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From: lew@ihuxr.UUCP (Lew Mammel, Jr.)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Are Christians tolerant ?
Message-ID: <983@ihuxr.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 15-Mar-84 18:10:26 EST
Article-I.D.: ihuxr.983
Posted: Thu Mar 15 18:10:26 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 16-Mar-84 02:58:59 EST
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 30

In his comments in net.flame on the question of persecution of Christians
William Gulley stated:

>In fact, it seems like anyone these days with a fixed and unswerving
>(others would call it naiive- when it's actually the farthest thing from it)
>faith in something, whether they're Christian, Islamic, or Republican,
>tend to get a tough time from a lot of other people. I guess it's just more
>"in vogue" to still be seeking blindly, than to admit you've actually
>found what you've been looking for.

I would like to point out that he has, perhaps unwittingly, adopted a
humanistic perspective here.  It seems implicit in this remark that
the "something" isn't as important as the faith in it.  The Christian
view, as defined by St. Paul doesn't allow for this aloof perspective.
It defines an absolute world view which certainly doesn't admit the
legitimacy of Islam.

While it's true that this Christian view advocates humane treatment
of non-believers, any doctrine which asserts itself as an absolute
truth inevitably influences its believers to grant themselves social
and political ascendancy over non-believers.  The rhetoric of Jerry
Falwell and others like him make this quite evident.

Perhaps William Gulley has found what HE is looking for, and he
seems ready to cheerfully acknowledge the right of others to do likewise.
I hope he will admit that there is a strong movement in this country
which identifies itself as Christian, but which doesn't share his
easygoing liberality towards other doctrines.

		Lew Mammel, Jr. ihnp4!ihuxr!lew