tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23067594.post2090042953186183098..comments2023-11-03T06:08:32.801-07:00Comments on Deep Thoughts: Throwing tantrumsAaron D. Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16286503917552301877noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23067594.post-54703904093893920892007-03-07T12:07:00.000-08:002007-03-07T12:07:00.000-08:00Pete,Thank you for your comment. I think what you...Pete,<BR/><BR/>Thank you for your comment. I think what you said was well thought out. <BR/><BR/>Let me give you some food for thought on the hate crime issue. I understand exactlly what you are saying and have thought the same things before. I agree that murder is murder and we shouldn't make it a crime to hate someone. Having said that, I do understand the logic behind hate crime legislation. Someone who kills for ideological reasons (like neo-nazis and klansmen) are far more dangerous to society than someone who kills because of a personal vendetta. I think that those who kill just because they hate black people or homosexuals are more likely to kill again for the same reasons. This is why I feel that hate crimes should receive harsher punishement, for the protection of would be targets of hate crime. I think there can be sane standards to determine what is a hate crime and what is not.<BR/><BR/>Having said all that, I certainly understand those who take your position. That is not what disturbed me about the e-mail. What disturbed me was the hypocrisy. The same bill that the American Family Association said would supposedly make homosexuals a special class with special rights applied equally to Christians. No concern was displayed in the e-mail about making Christians a special class, only homosexuals. It's like they were saying, "We don't mind if we get special rights. We just don't want anyone else to have them."<BR/><BR/>Even if you disagree with hate crimes legislation, the question still remains. If Jesus were around today, would He be spending His time bombarding people's e-mails trying to lobby the government against protecting gays?Aaron D. Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16286503917552301877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23067594.post-43921289614587605842007-03-07T10:09:00.000-08:002007-03-07T10:09:00.000-08:00Aaron,I have two thoughts on what you posted.1. I...Aaron,<BR/>I have two thoughts on what you posted.<BR/>1. I always oppose bills for hate crimes. To hate is a right, no matter how wrong, so the the crime is what we punish. The whole idea weirds me out.<BR/>Prosecutor-"I intend to prove that this man killed John.."<BR/>Court- [murmurs]<BR/>Prosecutor- " and I will also prove that it was a hate crime!"<BR/>Court- [ entire crowd gasps and somewhere a baby starts crying ]<BR/><BR/>Is the murder of the person not enough to put someone behind bars for life. What an insult to the victim!<BR/><BR/>2. There are two main classes of people who are against these kind of challenges to Christianity- The Simple and the Scared.<BR/>The Simple are those who got saved because it sounded good and they want to be on the winning team. They feel good being called a christian and haven't really studied it for themselves and this is the level that is comfortable for them. They stand against anything that challenges their faith because it is inconvenient for them and causes them to have to get out of their comfort zone in order to maintain their faith.<BR/>The Scared are those who have studied Christianity and want to believe it so bad that they may go their whole life saying that they do, but have never felt God move in their life because they are unwilling to give up certain sins. These people know that their faith hangs by a thread and are scared of anything that will challenge it, because they are hoping that eventually their life will change based on the fact that they proclaim to be a christian. They are convinced of the reality of God, but what they aren't convinced about is that they will ever have a relationship with him. If someone shows them something that challenges their knowledge then they may stop claiming their christianity and just give up because they know that they will never be able to get themselves to stop sinning with all of the knowledge that they have. Therefore it is easier for these people to simply stamp out anything that may possibly challenge their religious knowledge before it ever meets with their eyes or ears. These people live very tortured lives because they are proud of their knowledge yet are caught in a lie about who they really are/aren't in Christ.<BR/><BR/>People who truly believe in the Bible and have studied it meet these challenges head on with glee because it usually stands to strengthen their faith.<BR/><BR/>Wow, I can see my house from on top of this soap box!<BR/>PeteAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com