My point is that all those “intolerant” people are also sinners (you know, Judge not….) and they all know it. Believe it or not, a good portion of those people really care about you and are afraid for the eternal welfare of your soul. The problem is they haven’t got a clue how to tell you. It is hard to really understand the other person’s perspective when you don’t believe the same things. And I mean this from both points of view.
I really want people to know, it is not what the doctrine teaches that is the problem. It is that the people who belong to the church, but don’t live it’s precepts.

No, I didn’t read the article. I did read your post and the comments posted here. So, to my second point. I did get the fact that this isn’t all about an attack on the church. But I am concerned that so many people are so bitter about how they have been treated. People have a real reason to be resentful and angry, especially when children have been harmed. And I am including all those who are adults now, but who were harmed as children. Reliving all the hurt feelings however, is like eating rat poison in the hope that the rat will die. It hurts you, not the people who have hurt you. That’s where forgiveness comes in. It affects you more than the other person. Ask JC about the “Let it flow, let it go” philosophy. He’s a very enlightened soul.

As far as the rest of the post, I didn’t comment because I didn’t feel it needed more comment. Very well said!
Except, I must add, for those who are depressed, not because of anything you did (because chemistry does get out of whack)ask for help. We all need help sometimes. Life actually is worth living. And you are worth it.

By the way, you were not the biggest sinner in our community. I don’t know who it was, but I’m sure it wasn’t you. Thank you thinking I was kind. I try to be. And thank you for the short memory (As you can see, I am a bit preachy). Most of all, thanks for loving me best. I won’t tell Julie, because I don’t want her to feel like she’s not the best. But, it does make me feel all sparkly and sunny inside.

jess - Thank you.

JC - And thank you.

Jeremy - and thank you, too.

Tina, I have a feeling that you didn’t read the articles that sparked this little missive (linked at the top) and that you may not have read the entire post. I hope this is true, because if it’s not, you completely missed the point and decided that the whole post was a personal attack on the Church and its members, which it isn’t.

However, yes, even when I was the biggest sinner in our tiny town, you were always very kind and never preachy, and I have always loved you for that (still love Julie as well, even though she WAS preachy as hell, so, I loved you more, see?), you should know that this has nothing to do with church folk like you.

As to forgiveness? No. I was fine and didn’t care, but when they started picking on my children? That was pretty much the very end of tolerance for the intolerant.

Misty - HA LOL

It really doesn’t work to call the intolerated “intolerant” for wanting tolerance.

Err, something like that. I think I just lost myself…

Ironically, you don’t come off sounding very tolerant in this post.

Bekkieann - Wow. Thanks.

rmwarnick - Ha!

Misty - exactly.

We should never stop asking ourselves that question.