Sunday, January 16, 2005

Kindness, Not Condemnation, Leads to Repentance

World Magazine Blog's Mark Bergin applauds the Philadelphia Inquirer for an editorial. In it, the paper comments on the indictment of four protesters who used a bullhorn and carried placards telling participants in a Gay Pride block party, "God Abhors You!"

The paper deemed the indictments over the top.

But it also condemned the protesters for their tactics and their sentiments.

Bergin agreed with the Inquirer. His post has elicited a wide variety of responses. Here's what I wrote:
Hurrah for the Inquirer! When will Christians realize that the only people Jesus ever scoldingly upbraided were the religious folks who knowingly violated God's holiness, not unbelievers or marginal believers?

The people who fell into these latter categories were shown kindness, patience, and understanding by Jesus. Even fiery Paul understood that it is the kindness of God that leads people to repent (turn from sin) and receive new life through Christ.

The indictment of the Christian demonstrators was over the top.

But the un-Christian tactics of the demonstrators were also wrong. Their aim shouldn't have been condemnation, but evangelization.

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