Re: Reply to Janice

On 4/3/06, Janice Matchett <janmatch@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> At 10:34 AM 4/3/2006, Carol or John Burgeson wrote:
>
>
> @ I allow people to be who they are and am not offended by what they
> choose to believe in the least. I have friends from all walks of life and
> political/religious/non-religious persuasions who will attest to that fact.
> They also know that if they want to disagree with me on any particular
> subject that I have strong opinions on, they had better have done their
> homework before they engage me on it. How they "feel" about things doesn't
> impress me. I don't believe in attempting to reason people out of beliefs
> that they haven't first reasoned themselves into. I know a lot are offended
> by it, but the more I perceive someone's opinions/beliefs to be
> emotion-based, the less likely it is that I would even begin to "seriously"
> engage in debate with them. It's like riding in the boat of a one-armed
> boat-rower. I don't have the time to spend going in endless circles ..
> even though I sometimes amuse myself by coming out and playing with them for
> short periods from time to time. :)
>

Having strong opinions does not give us the right to behave in ways that
are forbidden by Scripture. Namely, slandering people. Let's take the latest
example. Here you repeated an unattributed quote of Rush Limbaugh that
accused Senator Hegel of being retarded. This is not to say you were hiding
the source of the quote. I found out because I clicked through all the links
and have a Rush 24/7 membership. I do find this somewhat ironic given Rush's
disdain of "freepers".

Getting this back on topic I have found of late Rush extremely frustrating
on the topic of global warming. Many people have tried to call in trying to
convince Rush that this is a real problem. The usual outcome is the caller
has to defend themselves that there are not being duped by the evil liberal
environmentalist whackos and were spineless "moderates".

We have come to the point where the evidence for global warming has gone
from compelling to utterly compelling. For example, we have the highest
level of CO2 than we have had for the last four ice age cycles. Both the
northern and southern ice caps are melting as measured by multiple methods.
Yes, the climatologists have been wrong. Unfortunately, they were wrong in
that their predictions were not dire enough.

I am extremely depressed about this. The left's "solutions" (e.g. Kyoto)
won't work because they do not address India and China. The right that is
influenced by Rush is ignoring the problem altogether. There are
conservatives and moderates like myself that do see a problem. But, we are
slandered by people like Rush and you. (Go check the archives on our
interactions.) I'll give an example:

## Those who stake out a "middle position" on the highway get no respect
> and usually do wind up getting run over by those who have the courage of
> their convictions who are "going somewhere" on the left or the right of
> them.
>

The implication here is those who are in the middle do not have the courage
of their convictions. Well, I have the courage of conviction that we should
not bear false witness against our neighbor. When I was a ruling elder I was
required to subscribe to the following. Since then I have found no better
description of what it means to not bear false witness.

Question 144: What are the duties required in the ninth commandment?
>
> Answer: The duties required in the ninth commandment are, the preserving
> and promoting of truth between man and man, and the good name of our
> neighbor, as well as our own; appearing and standing for the truth; and
> from the heart, sincerely, freely, clearly, and fully, speaking the truth,
> and only the truth, in matters of judgment and justice, and in all other
> things: Whatsoever; a charitable esteem of our neighbors; loving,
> desiring, and rejoicing in their good name; sorrowing for, and covering of
> their infirmities; freely acknowledging of their gifts and graces, defending
> their innocency; a ready receiving of a good report, and unwillingness to
> admit of an evil report, concerning them; discouraging talebearers,
> flatterers, and slanderers; love and care of our own good name, and
> defending it when need requires; keeping of lawful promises; studying and
> practicing of: Whatsoever things are true, honest, lovely, and of good
> report.
>

Question 145: What are the sins forbidden in the ninth commandment?
>
> Answer: The sins forbidden in the ninth commandment are, all prejudicing
> the truth, and the good name of our neighbors, as well as our own,
> especially in public judicature; giving false evidence, suborning false
> witnesses, wittingly appearing and pleading for an evil cause, outfacing and
> overbearing the truth; passing unjust sentence, calling evil good, and good
> evil; rewarding the wicked according to the work of the righteous, and the
> righteous according to the work of the wicked; forgery, concealing the
> truth, undue silence in a just cause, and holding our peace when iniquity
> calls for either a reproof from ourselves, or complaint to others; speaking
> the truth unseasonably, or maliciously to a wrong end, or perverting it to
> a wrong meaning, or in doubtful and equivocal expressions, to the prejudice
> of truth or justice;speaking untruth, lying, slandering, backbiting,
> detracting, tale bearing, whispering, scoffing, reviling, rash, harsh, and
> partial censuring; misconstructing intentions, words, and actions;
> flattering, vainglorious boasting, thinking or speaking too highly or too
> meanly of ourselves or others; denying the gifts and graces of God;
> aggravating smaller faults;hiding, excusing, or extenuating of sins, when
> called to a free confession;unnecessary discovering of infirmities; raising
> false rumors, receiving and countenancing evil reports, and stopping our
> ears against just defense; evil suspicion; envying or grieving at the
> deserved credit of any, endeavoring or desiring to impair it, rejoicing in
> their disgrace and infamy; scornful contempt, fond admiration; breach of
> lawful promises; neglecting such things as are of good report, and
> practicing, or not avoiding ourselves, or not hindering: What we can in
> others, such things as procure an ill name. [emphasis mine]
>
This is over and against Rush who stated that the most important truth that
he learned in Sunday School was the famous Benjamin Franklin quote, "God
helps those who help themselves." I don't know why he believes what he does
and vice versa. Thus, it is best to not speculate and assume that people
hold their positions for honorable reasons. From all that I can tell, people
who believe that global warming is true or false are sincere. We should
address what we perceive as errors on other's part in that light.

Rush may not be a Christian and it would be unfair of me to hold him up to
Christian standards. But, those of use who call ourselves Christian need to
hold ourselves to the higher standard and not follow Rush when he breaks the
Ninth Commandment.
Received on Tue Apr 4 12:01:53 2006