tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-581834613462807483.post5699667593972860976..comments2013-12-26T08:56:19.478-08:00Comments on jessica.ivy.roth: Nine Times Out of TenJessica.Ivy.Rothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02385477953398089729noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-581834613462807483.post-5751792770530027352013-12-26T08:56:19.478-08:002013-12-26T08:56:19.478-08:00Excellent insights Kathy, thanks for taking the ti...Excellent insights Kathy, thanks for taking the time to read the post and share your thoughts. Also, sorry it isn't a little clearer (I'm not sure how to include it as I'm new to google's blogger), but I wrote this (John) as a guest post on Jessica's blog. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-581834613462807483.post-12674490347897682132013-12-26T08:32:10.436-08:002013-12-26T08:32:10.436-08:00Jessica....you make several excellent points in yo...Jessica....you make several excellent points in your posting...especially related to taking comments out of context. I was particularly interested in your paraphrasing of Pope Francis' words. I have read the entire interview several times and have come to understand the meaning of his exact words. I offer the following insights for consideration.<br /><br />In this interview which you are eluding to, Pope Francis states "A person once asked me, in a provocative manner, if I approved of homosexuality. I replied with another question: ‘Tell me: when God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person?’ We must always consider the person. Here we enter into the mystery of the human being. In life, God accompanies persons, and we must accompany them, starting from their situation." I would offer that Phil Robertson could learn from the Pope on this point.<br /><br />In this same interview, the Pope referred to the changing face of Christianity and how important it is for all of us to see that a hard stance on our particular view of Christianity gets us nothing. He stated “If the Christian is a restorationist, a legalist, if he wants everything clear and safe, then he will find nothing. Tradition and memory of the past must help us to have the courage to open up new areas to God. Those who today always look for disciplinarian solutions, those who long for an exaggerated doctrinal ‘security,’ those who stubbornly try to recover a past that no longer exists—they have a static and inward-directed view of things. In this way, faith becomes an ideology among other ideologies. I have a dogmatic certainty: God is in every person’s life. God is in everyone’s life." Again, I would offer that Phil Robertson could learn from the Pope on this point.<br /><br />My opinion: When a public person makes a comment to the public (including church members or magazine readers), they must also be accountable for their comments. If those comments are judgmental or hurtful.....they sound (and in fact are) quite hurtful to others. Whether Phil Robertson, Pope Francis or a member of the Roth clan, let's make sure we quote people correctly and let's hope we do not offend others "in the name of Christianity". For me, I pray that God guides me in love for all regardless of their choices and gives me the humility never to judge another.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com