Re: Re: [asa] Random and design

On 11/25/06, Pim van Meurs <pimvanmeurs@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Is that what Janice really meant? I'd like to hear from her directly

Fair enough. Janice, have I misstated your views?

>> You show precisely the misunderstanding of the lawyer that caused
>> Jesus to follow up the Golden Rule by the parable of the Good
>> Samaritan. When Jesus said "love thy neighbor" it was immediately
>> replied with the question who is my neighbor? The reason for the
>> response is the implied assumption that our "neighbor" deserves our
>> love.
>
> How does my position show a misunderstanding? It has nothing to do
> with deserving our love, it has all to do with a position of trust
> towards one's neighbors, irregardless of whether or not the neighbor
> deserves it.
>
> Love they neighbor seems at odds with hope for the best, expect the
> worst. Is that the attitude we as Christians should follow? I'd say
> expect the best

If what you mean is thinking the best until there is compelling
evidence otherwise then we are on the same page. This reminds me of an
exchange between Howard Dean and an Iowa voter during the Iowa
Caucuses in 2004. Howard Dean was going on a tirade about President
Bush and the voter asked him if the President was his neighbor. Dean
replied that he didn't trust the President and, no, he was not his
neighbor. So, does this violate your principle above? I think it does.

My point is that even if Howard Dean truly believed that the President
was a liar and untrustworthy it doesn't discharge his duty as a
neighbor. We commanded here to love and not to trust. We are to trust
in God, not man. We are to love all even when they fail us --
especially when they fail us.

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Received on Sun Nov 26 10:40:58 2006