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LOVE - 08/03/14

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Andrew

Andrew
1128 posts
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07/29/2014 07:53

Is it Christian to be a wimp?

"Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that takethaway thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also.
Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again."RR

This seems to require that we be wimps and let the enemy walk all over us. How does this jive with "Even the disposition to excuse guilt is punished." (S&H)

Edited by Andrew - 07/29/2014 07:55




 
JPalmer

JPalmer
134 posts
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Location:
Plainfield
United States
07/29/2014 10:08

Re: Is it Christian to be a wimp?

I have struggled with the idea of turning the other cheek for most of my life, but finally I am seeing that maintaining Love for our 'enemies' is not being wimpy. It is understanding that while animal magnetism would love for me to keep fighting in the material world, Christian Science shows that I am spiritual.

Since we are spiritual, and we place our trust firmly in God, why bother worrying about our cheeks at all? The real strength in those situation is the ability to maintain Love and continuing to listen to God. I struggle with this, but I am so grateful that the struggles are quicker now as I work to get past my material senses and old habits thanks to what I am learning here.




 
parthens

parthens
101 posts
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Location:
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07/29/2014 13:02

Re: Is it Christian to be a wimp?

"When my home was bombed in 1955 in Montgomery, many men wanted to retaliate, to place an armed guard on my home. But the issue there was not my life, but whether Negroes would achieve first-class treatment on the city’s buses. Had we become distracted by the question of my safety we would have lost the moral offensive and sunk to the level of our oppressors."

". . . [T]he nonviolent approach does not immediately change the heart of the oppressor. It first does something to the hearts and souls of those committed to it. It gives them new self-respect; it calls up resources of strength and courage that they did not know they had. Finally, it reaches the opponent and so stirs his conscience that reconciliation becomes a reality."


". . . There is no easy way to create a world where men and women can live together, where each has his own job and house and where all children receive as much education as their minds can absorb. But if such a world is created in our lifetime, it will be done in the United States by Negroes and white people of good will. It will be accomplished by persons who have the courage to put an end to suffering by willingly suffering themselves rather than inflict suffering upon others. It will be done by rejecting the racism, materialism and violence that has characterized Western civilization and especially by working toward a world of brotherhood, cooperation and peace."

[from the writings of Martin Luther King]




 
Andrew

Andrew
1128 posts
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Location:
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07/29/2014 20:24

Re: Is it Christian to be a wimp?

Thank you Parthens & Jeremy - rich responses...

I will add a little something... My Dad was an ardent pacifist (Christian) at the start of WWII. He would be assigned watch duty on the church tower east of London during the Blitz, and after weeks and weeks of perpetual nightly bombing, he acknowledged he was wrong - that you cannot allow evil to run rampant. Hitler was enabled by what I would like to call material Christians, so-called Christians without an ounce of spiritual sense. Since the Christ message is spiritual not material, it must be so understood and practiced, otherwise it is the weakest, most gullible system imaginable.




 
parthens

parthens
101 posts
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Location:
n.a.
07/29/2014 21:36

Re: Is it Christian to be a wimp?

Martin Luther King said of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the World War II pastor whom the Nazis executed owing to his involvement with members of the German Military Intelligence Office in a conspiracy to assassinate Hitler:
"If your opponent has a conscience, then follow Gandhi. But if your enemy has no conscience, like Hitler, then follow Bonhoeffer."

Edited by parthens - 07/29/2014 22:18




 
MaryBeth

MaryBeth
795 posts
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Location:
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Editor
07/30/2014 07:24

Re: Is it Christian to be a wimp?

In the readings last Wednesday night, Bruce read from Mrs. Eddy’s article “Peace and War” in Miscellany which states in part, “I will say I can see no other way of settling difficulties between individuals and nations than by means of their wholesome tribunals, equitable laws, and sound, well-kept treaties….But if our nation’s rights or honor were seized, every citizen would be a soldier and woman would be armed with power girt for the hour.” In her dealings with Mrs. Woodbury, who turned against Mrs. Eddy and made horrible and untrue accusations, Mrs. Eddy did everything she could to avoid an unpleasant and drawn-out conflict, but when all else failed Mrs. Eddy went to war (law case), met this error head on - and won.



