tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post2288643335475827806..comments2024-03-27T17:15:37.606-04:00Comments on Triablogue: Goin' to the dawgsRyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17809283662428917799noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-65291792222759365902007-11-03T22:14:00.000-04:002007-11-03T22:14:00.000-04:00I was sort of waiting until this post went off the...I was sort of waiting until this post went off the radar. I appreciate your words Steve. I wasn't intending on slandering anyone; but it is like you say, if Ellen is a public figure and she does things in public (in front of a waiting room full of people at a vet clinic, as well as the staff), then it is not gossiping or "tongue" wagging to talk about what 20 plus people witnessed. <BR/><BR/>FredFred Butlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16025967176465685306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-16056336793999920752007-10-21T17:21:00.000-04:002007-10-21T17:21:00.000-04:00I'd add that Pastor Wallin fails to draw an elemen...I'd add that Pastor Wallin fails to draw an elementary distinction between penitent sinners and impenitent sinners. This failure speaks ill of his theology.stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16547070544928321788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-36900089026686558022007-10-21T10:16:00.000-04:002007-10-21T10:16:00.000-04:00“To Mr. Butler and to Mr. Hays specifically, but r...“To Mr. Butler and to Mr. Hays specifically, but really to us all. I am saddened by the arrogance in this post and comments. Do not get me wrong, homosexuality is sin. Gluttony is a sin. Slander is a sin. Tongue wagging or gossiping is a sin. Looking upon a man or woman and lusting is a sin. Committing adultry in your heart is a sin as being angry with someone else and murdering them in your heart. Which one of us is not guilty of sin? Come on, someone speak up! Who is ready to cast the first stone? Shame on us all. Does our ridicule, belittling, slander, and gossiping about others win anyone to Christ?”<BR/><BR/>Several issues:<BR/><BR/>1.I’m struck by the number of professing Christians who reposition themselves as holier than Holy Writ, more spiritual than Scripture. They presume to condemn things that Scripture itself does not condemn. What is worse, they even condemn things which Scripture itself is “guilty” of doing. <BR/><BR/>The Bible is full of ridicule. As I’ve pointed out on more than one occasion now, there is even a specific literary genre in Scripture known as the taunt-song. To take a few examples, David ridicules Goliath (1 Sam 17); Isaiah ridicules the king of Babylon (Isa 14), Ezekiel ridicules the king of Tyre (Ezk 28), Jesus ridicules the Pharisees (Mt 23), John ridicules the pagans of Rome (Rev 17-18). <BR/><BR/>Like a lot of professing believers who pay lip-service to the authority of Scripture, Pastor Wallin has a canon within a canon—as a result of which he simply disposes of whatever portions of Scripture conflict with his preconceived theology.<BR/><BR/>2.He also plays both sides of the fence. He attacks Fred Butler and me for being judgmental, but, of course, he is being a judgmental Christian in his attack on judgmental Christians. So there is no attempt at moral consistency.<BR/><BR/>3.Since “casting the first stone” alludes to a scribal interpolation, that is not binding on me.<BR/><BR/>“Mr. Butler, you should be ashamed of yourself! A man who is affliated with both TMS and John MacArthur's church engaged in sharing gossip that a ‘friend’ shared with you. How does that benefit the listener? You are a gossip, sir! You have proven it in your post. Your story almost sounds fabricated. With all due respect, the attitude of arrogance you display in your post sickens and saddens me. Sir, if I thought it possible, myself and my elders would bring your comments to the attention of Pastor MacArthur and the Grace Church Elders. You obviously have much to learn of the humility and meekness of Christ.”<BR/><BR/>Two problems:<BR/><BR/>i) Pastor Wallin uses terms without defining them. “Gossip” is, indeed, a sin. But how do we define gossip? I would define gossip as a form of slander. Gossip is an unfounded rumor intended to destroy someone’s reputation. <BR/><BR/>Pastor Wallin has done nothing to show that Fred Butler slandered Ellen and her lesbian partner. He’s done nothing to show that Fred’s source was unreliable. He has done nothing to show that Butler is ruining her reputation. This assumes she has a sterling reputation to tarnish in the first place. <BR/><BR/>Ironically, Pastor Wallin is in danger of slandering Fred Butler by accusing Butler of slander when Wallin has offered no hard evidence to substantiate his accusation. This is another example of Wallin’s double-standard. He decries defamation of character in the same breath as he indulges in defamation of character.