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From: aeq@pucc-h (Jeff Sargent)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: a really good thought
Message-ID: <603@pucc-h>
Date: Tue, 20-Mar-84 19:08:42 EST
Article-I.D.: pucc-h.603
Posted: Tue Mar 20 19:08:42 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 22-Mar-84 00:52:40 EST
References: <593@pucc-h>, <786@ihuxq.UUCP>
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center
Lines: 54

>> = Jeff Sargent
>  = Ken Perlow

>> Christians (especially intense, perfectionistic ones like me) would be a
>> lot more relaxed if they could really internalize the following:

>> "We are not responsible for results, only for obedience."

> Now that's really scary.  I thought such beliefs were completely
> repudiated at Nurenburg.  But then, it gives me a better insight into
> the appeal of Nazism.  Sorry if it makes you tense, Jeff, but you
> are responsible for your own actions.  There will always be people
> like Eichmann with a "the devil (Fuehrer/God/whatever) made me
> do it" defense, I suppose.  So where do *YOU* draw the line, Jeff?
> I'm sorry, I mean, where does your god draw the line?  Might he ask
> you to inconvenience 1 person?  How about 2?  10?  1,000?  6,000,000?
> *NEVER AGAIN!*

I see that some clarification is in order.  What this statement meant is:
Don't insist that the results of what you do come out "perfect" by your
standards; just do your best to follow what you understand to be the will
of God, and trust Him to take your efforts and, shall we say, globally
optimize them.  It does not mean that you don't bear the consequences of
your actions; the Bible itself says, "As you sow, so shall you reap".

Come on, Ken!  God doesn't ask me to inconvenience people; He asks me to
love them, help them, affirm them, transmit His love to them through me.
(I'm the first to admit that I don't do this consistently, or even all that
frequently, but I'm getting there, slowly but surely.)  One doesn't need a
"the  made me do it" defense of truly beneficial actions.
And I do mean beneficial, like feeding the hungry, comforting the sorrowing,
and other such things that do good to people where they really live.  It is
such actions that God desires us to do.  He hopes, initially, that we will
obey Him when we sense Him leading us to do some such good thing; but He
also hopes we grow into the sort of person to whom it is a joy to do such
good deeds, so that we want to do them rather than feeling we have to--in
which case the question of obedience fades somewhat.  Besides, it is by doing
such good deeds, and often ONLY by doing them, that the truth of Christ can
be communicated to the world; people are going to believe in a loving Christ
a lot easier if someone loves them in the name of Christ than if someone
invokes fire & brimstone upon them.  I regret that so many Christians,
including many prominent ones, seem unaware of this--they don't know what
joy they're missing!  I may be sinning by judging other people here, but
I am reminded of Jesus's comment to the Pharisees, which is something like:
"You refuse to enter the Kingdom of God yourself, and you hinder those who
would want to enter."  I hope & pray that my articles will never turn off
those who might be approaching the Kingdom.



-- 
-- Jeff Sargent
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