From: tll6551@zeus.tamu.edu (Scholar and Fool)
Subject: livin' Godly 'n' all that  (WAS Re: U2's denomination)
Summary:  if it ain't worth sayin', I'll say it
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: Fool's Gold Enterprises
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1992 17:02:00 GMT

ss1@kepler.unh.edu (The Rink) writes...
>Paul said we should "avoid the appearance of evil."  I make no calls on
>whether or not U2 is (or what parts are) right or wrong -- I haven't heard
>much.  But I do know that Christians should not base their judgment calls
>on what "offends" them.  Because the Bible also says the heart is
>deceitful.  As Christians, we must live godly lives, avoiding evil
>WHENEVER POSSIBLE (obviously it isn't possible to avoid it all the time).
>We must focus on the spiritual things in life -- not go to rock and roll
>concerts because they "sound good" but because they are spiritually
>edifying as opposed to spiritually draining.  

Seems to me if someone is attempting to live a Christian life and trying to
follow the Bible as a guide, then what "offends" them should be at least a
pretty good indicator for judgements. As Christians we should avoid evil
whenever possible (actually, I think avoiding the temptation of evil would
be more appropriate here), but I don't think that means saying "Oh! This
thing over here *might* be evil...I'm not sure, but.....it might be and 
then oh boy would I be in trouble" so that we lock ourselves up in nice
little Christian boxes and never see the outside world or present ourselves
or our views to the outside world. And I really don't see how something
that is spiritually draining for one person will be spiritually draining
for every person - I think this is spoken about in the Bible when eating
meat sacrificed to idols, all things are permissable, etc. is discussed.
And I don't think that everything that isn't spiritually edifying is 
spiritually draining.

>And no, the "neat" feeling
>you get when you listen to a snappy tune is NOT spiritually edifying.

Perhaps it isn't for you, but could it be that for some people the "neat"
feeling they get could have spiritually edifying aspects? Why not?

>The Word of God is all that can fulfill us, spiritually, and all contrary to
>that is spiritually draining.  Consumption of alcohol without moderation (or
>with little moderation), dirty language, etc., is ungodly stuff -- Christians
>shouldn't be messing around with that stuff.  Avoid it.

The Word of God leaves a lot of area to personal perogative and interpretation.
Unfortunately, we're all individuals and we all have our own personal
opinions and views on things. Some things can be said to be bad, with quite
a bit of assurance, but there is a lot of stuff that is personal, that isn't
so obvious, and that I believe can go either way for different persons (or
neither way for that matter, really).

$%&^%$&($%^&@$#%!@#%^&#$%*^%__!_$%^*$#%^@#$%^@#&%#$^%*@$%^@#%&#$%^*#$%^&#$%$%
@  (%&    *$@    )*&%&(  # /_/\/\  |    Terry Leifeste, Scholar and Fool    $
&  $#% #& (&* (@ $%^$@*  & \_\  /  | TLL6551@ZEUS.TAMU.EDU  TLL6551@TAMZEUS &
#  ($%    #$*    @#*     @ /_/  \  |----------------------------------------@
*  @#$*$%&*$@%^@&#%*()@  * \_\/\ \ |               Be patient.              %
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