isbell@marvin.DEC (Chris Isbell ) (03/19/84)
[Mystics line] Quote from William Gulley (edited). >... Christians are being persecuted on a ... personal level every day- >in the form of subtle snubs, little cut-downs, etc.. > >In fact, it seems like anyone these days with a ... faith in something, >... tend[s] 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. > >Christians, however, are particularly fair game because of their basic >tenet, "Love your neighbour as yourself". To love your neighbour means >taking chances, and opening up... More often than not you open yourself >up to the social opportunists out there that survive (in regards to >their self-image) on cutting down these naive, trusting souls that >survive, on their part, on counting themselves worthy enough to love >someone else in this honest, unassuming way. > >(And when they fail ... to achieve this, they're usually harassed even >more ... for trying and failing. Sometimes these "failures" take this >seriously and give up trying, and become "opportunists" themselves. >When this happens, whether Christianity itself has any merit at all or >not, the world grows even a little more colder.) > Comment: How many times have we all 'persecuted' someone in this way? The question is asked not to make people feel sinful, but just to demonstrate how easy it is to hurt someone without intending to. A suggestion for the 'victim', is not to react to the supposed put down, but to give the other person space to see what they are doing. The chances are that they do not realize what is happening because they are just acting out of habit. I think this is what Jesus meant by turning the other cheek. A method that I find helpful is to think about what can be done to help the other person. After all, they have just assisted you by drawing your attention to the religious path you are following. On the other hand, if you find yourself doing the persecuting, then there are various skilful means available to you. The very fact that you have realized suggests that you are becoming aware of what is going on, and that just acting blindly from habit is no longer acceptable (to you). At this point you can resolve (in whatever way is appropriate to your religion) not to fall into the same trap again. Chris Isbell. (...decvax!decwrl!rhea!marvin!isbell)