The Difference Between Fact and Opinion
Denis McKee responded to A Curse on the Betrayal of Canada:
What a load of pretentious crap! Bringing in religion to justify the defence of indefensible behaviour of self-serving right wing ideologues is shameful. The tone and language of your posting is an embarrassment to any truly religious person with even an inkling of the true message of all major religious faiths.
I suggest you confine your intolerant rants to the Opinion columns of the National Post.
Denis McKee
Paul’s reply:
Denis, we would far rather be an embarrassment to men than to have God ashamed of us because we kept our mouths shut in fear of what others who do not care about what is right thought of us for telling them the truth. We know that God would have all men to repent and do what is right. We also know that many, such as you, cannot tell right from wrong. Therefore we are sent to tell you. Now you will be held responsible and judged for what you have heard.
God sends messengers to warn because He cares and would have those who hear turn from doing evil to have peace with Him and all good things. But the false gods you worship in your false religious faiths have given you an artificial, illusionary peace and confidence. The false religion of men gives permission to its worshippers to go into destruction, each in the way he or she chooses. Only God calls men into account, requiring the laying down of the life in obedience.
It is a common tactic of those who are in the wrong to avoid the matter at hand by bringing accusation against those who shed light on their malfeasance. We are not, as you charge, “bringing in religion to justify the defence of indefensible behaviour of self-serving right wing ideologues.” Religion and the right wing have nothing to do with the words in the prophecy. Truth and righteousness are what it is about, and these are no respecters of parties or persons.
The Bible, with God’s multitude of warnings against sin and His expressive ways of describing sinners and their wrongdoing, is a giant “load of pretentious crap,” according to you. No doubt you would have contemned all of God’s words through His prophets had you been there in those days, just as you do today.
His descriptions are often colorful, and to sinners incognizant of their sins, exaggerative:
“GOD’s Message came to me as follows: ‘If a man’s wife walks out on him and marries another man, can he take her back as if nothing had happened? Wouldn’t that raise a huge stink in the land? And isn’t that what you’ve done– whored your way with god after god?’ And now you want to come back as if nothing had happened. GOD’s Decree. ‘Look around at the hills. Where have you not had sex? You’ve camped out like hunters stalking deer. You’ve solicited many lover-gods, like a streetwalking whore chasing after other gods. And so the rain has stopped. No more rain from the skies! But it doesn’t even faze you. Brazen as whores, you carry on as if you’ve done nothing wrong. Then you have the nerve to call out, My Father! You took care of me when I was a child. Why not now? Are you going to keep up Your anger nonstop? That’s your line. Meanwhile you keep sinning nonstop’” (Jeremiah 3:1-5 MSG).
But His people did not listen, and so they suffered. Ask the Jews if this is not so. They know it, as do I. But this is obviously not the religion you are alluding to, with warnings, rebukes, and punishment from Heaven on wrongdoers. Not just heathen wrongdoers, but religious wrongdoers, and particularly those who should know better.
Ezekiel 5:7-17 MSG
(7) Therefore this is what GOD, the Master, says: You’ve been more headstrong and willful than any of the nations around you, refusing My guidance, ignoring My directions. You’ve sunk to the gutter level of those around you.
(8) Therefore this is what GOD, the Master, says: I’m setting Myself against you–yes, against you, Jerusalem. I’m going to punish you in full sight of the nations.
(9) Because of your disgusting no-god idols, I’m going to do something to you that I’ve never done before and will never do again:
(10) turn families into cannibals–parents eating children, children eating parents! Punishment indeed. And whoever’s left over I’ll throw to the winds.
(11) Therefore, as sure as I am the living God–Decree of GOD, the Master–because you’ve polluted my Sanctuary with your obscenities and disgusting no-god idols, I’m pulling out. Not an ounce of pity will I show you.
(12) A third of your people will die of either disease or hunger inside the city, a third will be killed outside the city, and a third will be thrown to the winds and chased by killers.
(13) Only then will I calm down and let My anger cool. Then you’ll know that I was serious about this all along, that I’m a jealous God and not to be trifled with.
(14) When I get done with you, you’ll be a pile of rubble. Nations who walk by will make coarse jokes.
(15) When I finish My angry punishment and searing rebukes, you’ll be reduced to an object of ridicule and mockery, turned into a horror story circulating among the surrounding nations. I, GOD, have spoken.
(16) When I shoot My lethal famine arrows at you, I’ll shoot to kill. Then I’ll step up the famine and cut off food supplies.
(17) Famine and more famine–and then I’ll send in the wild animals to finish off your children. Epidemic disease, unrestrained murder, death–and I will have sent it! I, GOD, have spoken.
How is that for an “intolerant rant”? Only thing is, God meant what He said; He did what He said, and all those who called it “crap,” and “intolerable,” were those to whom He did it.
Paul Cohen
Denis’ reply:
Thanks for confirming my opinions!
Victor’s reply:
And that is the difference between us, Denis. While you have only opinions (which is what is causing all the trouble in the world), we have been given to know the facts as God sees them. He is not about opinion; He knows, and through Jesus Christ He has determined that men might know. They need not be left indefinitely in the darkness and bondage of merely supposing, imagining, opining, wondering, or guessing. Jesus said this:
“The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10 MKJV).
He promised this to those who believe on Him:
“However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth. For He shall not speak of Himself, but whatever He hears, He shall speak. And He will announce to you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will receive of Mine and will announce it to you” (John 16:13-14 MKJV).
This is what He has done for us, Denis – no pretention, no crap, and no religion, believe it or not. Jesus Christ did not come to bring religion. He is REALITY. And what He has done for us and many others is what He will one day do for all men, including you, who do not now believe. Until then, you will suffer the consequences of darkness, resisting the Light He says He IS.
Victor