Christian inspiration for the season... (Page 2)

weeeelll, my mom would say when she celebrates Christmas and Easter she is really celebrating family and the seasons. She is adamantly agnostic, and certianly believes in many of the values that Christian Christmas conjures up: peace, goodwill, love etc. She doesn't care about the Christ story, and it the first to remind anyone who challenges her that most of our Xmas traditions are based on Scandinavian Solstice traditions. Snow? Santa? Evergreens? In Bethlehem? Hardly. I get excited about Xmas for Jesus purposes,  I guess that's where we differ.  No biggie...we can still get along.

but admittedly, the most importnat Christian Holiday for me, really is Lent and Easter. from AshWeds right on up, every day is a spiritual journey that, while in theory should be one I walk  Awesome!

Janelle, I guess I wonder why you let it bug you?  If if it didn't bother me, then I should be concerned that I'm lacking in my faith.  It's my duty as a Christian to introduce Christ to others and plant seeds.  That's my purpose in life is to live for Him.   You can agree to disagree- it's ok. 

When people knock Christians they are knocking the kind of exclusivity and judgment that your " being bugged" exemplifies. When did I judge?  I will be the first to admit that I'm not perfect.  If anyone gets to know me, they will find that I am one of the most accepting people they will ever meet.  I stay loyal to friends who aren't so loyal, and take several slaps on the cheek and even turn the the other cheek.  Most of my friends make choices daily that I woudln't necessarily make, but they are still my friends and I still love them.  So how is that judging??  If I were so judgemental I woudln't have the friends I have today.

Jesus came that We may All be One. So why insist on differentiating at a time when we are supposed to be bonding?  Believers live a different life than non-believers- people live for different reasons.  If not this thread wouldn't be offensive.

buying presents, baking and eating well are crap? and you really think people don;t know what they are celebrating? My mom would be so offended by that, in fact, I am kind of offended. She is celebrating another year, the amazing cycle Mother Nature pulls off every year, her kids coming home, the joy that comes with surprising her husband (my dad) with a new golf club, and seeing my brother's face light up when he gets some crazy sweater she knit or a belt she needlepointed for MONTHS just for him....Sorry to offend you and your mother.  I thought we were all entitled to our own opinions here.  I've been offended by a lot of threads on the website.  I think we all have been.  But that doesn't mean we can't learn from another and get along??

People who don;t believe in Jesus still have things to celebrate in December, True, but are those things going to get them to heaven?  That's the only thing I'm concerned about.

I am not Irish, me either- I'm Polish

but I always have fun on Tgiving Day. (me too- I love to eat!)

I am not a Veteran, me either, but I like to give credit to those who have served

 I am all riled up. Me too

Why waste time being bugged?  Who knows?  If we knew, we woudn't have 1/2 the threads we do under COJ.  Why am I irritated?  Why are you?  Why was Renee irritated with the person in her CPR class?  Why are some triathletes bugged by slow swimmers who put themselves int he front of their wave?  I think it's becuase we're all humans and things bug us- we can't help it.

Take the ole stake out of your own eye first, y'know?  Did I ever claim not to have one? 

What bugs ME,- I'll ask the same question you asked me.  Why are so bugged by it?

 what I can;t understand, is how many Christians are so incredibly judgemental, when we, of all people, know all about judgment and whose job it is...

weeeelll, my mom would say when she celebrates Christmas and Easter she is really celebrating family and the seasons. She is adamantly agnostic, and certianly believes in many of the values that Christian Christmas conjures up: peace, goodwill, love etc. She doesn't care about the Christ story, and it the first to remind anyone who challenges her that most of our Xmas traditions are based on Scandinavian Solstice traditions. Snow? Santa? Evergreens? In Bethlehem? Hardly. I get excited about Xmas for Jesus purposes,  I guess that's where we differ.  No biggie...we can still get along.

but admittedly, the most importnat Christian Holiday for me, really is Lent and Easter. from AshWeds right on up, every day is a spiritual journey that, while in theory should be one I walk  Awesome!

