tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post8093152249969818040..comments2024-03-28T17:44:11.289+00:00Comments on Bruce Charlton's Notions: Sweetness and strength - the Christian combination Bruce Charltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-9522840446945843812013-10-19T07:01:44.743+01:002013-10-19T07:01:44.743+01:00@Adam - Thank you.
In terms of this blog's r...@Adam - Thank you. <br /><br />In terms of this blog's readership, the lessons are mostly:<br /><br />1. To be strong and also to be anti-Liberal are not enough, and may easily become anti-Christian in effect. <br /><br />Furthermore unloving hard-liners may push people out of a church such that they are for *good* reasons - I mean, people may feel pushed-out because of a real environment of cold-hearted hatred (and not simply be using this as an excuse to leave). <br /><br />And, of course, this is encouraged by the mass media - who give unloving hard-liners a national/ international platform, and label them as typical Christians. <br /><br />But this is impossible to combat, so long as people are in thrall to the mass media, as at present. The real problem is when there is real-lfe actual hard-heartedness (e.g. ruthless legalism) among 'Christians' and when this is taken to be the same thing as strength of faith. <br /><br />2. Sweetness may well be associated with great strength in resistance to persecution and also great activity in evangelism. <br /><br />The Prophet Joseph Smith was an excellent example of this combination - being both warm-hearted and compassionate and also unyielding in conviction and fortitude; and I hear credible reports of the same combination among some modern African Protestant Christians. <br /><br />The combination is a hallmark of the best Christians, indeed the combination may be almost unique to Christians - at least it does not seem to be valued by other religions who seem happy to go all the way one way (to extreme compassionate weakness) or the other (to extreme legalistic harshness).<br /><br />These thoughts came after re-reading some sections of Charles Williams' Descent of the Dove history of Christianity (from an Anglican perspective).Bruce Charltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-88035207641257488822013-10-18T21:36:20.754+01:002013-10-18T21:36:20.754+01:00Sweetness and Strength :)
I like it!
Sounds like ...Sweetness and Strength :)<br />I like it! <br />Sounds like pickled jalapenos, or Tullamore Dew Irish whiskey. <br /><br />The Crowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04323413604073160469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-78412569689031332282013-10-18T17:48:14.068+01:002013-10-18T17:48:14.068+01:00This is very wise. C.S. Lewis was probably talkin...This is very wise. C.S. Lewis was probably talking about this in Pilgrim's Regress.<br /><br />Love desires the welfare of the beloved. Too much love too acceptingly, and we cease to help the beloved improve and be better off. Too little, and we likewise cease.<br /><br />One of the Mormon apostles caught flack from liberals several years back for preaching that God loves everyone unconditionally but that he loves his saints more. But I think the apostle was right, unconditional and conditional love both have a purpose and a place.<br /><br />http://www.jrganymede.com/2012/10/31/earned-respect-unconditional-love/Adam G.http://www.jrganymede.comnoreply@blogger.com