I am sorry

[Raphael]

They are not our enemy that must be completely obliterated at all costs.

We have an enemy, and he has already been defeated by the cross.

Atheists are sinners in need of their Saviour. Their arguments cannot defeat Him, at the end, every knee will now and every tongue will confess that He is Lord.

What's more your talk of being doormats if we don't oppose the by all means (which from your comments would seem to include physical violence) dishonours the memory of those martyrs who suffered and died for the sake of the Cross.

When faced with vocal opposition they have an answer for the hope that is within them.
When faced with jail, when whipped, when beaten, when murdered because they followed Christ, they counted it a blessing.

[DLAbaoaqu]

So when the pigs come and shout "Sky Daddy" in the message boards, I should just stand down and take it?

[fm93]

So when the pigs come and shout "Sky Daddy" in the message boards, I should just stand down and take it?

You really can't conceive of any middle ground between doing nothing and using extremely dehumanizing language to refer to fellow human beings and acting like they're literally aggressive terrorists who must be destroyed in a nuclear war?

I mean really, just think it through. What do you suppose is going to happen with Internet atheists?

Internet atheist: "Sky daddy!"

Internet Christian: "Oh no! Someone on the Internet said that the God I've believed all my life to be real in a manner that's constituted a major part of my very identity is in fact fictional. I must immediately deconvert and start living an utterly hedonistic life consisting of killing and eating babies, forcing heterosexuals to marry animals and inanimate objects, and systematically sending Christians into concentration camps where they'll be tortured and gassed to death by the blood of millions of slaughtered fetuses."

At worst, a few Christians end up figuring that Christianity might not be true, at which point you can step in with refutations and show them how silly those arguments actually were, and then they'll probably reconvert.

[Raphael]

So when the pigs come and shout "Sky Daddy" in the message boards, I should just stand down and take it?

As fm93 said, there is a rather large middle ground between being a doormat and mutually assured destruction.

If you overreact and get highly aggressive about it, you're going to make yourself look like the irrational unreasonable one.

And to be honest, an atheist who relies on the "Sky Daddy" nonsense really isn't worth wasting your time on.

[Juvenal]

[...] your talk [...] dishonours the memory of those martyrs who suffered and died for the sake of the Cross.

haram, that is, religiously impure, or sinful. The response included the consequences if the defender were killed, which was unasked. It was submitted anonymously for me by a sunni muslimah to a shi'a Imam, checking out a claim that a shi'a woman being raped had no right to defend herself in Islam. I dropped the bar sequentially because I wanted to see where killing in defense would cross the line, but I didn't get there. The response affirmed all instances as halal, and added, unasked, that if killed, the defenders would be martyrs.

There are martyrdoms worthy of forebearance at least and sometimes praise, and even if we're unlikely to agree which ones they are, I still thank you for the reminder.

As ever, Jesse


*That how us atheists say "amen."

[Jedidiah]

Kind of missed the target by shooting at the dictionary, lao.

[Bill the Cat]

So when the pigs come and shout "Sky Daddy" in the message boards, I should just stand down and take it?

No. You should laugh at their ignorant juvenile attempts to insult and dismiss them out of hand.

[Sparko]

True that you are. But those people are obviously scared of what he and his friends would do if they were to organize.

By themselves, Christians are nothing. United as one, they can throw off the yoke.

Keep in mind, Christ told us not to do harm to "our brothers", i.e. people in Christianity.
Those dogs mocking him are not his brothers. Therefore, "eye for an eye".

DLAbaoaqu

At one time, I was one of those atheists (or at the minimum an agnostic) - I didn't become a Christian until I was nearly 40 years old. So do you think I deserved to be threatened with violence because I was not a Christian??? I needed Jesus as much as anyone else. Some people take a long time to convert to Christianity and believe. Some never do. But you can't go around saying just because someone doesn't believe in God or Jesus that they deserve to be threatened. Those that you think are "against you" might one day be one of Christ's biggest followers.

If you insist on claiming that atheists deserve to be threatened with violence, you might as well leave Tweb now, because this is a discussion board where all sides can discuss religion, civics, etc. If you keep going the way you have been, you might be banned for your own good, because obviously such discussions seem to set you off and you are sounding like someone with mental issues. You might want to seek out a Christian counselor or therapist.