Janelle, I guess I wonder why you let it bug you?  If if it didn't bother me, then I should be concerned that I'm lacking in my faith.  It's my duty as a Christian to introduce Christ to others and plant seeds.  That's my purpose in life is to live for Him.   You can agree to disagree- it's ok. Well yes, we differ here too. It is my duty to live as close as I can to Jesus example. Not Paul or any of the other evangelists, my allegiance and faith is in Jesus. And if people happen to stop and ask me about my faith or wonder aloud why I am a certain way, I am happy to share, but I am very uncomfortable to preaching/testifying before being asked.

When people knock Christians they are knocking the kind of exclusivity and judgment that your " being bugged" exemplifies. When did I judge?  I will be the first to admit that I'm not perfect.  If anyone gets to know me, they will find that I am one of the most accepting people they will ever meet.  I stay loyal to friends who aren't so loyal, and take several slaps on the cheek and even turn the the other cheek.  Most of my friends make choices daily that I woudln't necessarily make, but they are still my friends and I still love them.  So how is that judging??  If I were so judgemental I woudln't have the friends I have today. I don;t know, I guess being "bugged" and defining a certain way one shoudl do Christmas sounded judgmental to me.

Jesus came that We may All be One. So why insist on differentiating at a time when we are supposed to be bonding?  Believers live a different life than non-believers- people live for different reasons.  If not this thread wouldn't be offensive.the only part that offended me was the crap part. OK, so we lead different lives. But we can do so respectfully. And implicit in your notion that we lead different lives is the "Christian" assumption that there is just One Way. And you can pull out any number of Bible verses to justify that belief, but I interpret those a bit more loosely, using Jesus EXAMPLE as the measure, not the belief in Him.

buying presents, baking and eating well are crap? and you really think people don;t know what they are celebrating? My mom would be so offended by that, in fact, I am kind of offended. She is celebrating another year, the amazing cycle Mother Nature pulls off every year, her kids coming home, the joy that comes with surprising her husband (my dad) with a new golf club, and seeing my brother's face light up when he gets some crazy sweater she knit or a belt she needlepointed for MONTHS just for him....Sorry to offend you and your mother.  I thought we were all entitled to our own opinions here.  I've been offended by a lot of threads on the website.  I think we all have been.  But that doesn't mean we can't learn from another and get along??don;t be silly, of course we are entitled to opinions. And in my opinion, you sounded judgmental, and I expressed that. My repsonse was not to shut down your opinion to but to challenge you to consider the tone.

People who don;t believe in Jesus still have things to celebrate in December, True, but are those things going to get them to heaven?  That's the only thing I'm concerned about.Don;t know, don;t care. I am not concerned about Heaven, it distracts me from doing the best I can here.

I am not Irish, me either- I'm Polish

but I always have fun on Tgiving Day. (me too- I love to eat!)

I am not a Veteran, me either, but I like to give credit to those who have served

 I am all riled up. Me too

Why waste time being bugged?  Who knows?  If we knew, we woudn't have 1/2 the threads we do under COJ.  Why am I irritated?  Why are you?  Why was Renee irritated with the person in her CPR class?  Why are some triathletes bugged by slow swimmers who put themselves int he front of their wave?  I think it's becuase we're all humans and things bug us- we can't help it.Yup, but like you said, it's different for us, as believers. we are not to trouble ourselves with trivial matters. We both need to go back to Proverbs, 12:16 "A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult."

Sorry Possum- I had to show my fiesty side!  Nothing against you- I enjoy a challenging conversation and thanks for challenging me on a boring Tuesday!

Me too, Hollis...me too...my absolute biggest beef as a Christian is when people are judgmental....drives me nutty.

Me too, Hollis...me too...my absolute biggest beef as a Christian is when people are judgmental....drives me nutty.