Posted by Jim Henderson on: 02.22.2006 /
Comment from: Christian Advises Hemant - What Say You
“I can’t believe the way you people are pussy footing around him (Hemant). It seems to me that instead of paying some athiest to tell you about what all the churches are doing wrong, you should be on your knees seeking the God’s wisdom about how to recognize and reach those whose hearts are really seeking and open to Him.
Jesus admonished his disciples not to ‘cast your pearls before swine’ You all are tying them around his neck!
Editors Question: Doesn’t that make Hemant a Swine?
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Comment by: Ir
1 02/22/06 4:12 PM | Comment Link |Maybe OTM asked God how to reach people and God said “Don’t ask me — ask them!” Hence OTM’s current project :)
Comment by: Six Six Six
2 02/22/06 4:16 PM | Comment Link |I am sorry, but who is OTM
Comment by: Siamang
3 02/22/06 4:41 PM | Comment Link |Wierd.
Anyway, not a very charitable way for Judy to say what was on her mind.
Unfortunately not unique among my experience. Which is sadly why I am anonymous on boards where I discuss religion.
Comment by: Jim Henderson
4 02/22/06 4:43 PM | Comment Link |Siamang - Hang in there - lets see where this goes
Comment by: Winn
5 02/22/06 6:08 PM | Comment Link |Judy, (I also wrote this under your original comment section).
You ended your comment (IMHO). Your opinion seems to me to be snide, calculating, mean spirited, foolish, ignorant and arrogant (oops those last three words are your words) along with vitriolic, acerbic, acid, acidic, acrid, astringent, biting, caustic, corrosive, cutting, mordacious, mordant, pungent, scathing, sharp, slashing, stinging, trenchant, and truculent. Your post was anything but HUMBLE. This kind of pietistic snobbery is not helpful. Well, that’s my not so HUMBLE opinion.
What’s amazing to me is that God even loves people with “suck attitudes.” Ooops, what was I thinking to write such a thing. I’m probably “casting my pearls before swine.
Comment by: Rick L
6 02/22/06 6:46 PM | Comment Link |Judy’s comment came in a thread I prompted by asking whether atheists had met Christians whose character and manner of engagement with them prompted them to re-think their previously held opinions about people of Christian faith. Sadly, Judy’s comment will not be an example of what I was thinking of…as Simang has already noted with the comment “Unfortunately not unique among my experience…”. I hope Siamang and others who self-idenify as atheists might have some encounters on this blog that do qualify as pleasantly surprising. -Rick L
Comment by: skikid
7 02/22/06 8:33 PM | Comment Link |Judy~
I think that the OTM people are seeking God’s wisdom… in an unconventional way to be sure. On ones knees is definately one way to seek God but I think that it is only one of many ways. It seems to me through my vast experience of 21 years :) that there may be a division between Christians and people who do not associate as such. I think that fear, misunderstanding, prejudice and the poor acts of a few make up a large part of this division. The “pussy footing” as you call it is what I would call respect and love and are what I believe can bridge the fear, misunderstanding and prejudice. AS for open hearts, I only know my own, but I dont think that it is realistic to expect anyone to come into a situation with an open heart when what they expect to meet makes them fearful or uncomfortable.
Comment by: Rick
8 02/22/06 8:44 PM | Comment Link |Ok, I am the other Rick, not same as the one who posted above :-) What that out of the way lets get back to the coffee table.
How people like Judy come off doesn’t affect what I think of OTM. As atheists we are used to comments which are much more unfair. Names like Pat Robertson and Fred Phelps come to mind. But we have learned it quite earlier in the journey how to seperate an individual opinion from that of a group. Don’t take it the wrong way, but after a while it stops being hurtful and starts being entertaining.
Perhaps this springs from a freethought mindset where an individual is given the ultimate control of himself/herself and is responsible for his/her own actions.
So everyone here, don’t panic. Just chill our ;-)
-R
Comment by: Jessica
9 02/22/06 9:44 PM | Comment Link |Ok, so with what Rick said can I admit that after cringing I LOL? Cause I did, I really did. The picture of pigs came to mind and even though I’ve never met Hemant I’m pretty sure he’s no swine. Judy on the other hand… wow… guess we know exactly where she stands on this.
Siamang and Rick, I’m sorry. Even though you may get used to it, nobody should be spoken to that way.
Comment by: Siamang
10 02/23/06 12:14 AM | Comment Link |Ah, this is pretty mild. No blood, no foul.
The overwhelming positive experience of Off The Map outweighs it by far.
Comment by: Peter in Pennsylvania
11 02/23/06 4:40 AM | Comment Link |No, of course Hemant is not a swine. Swine lack opposable thumbs and therefore the ability to type. ;-P
If you look carefully at the meaning of that passage, I think it indicates that when people don’t want to listen to you when you present the Gospel, that you shouldn’t waste your time. This forum is CERTAINLY not in that category.
As a Christ-follower, I would humbly ask that those of you reading (and posting) who are not would believe me when I say that this attitude does NOT represent the mainstream of those who follow Jesus today.
Comment by: David Buckham in St. Petersburg, Florida
12 02/23/06 9:31 AM | Comment Link |Peter,
I don’t have thumbs and I can still type. My dog can type with her nose. You can’t read it but it can be done. Your logic is astounding inaccurate.
Since Hemant is not a Christian does that make him anything other than…someone who is not a Christian? Why don’t we just give him the respect that we would want from him. While doing that listen to him for the job he was hired for.
And who knows maybe God did tell OTM (if you don’t know what that means check the website name). Do people really win others to a life long Christian life by calling them names? Hemant’s job is not to become a Christian but to do some research at some churches. If some church out there reaches him GREAT! If not then we still win because we get information about what an outsider sees and how we can fix our mode (which is changalbe) of delivering a message (which DOES NOT change).
all about Christ,
David
By the way, I do have thumbs. Sorry about the lie. Just illustrating a point.
Comment by: r10b
13 02/23/06 7:44 PM | Comment Link |Hey, I said the same thing and nobody got bent outta shape! Well, actually I just mentioned the ref (Mat. 7:9). Guess nobody’s got a bible!
Regardless, Hemant is not a swine any more than the Word of God is just a hardened mass of mucus around a grain of sand. The point is, of course, that if Hemant would only mock the Scripture (not saying he would) he shouldn’t be presented with the opportunity.
Anyway, one should be careful quoting Scripture as a “sanctified” version of #!$%*$@!
Comment by: Char
14 02/26/06 1:51 PM | Comment Link |I have to admit I am crying. Jesus sat down with the most despised people of his generation and loved them - the tax collectors, prostitutes, lepers, and Samaritans. The Pharisees and Saducees mocked him and rejected him for it. What have the people who call themselves “followers of Jesus” become? Is this why he says “I know you not??”