[Jedidiah]

Keep in mind, Christ told us not to do harm to "our brothers", i.e. people in Christianity.
Those dogs mocking him are not his brothers. Therefore, "eye for an eye".

And what was it Christ said about our neighbors?

[Raphael]

And what was it Christ said about our neighbors?

And other little things we're told such as:
Romans 12:14-21 (ESV)
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it[b] to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Matthew 5:43-48 (ESV)
Love Your Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers,[i] what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Dr. Brown has an excellent comment here: http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/...-who-curse-you

Source: Dr Michael Brown

There was a time when I too was full of anger, profanity, and uncleanness, and rather than smiting me in judgment, God pursued me with his convicting love. As Paul wrote to the Romans, “at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom 5:6). And Jesus set the pattern for us!

Here are five reasons why we should bless those who curse us.

1. This is the way of a Jesus revolutionary, emulating the example of our Father. The Sermon on the Mount is a counterculture, kingdom manifesto where Jesus calls us to live by different principles than the world and religious establishment) live by. And in the Sermon on the Mount, he gave this explicit command: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt 5:43-44).

When we do this, we are emulating God himself, who “causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matt 5:45). This is part of our calling to “be perfect” as our heavenly Father is perfect (Matt 5:48).

2. God demonstrates extraordinary longsuffering towards those who walk in ignorance and unbelief. A few years ago, there was an atheist-inspired internet sensation featuring thousands of people who recorded short video clips of themselves claiming to blaspheme the Spirit. As I watched the clips, I said to myself, “Not too long from now, many of these people will be gloriously saved, sharing internet testimonies and thanking God for his mercy.”

As Paul explained in 1 Timothy 1, “Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. . . . for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life” (1 Tim 1:13, 16).

3. When we bless, a blessing is returned to us. In many, many ways, we reap what we sow, and that’s one of the reasons Peter gave this exhortation to his readers: “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing” (1 Pet 3:9).

What do you want to inherit, blessing or cursing? That’s what you should speak to others.

4. Words of grace and patience produce more good fruit than words of anger and frustration. There are certainly times when it is right to correct and even rebuke, but we must always do so in love (Ephesians 4:15) and patience (2 Timothy 2:24-26), remembering that, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Prov 15:1).

A few months ago, I was reminded that we really don’t know what’s happening in a person’s life. I had challenged the views of a woman who consistently defended abortion on Christian websites, and a few days after our last interaction, she posted this note publicly on my Facebook page: “I want to apologize for writing crazy comments about killing babies about your article. I was trying to live without God and his principles in my life. I thought about the happiest time of my life. That was when I was going to church and living for God. Please pray for me. Thank you.”

Here was a hurting woman, wanting to come back to God, yet I didn’t have the slightest clue that this was what was fueling her pro-abortion fire. Sadly, all too often I have been guilty of responding to people quickly rather than thoughtfully, thereby hardening them in their position rather than helping them to see the error of their ways.

5. When we bless those who curse us, we break the cycle of anger and hatred. This was Paul’s counsel to the Roman believers, following Proverbs 25:21-22: “‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom 12:20-21).

Let’s break ugly, destructive cycle of the flesh and follow in the footsteps of our Master who forgave those who crucified him.

It is the path to life and blessing – not just for us, but also for those who oppose us.

© Copyright Original Source

[DLAbaoaqu]

I have talked to a friend of mine at church. He has prayed for me.

[Sparko]

I have talked to a friend of mine at church. He has prayed for me.

and how do you feel about it now? because I really don't want you to be banned for your own good, but you seem to keep flip flopping back and forth on the matter. Just remember that Christ died for everyone, and God wants to save everyone, but not everyone will be receptive to the Holy Spirit, or it might take them a long time. It could even happen on their deathbed, like the thief on the cross. But God loves everyone! Even those who don't love him.

[Jedidiah]

Dr. Brown has an excellent comment here: http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/...-who-curse-you

I have to admit to being angry, about the direction our nation is headed (and not only the USA) I think and write negative things about those leading us down the spiral into the toilet. I still reject physical violence against the evil that seems to be prevailing today. God is stronger.

[Christianbookworm]

Isn't it pretty obvious that God is stronger? God is OMNIPOTENT! By definition, NOTHING can be more powerful than God!

[DLAbaoaqu]

and how do you feel about it now? because I really don't want you to be banned for your own good, but you seem to keep flip flopping back and forth on the matter.

Better, calmer.

I don't feel angry now.