Veal Chop or Hot Wings?
Words are meaningless without action applied. People can conjure up sweet persuasions to make you do this or that, but if you’re strong in your faith you’ll conquer this technique. If not, you were confused to begin with. Everybody thinks they’re right. They’re fustian spew of literature they’ve read in the past or words they’ve heard from some ole wise man echoes in your mind as you try to figure out your own way.
What about in relationships?
“Well you did this and it made me angry!”
“Well if you didn’t do that, I wouldn’t get so pissed!”
“YOU” is the key word when you want to continually argue.
“I” is a word that identifies how you feel. How can anyone argue with how you feel?
“Well I felt hurt when you said this…”
“I’m sorry, I felt hurt when you did that…”
You can’t argue with someone who feels a certain way; the same with a person who believes a different religion or the ‘same’ religion based on other beliefs. The constant butting of heads will have you fleeing to the pharmacy for more pain killers…or to the beer and soda to drink your woes away.
Accept Christians who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. For instance, one person believes it is all right to eat anything. But another believer who has a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. Those who think it is all right to eat anything must not look down on those who won’t. And those who won’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. Who are you to condemn God’s servants? They are responsible to the Lord, so let him tell them whether they are right or wrong. The Lord’s power will help them do as they should. ~Romans 14:1-4
That’s just an example on life in general—not food per se. But speaking of ‘foods’ and people who don’t eat certain things, I’ve encountered something interesting.
One evening, A good friend and I were discussing foods we enjoyed. I told her that one of my favorite dishes at this particular restaurant that we love was the veal chop. They make it really good- and I enjoy it. She quickly glanced at me in horror.
“Do you know what they do to those poor little calves?”
“Well, I have an idea, but if I don’t eat it, someone else will.”
“But they’re caged up and only milk fed, Deb.”
I sat there and thought about it, and decided that if it was still being served on the menu, I want to order it. I don’t want to feel guilt about eating something that I truly enjoy.
Then I thought some more.
“Jen? Don’t you enjoy hot wings?”
”Oh! I love them!”
“Aren’t those…baby chicks?”
Then she thought for a while. I have nothing against what other people eat, drink or do; I just focus on my own thing and occasionally make a wisecrack here and there about stuff. Even with religious and political beliefs---what you feel in your heart to be true is true for you. Who’s to say that God isn’t speaking to you? Yeah sure we can chuck it up to psychotic moments and hallucinations, but in reality, and biblically speaking, people ‘saw’ with their own eyes things that would be unfathomable to us ‘now’. I mean, if someone came up to you and said, “Jesus was standing right outside the doorway before! It was amazing!” Would you truly believe them? Does it matter if “you” believe them or not? It only matters what they believe to be true. Were people hallucinating back when the time Jesus was alive? Who knows. I do know that it made their faith greater. Who can say that the people who wrote the books in the bible weren’t a little delusional? We don’t know that. We choose to go on blind faith.
It’s science vs. spirituality. God is not of this world. Scientific evidence will always conflict with the spiritual nature. This is why so many atheists will debate sightings of Christ, angels or apparitions. What about those who see ghosts? Or those who are sensitive to spirits? I know I have sensitivity to spirits. My house is slightly haunted. We have all seen the same woman walking around our house. Who’s to say that we’re psychotic or if we’re actually seeing a real ghost? Maybe we had one too many martinis...
So let the theologians, Christian believers and other religious radicals bop each other on the head with their bibles. Sit back, have a beer, and enjoy the beliefs that you hold true to your heart. No one can take that away from you.
What about in relationships?
“Well you did this and it made me angry!”
“Well if you didn’t do that, I wouldn’t get so pissed!”
“YOU” is the key word when you want to continually argue.
“I” is a word that identifies how you feel. How can anyone argue with how you feel?
“Well I felt hurt when you said this…”
“I’m sorry, I felt hurt when you did that…”
You can’t argue with someone who feels a certain way; the same with a person who believes a different religion or the ‘same’ religion based on other beliefs. The constant butting of heads will have you fleeing to the pharmacy for more pain killers…or to the beer and soda to drink your woes away.
Accept Christians who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. For instance, one person believes it is all right to eat anything. But another believer who has a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. Those who think it is all right to eat anything must not look down on those who won’t. And those who won’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. Who are you to condemn God’s servants? They are responsible to the Lord, so let him tell them whether they are right or wrong. The Lord’s power will help them do as they should. ~Romans 14:1-4
That’s just an example on life in general—not food per se. But speaking of ‘foods’ and people who don’t eat certain things, I’ve encountered something interesting.
One evening, A good friend and I were discussing foods we enjoyed. I told her that one of my favorite dishes at this particular restaurant that we love was the veal chop. They make it really good- and I enjoy it. She quickly glanced at me in horror.
“Do you know what they do to those poor little calves?”
“Well, I have an idea, but if I don’t eat it, someone else will.”
“But they’re caged up and only milk fed, Deb.”
I sat there and thought about it, and decided that if it was still being served on the menu, I want to order it. I don’t want to feel guilt about eating something that I truly enjoy.
Then I thought some more.
“Jen? Don’t you enjoy hot wings?”
”Oh! I love them!”
“Aren’t those…baby chicks?”
Then she thought for a while. I have nothing against what other people eat, drink or do; I just focus on my own thing and occasionally make a wisecrack here and there about stuff. Even with religious and political beliefs---what you feel in your heart to be true is true for you. Who’s to say that God isn’t speaking to you? Yeah sure we can chuck it up to psychotic moments and hallucinations, but in reality, and biblically speaking, people ‘saw’ with their own eyes things that would be unfathomable to us ‘now’. I mean, if someone came up to you and said, “Jesus was standing right outside the doorway before! It was amazing!” Would you truly believe them? Does it matter if “you” believe them or not? It only matters what they believe to be true. Were people hallucinating back when the time Jesus was alive? Who knows. I do know that it made their faith greater. Who can say that the people who wrote the books in the bible weren’t a little delusional? We don’t know that. We choose to go on blind faith.
It’s science vs. spirituality. God is not of this world. Scientific evidence will always conflict with the spiritual nature. This is why so many atheists will debate sightings of Christ, angels or apparitions. What about those who see ghosts? Or those who are sensitive to spirits? I know I have sensitivity to spirits. My house is slightly haunted. We have all seen the same woman walking around our house. Who’s to say that we’re psychotic or if we’re actually seeing a real ghost? Maybe we had one too many martinis...
So let the theologians, Christian believers and other religious radicals bop each other on the head with their bibles. Sit back, have a beer, and enjoy the beliefs that you hold true to your heart. No one can take that away from you.