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God's Imperfect People?

  • 17-07-2014 11:38pm
    #1
    XxMCRxBabyxX
    Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 7,441 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    As a preface I will say that I am not religious but ask the below out of curiosity and with no agenda. I don't mean for anything to come across as rude and if it does I apologise. I had difficulties in wording this post.

    I'm friends with an American friend of a friend on Facebook who recently posted a status up after a mission trip which included this except:
    We loved on the widows, fed the poor, welcomed the drunk, and prayed over the sick. It was an opportunity to be the church in every sense of the word. I am blessed that God uses imperfect people in his perfect plan.

    Personally I find the above somewhat patronising but I am wondering if other Christians would feel the same way as this girl did. Is this common language used about widows, the poor, drunks and the sick or anyone else? Are they considered to be imperfect people? Would the fact that these were people visited on a mission trip also affect this?


Comments

  • #2
    Nick Park
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,573 ✭✭✭Nick Park


    I think you've probably misunderstood what your Facebook friend posted.

    That would read to me that they were describing themselves as imperfect and they were feeling blessed that God uses imperfect people who go on missions trips to positively impact the lives of others.

    That would be quite common language, particularly in evangelical versions of Christianity where people tend to remind themselves that they are sinners who are saved by the grace of God.

    As many Christians like to describe themselves - "Not perfect - just forgiven."


  • #3
    XxMCRxBabyxX
    Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 7,441 Mod ✭✭✭✭XxMCRxBabyxX


    Thanks for that. I suppose that makes a lot more sense than what I read! :-)

    I think it was the picking out of certain people and particularly the "welcomed the drunks" line that may have clouded my reading of it. I still am a bit offended by that. I understand that the idea of missionaries is to help and obviously bring religions to these areas but are "drunks" considered so bad that they need a specific welcome?


  • #4
    lazybones32
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,647 ✭✭✭lazybones32


    XxMCRxBabyxX wrote: »
    As a preface I will say that I am not religious but ask the below out of curiosity and with no agenda. I don't mean for anything to come across as rude and if it does I apologise. I had difficulties in wording this post.

    I'm friends with an American friend of a friend on Facebook who recently posted a status up after a mission trip which included this except:



    Personally I find the above somewhat patronising but I am wondering if other Christians would feel the same way as this girl did. Is this common language used about widows, the poor, drunks and the sick or anyone else? Are they considered to be imperfect people? Would the fact that these were people visited on a mission trip also affect this?

    How did you mistake the "imperfect people" bit and not trip up on the "We loved on the widows"? I've never heard it put like that before!


  • #5
    XxMCRxBabyxX
    Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 7,441 Mod ✭✭✭✭XxMCRxBabyxX


    lazybones32 wrote: »
    How did you mistake the "imperfect people" bit and not trip up on the "We loved on the widows"? I've never heard it put like that before!

    I'm not sure what you mean?


  • #6
    lazybones32
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,647 ✭✭✭lazybones32


    On first glance, it read like they had sex with the widows.


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  • #7
    XxMCRxBabyxX
    Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 7,441 Mod ✭✭✭✭XxMCRxBabyxX


    lazybones32 wrote: »
    On first glance, it read like they had sex with the widows.

    And I thought that I'd misread it!


  • #8
    KJV1611
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13 ✭KJV1611


    XxMCRxBabyxX wrote: »
    Thanks for that. I suppose that makes a lot more sense than what I read! :-)

    I think it was the picking out of certain people and particularly the "welcomed the drunks" line that may have clouded my reading of it. I still am a bit offended by that. I understand that the idea of missionaries is to help and obviously bring religions to these areas but are "drunks" considered so bad that they need a specific welcome?

    Apparently according to the Bible drunkenness is a sin, not necessary the alcohol. I am in the camp of used to drink a lot to occasional drinker and am considering giving it up completely to be honest.

    The Bible has much to say on the subject of drunkenness and alcohol in general.

    One that grabbed my attention on more than one occasion was

    1Co 6:9-10
    Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, (10) Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.


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