Just like everyone else in the world, I have friends that are non-believers. This morning I noticed that one of my friends posted as their status on Facebook as " It isn't god that I have an issue with but rather his followers......... ah jesus I pray you save me from your followers". This is someone I talk to occasionally, well when I see them, and I know I have told them that I am a Christian and attend such activities weekly. So I simply commented on it, for my own curiosity, "I'm a follower of God/Christ. Do you have issues with me?" Mainly because I wanted to know if my light was showing, especially since we were going over Romans 12:1-2 last night at Bible Study and discussing how Christians need practice insulation with the world, not isolation or imitation.
Well someone I know replied to my comment: "if i was them i was say depends... most of the people who say they are followers need to read the good book again and word search the word "pharisees" to make sure they arent selling their own souls to satan at the discounted rate. your retort( mrs r) isnt the sort of pride ( i use the word "pride" strongly) that the good book approves of. ahem... for shame? your anger isnt the way to win over friends. stand down" How was my question even an angry one? Or better yet, how was I being prideful? I do not know this replier at all, so I'm assuming, by the words chosen for the bible, that there too are a non-believer.
So obviously I was offend, i probably should have not said anything back, but I did. "I wasn't being angry, I was simply seeing if I even came off as a Christian to my Friends, I have never once pressured them about their "sins" or their believes being different from my own. I am not separate from those that are no followers, I have my issues daily.
The pharisees were soap boxers, stand there and show that they were followers of the One True God, but one is not saved by works, thus they were actually offending God by not completely surrendering to Him.
I was not trying to be prideful in any way. So you need to stand down, because you don't know me or my relationship with our mutual friend here. I am a Christian, not an asshole."
They responded once again: "the only material i have to work with is the aforementioned retort, ie "do you have an issue with me" deny the confrontational tone within that if you will... but do not think for an instant that you speak for the church. If your tone textually was what I encountered when i entered the church, you could consider me a strong non believer too. this is why i say stand down, you do all of us more harm than good."
Why do people make me so mad? I mean, Yes I have my beliefs and I hold strong to them, and I realize people have theirs, though they aren't always the in the sight of God, but I respect that, and just hope that as I build a relationship with them as friends and can get closer to sharing more and more of who I am, which is a Christian. Why does this world have to nit pick everything when it comes to Christian it? I realize that there are those in the "faith" that are not living like Christ, they are full of hate of those who are sinners, but would you want to talk to someone who is yelling at you that you're going to Hell? Some people that works, be for me, that would never work. Relationships are key to any situation, and though I have friends that are "ungodly" in ways, does not mean I cannot be friends with them. I am not going to agree with what they are doing is correct and not engage in such things because of my faith, but I can share my life with them in other ways... This just really offended me, and I know not every situation is going to be a easy one, cause if they were, God wouldn't have us here.
1 comment:
People can be mean on the internet... I'm a little surprised to see this kind of conversation on Facebook where people tend to be more genial, but maybe this person is a super-troll in general and new to Facebook. They should have never opened it up to the public! ;) But people do get riled up about Christianity - I think they're anti-a lot of religions but Christianity is an easier scapegoat because it isn't a minority position in the US. I also think that people react badly to the "public" and controversial image of Christianity but rarely to the Christians in their own lives, so you had a good point in your original status comment.
I'd take the conversation out of the general view and just ask your friend the question you originally intended. That's the relationship you have influence in anyway, not with this other stranger. Best of luck.
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