<BR/><BR/>ii) And Wallin is hypocritical in yet another respect. Notice that he engages in a very public condemnation of Butler. If Wallin really disapproved of “slander,” “gossip” and “tongue-wagging,” then he would not make a public example of Butler. Rather, he would try to contact Butler in private and counsel him in private. There’s such a thing as email. That would be the “pastoral” approach to take. <BR/><BR/>iii) What Wallin does, instead, is to engage in a very public and prideful comparison between his superior Christian piety and Butler’s allegedly sub-Christian piety. He’s making himself look good at Butler’s expense, and he wants everyone to see the invidious contrast. <BR/><BR/>“I am probably old enough to be grandfather to you all. I have pastored probably longer than some of have been alive. I have counseled homosexuals, liars, thieves, and yes, even murderers. Not once did I ever find that belittling anyone (public figure or non public figure) ever win anyone to Christ.”<BR/><BR/>Actually, there is a morally significant distinction between public and private figures. For example, the taunt-songs of Scripture generally target public figures, public enemies of the faith.<BR/><BR/>Ellen is a public figure. She chose to be a public figure. She courts publicity. She has her own TV show. <BR/><BR/>Ellen has chosen to showcase her lesbianism. This isn’t an incidental aspect of her public identity. She has chosen to make this a personal cause. To put that front-and-center. I didn’t single that out. She did. <BR/><BR/>Ellen is using her public soapbox to promote her special branch of sexual immorality. To impose a pansexual social agenda by force of law. <BR/><BR/>This is quite different than if, say, I discovered a closeted homosexual classmate in junior high or high school. It would be inappropriate for me to blow his cover. What he needs is a friend. <BR/><BR/>Different circumstances can make a difference in the way we should treat people. Everyone is not in the same situation. Everyone is not equally culpable. Everyone is not equally threatening to public morality or the freedom of Christian expression.stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16547070544928321788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-15364561819878936222007-10-20T13:59:00.000-04:002007-10-20T13:59:00.000-04:00To Mr. Butler and to Mr. Hays specifically, but r...To Mr. Butler and to Mr. Hays specifically, but really to us all. I am saddened by the arrogance in this post and comments. Do not get me wrong, homosexuality is sin. Gluttony is a sin. Slander is a sin. Tongue wagging or gossiping is a sin. Looking upon a man or woman and lusting is a sin. Committing adultry in your heart is a sin as being angry with someone else and murdering them in your heart. Which one of us is not guilty of sin? Come on, someone speak up! Who is ready to cast the first stone? Shame on us all. Does our ridicule, belittling, slander, and gossiping about others win anyone to Christ?<BR/><BR/>May I suggest we all get a copy of a new book by Jerry Bridges called "Respectable Sins"?<BR/><BR/>Mr. Butler, you should be ashamed of yourself! A man who is affliated with both TMS and John MacArthur's church engaged in sharing gossip that a "friend" shared with you. How does that benefit the listener? You are a gossip, sir! You have proven it in your post. Your story almost sounds fabricated. With all due respect, the attitude of arrogance you display in your post sickens and saddens me. Sir, if I thought it possible, myself and my elders would bring your comments to the attention of Pastor MacArthur and the Grace Church Elders. You obviously have much to learn of the humility and meekness of Christ.<BR/><BR/>God help us to love others for the cause of Christ and not engage in belittling and ridiculing behavior which is so apparent here.<BR/><BR/>I am probably old enough to be grandfather to you all. I have pastored probably longer than some of have been alive. I have counseled homosexuals, liars, thieves, and yes, even murderers. Not once did I ever find that belittling anyone (public figure or non public figure) ever win anyone to Christ.<BR/><BR/>The arrogance and hatefulness in the church today is a shame. God give us humility and learn to love and esteem others more than ourselves instead of the boastful and proud slander which is slung in many places across the internet. May God grant the grace to bring Ellen, her friends, and others in this despicable lifestyle under His glorious grace. May He help us all to guard our hearts, minds, and tongues in Christ Jesus.