 
MaryBeth

MaryBeth
795 posts
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Location:
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07/30/2014 08:39

Re: Is it Christian to be a wimp?

There is a way of confronting error with dominion, not with agitation and hate, which is the lesson of “turning the other cheek.” It is not about ignoring or suppressing. Human love will quickly turn to hate – therefore, only the demonstration of Divine Love will enable you to “bless them that curse you.” This is why persecution can lead to such tremendous growth – you become forced to get on your knees and profess your helplessness before God –“save Lord or I perish.” This is the state of supreme humbleness that leads to transformation and the burning away of self. Daniel would have been eaten by the lions if he had not known and demonstrated this Principle.



 
Florence

Florence
737 posts
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Location:
n.a.
07/30/2014 08:56

Re: Is it Christian to be a wimp?

But if our nation’s rights or honor were seized, every citizen would be a soldier and woman would be armed with power girt for the hour.”


Is the emphasis on the soldier with the power of mental might of right knowing or one ready with material arms? If the real enemy is mortal mind from which all our woes begin then our individual effort of knowing God's Allness and evil's nothingness is a constant "war" of great value.




 
A T M

A T M
404 posts
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Location:
n.a.
07/30/2014 09:39

Re: Is it Christian to be a wimp?

http://therightscoop.com/awesome-mark-levin-interviews-son-of-hamas-founder-mosab-hassan-yousef-who-says-israel-is-fighting-for-the-world/

Mark Levin interviews the son of Hamas founder - VERY relevant and inspiring.




 
Susanne

Susanne
174 posts
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Location:
United States
07/31/2014 10:35

Re: Is it Christian to be a wimp?

"Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you….

This seems to require that we be wimps and let the enemy walk all over us. How does this jive with "Even the disposition to excuse guilt is punished." (S&H)


In terms of this statement, we need to be tough and stand up for what's right. If I turn the problem over to God, and am not tempted to retaliate or ruminate, but instead leave the situation to divine justice, after having done all I could to remedy the situation, I feel that God's promise will take care of the situation in due time. Anxiety is quelled.

"Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you,…"Chronicles 20:17

But if I do nothing and continue to ruminate… yes, I'm letting the enemy walk all over me.




 
Peter

Peter
189 posts
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Location:
n.a.
07/31/2014 14:13

Re: Is it Christian to be a wimp?

If someone tries to hurt "me" (or I feel hurt) it is only his personal sense of me (or my personal sense of self) that is hurt. And if so, all the better!

On the other hand, Jesus didn't say to let someone cut your arms off. It was a smite on the cheek -- an offense to dignity.




 
Sharon

Sharon
77 posts
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Location:
n.a.
07/31/2014 16:42

Re: Is it Christian to be a wimp?

I believe you can’t be a wimp and be a Christian. We need to stand up to error, detect what it is trying to do and then not let it be done. God gives all the power and directs our every step in the annihilation of error. This takes the strength and power of God. No wimpiness there, but alot of Love.



 
A T M

A T M
404 posts
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Location:
n.a.
08/01/2014 07:38

Re: Is it Christian to be a wimp?

If someone tries to hurt "me" (or I feel hurt) it is only his personal sense of me (or my personal sense of self) that is hurt. And if so, all the better!

On the other hand, Jesus didn't say to let someone cut your arms off. It was a smite on the cheek -- an offense to dignity.


The Scribes accused Jesus of casting out evil through the devil. His good was evil spoken of. This was a slap in the face, a major offense to Truth. It is mental warfare not a physical attack. As we did in our watch workshop last night, we completely destroyed the accusor. You can't be a pushover and do that.

Turning the other cheek shows Man has dominion over the earth and is not impressed with hatred AS he cast it out as unreal!