Udanor
My church has sung hymns like America the Beautiful. I’ve never sung the Star Spangled Banner at church. But I’m sure I would stand if it was sung. Even if no one else was standing and put my hand over my heart and face the flag if there was one. Just like I do at the ball game even though I come to watch baseball not to honor the flag. I would just do it out of habit and a personal respect I feel for the Flag and what it represents. Sometimes I even cry or get moved by it. I think about all the struggles this country has been through and all the sacrifices people in this country have made for the freedom we have.
And I’m saddened by the actions of our current administration and the loss of respect our country has suffering in the eyes of the world because of them. If you didn’t want to stand I figure that’s your personal choice and it’s not my place to judge why you did or didn’t stand. I love my country but God always comes first. But I don’t see any conflict honoring something that is SUPPOSED to stand for what is right and just. And the fact that well over 90% of our countries founders were God believing humans and the basis of our laws was to respect each other as God has taught us.
What does kinda’ bug me is
Confused saying:
First, I don't recall Christ ever preaching peace, in fact He Himself said he would turn brother against brother, bring war and famine, etc..... So war is hardly out of sync with His teachings.
He may find biblical quotes to support what he says,
but it couldn’t be farther from the truth. And why promote something so negative as WAR weather you’re a Christian or not?
I can’t believe Confused has never heard of Christ preaching peace, when all these scriptures refer to Christ preaching peace.
M't:5:9: Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
M't:10:13: And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.
M'r:5:34: And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
M'r:9:50: Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.
Lu:1:79: To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Lu:2:14: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
And even if you quote scripture that turns “brother against brother” as you say.
Why would you promote it instead of the ample scripture on the teachings of Christ that show how important loving one another really is? What about Christ promoting brotherhood as the next most important thing to worshiping God?
M't:5:24: Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
M't:7:3: And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
M't:7:4: Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
M't:7:5: Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
Ro:12:10: Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
Ro:14:10: But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
Ro:14:13: Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.
1Th:4:6: That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.
1Th:4:9: But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
Heb:13:1: Let brotherly love continue.
1Pe:2:17: Honour all men. Love the brotherhood.
2Pe:1:7: And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
1Jo:2:10: He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
1Jo:4:20: If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
1Jo:4:21: And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
Beats me why Confused would promote those ideas unless he just wants to discredit the Bible.
But I can't understand the value of doing that at the expense of promoting such negative ideas as WAR and turning person against person. I mean isn't there enough of that in the world already?
Peace be with you Confused and with you all!
