Mail me comments, suggestions, warnings, flames, whatever
Dear Mr. Lature
First I want to apologize for saying your Web page has no "meat". I guess I was really writing about my first impression, not about what is really on your web page. And you're right, "theological talk" as I called it is important. So please disregard my criticism of your web page.
I do feel that is is important that we also get the Word out on the Basics of Christianity and the Bible.
It has a lot of answers for the problems that our society is facing. One concept that is greatly misunderstood is the concept of sin. This one of many areas where man-made religions and philosophies miss the mark. It is important to understand that ALL of us are sinners. That is why it does not suprise me that you have heard hateful things out of Christians' mouths. First, of all, just because they called themselves Christians doesn't mean that they had a relationship with Christ. Like you pointed out, it is one thing to SAY you believe, and another thing to actually LIVE like a believer. But another explanation is that Christians are sinners, too. We have an old nature, a selfishness, that can be used to deceive us. And the way to deal with that is to have a relationship with Jesus Christ and to search the Scriptures to find where we are sinning and to help others as well. I don't think the answer lies in exploring man-made religions, trying to decypher what is false and what is true.
I would also like to comment on the concept of who God is.
I still disagree with you about Creation and Humanity being actually part of God. I don't disagree with you because I want to polute the Earth, after all we are supposed to be caretakes of this planet. I disagree with you because I don't see that message in the Bible. I do see that message in Pantheistic philosophies, and it seems like you're trying to marry the two. Christ came as a man not to prove that mankind can be its own deity, but to show what a sinless life on Earth is really all about; so we can see just how much we don't measure up. The problem with the Pantheistic view, is it somehow expects that mankind can get together and make this world a perfect place. It tries to accomplish this without Christ, without Scriptures, and without any absolute moral law. It won't happen without Christ, and most secular attempts to make the world a better place, that I have seen, have failed miserably and caused more harm than good.
If we want to put our efforts into something worth while, we have to put them into God's hand. No political, or New Age revival will set this country on the right track. Only a revival to Christ and his saving grace, (like those which helped our country in our past), will give us a chance.
Speaking about politics, I just want to say that the idea that Christians' believe that everything that comes out of the Republican party is from God, is a myth. I have never heard anyone preach that, and if anyone did, I don't know who would believe it. The media gets confused about this because many Christians who decide to become involved in politics choose to get involved within the Republican party.
(If I ever got involved in politics I would find it hard to work within a Democratic party along side organizations like the ACLU which has done more to suppress religious liberty than any other group.) But the Republican party has some questionable groups associated with it, also. No politician is perfect, because they are only human. They make mistakes, they are sinners just like everybody else.
If you write me back again, I would like to hear some more specific criticisms of things that Christian churches should be doing that they are not. I think this is an important part of your message, that I don't want to ignore. Churches need constructive criticism just like Paul wrote to the early churches in the epistles.
Thanks again for your time.
--- David Lyon
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