From: "Lance Muir" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Judyt:'Twas John's question, right? I note your answer to JOHN: "the plan is already in place and is being carried out as we write."
Judy, do you have on hand a cupboard full of 'herring &straw"? 'Not surprisingly' you know that John knows what you said herein. Unless I truly missed it (please correct me, John) he's asking about 'human strategy'. Just to help: even though "my God will supply are your needs" yet do I shop for groceries regularly. The former does not nullify the need for the latter. But, not surprisingly, you already know that.
Sorry folks -- busy busy busy.
I am quite confident that God has something in mind when it comes to history. My question was to Lance, as I remember, but of course anyone can answer. Basically, I was taking the position that if we don't care for preemptive war of the Bush administration, what plan works better. As I remember, there were a number of points in response (from Lance) but they seemed to be the plans of a people of faith, not of a secular nation at war with those who seek nothing short of their demise.
An additional series of comments came from Bill, quotations from those of an earlier time describing the Christians of the day living a world foreign to what they were or to what they were becoming. Great quotes, I might add.
Here is my problem in all this. In spite of the fact that I am a big Bush supporter, that I see him as a fully involved brother in Christ. That does not mean that all of his decisions are right, but it does have something to say about his character. Opposite him are the Al Frankinsteins of the world and the Michael Moores. And I did not finish the sentence -- in spite of the fact that I support Bush, I am not convinced that a Christian can serve as President or leader of any earthly nation. Not that God would disapprove, so much, but that decisions have to be made that are not "Christian." If I am one who believes in turning the other cheek, as President, I would be imposing my belief system on an entire nation (my own). Death for a Christian is something not to be feared. The death of a nation is of no biblical concern of a Christian.
I mean, look at the struggle Bonhoffer went thru dealing with his faith and the conviction that Hitler must die. The answers that Lance gave are not the answers of any of the political liberals in our country. But they are (for the most part) answers from a Christian conviction.
The quotes presented by Bill present an early church that did not consider itself to be involved in the political circumstance of the day. Should we?
In fact, JudyT 's response was a faith response as well. We keep coming back to that kind of response.
And how much time do we have to spend on politics and the secular struggle as opposed to finding our nitch in the work of sharing the gospel to a dying world?
a brother , John Smithson
