Re: [TruthTalk] What is a Christian?

[Dave Hansen]

Charles Perry Locke wrote: From: Dave Hansen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Charles Perry Locke wrote: DaveH,  Something is being twisted here beyond it's bounds. The term "street preacher" refers to all evangelicals that preach in the open air, but you are using it to refer to those that offend you. DAVEH:  ???   I don't recall saying any of the street preachers offended me.  Are you certain that is what you think I said, Perry?  If so, may I suggest you misunderstood me. So, you were not offended by anything the street preachers you have heard or read about in SLC a year or two ago, waving mormon undies and yelling and shouting at people at the GC? DAVEH:  No, I don't recall being offended by that.  I'm sure some LDS folks are, but I'm not your typical Mormon boy. If that did not offend you at all, then I have misrepresented your feelings on the issue. DAVEH:  Good....I'm glad that is straightened out, Perry.  That is not fair, it is a stereotype based on the actions of just a few by your subjectivit judgement. DAVEH:   ???  You are losing me on this, Perry.  How did I stereotype the street preachers?  I thought I had qualified them as some, or such, with each post where I spoke of them protesting in SLC.  Did I forget to do that on any of my posts?  If so....I did it inadvertently.   DaveH, I am referring to the following statement: "I wonder if the street preachers consider the impact they have on Christianity as a whole.  I also ponder how Jesus would view their antics."   I am not saying that there are not any street preachers that act rudely someimes. I am saying that the statement you made above appears to lump all street preachers into one group, i. e., those who you feel have a (negative) impact on Christianity because of their "antics". I was simply pointing this out so that you, and others, would not begin to get the negative impression that "street preachers", in general, are all rude. DAVEH:  I wholeheartedly agree.  I didn't mean to portray all street preachers as from the same mold.  Often, I tried to qualify my comments as some of the street preachers, to denote that I'm not implying all of them are the way I'm discussing.  In the post you quoted above, the only qualifier I used was the, which I think you took as all, but I meant it to imply the specific ones creating the controversy.  I should have been more clear....my apologies to any street preachers who feel I've impugned them unfairly. That is how stereotyping begins, and I would like to nip it in the bud, so to speak. By and in large, street preachers have been called to do God's work in many ways and places that most of us would never dare to do or go. Do you understand what I am saying? DAVEH:  Sure......and, do you understand what I'm saying?  IMHO, being a Christian bears a responsibility to act like a Christian.  If the actions of Christians betray the perceptions of what non-Christians have been told Christianity represents, I wonder what message they are hearing.  So Perry...back to my question.  Do you think the street preachers who go out of their way to create controversy, ever consider the effect their antics may have on the non-believers?  And as a related question, do other street preachers (who do not go to the extremes in their preaching) ever cringe when they see the actions of the more rude SPs? Perry -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dave Hansen [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.langlitz.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you wish to receive things I find interesting, I maintain six email lists... JOKESTER, OPINIONS, LDS, STUFF, MOTORCYCLE and CLIPS.