<BR/><BR/>Respectfully,<BR/><BR/>Pastor Harold WallinAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-47813052515966950362007-10-19T17:39:00.000-04:002007-10-19T17:39:00.000-04:00I am here at the tail end of the comments in a dyi...I am here at the tail end of the comments in a dying post, but one personal anecdote. <BR/><BR/>I have a friend who is a vet in Studio City in LA. One evening Ellen and her then fake lesbian friend, Anne, came in with their toy poodle that had been hit by a car. They were blubbering and carrying on and when my friend told them the dog would not survive, they both fell to the floor rolling in a ten minute display of hysterics. My friend was beside himself as to what to do. It was a surreal experience: Two actresses having a fit on the floor of your vet waiting room. <BR/><BR/>Not sure how that story plays in to Steve's observation, but I thought it was somewhat relevant.Fred Butlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16025967176465685306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-61276762138484873822007-10-18T23:08:00.000-04:002007-10-18T23:08:00.000-04:00What did you expect, Steve? You mentioned puppies ...What did you expect, Steve? You mentioned puppies <I>and</I> homosexuality in the same post.<BR/>There are just some subjects that push people's buttons.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-60342721242113549052007-10-18T19:07:00.000-04:002007-10-18T19:07:00.000-04:00JODY SAID:COuld we perhaps not mix up issues here?...JODY SAID:<BR/><BR/>COuld we perhaps not mix up issues here? __Plenty of people cry over dogs. The few times I observed my dad cry it was when our two family dogs died and when his parents died, that's it. __Just look at the plethora of books written about dogs and boys and the emotional turmoil they are in when they die. Old Yeller? Sounder? Where the Red Fern Grows? And forget about dogs....The Yearling? __Even Dobson has said that the boyhood incident that was the most traumatic was finding out his dog had died. __Are we to accuse these gentlemen of innappropriate behavior?<BR/><BR/>*************************************<BR/><BR/>I’m not the one who’s mixing up issues. What you’re doing here is to swap in a very different set of examples, then acting as if what I said was directed at your examples. This isn’t logical or very scrupulous.<BR/><BR/>I hope you can distinguish between the death of a parent and the death of a pet dog. Normally we’re more attached to our parents than we are to our dogs. And if we’re not, that’s a problem. <BR/><BR/>In addition, Ellen’s dog didn’t die, and it’s not as if she owned it long enough to form a deep emotional bond.<BR/><BR/>That’s quite different from, let us say, giving a five-year-old a dog which dies fifteen years later. Giving away an adopted dog because it didn’t get along with your cats, and having a pet dog die that lived with you throughout your formative years, is comparing the incomparable. <BR/><BR/>ANONYMOUS SAID:<BR/><BR/>“What about men like John Piper who speak of his love of his now dead favorite black dog and his belief that he may see the dog again in Heaven? Is Piper to be accused of being a leftist or out of wack because of his love of his dog and some how justifying that with a belief that a dog will go to heaven?”<BR/><BR/>Same fallacy as the above. You’re swapping in a very different example, then acting as if I was commenting on your example. This isn’t logical or very scrupulous.stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16547070544928321788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-30577764683036462212007-10-18T18:25:00.000-04:002007-10-18T18:25:00.000-04:00Here's a great idea for you Steve on this one. Sta...Here's a great idea for you Steve on this one. Start to make up some signs which say:<BR/><BR/>"God Hates Fags!<BR/>God Hates Ellen!<BR/>God Hates Animals!<BR/>God Hates Everyone but Me!"<BR/><BR/>Hand 'em out to all your supporters and parade in front of every branch of the Humane Society nationwide.<BR/><BR/>I cannot figure out if you are sounding more like a true Pharisee or Fred Phelps.<BR/><BR/>*****************************<BR/><BR/>Thanks for illustrating the irrationality of anti-Christian critics. Nothing you say follows from anything I said. You simply emote, hyperventilate, and resort to hysterical rhetoric.stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16547070544928321788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-49581956109880146202007-10-18T17:46:00.000-04:002007-10-18T17:46:00.000-04:00Here's a great idea for you Steve on this one. St...Here's a great idea for you Steve on this one. Start to make up some signs which say:<BR/><BR/>"God Hates Fags!<BR/> God Hates Ellen!<BR/> God Hates Animals!<BR/> God Hates Everyone but Me!"<BR/><BR/>Hand 'em out to all your supporters and parade in front of every branch of the Humane Society nationwide.<BR/><BR/>I cannot figure out if you are sounding more like a true Pharisee or Fred Phelps.