Part III : Application of Belief System
The way in which we apply what religious teachings we accept is also determined by our personal experiences. Think about children's sports leagues. There are "Christian" sports leagues that basically eliminate competition. They don't keep score, play shorter periods, and cheer for both teams. There may be some wisdom in this based on revealed truth, but most often the rules seem to flow from the parents own goals and how they react to the way they were treated as children. Other "Christian"-influenced leagues leave in the competition, but take out the cussin'. Some YMCA leagues still start games with prayer - usually in places where competition is valued and moral character is highly valued. Other "Christian" parents "want the best for their kids" and enroll them in competitive leagues that organize games and tournaments on every Sunday in the year.
My point here is not to criticize any of these methods of involving children in sports. I merely suggest that the bottom level rationale for the choices of the parents is not based on the Christian principles they claim, but on how they wish they could have been treated as children.
When we cloak our personal preferences in the language of religious dogma we violate the integrity of the religion we profess. If we are serious about our religion, we will be honest about the extent to which our decisions are informed by our dogma and visa-versa.
Maybe we should form a Christian blogging ring.
Posted by: Jake at February 16, 2004 11:13 PMThen people would expect me to stop using "forceful" language!
Man, we need to get some of those little smileys on MT. I miss those from klink.
Posted by: Blandus at February 16, 2004 11:49 PM