sermonindex wrote:...I am not happy to see any massacares or tragedies happen. But we do live in a fallen world. I was just trying to get Corey to think outside of the box that he has made which he feels is out of the box...
Corey, I think that you are trying to say something important here, and Im listening (through your strong expressions)
This ethnocentricity is nauseating.
The silence on this thread is deafening...
Half a million Arabs dead and no one here raises an eyebrow.Thirty-two American "best and brightest" die and the world's going to pieces.
Where's the media on the estimated twelve million people, mostly African and Asian women and children, sold into slavery...? Where's our prayers for them? Where's our posts about them? When's the last time someone in our churches prayed for them?
Keep it in perspective.
_________________Diane
I think this thread could have been a lot nicer stated. I, too, thought and prayed last monday over the 170 killed in Baghdad and Sadr City right after the VT killings. The violence in Iraq has been unrelenting and truly awful. I think, if we took all this death into account, it would cause all of us to repent and run back to Christ with more zeal.With that being said, I have an issue with the way Corey began this thread. While I feel his perspective, certainly, I do not like the way "nauseating" and "ethnocentric" was used. It came off as very self-righteous, assuming that he, of all the posters on this board, has a heart for the lost and suffering in Iraq. Now certainly he did not mean that, I am sure, but I think a better way to have said that would have been - 'I think we need to keep this in perspective. nearly 700,000 have been killed in this war, and hopefully this tragedy illuminates our need to grieve and pray over the death and destruction in this war, and indeed in the world that we don't even know about.' Something like this would have been less divisive - we're all reasonable Christians here (i think), sometimes we just need something to happen or someone to remind us to be aware of the big picture - i think we're all guilty of being ignorant in some way or another. :cry:
_________________Ben Ordaz
Hey Cory,I feel that your original idea and heart was in the right place, but as many people have stated, your delivery may have been harsh, especially towards the people on SI.As I see, living in South Korea, the world may grieve or show some sort of remorse in their own way (God knows), but in reality, everyone moves on with their lives. When this first happened (Vtech), I watched CNN and prayed for the people, and although I was watching it at my school where we have a huge 20 set TV entertainment system, no one seemed to show interest. The next day, after hearing that it was a Korean involved, many people stopped and watched the news along with me. It has been a topic of discussion in all of my classes now, where on Monday it was just 'unfortunate'.The thing is that it happened in America's 'back yard', so of course, their will be much attention. Would you react differently if it happened on your street, opposed to mine, here in Korea?Do not get me wrong, I see the large amount of attention brought to this. I saw Wolf Blitzer, 'Live, in Virgina'...interviewing anyone that would sign on the dotted line. I also noted to many people what I read Wednseday on yahoo news that 25 died in Iraq. That was a one line heading on the Internet. I shook my head in disbelief, because that went 'relatively unnoticed' as they continued to cover the VT shooting. American media is great at hype. Actually, they do cover events quite well, to the point of over coverage. If you want the answers to problems, they will find them eventually. However, I am not going to spend my time watching news (I rarely watch tv) and wondering what the world is doing. I know it is going to hell. I know hundreds and thousands of people die sometimes daily, some times weekly, sometimes monthly. It has been happening for thousands of years. Hopefully, Jesus comes soon, because I am tired (even though I am relatively young) of this place. I am ready to go home.In the meantime, you and I must do all that we are able to do in order to share the Good News of Christ and be a light on the hill for all of those living in darkness. We have much work to do before He returns, so let us not sit and point fingers, rather lend a helping hand to those that we already know that are in need. I love every race and color. I hate to see pain and sorrow. I will do my part to show everyone the Way of joy and fulfillment, allowing the Spirit to handle the rest. Do not worry about what others are doing, seek the Lord in all that you do and then you will be free of judgement.Anyway...even if half of the world died today, I would still have my joy, in Christ Jesus.God Bless Your children,Brian
Brian's: Anyway...even if half of the world died today, I would still have my joy, in Christ Jesus.
_________________Robert Wurtz II
Robert, I understand your point. And I apologise for attacking you earlier. Tact's never been my strong point and I hope you can forgive me.Diane, yes, I'm trying to see through the eyes of Christ in that I'm "trying" to not be a "respector of persons". I'm still working on the "compassion" part - just reading the Bible en masse for now. Thanks for the kind words.Brian, I'm tired of the world, too. Good thing we're only pilgrims here.
Hi Corey,It's no problem brother. No hard feelings at all. We are brethren. This is the Father's house (as they say). :-) I came off a bit strong also and apologize for that. I did think a lot about this thread and believe God has used it in part to re-spark an urgency in me for how bad things are getting in the world. I fear we are fast heading towards the violence of Genesis 6. So many have no respect for human life.
RobertW said:
I fear we are fast heading towards the violence of Genesis 6.
And when war comes to North America, nine-trillion in debt and armed to the teeth...