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From: JJMARVIN@pucc.princeton.edu
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Re: Losing your temper is not a Christian trait
Message-ID: <Apr.20.03.03.09.1993.3839@geneva.rutgers.edu>
Date: 20 Apr 93 07:03:10 GMT
Sender: hedrick@geneva.rutgers.edu
Organization: Princeton University
Lines: 25
Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu

In article <Apr.15.00.58.22.1993.28891@athos.rutgers.edu>
ruthless@panix.com (Ruth Ditucci) writes:
 
> One of the tell tale signs/fruits that give non-christians away - is
>when their net replies are acrid, angry and sarcastic.
>
>We in the net village do have a laugh or two when professed, born again
>christians verbally attack people who might otherwise have been won to
>christianity and had originally joined the discussions because they were
>"spiritually hungry."  Instead of answering questions with sweetness and
>sincerity, these chrisitan net-warriors, "flame" the queries.
 
Although I certainly agree with the basic sentiment that snideness is
unloving and ineffective, I'm a little disturbed by the formulation that
ill temper is not a Christian trait. It seems like a false argument to
say that anyone who displays trait X must not be a Christian. Could
well be a sinning Christian, but a Christian nonetheless.
Anger is human, and Christians are
human: Christians get angry and defensive and react badly just like
everyone else. It's not perfect righteousness but the effort of seeking
righteousness that marks a dedicated Christian. And one of the greatest
gifts of faith to me is that of seeking and accepting forgiveness for
my failures. Expecting flawless behavior from self or others isn't
Christianity: it's perfectionism.
 
