For a couple of years I kept up with the religious threads here. Didn't comment a lot, but did read 'em daily. For maybe the last ~seven or eight months though, I just avoid 'em. For me, it's mostly because of the vitriol coming from the most prolific posters among the atheists, but it's also because the response to them is quite often equally vitriolic, and I don't get out of these threads what piqued my interest in the first place - that being, wanting to learn more about the love of Christ. So for the most part, I go elsewhere now for that education and Christian fellowship.
I get what Eidolon is saying, but I'm not thrilled about how he's saying it anymore than I am about how any other vitriolic, frustrated, judgmental, superior(ish) Christian poster expresses themselves. I don't hate nogods or anyone else, nor would I ever, under any circumstances, tell him to go to Hell, or wish for him to, and I don't get that Ringo or whomever else is included in Eidolon's excoriations ever would either. I can't imagine anything that Ringo could say that would prompt me to speak of his faith by putting the word "Christian" in quotation marks. None of us are perfect. All of us falter. None of us are worthy to judge each others' faith as valid or invalid, and if one of us sees what we perceive to be a faltering of faith/interpretation/understanding/adherence, it becomes our obligation to teach, not judge. Even at times when I don't necessarily agree with someone's take on a given bit of scripture, if they're presenting it in a way as to draw in new adherents, or buttress/build upon the faith of an already-saved brother or sister, I'm not going to hammer them as a hypocrite or question the sincerity of their belief in their take. Most conflicting understandings that are being discussed calmly and amongst people really and truly interested in saving as many souls as they can before their time is up, drives me to study on whatever they're discussing, not get angry or judgmental towards the party or parties who don't understand it "my" way.
As far as this thread goes, I don't know....I guess if I thought it important to influence a brother or sister Christian towards more love than what they're giving, I'd show 'em more love than what they're giving and lead by example. Coming on angry/frustrated/judgmental/pushy doesn't work on atheists any better'n it works on fellow Christians, at least not than this fellow Christian, so this is where I'll bow out after suggesting that everyone chill/teach/model/exemplify/Believe/love to the greatest extent possible. If that's what y'all are doing here in this thread, then more power to ya. Who am I to judge?
Blues