Subject: Re: The Greatest Commandment - a Sermon
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 1999 9:11:31 +0800
From: Nigel Mitchell < >
Newsgroups: aus.religion.christian
On Mon, 25 Oct 1999 3:08:45 +0800, Graeme Hunt wrote (in message < >):

> Love is never the point of contact betwen God and man, ever. 

Graeme,
I have been reflecting on our discussions over the weekend, and 
I am sure that your statement above is the single most important 
point on which we disagree. 

It is clear from your posts to me and your posts to others that 
you experience God as righteous Judge, someone to be feared and 
appeased, who will condemn and destroy all who do not conform 
their minds and lives to his will. Because you are so certain 
that God shares your anger (or, as you might perfer to put it, 
you share God’s) against Liberals, homosexual people, 
Roman catholics, etc., any language (eg apostate, “poof”) 
you chose to use against them is justified, and you can sleep 
soundly at night knowing that they (we) are degenerate whilst 
you bask in God’s favour.

I, on the other hand, experience God as Love, who loves me even 
though I am a sinner, and who accepts me as I am, with all my 
many faults. I believe that the mystery of the Incarnation is 
that even though we were yet sinners, God loved us enough to 
send his son to demonstrate the true meaning of divine, self- 
giving love which offers forgiveness, not condemnation, and 
which _never_ arbitrarily condemns. Although I sometimes fail 
even in this, I believe that the example of Jesus and the clear 
teaching of the NT Church is that _anyone_ is entitled to be 
treated with love and dignity - ie. the love and acceptance 
that Jesus showed towards us. 

I suspect that everything you say proceeds from your experience 
and understanding of God. I hope that everything I say and do 
proceeds from my experience and understanding of God.

cheers
N+