When considering if it's the right time to offer a critique or suggestion to someone or about someone, keep in mind the following three things in order to have a profitable and loving discussion:
1. Be sure you truly understand what you disagree with or want to suggest needs to be changed. "You often see prolonged discussions or arguments that could be avoided by simply explaining what we mean by a term," writes Danny in "Charity in Communication." "Getting others' views right is a part of love. Disagreeing in the proper spirit is Christian.
"Disagreeing in the improper spirit is not Christian even if we are correct. You see truth and love must go together. Truth without love is not Christian."
2. Is there a solution to the problem that you're pointing out? If not, "it is quite disheartening to be told that you are 'on the wrong path' career wise or in another way but to not be told what the right path is," says Danny in "Unloving Advice." "A critique with no superior solution is a worthless critique.
"To say a solution is poor but to not have any idea of a better solution is at best a waste of breath and in fact more likely unloving. To criticize without giving hope is completely un-Christian in spirit.
"We should build up others. If we cannot be building up and offering a better approach than it is best that we say nothing at all."
3. Is there something that you can do to help the problem that you're pointing out? It's easy to critique others and other cultures but not ourselves and our own culture. Read more in "Critique of the Other."
Showing posts with label critic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label critic. Show all posts
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Friday, September 20, 2013
A faithful Church
A faithful church is to a degree always a critic of society. The church often confuses this with becoming a political force.
The difference is that the church is to be a critique of the way society is. A critic of what is wrong with society.
The bible deals with the problems of the heart so if offers solutions for what is wrong with the heart of humanity. Thus the church can potentially improve society by showing where society has fallen short.
The church however does not function nearly as well as a critic of politics. Often the church has fallen sort because it feels that legislation can change morality.
Possibly legislation can improve society at times, but he issue with humanity is not that there are not enough rules. In fact man lived sinlessly when he had only 1 rule – to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Actually mankind is at his best when he lives with only one thought. To follow Christ.
Augustine said that we should love God and do what we please. The reality of this is true if we do act out of love toward God we need only one rule or one thought to govern our entire existence.
All the time we see many rules get in the way of moral living. We cannot make an exception the to rules at any time. We cannot have wisdom to realize when the rules are not applicable.
In life it is important to follow God. When Satan tempted Jesus he attempted to place multiple rules in scripture against each other.
The error of course is that many rules function at time more like guideposts to direct faithful living rather than absolutes.
Some rules are more absolute than others, but most of the law in scripture has exceptions.
David when he was on the run ate of food of the temple which was forbidden and the punishment was death. He did what was right and we can see that the law was always a principle and never an absolute.
The principle was of the upmost importance but the reality is the will of God cannot be made into a absolute set of rules.
I used to be frustrated how vague the law of God was at times. But the reality is that life creates many unique situations.
A too tight set of rules produces extreme difficulties. This is why scripture has far more principles than rules.
Few people see this. Scripture is all rules, but the reality is most of the rules are more principles which are pointing directionally than absolutes.
The difference is that the church is to be a critique of the way society is. A critic of what is wrong with society.
The bible deals with the problems of the heart so if offers solutions for what is wrong with the heart of humanity. Thus the church can potentially improve society by showing where society has fallen short.
The church however does not function nearly as well as a critic of politics. Often the church has fallen sort because it feels that legislation can change morality.
Possibly legislation can improve society at times, but he issue with humanity is not that there are not enough rules. In fact man lived sinlessly when he had only 1 rule – to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Actually mankind is at his best when he lives with only one thought. To follow Christ.
Augustine said that we should love God and do what we please. The reality of this is true if we do act out of love toward God we need only one rule or one thought to govern our entire existence.
All the time we see many rules get in the way of moral living. We cannot make an exception the to rules at any time. We cannot have wisdom to realize when the rules are not applicable.
In life it is important to follow God. When Satan tempted Jesus he attempted to place multiple rules in scripture against each other.
The error of course is that many rules function at time more like guideposts to direct faithful living rather than absolutes.
Some rules are more absolute than others, but most of the law in scripture has exceptions.
David when he was on the run ate of food of the temple which was forbidden and the punishment was death. He did what was right and we can see that the law was always a principle and never an absolute.
The principle was of the upmost importance but the reality is the will of God cannot be made into a absolute set of rules.
I used to be frustrated how vague the law of God was at times. But the reality is that life creates many unique situations.
A too tight set of rules produces extreme difficulties. This is why scripture has far more principles than rules.
Few people see this. Scripture is all rules, but the reality is most of the rules are more principles which are pointing directionally than absolutes.
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