What's with the Jesus skywriting?

[Joyce Kingkade]

Why can't you give credit to the man for improving his own life? Why can't he? He did the work. He worked with kids. He worked in the community. He found the strength in himself to do this. He gets the credit. Unless there was a burning bush or something giving him instructions, he improved his own life, imo.

This man had already proved he was powerless to change the situation or he would have already done it. It is not so much what the man did, it is what the Living Word of God did in this man. The situation did not change, God changed this man! Like it or not, believe it or not, truth is not what you believe, truth will win out in the end and the Bible says the Word is truth. You may not understand that now, but one day you will. No one is telling you this, not even the sky writer, to make you miserable, they tell you because they care about you and where you will spend eternity. Yes, it is your decision, but the something giving him instructions was the Word of God, the Bible! I have experienced its effect in my own life, not a drug addict, alcoholic or of mental defect. Work and doing things on our own will never connect us with God. I know there are a lot of "religions" out there and while I might feel bad if someone wrote a negative about my God in the sky, it would not threaten me, nor would I deny his right to do it. I would pray for them, because that is where change begins.

 

[carrie s]

TLHB70, that was an awesome story.

 

[TLHB70]

Why can't you give credit to the man for improving his own life? Why can't he? He did the work. He worked with kids. He worked in the community. He found the strength in himself to do this. He gets the credit. Unless there was a burning bush or something giving him instructions, he improved his own life, imo.

He believes it was God. He said it was God. I believe it was God.
You believe what you believe. He believes what he believes. I believe what I believe. I have experienced God's power that brought changes in my life. I couldn't do it, but He could. I can't explain it. I wish that I could. I just know that it was HIM. This coach experienced it. That is how he told it and I believe him.
That is how it is.

 

[Laura]

He believes it was God. He said it was God. I believe it was God.
You believe what you believe. He believes what he believes. I believe what I believe.
That is how it is.

Well, that's a nice story, but I also think he did it himself. I don't believe God interferes with our lives, but I do think God is certainly a nice inspiration for people to do good.

 

[WonderfulDreamer2]

Well, its gone on this long so let me jump in here. If it said anything else, everyone would be screaming "Freedom of speech". But this happens to deal with Jesus so it must be offensive. No freedom of speech allowed there. I for one would love to see it.

 

[DRRluvsWDW]

TLB70 & CarrieS
THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU
Have a wonderful day

 

[cardaway]

Well, its gone on this long so let me jump in here. If it said anything else, everyone would be screaming "Freedom of speech". But this happens to deal with Jesus so it must be offensive. No freedom of speech allowed there. I for one would love to see it.

Many people agreed about free speech, they just commented how it bothers them, just as it might bother you had the message been the opposite.

 

[robinb]

Well, its gone on this long so let me jump in here. If it said anything else, everyone would be screaming "Freedom of speech". But this happens to deal with Jesus so it must be offensive. No freedom of speech allowed there. I for one would love to see it.

I have seen this argument a couple of times on this thread and the other one. Frankly, I think that you are grasping at straws. There is no question that his skywriting falls within a legitimate expression of his first amendment right to freedom of speech. No one here has said otherwise. However, I am allowed to be offended by someone else's free speech. For instance, I detest Fred Phelps and his "God Hates Fags" group, I can't stand anti-fur groups that hold up signs of dead skinned animals and don't even get me started on the KKK. I am sure that if you think about it you can find examples of free speech that offends you too.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

TLHB70, awesome story! Thanks for sharing. God's gracious, merciful, loving, transformational power is at work all the time and nothing seems to bring it so close to home as testimonies of individuals' whose lives have been changed. I wish others could see how sometimes the Holy Spirit works in us to effect a change that we could never accomplish on our own. But, hey... it's free country.

 

[Crankyshank]

I would find it offensive. I don't care if it was praising Jesus, Allah, Buddah, Mother Earth, or Ishtar. It takes away from the Disney magic for me.

Surrender Dorothy would be ok though.

