not black.

[Darth Executor]

Dude, I did not associate you with Hitler.

I'll say it again, it is just interesting to me that someone with Hitler as a pet would make remarks about Chamberlin.

I am on no high horse. I have said repeatedly today that I am just as guilty of these things as anyone else.

Yet you continue to tell me what you KNEW I meant. I am completely vexed by you.

If someone insults you and tells you they didn't mean to insult you, do you automatically take their word for it? I don't. This is getting tiresome, so if you don't mind, I'd like to drop the subject.

Why do you have Hitler as a pet anyway? Again....just asking because I find it curious.

I get accused of holding tyrannycal political views a lot (not completely without merit) so I had a dictator avatar theme where I had Stalin as my avatar pic and Hitler as my pet. Eventually I changed the avatar but never bothered to drop the Hitler. Since then, I've had multiple fundy atheists (pitchforpat comes to mind) complain about it, so I just leave it there, partially to piss them off and partially because I love the irony of having people claim I like Hitler by putting his picture in a demeaning position (a pet).

[Darth Executor]

are you humor impaired? he meant BLIND not black.

I got it, my post was a joke too and Spiny got it. The only humor impaired person here is you.

[Sparko]

I got it, my post was a joke too and Spiny got it. The only humor impaired person here is you.

Stop insulting me!