Comments on: Something I’ve Been Thinking About

By: Ashley

Ashley — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 04:09:11 +0000

This is a good question. I don’t like to be confrontational either. I think anyone who knows you is well aware of your compassionate heart.

Sometimes you have to agree to disagree.
Sometimes- God calls you to speak loudly.
Sometimes- God calls you to pray quietly.
You are very discerning. You will know when to do what!

By: Mel

Mel — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 22:20:04 +0000

I think this is true for anyone, not just Christians. People of any faith or lack thereof have their opinions on things. That is just the way of the world. Everyone is different. My motto is “agree to disagree” and focus on what you have in common with others otherwise you may well end up a lonely person!
There are many topics I am EXTREMELY passionate about. I don’t talk about them as I know not everyone feels the same way and I also know that no matter how much I would talk about it, I’m most likely not going to sway opinions. That is okay.
I’ll talk if someone asks or if it comes up in conversation but generally I keep those things personal and don’t worry about what other people do, or don’t do. I’m not responsible for them. Just me.
I will respect your opinion or belief, as long you respect mine.

Do you know what I mean? I don’t want them to automatically think I am a hateful, self-righteous person who “knows it all” and thinks everyone should believe like I do. I would much rather them know that I am compassionate and I love people. That I care for others and I want the best for them – even when I disagree with them.

This is pretty much how I feel about it! I want people to know I care about them no matter how different we might be on various topics.

I have many varied friendships in my real world. I love that. I wouldn’t want to be surrounded by clones of myself.

Mel’s last blog post..Veterans Day

By: stacey

stacey — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:20:55 +0000

I think it’s normal to disagree with people, and it’s ok. I think sometimes we can get beyond that and be close, even friends, and sometimes the dissagreeance can keep us at odds. I don’t know the right answer, and right now i am all protective of you and want to scream YOU ARE RIGHT. ROFL Watch, it’s me that you disagree with. ROFL I’m just grateful that I know I don’t have to agree with all of my friends on all things, and that we love one another anyway.

By: Dana

Dana — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:47:18 +0000

I think the problem is that some people (on all sides of the fence) see disagreeing as not liking or as an attack. It’s hard to maintain a relationship with those people–for anyone. And there will always be people like that. The relationship comes with understanding that I can not a agree with a person, situation, action, whatever and still love the person with my whole heart. Love doesn’t mean a 100% approval rating all the time in every way. It means caring enough to hear and understand the other person from their point of view, and respecting their right to make their own decisions, not kowtowing to it. It also means knowing when sharing your thoughts or beliefs is an exchange of ideas, and when it’s beating someone over the head with it.
I was thinking about this a lot already this morning–can you tell?

By: Michael

Michael — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:47:05 +0000

I see your heart, Becky. We can talk more about this when I’m home, but I’ll say now: Utilities like Facebook force many contradictions to their breaking points. When we display our feelings about issues, we display them for friends, teachers, relatives – a mixed audience. Usually mine are “aired” to and for my peers: college students of mixed beliefs, at home and around the world. They’re no different – often much tamer, though less contextually rooted – than the feelings I might air in conversation.

But this openness forces other (especially inter-generational) relationships into strange corners. Should the issues be brought to light in these relationships? Possibly. Although we’re not reducible to “feelings,” “issues,” they’re certainly important parts of our lives – and tell us a lot about each other. But it remains that we’re not reducible to these things; we love and we care above and beyond the particularities of affiliation and belief.

I think that you and I can interact on multiple planes, and I’d love to: I think of us as friends! If that’s too conflicting – perhaps just internally, based on your beliefs – then perhaps we should stick to the implicit. At least the public manifestations of our beliefs do imply the existence of others, e.g. as the unsaved or the intolerant, and this may be difficult to hash out without automatically moving back to the “love and care” (personal) plane, anyway. The contradiction – that our beliefs imply uncomfortable things about each other – is difficult, but it’s one of the trade-offs of being culturally situated (especially with absolute beliefs) in an infinitely plural world.

Love,
M

By: Windy

Windy — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:08:02 +0000

I completely understand what you are saying. I don’t ever vent on my blog about relationship issues, the internet is just not the place for that. Love you!