As long as they aren't refos, of course Boazy.

Boazy: "'Imagine' if we as a community..."

John Lennon:

"Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one"

[ Apologies - just continuing the theme from my earlier post and Boazy's response to it :) ]

I so did not want to be the one to throw the spanner into the midst of this lovefest. Kept waiting for someone else to point this out...but BD, I am appalled at the self-righteous, smug and blatant judgementalism of your original post. As you go on through the thread casting texts and verses and smiley faces I become more so.

So these two women you encountered were not dressed in a manner you deem proper to "decent" women, huh? Bare feet? "Hardened"? Well yeah..gotta have been whores then. And the only adjective that goes with "whore" is "Godless"...yeah? So all they needed to save them from their wicked ways was a hug from you?

How dare you assume that persons about whom you know absolutely nothing are less "godly" than you?

I know a woman who looks "hardened"; has bleached blond hair and rarely wears shoes either. Her doors are open to the poor, the homeless, the neglected. She works tirelessly with the police to save kids from the streets.

I know an old aboriginal woman confined to a wheelchair who takes in sexually abused kids of all races and fights tooth and claw for a fair go for them... she also looks pretty "hardened". Seen her without shoes too.

I know a fat woman with stringy hair and missing teeth who chainsmokes and has so many lost souls living in her house that she now houses some in tents in the backyard.

And all three of these women are devoted, church-going Christians. They truly believe thier god is love and live their lives accordingly. And they don't exclude muslims, or refugees, or homosexuals, or pregnant teenagers. They have never laid a hand on anyone in violence - including their own children "for their own good".

Btw: the original translation in the King James was "And the greatest of these is Charity". Charity and love are not synonyms. I feel it absolutely impossible to feel love for you BD, but I do feel charity towards you. There is a difference.

Boaz, you are so priggish sometimes.

>>Foxy.. yes.. true.. I've only ever found that environment among Christian community, it is euphoric to say the least. They/we are not all like that all the time, (reality must be acknowledged) but I do see a remarkable difference in the Body of Christ compared to "This World"<<

You really need to get out more, you know.

p.s. "prig n. A person who demonstrates an exaggerated conformity or propriety, especially in an irritatingly arrogant or smug manner."

I now feel guilty I didn't say what Romany did. I thought it, but tried to tap into the Christmas spirit. But there is a lot of hypocricy and spiritual patronising in what you've written.

Out of interest, do you see it?

Romany (and Botheration)
well.. I can see where you are coming from, yes.. but this is one of those situations where I have to 'appeal to the Emperor' as Paul did.

What you are doing, is confusing a 'general observation and assumption based on a lifetime of reality' with 'judgmentalism'...

I agree.. saying 'possibly from the local brothels' may seem judgmental, but truely.. I was not seeking to do so, I'm prepared to argue this, because I didn't say that in any remote sense of them being less 'worthy' than me, I learnt long ago that to use myself as the reference point in evaluating others is firstly unbliblical, and secondly all of the things you (and Pericles) said "Arrogant, smug" etc. But I don't hold back from comparing ALL of us to the Lord.

I was trying to paint a picture of what I saw.. and how it appeared, not denouncing them. No.. a hug from me would definitely not be the answer to all their problems or issues of life, but I can tell you one thing, if life has kicked you around from pillar to post (and that usually shows in a persons demenour) a hug is surely not a bad move.

You see.. Romany and Pericles.. (and a partial from Botheration) you folks have actually done the very thing you claim I did.. 'judged me' :)

But its all good.. I didn't write the piece for any other reason than to promote reflection (in myself as well as others) on the theme of love itself, and it's connection to the central heart message of Christ-mas.
blessings to you all.