Robert the Republican

Robert, you are one the most "Christian-Boys" that I know. In fact, I'm tempted to call you a Poster Boy for Christianity. What "All-American Boy" does for the american dream, you seem to do for Christianity. And I mean all of that as a compliment, really. You are sincere in your faith and that's something a I greatly respect. In fact, sometimes you make me feel like a filthy sinner (which I am), more so than usual. Like you are so annoyling good about physical touch. Seriously, you are the only guy I've ever been friends with who...idn, you never put your arm around me, you don't react when I put my head on your arm/shoulder, or ... I guess every other guy I've "felt close to" always let me do stuff like that. I feel like a total slut typing this 'cus I sound like that girl who sleeps around and then falls for a guy who is waiting till marraige and is annoyed that he won't do it with her ('cept I'm not so extreme). The way I show love is through spending quality time with people and physical affection -I can't help it. It takes a lot for me to feel comfortable enough to hug a guy, and there are only 4 guys that I have ever felt comfortable enough to lean against (like when I'm sitting on a couch or something, actually putting my weight on their shoulder kinda thing). When a guy doesn't let me do that (by keeping stiff), it feels like I'm being rejected (even if it's just a friendship). I mean, to me, it's like I put myself out there, showing him that I really appreciate him, and then he cuts me down by not accepting my "gift."

I know I'm not exactly the "cookie cutter" christian. I don't like a lot stuff Christians "should" like. My views don't line up exactly with George Bush's. I think Christians (me included) need to stop fluffing things up and being all "it's for the fellowship" and just get out there. Sure, hanging out with other Christians is sweet, and discussing theology and current events from a God-based viewpoint is fun, but all of that just affects CHRISTIANS! We need to get out there and start living in the real world. How are we to show love if we don't even know how to meet them where they are? (that Christian MySpace thing). You don't reach non-christians if all you do is stay inside your Bible study. I need to work on this (going outside of church and really living it in front of people), I know I do.

You don't love people by arguing.

Sometimes when you get into those political debates, I know you like them (and I like watching you "conquer" your "foes"), but sometimes I can't help but wonder at how trivial it all is. And besides, I don't think it should be the governments job to "fix" everything, provide for the poor, etc. The church seems that it would be much better suited for that sort of thing. The church is for loving God and people, the government keeps everything in order/laws/acts/trade/etc. We, as the church ourselves, need to start focusing on that. Every Christian is the church, ya know? Where there's a Jesus-follower, there's the church. We are all ministers on duty.

When you talk about O'Riley (however you spell it), it's very hard for me to see what good he does shutting people down. Yeah, he may try to "stop" some kind of movement or something, but he doesn't succeed. Those people don't leave his show thinking "wow, you know, he's right. Maybe I should become a republican." Besides, "democrat" and "republican" are such nonsense terms anyways (to me, sorry, I know they're not to you). But what does it matter which part you identify yourself with? Both have pros and cons. Sometimes I feel like the only reason people are Republicans is because they're church says they should be. I actually know this guy who really loves Jesus, but he's just a bit twisted and hates the church. He sees it as a big tool of the republican party and full of narrow-minded conservatives. No, I don't agree with him fully; I think we should stick with the church because you know what the church is? The church is SINNERS. That's all it is. The church needs nothing less and nothing more than sinners who are willing to follow christ. If that's what it is, of course it's not going to perfect, and of course it's gonne be messed up. But Jesus knows we need fellowship and that the church is how to show love. He wouldn't have stressed how important the church is if he didn't believe that it was so important. Back to my point: I don't like it when they just shut someone down for their differing views from themselves. It doesn't help the other person to see things in a different light. All it does is make the other person go on the defensive, feel hurt, and often angry. If that person-of-differing-opinion relates those feels of hurt and anger with that party/thing (and never sees the compassion that republicans, christians, the church supposedly has), they're never going to even want to understand.
You don't share the gospel by joining yet another Bible study. Yes, all that stuff is good, but it only affects the people inside the church.

Homophobic.

My friend Jaimie has the hardest time with Christianity. He really likes Christianity and wants to follow God, but he can't get over the fact that so many of his friends are against homosexuality. His Christian friends have openly expressed their conservative opinions about being gay and his parents once said off-handedly that they would kick their child out of the house if he/she was gay. The thing is, Jaimie is gay. His church friends don't know it and his parents don't either. He says that if he could, in the blink of an eye he would be straight. He struggles so much with how Christians claim they need to love everyone, but openly express they're disapproval of gays. It's not the homosexuality that's the sin, it's acting upon it. It doesn't say in the Bible (as far as I've read) that actually being gay is a sin, only gay actions/thoughts. And yes, Jaimie struggles with gay actions/thoughts, but every other guy struggles with sexual sins too, just not exactly the same way. Some sins are easier to hide than others, some are easier to turn away from than others.