What would you do if?

I like a couple of your points. I would also like to know if you believe the early church made a mistake in the way apostates were treated, specificlly, the ones who were in distress.

I also do not read the new testament as giving clear and well defined instructon that being kind to everyone expected on the path to salvation. There are passeges that do support this, but some on the other side as well. I seem to remember quite a few verses in the epistles that seem to be particulary harsh.

I also appriciate your honesty about not being so sure about what you are capable of in any given situation. It is easy for us all to judge others when we have not "walked in their shoes".

I have learned in my life that we are all very similar and there is not much difference between the leaders of a community and the convicts, with the notable exceptions of life experiences and expectations. We are all capable of doing things we do not believe we would do, until the situation arises.

We just need to have our faith as ingrained in us as we can so it will kick in during a crisis as surely as martial arts lessons,EMT training,fire drills or anything else.

(Let's hope it would be even more instinctive.)

The Lord knows your heart.

If you deny Him out of calculated self-interest,He knows.

If you deny Him out of helpless panic (like Peter),He knows this,also.

He would react very differently if you were some sort of Intelligence officer lying through your teeth to effect a rescue of the other prisoners.

(He would also know if you claimed Him as your Savior out of love,because it's the norm for your culture,because it would bring you certain perks or because you'd face torture and death from the ruling powers if you didn't.)

I think He'd prefer we trust Him first of all.

Then,believing in Him,use the good sense He gave us.

If there is no food on the island,coould you get food from the sky or sea or a body of land near-by?

Is the human you would eat alive or dead?

If they live,why would you not be the one they should eat?

(Or each eat surplus parts of the other.)

What's on the menu when that cannibalised meal is gone?

As for the night with your wife,do you know that the donor's intentions are dishonorable?

I'd be tempted to tell the person yes (with her permission) and make that the one night she,your kids and both sets of relatives are doing a lock-in at the church.

(Get the cash first and no refunds.)

If the donor just wants sme good company,that evening should suffice.

Seriously,believers are not supposed to be above human emotions and drives.

It is the father of lies who tells us we can't feel fear or sorrow or anger or joy or desire or pride.

The Lord tells us that we are to be meek or God-controlled.

He would have us be masters of our emotions rather than their controlling us.

Therefore,we aren't meant to exclude certain feelings from our lives.

Instead,we rely on God to see that we act upon them in ways that will advance our testimony instead of discrediting it.

The big difference between most of the "normal" people and the saints and sinners is that they went through with what we thought about and they got caught doing it.

"The tough question would be if someone had a gun to your head or a loved ones head and told you to deny Christ or you or they would die what would you do?"

I would deny Christ verbally, they cannot take away what is in my heart, but it is not my decision to place anyone in any harm.

"People think that Christian's should be non- violent and not angered to take action."

Um, Jesus turned over tables due to selling things in the church and he removed those merchants. Did he smite them and beat them senseless so they needed medical attention because they flicked him the bird? Totally different scenario!

"Let someone harm my wife or my daughters and a side of me will show up like you have never seen."

Now, this is where we can agree on. I think that is in our genes.

"If you were stranded on a island with no food could you become a cannibal?

If someone offered you a million dollars for one night with your wife would you?"

Sorry I know i would not do either. I rarely eat meat, and there isn't enough money in the world that can buy my wife. She is my best friend, my best part, and is more fun to be with than anyone I could ever begin to describe. Nothing can replace her.

And to really even post this particular blog piece to actually condone what that man did is pretty ridiculous. Seriously, have you even read what happened? Did you actually read any of the witnesses accounts? 11 of the 12 matched pretty darn closely.

Hehe thanks, but it is true, if you met us. You would see us as one person, She makes up for my flaws and I make up for hers.