Offended by the World

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by Baron1710

If one is dealing with kids and they use the lyrics of popular songs and images to communicate the Word of God does that cause on to live in darkness?

Not in my eyes.

To me it shows the filter they see things through and it shows that they are proactive in expressing the gospel and being all things to all people that they, by all means, might win some.

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by Baron1710

When we come in contact with our culture we have a couple of options:

1. We can be offended by our culture and withdraw from it.

Some things in our culture are offensive (and sinful) and Christians should withdraw from those things.

2. We can delighted and become assimilated into our culture and look just like it.

Some things in our culture are delightful and we can happily participate.

3. We can distressed by our culture and engage it and become relevant.

Some things that are distressing (but don't fall under category 1) call for us to directly involve ourselves to affect change.

What is the state of Apostolics today? Which category do you fall in?

I'm with Timmy - I'm somewhere in all three, depending on the specifics. Sometimes you can engage in your culture and be relevant and sometimes you can't.

[rgcraig]

Originally Posted by deadeye

Not even close...there are aspects of our culture that I will have nothing to do with....but there are many areas that are beneficial.....this is where discernment comes in.

I would imagine that you would think my lovely daughters should dress like streetwalkers like so many do to be relevant...

Sorry...not going to happen....my daughters can can be fashionable and dress well without compromising their values.

See, this is where I just have to pause and wonder.......why the extreme?

And you aren't going to like this at all, but I've heard comments from non-apostolics saying that some of our girls look like street walkers (what a term).

Matter of fact, I learned something a couple weeks ago that surprised me. There are UPC girls that order their outrageous shoes online from a stripper site. HUH???? They showed me the site and I was in shock. They saw absolutely nothing wrong with it.

So, put those shoes on with a long tight skirt and long curly flowing hair.....maybe the world doesn't see the difference.

[Baron1710]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

Not in my eyes.

To me it shows the filter they see things through and it shows that they are proactive in expressing the gospel and being all things to all people that they, by all means, might win some.

Well I guess it wouldn't surprise you to know that is exactly the song we used two weeks ago.

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by Baron1710

What you have said in essence is you withdraw from culture. You want to live in your own little made up world that has its own culture separate and apart from everything else.

Many Apostolics define their response to culture based on their view of holiness. It is hard to relevant when you spend all your time trying to avoid the culture of the world.

If you spend your time following God's commandments, though, there will be some natural separation that occurs, both in appearance and behavior.

I don't believe we should make a rule that makes us separate just for the sake of it. However, if something is sinful, offensive or detrimental to Christianity and not participating in that thing causes us to look or act differently from the world, then that is a good type of separation.

We shouldn't strive to fit into secular culture just so we can be relevant anymore than we should strive to separate from it so we can think of ourselves as "separate."

[Baron1710]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

Some things in our culture are offensive (and sinful) and Christians should withdraw from those things.



Some things in our culture are delightful and we can happily participate.



Some things that are distressing (but don't fall under category 1) call for us to directly involve ourselves to affect change.



I'm with Timmy - I'm somewhere in all three, depending on the specifics. Sometimes you can engage in your culture and be relevant and sometimes you can't.

I am not asking how you engage pornography but culture at large. The culture that we live in everyday. The way we look, talk, the brands of clothes we wear the way we wear our clothes, the way we wear our ball caps for that matter. The way we view others who are tattooed and pierced, these all say things about how we respond to culture.

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by Baron1710

Well I guess it wouldn't surprise you to know that is exactly the song we used two weeks ago.

Help me catch up. What are you talking about?

I don't think I was posting 2 weeks ago. I recently returned from a fairly lengthy hiatus.

[rgcraig]

Here's the site the girls order their shoes from to attend Youth Congress, General Conference and church.

amyclubwear.com

[Baron1710]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

Help me catch up. What are you talking about?

I don't think I was posting 2 weeks ago. I recently returned from a fairly lengthy hiatus.

I was talking about our church, specifically my wife, using the song Slave 4 U by Britney Spears in the youth service two weeks ago.

[Baron1710]

Originally Posted by rgcraig

Here's the site the girls order their shoes from to attend Youth Congress, General Conference and church.

amyclubwear.com

Wait you can't bring shoes in yet we aren't even 5 pages in isn't there a 15 page rule before shoes can come up?