Ok, Bill, it's a new thread, so now it's on topic.
If 7up leaves Mormonism, then he can tell us whether "brainwashing" is an accurate term to apply to his experiences in it or not. Regardless, how is calling him an idiot going to help?
Of course. But I wouldn't have to call him an idiot, or any other insulting name, in order to do so. In fact, I would go to great lengths not to, because I want to set a good example for my daughter and teach her to love everyone, even her enemies.
I understand the importance of correcting false doctrine. But the way in which we do it matters as well. As my pastor puts it, we need both truth and love. And if we argue for truth without being kind, people will notice it and many of them will be persuaded that Christianity is false. You can win the battle for right doctrine but still lose the war for salvation and the glory of God.
Jesus is God, and he has a right to speak to his creation harshly if he sees a need to. The people he spoke the harshest to were the Pharisees and religious leaders, IMO because they had the greatest responsibility for doing the right thing and teaching others correctly. 7up, from what I understand from his testimony, was raised in a nominally Christian home, became an atheist and then converted to Mormonism. He wasn't exactly raised with spiritual truth and teaching the way the Pharisees, the leaders of God's chosen people, were supposed to have been.
As for following Christ, you're basing your actions on how he treated a specific group of people and letting that trump his and the Holy Spirit's clear instructions to the church on how to treat unbelievers:
Titus 1:10-14 talks about rebuking false teachers sharply, but from what I can tell it's talking about false teachers that arise within the church, not people outside the church.
Originally posted by Bill the Cat
If he were actively proselytizing your child despite your repeated attempts to correct him, would you not defend your child from him and his heresies?
He is ardently propagating doctrines that will lead the unsuspecting astray from the good news of the Jesus of the Bible into the damnation of the Jesus of Joseph Smith.
Jesus had pretty harsh words to say about those who led people from God toward a god of their own making, didn't He? And are we not to imitate Paul as He imitates Christ (1 Cor 11:1)? If Christ Jesus considered it acceptable to defend the weak in faith from the doctrines of devils with shaming words, then I think that I'll imitate Him in the same manner where I see a necessity. And I see a necessity here.
As for following Christ, you're basing your actions on how he treated a specific group of people and letting that trump his and the Holy Spirit's clear instructions to the church on how to treat unbelievers:
Titus 1:10-14 talks about rebuking false teachers sharply, but from what I can tell it's talking about false teachers that arise within the church, not people outside the church.
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