Anyway, there is this guy who is posting questions that he does not seem to want an answer for, so I questioned his intentions.
I initially wrote:
BTW, does it seem to anyone else like Jeep is just trying to bait>anyone
and> > not really interested in what he catches?
Jeep wrote back with this:
christians should be ready at all times to answer questions.>individual
christians claim that the holy ghost, energy,>counselor,
etc., lives in them. if you really have it, him or
her in>you; then you should be able to answer the questions i
or>others posted.>>>can anyone here deliver without the aid of priests, preachers>and/or
books?--I responded with the following:
--Before I start this part about delivering w/out the aid of books, et al is simply ridiculous since much of what we know about anything is from some book (even people's ideas respect probably came from or were influenced by a book, religious or not). That does not mean it is reliable or unreliable simply because it is in a book, but come on now-you're not playing fair. Maybe I'm the only one who has learned much from books.--
-It is true that Christians should be ready in season and out of season. In addition, we should never stop at just one Bible verse for the answers to questions. In the same chapter it talks about being prepared in season and out of season (1 Tim. 4-read whole chapter), it also says to correct, rebuke and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction.
Quite appropriately, it seems, (I could be wrong), but it goes on to talk about how men will not put up with sound doctrine, but will surround themselves with teachers who will tell them what thye want to hear.
Couple these thoughts with those of Jesus in Matt 7:6 where He tells us to not give what is sacred to the dogs, and not give pearls to pigs. How do we know what these folks "look" like-read on (Never Read a Bible Verse-Stand to Reason's website has a few articles on this http://www.str.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5466 to start.)How do we know? They trample it beneath their feet and turn and tear us to pieces.
How does this relate to our current discussion?1. Jeep has been simply asking questions that appear to be baiting questions-that is, he does not care about what the people on this group have to say. How can I say that? Anytime anyone has left him (or her) a website to go to, or a personal story, he responds with yet another question without any indication that he looked at the website or heard what the person said.Here is a short article dealing with this difficulty in sharing one's faith and wanting people to respond (http://www.str.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5961)
The reason I added that was to shine a light on what I thought was problematic with Jeep and was counterproductive to the group. Simply put, we are to be ready in season and out, but we do not, as Christians, has to have an answer for every Bible/personal/theological difficulty there is. Many people much smarter than me have written books/have websites designed for this purpose. I am, in no way, any less a mature follower of Christ if I (or any on this group) do not have all the answers to all the questions.
Sometimes our answers may not be satisfactory to you or Jeep, which is why some of us send you elsewhere to read someone who may be better equipped for the job.Please do not mistake someone's refusal to engage in an unproductive argument for a conviction of what they know to be true. Let us get back to being intellectually honest, present reasons for the belief we have, and be willing to concede a point if the reasons are compelling enough. Up to this point Jeep has not done that, he has only made assertions, and not given reasonable arguments (in the traditional sense-Webster's) as to why we should think as he does.
Sorry this was so long,
Derrick
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