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-16305779496005497552007-10-18T17:19:00.000-04:002007-10-18T17:19:00.000-04:00Recently a guy in my area kicked a puppy for peein...Recently a guy in my area kicked a puppy for peeing on his carpet, and unfortunately the puppy died because of it. The guy was sentenced to a year in jail, one year.<BR/><BR/>Also recently a federal judge in VT sentenced a child molester to something like 3 months in jail for crimes that stretched over 18 months.<BR/><BR/>Something seem wrong here?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-32176089970496152402007-10-18T16:44:00.000-04:002007-10-18T16:44:00.000-04:00ANONYMOUS SAID:“Steve, I love your blog and have l...ANONYMOUS SAID:<BR/><BR/>“Steve, I love your blog and have learned much through reading it for quite a long time. BUT, this was way overboard. Certainly you are a better writer than what you convey here. You make a blanket statement in which you state, ‘There's nothing wrong with being an animal lover. But we're also seeing a moral and emotional transference in progress, especially on the Left.’ This is very much an opiniated statement.”<BR/><BR/>The fact that it’s “opinionated” doesn’t make it wrong. Indeed, it’s a simple matter to document an increasing hostility towards children in leftwing culture, one result of which is that pets are valued more highly than kids. To take a few examples:<BR/><BR/>http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2006-03-13-babybust_x.htm<BR/><BR/>http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pacificnw05142006/2002974751_pacificpdogs14.html<BR/><BR/>http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/07/06/BAGICDJBIU1.DTL<BR/><BR/>http://www.childfreebychoice.com/index.htm<BR/><BR/>http://www.amazon.com/Better-Never-Have-Been-Existence/dp/0199296421<BR/><BR/>We’re reverting to a Dickensian era in which it’s dangerous to be a child—in which we’ve cheapened the life of young, defenseless children. Liberal judges routinely let child molesters and child-killers off the hook. These are state judges. They could either be recalled or voted out of office. <BR/><BR/>Children are left alone at home or locked in overheated cars, to die from fire or hypethermia. The parents get off with a slap on the wrist.<BR/><BR/>Planned Parenthood refuses to report cases of statutory rape to the authorities. Has Planned Parenthood been prosecuted? <BR/><BR/>“I am a deeply commited Reformed Christian.”<BR/><BR/>Fine, but I didn’t make this a Calvinistic issue.<BR/><BR/>“I am a deeply commited Reformed Christian and have been involved in breeding Labrador Retrievers for years and know many very committed Christians who are involved in raising and showing the breed. It is a hobby just like blogging may be. You could be accused with being obsessed with writing or blogging. You could also be mistaken for being an overweight computer geek with your coke bottle glasses sitting in front of a computer 24/7. Would that be fair? I will ask you to comment on what your particular sin is in which you replace God because each of us has one. Might it be over eating? How about too much television watching?”<BR/><BR/>Of course, I never said anything for or against pet breeding. That never came up in my post. You seem to be one of those people who hears things that were never said, then takes umbrage at the offensive, unspoken remarks which you impute to the speaker.<BR/><BR/>Yet since you ask, no, I don’t think that pet breeding and Christian apologetics are equally important. But you brought that up, not me.<BR/><BR/>“I am also concerned with the harsh manner (whether intentional or unintentional) in which you convey what you have conveyed here. Quite frankly, if this is the best you can do, you might as well give it up. I definitely disagree with the homosexual lifestyle. It is sinful and wrong. The greater question is, how do we communicate that to the homosexual? How many Christian's who have struggled with same sex lust or desire and who battle it on a daily basis did you offend and hurt in this piece?”<BR/><BR/>I draw a distinction between rational umbrage and irrational umbrage. Homosexuals are generally offended by *any* criticism of their lifestyle, however warm and fuzzy.<BR/><BR/>“What about your own battle with sexual lust? Does it cause you to be addicted to computer view so much that you venture into pornographic sites because you are addicted to it? Fair?”<BR/><BR/>Now you’re indulging in scurrilous speculation. You’re not a very good example of the charity you urge on others.<BR/><BR/>“What about men like John Piper who speak of his love of his now dead favorite black dog and his belief that he may see the dog again in Heaven? Is Piper to be accused of being a leftist or out of wack because of his love of his dog and some how justifying that with a belief that a dog will go to heaven?”