Probably I gave the wrong impression of my thread, which was to address the gay/Christian issues that provoked this thread, among others.
I’ve tried to express my own view of what’s going on and what’s the problem with the sort of witnessing that His4Ever and others are doing elsewhere, but to try to summarize it here:
The Bible holds a lot of stuff, some of it contradictory or apparently so. Included in that is the formula for living a moral life following God’s principles – but for many people it tends to be buried by the other stuff.
The principles are spelled out in every Gospel, and are best summarized in Jesus’s Summary of the Law: “You must love God with all that is in you, and love your neighbor as yourself.” This constitutes a moral “constitutional law” to which all other acts must conform to be in accord with God’s will. Jesus Himself illustrated this by acting in a manner that conformed with these principles and confuted an understanding of “Honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy” that contradicted them.
The “love your neighbor as yourself” rule is a guideline for behavior “on the horizontal plane” and is further explicated by the Golden Rule and by the “judge not lest you be judged” command. (It should be noted that there is a “weasel clause” to the latter inserted by Paul – in that one may express, with love evident, a critique of one’s fellow Christians’ behavior when that appears to you to not be in conformity with God’s will.)
The other aspect of this is the idea that God, loving all men and women, wishes to be in a mutually-caring relationship with them, and calls them to repentance. That’s probably one of the most misunderstood words in the Bible – it does not mean “giving up fun-but-sinful activity X” but rather turning to Him and having Him fill your life with happiness – to the extent that fun-but-sinful activity X becomes no longer enjoyable. And, in general, the human need that activity X was fulfilling for you becomes filled in a non-sinful way. (Do not interpret this as meaning, e.g., “gays will find joy in straight sex” – that is not my meaning.)
Since our job as Christians, as specified in several Gospel passages, is to be witnesses for Him, showing the kind of fulfilled life to which He calls us and who He is by who we are, and by doing so to make others into new disciples for Him, it is therefore incumbent on us to act in such a manner as we show Him and His love and compassion in all that we do.
Self-righteousness, whether intended or not, and in most cases informing people of their sinfulness, does not seem to be effective at doing that job, one of the key assignments He has given us.
It is therefore sinful to do so.
As simple as that. I realize that this flies in the face of what I have to apparently-redundantly call “evangelistic evangelism,” but in point of fact that is the case. If what you are doing has the net effect of turning people off to Christ, you’re not only failing to do His work but you are yourself actively sinning.
), and try real hard not to judge people as being a sack of shit, 'cause you’re just as likely to be a sack of shit too. Beating people over the head with the Bible (literally and figuratively) is not going to do it. Lead by example, like Jodi and dreamer have been doing. I’m well impressed with their grasp of the Scripture and their love of their fellow man, and I’m much more willing to be led back into the fold by them than the likes of you and the Diamond.
Polycarp, once again you have made my point better than I did, oh, and Lolababy, it’s the least this kama-aina in exile can do.