Appropriate Responses

Okay, I'm actually getting better at speaking up. Yay!!!!!!

I actually had a little disagreement with my Arab friend about Jesus. Okay, I've known her for about 18 years and I finally manage to speak up...but better late than never. I didn't push it as far as she did. But I'm okay. I mean, when an Arab person says "there is no proof that Jesus rose from the dead," I should be bold enough to say, "There is no proof that all the nations that were Syria, Egypt, Arabia, Lybia who existed before Abraham, somehow all disappeared and now ALL the Arabs are descended from Abraham? What happened to all the non-Ishmaelite peoples of the mid-east?" I wanted to say, "The Bible says the world would be blessed through the Jews. Jews are 5% of 1% of the world's population yet 20% of the world's nobel prize winners are Jewish. We have Einstein, Schweitzer, even Marx (although he was a baddie) affecting the world because God has blessed the Jews as people who will bless the world. Where are the great Arab scientists who have blessed the world with medical science, etc? If you are God's chosen people, how have you blessed the world with your knowledge?" I wanted to say, "Since you believe that Allah rules all things, and all that happens is Allah's will, and the Jewish Bible and Christian Bible are all corrupted, why not accept the fact that Allah is working through Christians and Jews and Allah allowed the corruption...since he controls all?" But nooo, I was a wuss. I just hate treating nasty folks nastily and giving tit for tat. Dang, I hate arguing. And the only thing nastier and meaner than a Moslem out to mock a Christian is a Mormon out to mock a Christian. (Yeah, I know...two religions whose prophets who had angels give them the "real" uncorrupted books from heaven.")

Now, must move on to friend who keeps using the name of my beloved Lord as a curse word. "Jesus H Christ!" "Jesus F*cking Christ" etc. Okay, I've got to say something. Back in the day, about 22 years ago, a woman at St Peter's Episcopalian church -- a very sweet older welsh woman-- said that whenever someone uses our lord's name as a curse she gently bends toward them and says, "Oh, excuse me, are you praying?" Okay, even then I thought that was a great answer. And I've always thought I would use it. But, yeah, wuss that I am...I have never used it. Yep, I've allowed folks who know I'm a Christian to do this and I've not stepped up. But now that I've gotten all brave and all, maybe I'll step up. Note the word "maybe" (Yeah, I'm still a wuss.) I find myself thinking of their possible retorts/comebacks. I mean, if they look dumb-founded and vaguely guilty, then that's cool. I've escaped unscathed. But what if they say, "No, I'm not praying. I ain't religious and everyone uses Jesus' name as a curse name." Then what an I supposed to do, then? Do I say, "okay, then, I'll say F***ing Mohammed!" That would only get me clobbered. I could say, "Well, that's the name of someone I love very much. If you aren't praying to him, I'd prefer you not use it near me." I suppose I could say that...but I am such a wimp. Honestly, I can't see myself answering. Then I'd leave the situation feeling like a fool and telling myself it's all my fault for standing up in the first place.

I have had a minor victory, though. YAY!!!! An agnostic Australian friend asked me what sign I was. I responded, "It doesn't matter what sign I was born under; I was born again under the sign of the cross." IT went very well. She thought it was funny and said something like, "Oh, yeah, you're Christian."

So I'm not as wussy as I used to be. Never let the sun go down on your wrath. I can't do much about my extreme quietness in the past but I can at least step up. Even if I can't defend myself against jerks, I just don't want to let anyone insult my lord.