<BR/><BR/>What about it? You’re not responding to what I actually wrote. <BR/><BR/>“I am sorry if you detect my frustration. I usually do not get this way, especially with someone who I have respected and enjoyed. But, to overtly equate love of animals with Ellen, the left, and homosexuality is way off base and concerning.”<BR/><BR/>Since I made no such equation, what I said wasn’t “way off base.”<BR/><BR/>Lesbians are lonely. They are emotionally starved. That’s a direct result of their life-style choices. The liberals won’t tell them that. Only the Christians will.<BR/><BR/>“If I have misunderstood you, I apologize but I really am offended by what you have written here.”<BR/><BR/>Perhaps you’d be less offended if you went back and compared what you imagine you heard with the actual words on the page.<BR/><BR/>“You may have a few faithful that will agree with you but I am sure that far more would say you are just simply wrong.”<BR/><BR/>More idle speculation on your part. <BR/><BR/>“I will so say that talented men like John Piper will reach more (and offend less) with his outreach toward homosexual and his gentle approach toward animal lovers than you will ever hope to in your lifetime. It is so obvious that you have lost the ability to be charitable or kind with much humility.”<BR/><BR/>There’s no doubt that John Piper is several notches above the likes of me. No comparison.<BR/><BR/>That doesn’t mean that your own priorities aren’t seriously screwed up. On the one hand, there are millions of homeless street-kids in Russia, India, Nepal, and Brazil. There’s a massive child prostitution industry in South Asia. We have honor killings, child marriage, female circumcision, and wife-beating throughout the Muslim world, as well as parts of the Western world that are coming under Sharia. <BR/><BR/>Where is the outrage? What is being done to alleviate the situation?<BR/><BR/>On the other hand, we have people who think it’s the job of the fire department to rescue cats from trees. We have animal cop shows. We have pet-friendly restaurants. We even have an act of Congress called the “Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act.” And that’s in addition to some of the other examples I cited at the top of my response. Not to mention the redefinition of the family to include “two mommies” and no daddies—a la the pansexual, lesbigay culture. <BR/><BR/>This is symptomatic of a culture that has gone soft. That suffers from moral dry rot.stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16547070544928321788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-26519661382618033262007-10-18T16:01:00.000-04:002007-10-18T16:01:00.000-04:00I thought Ellen may have been putting us on at fir...I thought Ellen may have been putting us on at first. But I guess she really was that sad.<BR/><BR/>Sad to be so sad over such a sad thing as she was sad over.<BR/><BR/>I liked your thoughts. I think your spot on.<BR/><BR/>I had a brother i loved, who was a better man than me in many ways, who died from AIDS.<BR/>The homosexual lifestyle is deadly. And if not repented of is double deadly, and the second death awaits those who don't cry out to Christ for mercy.<BR/>And this goes for all who committ fornication, and have a sexual promiscuous and chronic lifestyle without conviction whatsoever.<BR/> <BR/>I appreciate this quote: "..they transfer their needs to unsuitable and unsatisfying surrogates—with predictable results."donsandshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03665794015011057098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-21218404854586435262007-10-18T15:47:00.000-04:002007-10-18T15:47:00.000-04:00I saw the Ellen clip on You Tube, and I wasn't sur...I saw the Ellen clip on You Tube, and I wasn't sure whether she was crying more for the dog or for the girls whose dog was taken away from them? <BR/><BR/>Either way, though, she struck me as emotionally unbalanced, and way too wrapped up in herself, when I saw her using her national TV platform to relay this personal incident to the whole world.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-38115291968615667392007-10-18T15:42:00.000-04:002007-10-18T15:42:00.000-04:00How's that Noogatiger? Care to explain?How's that Noogatiger? Care to explain?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-47924812400462522202007-10-18T15:20:00.000-04:002007-10-18T15:20:00.000-04:00I just can't believe people still base their lives...I just can't believe people still base their lives and views on the fairy tales of the past, the not so holy Bible.<BR/><BR/>Geesh people it is time to come into the adult world.