[asa] Fear and Loathing on this list

All,

I have been lurking on this list more in recent weeks than I have for
several years. As always there are brilliant people discussing deep
topics. But there is something else that is consistent. There is a
constant current of sarcasm, declarations of war against this group
or that, expressions of fear and despair about what is supposedly
befalling the church, and declarations from on high of what God
thinks about this or that.

In the same period I have been meeting with two separate groups of
people locally. Both are composed of mixes of believers and atheists
and agnostics, with a preponderance of unbelievers. In both of those
groups, serious topics are discussed, scientific, political,
religious and philosophical, but everyone is treated with mutual
respect, there is humor, self-deprecation and even love. Even the
servers who bring the coffee are known and time is taken for them by
both believers and unbelievers.

I recently recommended this list indirectly to a young man who is
very intelligent and troubled about theological and scientific
issues. I have to say at this point that I think I made a mistake in
doing so. If he looks here, he will find much more education and
brilliance than in the average church, but too much savagery for him
to get much out of the intelligence.

I just opened my Bible "randomly" to the following verse:

If any man thinks himself religious, but does not bridle his tongue,
but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is WORTHLESS. -
James 1:26

Enough. Stop it. Repent. Consider that that none of us is right about
everything. It isn't all of you. It is the same subset over and over
and over again. You know who you are. Ask our Lord and the people you
are insulting to forgive you and start praying for your intellectual
enemies. Don't respond to me. It isn't me you have offended.

Preston Garrison

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Received on Mon Feb 16 03:59:17 2009