 

[va32h]

Well, its gone on this long so let me jump in here. If it said anything else, everyone would be screaming "Freedom of speech". But this happens to deal with Jesus so it must be offensive. No freedom of speech allowed there. I for one would love to see it.

Since no one is advocating arresting the skywriter, or shooting him out of the sky, or sending up flares to block his message, or finding some other way to actually stop him from writing, the Free Speech argument is really irrelevant. I haven't seen any posts saying this person should be compelled to stop. (But I will admit I got bored in this thread and started to skim).

The issue doesn't seem to be wheter or not the skywriter CAN carry out his project (obviously he can), but whether we think he SHOULD.

Whether something is offensive or not is entirely in the eye of the beholder. Just because one person declares a thing offensive doesn't make it so (unless, I suppose, you are a Supreme Court Justice writing the majority opinion).

I am a pragmatist, so my question to the skywriter would be "Is this the most effective use of your time and money in regards to spreading the message you want to send."

Since there is no way to actually measure success (after all, Christians don't get a little survey from Jesus asking "And how did you hear about Me?") I might try a more concrete method of spreading the word - building a church, funding a missionary trip, sending bibles, founding some sort of social program, etc.

But that's just me.

 

[cardaway]

TLHB70, awesome story! Thanks for sharing. God's gracious, merciful, loving, transformational power is at work all the time and nothing seems to bring it so close to home as testimonies of individuals' whose lives have been changed. I wish others could see how sometimes the Holy Spirit works in us to effect a change that we could never accomplish on our own. But, hey... it's free country.

Remember when you posted this on the previous page?

I don't think you'll find any such inference in my posts here.

This latest was just one of many from you. The person you were responding to was right on target.

 

[MosMom]

Was there the first week in October and didn't see it. Shucky darn. I might have actually decided all the belief I've held my entire life was wrong if only I had seen writing in the sky telling me to love Jesus.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Remember when you posted this on the previous page?



This latest was just one of many from you. The person you were responding to was right on target.

The world would be a better place if we didn't have people implying we're not complete without sharing their belief system.

Mmmmm... somebody's cranky out there on the west coast this morning. I appreciate your rhetorical tactic, but you're grasping at straws parsing this statement of mine. Meanwhile perhaps you could dig up some of these other statements from among the many you find offensive from me. That would only be fair. And then maybe you could make me a nice PM and not bother these other nice people with your accusations about me.

 

[cardaway]

Mmmmm... somebody's cranky out there on the west coast this morning.

If the other poster didn't nail it perfectly maybe you could pin it all on me. Now I know I'm not the only one who notices.

 

[orljustin]

This man had already proved he was powerless to change the situation or he would have already done it. It is not so much what the man did, it is what the Living Word of God did in this man. The situation did not change, God changed this man!

Ummm, ok... Then did god screw him over in the first place? You can't have it both ways.

Anyways, most people have to hit a bottom before they make a decision to change themselves or their actions. Tell me how god changed this man. I mean, a real statement, not some magical mystical answer.

 

[carrie s]

Yes,people can change on their own but God does change people.He has done it with me in so many ways.Whenever I try to change something about myself on my own it doesnt work,or I will change for awhile but then slip back into my old ways,when I give the problem to God real change happens

There was someone who really hurt me,I spent a few years on my own trying to forgive him but I just couldnt.One day I decided to turn to God,I prayed.When I was done praying I felt so different.All my anger for this person was gone.I couldnt do that on my own.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Ya know... based on the drift of this thread, I am thinking about making a donation to the skywriter, just to be spiteful. If I do I'll be sure to note that it's in honor of my DIS mates

 

[Crankyshank]

Ya know... based on the drift of this thread, I am thinking about making a donation to the skywriter, just to be spiteful. If I do I'll be sure to note that it's in honor of my DIS mates

and I'm tempted to make a donation for someone to skywrite "Praise Allah" based on the tone of this thread.

 

[MosMom]

Ya know... based on the drift of this thread, I am thinking about making a donation to the skywriter, just to be spiteful. If I do I'll be sure to note that it's in honor of my DIS mates

Well, if spite isn't Christian I don't know what is.