<BR/><BR/>Morals are not an absolute establishment of your God or else your God commited worse atrocities in Old Testament times than Hitler or Stalin.Noogatigerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05098535372811495777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-58849726260425000742007-10-18T14:43:00.000-04:002007-10-18T14:43:00.000-04:00Ditto. I think Peter's remarks are spot on.CMADitto. I think Peter's remarks are spot on.<BR/><BR/>CMAAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-3480090030395635802007-10-18T14:11:00.000-04:002007-10-18T14:11:00.000-04:00I think some people are missing the larger picture...I think some people are missing the larger picture, which is: no matter how much you think your cat loves you, if he was bigger than you he'd eat you.<BR/><BR/>On a more serious note, while I disagree with the correlation Steve made here <I>in particular</I>, I think his overall point is spot-on. To clarify: I don't think that Ellen Degenerate's (not a misspelling) actions about her dog are due to the fact that she's a lesbian. I think any Leftist who values animal life over human life would do the same thing (and that's point I think Steve brought up, using Ellen as an example because she's the one in the news). You don't have to look much further than Senator Byrd (D-KKK) for confirmation of this either. Compare his reaction to Michael Vick with his reaction toward abortionists, and ask yourself if something is not askew here.<BR/><BR/>And the fact that people are more shocked and upset by what happened to this dog than they are when children are erroneously taken away from their parents by social workers tells of the moral decay in our culture. Ellen's lesbianism is a side-issue to the main point. If she was hetero, I'd still say she's over-inflating this issue with her dog.<BR/><BR/>By the way, I'm not knocking pet ownership either. I've had several family pets, and when they die it's not fun. Further, I know of just this past winter when my Grandpa had to put down one of his cats. He lives in the middle of nowhere, has limited funds, but owns a rifle. Since the cat was suffering, he knew the humane thing was to put it down; but he couldn't do it. My brother-in-law came over to do the deed instead. But I also know that, were the options limited to the cat dying or someone else in the family dying, my grandpa would have killed the cat in a heartbeat. He wouldn't have enjoyed it, but everyone in our family knows the priorities (and we grew up with them in place). <BR/><BR/>The bottom line is that pets, no matter what even well-meaning Christians claim, are <I>not</I> part of the family. Your obligation to your pet is lower than your obligation to anyone in your family, <I>and it is lower than your obligation to your neighbors too</I>. And that is something that I think we've forgotten.Peter Pikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11792036365040378473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-21830568228089913502007-10-18T13:57:00.000-04:002007-10-18T13:57:00.000-04:00Interesting that this assertion is made on the bas...Interesting that this assertion is made on the basis of one post,<BR/><BR/>"It is so obvious that you have lost the ability to be charitable or kind with much humility."<BR/><BR/>Wow. Was that charitable?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-45967793165405357742007-10-18T13:54:00.000-04:002007-10-18T13:54:00.000-04:00I understand your point Steve, and it's a valid on...I understand your point Steve, and it's a valid one. Not sure about all the cryin' over it though...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-22117993288664803212007-10-18T13:38:00.000-04:002007-10-18T13:38:00.000-04:00Steve,I love your blog and have learned much throu...Steve,<BR/><BR/>I love your blog and have learned much through reading it for quite a long time. BUT, this was way overboard. Certainly you are a better writer than what you convey here. You make a blanket statement in which you state, "There's nothing wrong with being an animal lover. But we're also seeing a moral and emotional transference in progress, especially on the Left." This is very much an opiniated statement. I am a deeply commited Reformed Christian and have been involved in breeding Labrador Retrievers for years and know many very committed Christians who are involved in raising and showing the breed. It is a hobby just like blogging may be. You could be accused with being obsessed with writing or blogging. You could also be mistaken for being an overweight computer geek with your coke bottle glasses sitting in front of a computer 24/7. Would that be fair? I will ask you to comment on what your particular sin is in which you replace God because each of us has one. Might it be over eating? How about too much television watching?