tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3832566911947880918.post217527729424906878..comments2023-05-06T16:47:16.117+02:00Comments on 365 Days of Activism: Day 41: 4 January - With My Own Two HandsBrownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06340267061387518816noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3832566911947880918.post-26438810276852339522009-01-06T08:57:00.000+02:002009-01-06T08:57:00.000+02:00taking a stand on any topic will inevitably aliena...taking a stand on any topic will inevitably alienate some people from your topic. and if it alienates people from your cause, a cause that is completely inclusive in it's nature (even if the person leading the cause has a specific belief) i think you accept that as part of the way life is. i think people try to be open-minded, but it stems from a very close-minded place. for example. when i was in college i hated christianity, christians, talk of jesus, etc. i was in china and i was so drawn to buddhism. i was on this path to be an open-minded, culturally sensitive person. but i was being motivated by my dislike of christianity and what i had seen it do. i had to ask myself, "am i being open-minded if i'm still excluding this system of faith that i dislike? doesn't being open-minded also require me to draw into my perspective those things i might not totally agree with, but do have some value to them...maybe not always and in ever situation, but in some?" nothing we do or say in this world is100% immune to resistance. but i think we don't notice how we become hypocritical when we exclude something in an attempt to be an inclusive, open-minded person. <BR/>just my experience in life, and my observations of people in this world. i think christianity has a super-bad rap (and quite well-deserved i might add), but that' because thigns are imperfect. on the same page, not all muslims are extreme fundamentalist joining the taliban and bombing places. educating yourself on the variety of another culture shows you the extremes of that culture...but also the beauty and good and piece of truth nestled within it.<BR/><BR/>i hope we can come to a place of unbiased open-mindedness. i have to be careful to look at my own heart in this discussion, becuase oh how quickly i can miss the blind spots too! thanks for creating discussion around this point. i'm very passionate about it!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3832566911947880918.post-1223524815061663202009-01-05T19:53:00.000+02:002009-01-05T19:53:00.000+02:00ryan, i know that it was not your intention to ali...ryan, i know that it was not your intention to alienate or exclude anyone. i think you are doing great work and i just wanted to voice my personal response at reading an explicitly christian posting. admittedly, my response is completely subjective because christianity is a belief system which, for the most part, i find problematic.... i live in a country where the african christian democratic party want to bring back the death penalty. i live in a country where the majority of christians believe that homosexuality is a sin. i live in a country made up of christians who believe they have a monopoly on the truth.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11498084524374088754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3832566911947880918.post-22213277446069015072009-01-05T15:59:00.001+02:002009-01-05T15:59:00.001+02:00Well said my son!DADWell said my son!<BR/>DADAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3832566911947880918.post-18656984827156319192009-01-05T15:59:00.000+02:002009-01-05T15:59:00.000+02:00Raffa, thanks for your concern! the purpose of thi...Raffa, thanks for your concern! the purpose of this blog is to be inclusive and not exclusive. i think different posts will appeal to different people. i hope people are able to read my heart in that, it doesn't matter who you are, or what you believe, we all possess the power to make a difference in the world, and we all have that responsibility. i wrote it from a christian angle because that is my belief system, but i hope that anyone who reads it is able to read it and apply it to their own life.Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06340267061387518816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3832566911947880918.post-66401408575733961562009-01-05T10:50:00.000+02:002009-01-05T10:50:00.000+02:00while i completely respect your personal belief sy...while i completely respect your personal belief system, i think that given the fact that we live in a country which is culturally and religously diverse, you run the risk of alienating many people from your cause.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11498084524374088754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3832566911947880918.post-5099226440039763242009-01-04T22:36:00.000+02:002009-01-04T22:36:00.000+02:00I messed up and it says anonyomous on my comment!I messed up and it says anonyomous on my comment!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3832566911947880918.post-52885966491013153522009-01-04T22:35:00.000+02:002009-01-04T22:35:00.000+02:00I completely agree Ryan! That is the way I tried t...I completely agree Ryan! That is the way I tried to change how I thought a couple years ago! God is patience and kindness and that is in everyone!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3832566911947880918.post-34122348030700865402009-01-04T19:33:00.000+02:002009-01-04T19:33:00.000+02:00Amen! :)Amen! :)Bethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16523909167293722624noreply@blogger.com