The internet gives many people extra courage to say things they might not normally say face to face. Whether it’s anonymous or not. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Bantering back and forth about various topics we may disagree on is common place. Sometimes it evolves into hurling occasional insults back and forth. However for the most part the people that I know have the common decency to know that family is off limits. I mean it’s one thing to call each other idiots or close minded when getting into a heated discussion about politics or another hot button topic, but how would you feel if the person you were disagreeing with started insulting your mother or sister? I am sure it would be considered crossing a line. And like I eluded to before, I believe that it’s an unwritten rule to not go there.
Well with that said, the Bible tells me that I should put nobody before God. This includes my family. So as important as my family is to me, I am supposed to (and I do) love God above all else. So doesn’t it stand to reason that when someone insults God or makes some type of anti-God statement that I should be even more upset than if you had insulted my mother? The problem is if you don’t believe in God you don’t see God as real. You may see Him as a fictional character. And you might think I am crazy to believe in Him. Even if you believe Jesus walked the Earth, you might think He was just a man. So in your eyes you are not crossing that line when you bring God or Jesus into the fight. But I ask you to put yourself in my shoes for just a moment. You are insulting the one thing that is most important in my life. You are telling me that my Lord and Savior is a joke. You are telling me that I am a fool for believing in Him. You are tearing down everything that I believe in. If the tables were turned you’d get very upset. Now you are beginning to understand how I feel.
Now I respect your right to believe or not believe in God or whatever religion or non-religion you want to. I am not saying that you are closed minded to not believe. I know that believing takes a lot of faith. I don’t have all of the answers and I respect your right to believe in whatever cause you want to. I respect your rights to do so, but I don’t have to agree with that cause, just like I don’t expect you to always agree with mine.
I would love for you to learn to love God and accept Jesus as your Lord as I have, but I am not going to hate you, judge you, call you names or think less of you if you decide it’s not for you. I will continue to love you as a friend. And if you choose to ignore my words in this blog and continue to attempt to tear down my beliefs and turn me away from God, well…I won’t be budging. I may slip and stumble, but I will always get back up. My faith is solid.
So in conclusion I will respect your right to believe what you want to believe, but if you are truly a friend I ask that you respect mine. We will just have to agree to disagree.