<BR/><BR/>I am also concerned with the harsh manner (whether intentional or unintentional) in which you convey what you have conveyed here. Quite frankly, if this is the best you can do, you might as well give it up. I definitely disagree with the homosexual lifestyle. It is sinful and wrong. The greater question is, how do we communicate that to the homosexual? How many Christian's who have struggled with same sex lust or desire and who battle it on a daily basis did you offend and hurt in this piece? What about your own battle with sexual lust? Does it cause you to be addicted to computer view so much that you venture into pornographic sites because you are addicted to it? Fair?<BR/><BR/>What about men like John Piper who speak of his love of his now dead favorite black dog and his belief that he may see the dog again in Heaven? Is Piper to be accused of being a leftist or out of wack because of his love of his dog and some how justifying that with a belief that a dog will go to heaven?<BR/><BR/><BR/>I am sorry if you detect my frustration. I usually do not get this way, especially with someone who I have respected and enjoyed. But, to overtly equate love of animals with Ellen, the left, and homosexuality is way off base and concerning. If I have misunderstood you, I apologize but I really am offended by what you have written here. You may have a few faithful that will agree with you but I am sure that far more would say you are just simply wrong.<BR/><BR/>I will so say that talented men like John Piper will reach more (and offend less) with his outreach toward homosexual and his gentle approach toward animal lovers than you will ever hope to in your lifetime. It is so obvious that you have lost the ability to be charitable or kind with much humility.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-82043369648858955032007-10-18T12:26:00.000-04:002007-10-18T12:26:00.000-04:00I notice that some commenters are ignoring the fac...I notice that some commenters are ignoring the fact that I cited other examples besides the case of Ellen Degenerate.<BR/><BR/>There's nothing wrong with being an animal lover. But we're also seeing a moral and emotional transference in progress, especially on the Left. <BR/><BR/>Many liberals have dogs and cats instead of kids. There's an antinatalism movement afoot.<BR/><BR/>Animals now enjoy more legal protections than children. Pets are taking the place of kids, as a substitute for normal human relationships.<BR/><BR/>Or, to take a somewhat different example, consider the families who refused to evaculate New Orleans during Katrina because they couldn't bring their pet dog along. That they feel this way is understandable. But it also reflects a deranged set of moral priorities.<BR/><BR/>As the culture becomes more effeminate and secularized, the effect is to overvalue some things and undervalue others. Feeling is everything.stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16547070544928321788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-55195548928672558592007-10-18T00:41:00.000-04:002007-10-18T00:41:00.000-04:00"this from a guy who once defended masturbation to..."this from a guy who once defended masturbation tooth and nail."<BR/><BR/>Would you like to provide your arguments against Steve's position?<BR/><BR/>Or are you simply too lazy to engage a viewpoint meaningfully?dogfreidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13751614375780546890noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-47985070131784634282007-10-18T00:23:00.000-04:002007-10-18T00:23:00.000-04:00"This isn't raw pragmatism, but pragmatism within ..."This isn't raw pragmatism, but pragmatism within a framework of natural law or God's creation mandates (Gen 1-2). <BR/> ...<BR/>Certain forms of sexual expression are deviant because they deviate from our natural physical and psychological constitution. We are creatures, and God has endowed us with our distinctive nature."<BR/><BR/>True. It's just that I've seen so many blog threads go down rabbit trails with orthdox and homosexual activists slinging studies and counter-studies at each other, without reference to biblical or moral principles.<BR/>It would be funny to watch the activists try that *here*.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-90495347193839056942007-10-18T00:22:00.000-04:002007-10-18T00:22:00.000-04:00"Certain forms of sexual expression are deviant be..."Certain forms of sexual expression are deviant because they deviate from our natural physical and psychological constitution."<BR/><BR/>This from a guy who once defended masturbation tooth and nail. HmmmAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-57326688216507748782007-10-18T00:17:00.000-04:002007-10-18T00:17:00.000-04:00This tidbit showed up while I was posting,"they're...This tidbit showed up while I was posting,<BR/><BR/>"they're out there, you just don't want to see them or accept them"<BR/><BR/>Where? Let's see one.<BR/><BR/>Argument over.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com