Where Raucous Is the Norm, Bible Study

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by laylo

Absolutely. And that wording was done by the Times. I'd bet my entire salary that no one in this interview called non-Christians "sinners." This is the way people often assume Christians think about others.

That's because far too many Christians say things and act in ways that indicate they do think that about others, including other Christians who do not think just like they do. I've been on the receiving end of the latter.

And for the record, the NYTimes does not imply that these particular Christians think non-Christians are sinners. This is the sentence in question:

The leaders urged members to stay in the thick of Greek social life, rubbing shoulders with the sinners.

In the context of the article, the implication is that Greeks are sinners. After all, just a little earlier, we had:

“Our goal is to help students lead a Christian life inside the Greek system, as contradictory as that may sound,” said Eric Holmer, the communications director for Greek InterVarsity.

As for the Times' wording vs. direct quotes, this is what caught my eye:

Kurt Skaggs, a junior at Indiana University, sees himself as something of a missionary. “Some people go to Africa or South America,” he said, explaining his decision to join Sigma Phi Epsilon. “I can go to my frat house, where my single goal is to glorify God and share the Gospel.”

As a Christian, statements like this really make me wince and groan. This statement has pressure (with a little arrogance thrown in for good measure) written all over it, I'm afraid.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

I'm afraid.

I'm taking this out of context because it made me laugh.

I am really annoyed by Christians who think they're "better Christians" than other Christians. That goes for anyone who thinks they are "better" than others who share their faith-base.

That member of Sigma Phi Epsilon said he goes to the frat house for the "single goal" of spreading the Word. I don't even want to be around people whose "single goal" is spreading the Word. I want to be able to talk about things and do things without the response to everything being "God."

On that note, the reality is that 99% of people are more awesome in their own minds than they are in real life. How people describe themselves is more based on self-identity and how they want others to perceive them rather than how they really are. It may be the case that this member of Sigma Phi Epsilon isn't doing what he claims to be doing. Or, his actions are a lot more balanced than they seem in that article.

[exlurker]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

. . . the reality is that 99% of people are more awesome in their own minds than they are in real life. . . .

QFP