[Cody1611]

Originally Posted by pbiwolski

Cody,
It sounds to me that you are referring to street preachers more than "Baptists" as a denomination. If this is so, why not come out with it?

Brother, I belong to an Independent Baptist Church that has a jail ministry and street ministry. Trust me, I'm not against street preaching. I encourage people to street preach and witness, but I was just saying that we need to preach in love and actually have the motive to get people saved.

God Bless you for street preaching. We need more men like you.

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by fundy

This problem can be compounded when the writer in naturally forthrite and direct in speech, and tends towards sarcasm in humour. Thats me all over, but most Australians are like this and I know that this can make me /us sound much more rude to American ears than is intended.

At least once I was actually accused of having an Australian sense of humor. I was only there a couple of weeks, but I must be a fast learner .

Hi Jeff,

Our Pastor is an American, and we get along extemely well together. He has taught me so much about the Bible...he is a tremendous man of God. In return I have taught him how to insult someone in such a way that the other person just knows that you like him. Probably not a fair exchange, but besides taking him hunting with me, its all I had to offer.

Fundy

[Paladin54]

"As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death,
So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport?"
Proverbs 26:18-19

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by Paladin54

"As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death,
So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport?"
Proverbs 26:18-19

There goes all my "April Fools Day" plans .

Originally Posted by Paladin54

"As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death,
So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport?"
Proverbs 26:18-19

Paladin, you need to understand something that Jeff has already shown an appreciation of. That being that different cultures have different customs.

Generally,In Australia, when a person that you consider to be a friend stops insulting you, wether it be to highlight how bald you are, how fat you look, how your shirt makes you look like Liberace ( is that how you spell his name?, you know, the queer piano player), or to even question wether your parent were ever married, you know that there are problems with your friendship.

Your tone of voice and body language is a big factor wether or not you recieve a friendly jibe in return, or a punch in the nose.

This gets back to my original point that email communication is a much less forgiving form of communication that face to face interaction.

Fundy

[Paladin54]

It is similar here in America, just to a less degree. We toilet paper people's house, Saran-wrap their cars to trees, etc.
Somehow, I have a hard time believing that questioning your friend's biological legitemacy done "in love", is not sin.

I doubt that no one ever takes offense to these insults in Australia.

And remember, cultural sin is still sin.

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by Paladin54

"As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death,
So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport?"
Proverbs 26:18-19

I believe this is dealing with a man who intends to harm or cheat another, and then pretends that it was all in fun when he is found out.

Are jokes automatically sinful? Few jokes are actually true stories, so couldn't you say they are deceptive? Most (at least in Christian circles) are intended to amuse and not to harm.

It seems to me that some of the happiest marriages I've seen are among spouses that are able to give and take jokes with each other. They're generally not really deceived.

[Paladin54]

Brother, think not that I am without a sense of humor. We crack jokes with each other all the time, but when it actually turns to insults, I always quote that verse, and all who are involved in it are ashamed and don't ask questions.

Originally Posted by Paladin54

It is similar here in America, just to a less degree. We toilet paper people's house, Saran-wrap their cars to trees, etc.
Somehow, I have a hard time believing that questioning your friend's biological legitemacy done "in love", is not sin.

I doubt that no one ever takes offense to these insults in Australia.

And remember, cultural sin is still sin.

You must be a real fun guy to be around, Paladin, someone tells a joke or says something that YOU do not approve of and you hit them between the eyes with a misapplied Bible verse! It must be wonderful to have a representative of the joke police around when it comes time to deal out the shame when things get out of hand.

For your information, throwing toilet paper over peoples houses and wrapping plastic around cars is considered vandalism here in Australia, as I am sure it is in the States.

I dont care what you find hard to believe insofar as the method of interaction between people in Australia. You are obviously totally ignorant of the fact that other cultures interract differently to your own.

That you do not approve is of no consequence.

fundy