tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25535068.post5003366350048426100..comments2023-10-07T01:07:32.493-07:00Comments on A Watchman's View from the Wall: Less PolarizingWatchmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16074753807595569032noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25535068.post-17832294797351539522007-03-17T18:07:00.000-07:002007-03-17T18:07:00.000-07:00i like what you have to say. i think some of the l...i like what you have to say. i think some of the lack of compassion comes from people who think that their compassion will somehow mitigate the judgement and punishment "those people"(with the proper inflection, the words cut deep) must deserve. As if it were our place to mete out God's judgements, and make sure some weasely do-gooders don't alleviate their burden any. <BR/><BR/>i have someone close to me who bristled at the prospect of making a donation to AIDS research in memory of one who fell to it. The general feeling i got was that of "it's "their" disease, it's "their" judgement for being the way "they" are and finding a cure will just validate their lifestyle." And it's troubling and heartbreaking. Especially considering how far AIDS' reach is now, and espeially in the African continent. <BR/><BR/>Making sure that sinners got theirs and denying people aid seems contrary to Jesus' ministry to me. We seem so caught up in always being right that we lose sight of the fact that we were called to be merciful, and not little probation officers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25535068.post-49745582155231265852007-03-11T10:56:00.000-07:002007-03-11T10:56:00.000-07:00Trouble is Gay people are not very gay. They have...Trouble is Gay people are not very gay. They have a lot of problems and they have learned that religious people do not want to help. <BR/>I was a chaplain in a hospital for a three month intern program. I got the 'Aid's floor'. This was back in '89 and most churches had not come to grips with the whole gay and aids thing. It will stand against us in eternity that people suffered and we didn't care. I sat and listened to them. I prayed with them. And I can tell you but I can't tell SOME people that I never bothered to condemn them. Really I thought they felt condemned enough. For some, they had been hurt pretty badly by young preacher boys like me and the anger and resentment flooded off of them as I entered the room. For most of them however, they were so grateful to talk to someone who would listen and not condemn. <BR/>That was 1989. Tell me we have not learned anything since then? To put it simply I want to be like Jesus. You show me in the word exactly which sinners Jesus condemned and I will condemn them to. But I don't see him doing that much. He seemed to have this weird idea that loving people in a nonjudgemental way would go farther toward changing people than condemning them. Too bad that doesn't work anymore huh?Striderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07347436154893544535noreply@blogger.com