Just because people don’t practice what they preach (aka loving the sinner) doesn’t mean that what they preach is wrong. (CS Lewis made this point well in Mere Christianity.)
How would you alter this equation to prevent judging: love the sin?
It would be hard to argue that Jesus didn’t love sinners, but just as hard to argue that he didn’t hate sin.
very true, jason. the cartoon is about the way we behave really… but sometimes phrases like this can give our prujudice an inch and we take a yard!
i do wonder whether a better phrase was used by jesus himself… ‘…love your neighbour as you love yourself.’ with this phrase the focus is not on the sin but on loving the person. if we truly love the person, we will not want to see their lives distorted by sin, but we will hopefully not view then through prejudiced eyes in the first place.
i was linked to your blog by a friend.
i’ve been reading backward from the beginning. you have a gift for sharing often uncomfortable truth. thank you for it.
Linking back to you on this - more in your picture than I could manage. So very true - thanks.
Comment by Rick — October 8, 2007 @ 10:56 pm
My experience with the equation is thus…”judge them + gossip about them anyway”.
Comment by Laura — October 9, 2007 @ 3:33 am
i am afraid mine is too, sadly.
Comment by jonbirch — October 9, 2007 @ 3:45 am
Yep that’s what it’s like.
Sas
Comment by Sarah — October 9, 2007 @ 11:09 pm
Just because people don’t practice what they preach (aka loving the sinner) doesn’t mean that what they preach is wrong. (CS Lewis made this point well in Mere Christianity.)
How would you alter this equation to prevent judging: love the sin?
It would be hard to argue that Jesus didn’t love sinners, but just as hard to argue that he didn’t hate sin.
Comment by jason — October 11, 2007 @ 3:20 am
very true, jason. the cartoon is about the way we behave really… but sometimes phrases like this can give our prujudice an inch and we take a yard!
i do wonder whether a better phrase was used by jesus himself… ‘…love your neighbour as you love yourself.’ with this phrase the focus is not on the sin but on loving the person. if we truly love the person, we will not want to see their lives distorted by sin, but we will hopefully not view then through prejudiced eyes in the first place.
Comment by jonbirch — October 11, 2007 @ 9:04 am
Fortunately most parents manage to hate the sin (bad behaviour), love the sinner (their child) and NOT judge then anyway!
Comment by Martha — October 12, 2007 @ 3:53 pm
haha… good point.
Comment by jonbirch — October 12, 2007 @ 4:23 pm
i was linked to your blog by a friend.
i’ve been reading backward from the beginning. you have a gift for sharing often uncomfortable truth. thank you for it.
Comment by marisa — April 8, 2008 @ 3:20 pm
thank you marisa.
the truth often is uncomfortable eh?
thanks for getting it…
Comment by jonbirch — April 8, 2008 @ 4:17 pm