Posted by Spaceman42 (aka TINOS) on December 29, 2000 at 22:53:48: In Reply to: Re: My opinion in two sentences posted by Xanatic on December 29, 2000 at 13:32:20:
I am a Christian, but I am not speaking as a Christian.
I am a North American, but I am not speaking as a North American.
I am a person of color, but I am not speaking as a person of color.
As a wise man once said,
"If I go as a person, I meet another person."
Thus, I speak - but as a person.
I understand your views on all sides - that this is a forum about Ocean Girl, not about religion; that sex doesn't matter so much, so long as it is careful; that religion shouldn't be confined to the church; that sex before marriage is wrong. Let me first say that I am not discriminatory against people who hold these beliefs. You decide what you decide; what I say may or may not change that. Moving on, sex before marriage is harmful is many cases. I have friends whose lives have been devastated - not just by pregnancy, which many say is the ONLY danger of pre-marital sex - by the loss of their virginity. Families have been broken over such things; people in other countries, murdered. Children have grown up in broken homes because the parents' expectations of each other were too great, due to previous memories - which led to affairs, and gradually, to divorce. I shed a tear, but I can do nothing.
Religion does not belong in the church alone. It is what distinguishes us as people; it binds people together. If someone who was a Christian offered to be a good samaritan to you, merely because they were Christian, would you refuse on that basis? Of course not. However, there are those who call themselves Christians, yet who are bigoted against others. They are not truly Christians. Though you may think Christianity is fake, that religion is just for your money, you'd be wrong. There are Christians out there who have, and are, sacrificing everything they have, and even their LIVES, for what they believe in, and for other men. If you think that is fake, well... all I can say is, I pity you.
Thanks for reading this overly long expression of my thoughts. If I have offended, I will apologize for whatever you may bring to my attention. Thank you.