I want to say that it was for a response just as this that I wanted to write. I really passionately believe that intolerance and prejudice no matter how Biblical one may think it is (which it is not) does more harm than good.

It is so easy when confronted with things that challenge us - uh let me choose a topic as an example that is unrelated to this forum - the issue of abortion for example. We can say that abortion is wrong from a Biblical point of view and there are scriptures such as 'thou shall not murder' to support that view however when Christians get on their soap box to berate, judge, condemn what good comes of it?

Does it change how the world perceives abortion tied in with women's rights as it is? Does it stop people from performing abortions? Or close down abortion clinics?

All standing on soap box shouting condemnation does is (a) open Christian's up to well deserved ridicule (b) get people's backs up and put them in a defensive position (c) Christians reap what they sow. Condemnation breeds condemnation. Hate breeds hate. Judgement breeds judgement. It is one thing to say that we are hated by the world because of Christ - it is quite a different thing to sow entirely unBiblical attitudes that reap more of the same.

It also prevents us from effectively reaching out to a lost and hurting world. How can we preach the Love of God for the world if we do not show the world the love of God?

Jesus himself said "I do not come to condemn the world but to save it".

I simply do not believe it is our job to condemn or to judge. In fact the Bible expressly warns that the measure you use to judge will be used to judge you, that should scare Christians silly. Imagine God using the same criteria to judge you as you used to judge other people.

In addition it is the job of the Holy Spirit to bring CONVICTION of sin (I capitalize it because it is a very different word to CONDEMNATION) Conviction of sin results in repentence. We are convicted of sin when we become born again, and the Holy Spirit continues to convict us of sin as part of the process of 'working out our salvation'.

I know the Bible says that if you see your brother sinning, not unto death, that you must go to him and bring rebuke .. but I say ... first deal with the log in your own eye before you go pointing out the speck in some else's is just as, if not more applicable.

Sorry I do have a tendency to ramble on ... especially when I feel strongly about something