I Am, So Should I Show You
Another interesting posting at PDA 24/7 (again - they are really full of good stuff over there) has a user not quite happy at a software developer for inculding a Scripture reference within the software (thanks BobR). Now, while the developer for New Yanoff did chime in and explain why there is a need for that particular field to have information (else the program doesnt work) and that it is recommended to be changed; the user makes a point that they did not, and should not have to, be subjected to Christian beliefs just to use a program that they are using. I'll leave you all to read and then chime in with your comments. I believe that placing this discussion here will give a somewhat different feel that it is getting at PDA 24/7 (not worse, just different) and should go a way to figuring out some walking wisdom.
EDIT: Apologies for not adding the product link for the developer of New Yanoff; journalistically speaking, one should always do that.
Edit2: Here is a link to the further posting by the original poster towards New Yanoff's developer. I think that this too needs to be as much a part of the discussion as any other aspects.
EDIT: Apologies for not adding the product link for the developer of New Yanoff; journalistically speaking, one should always do that.
Edit2: Here is a link to the further posting by the original poster towards New Yanoff's developer. I think that this too needs to be as much a part of the discussion as any other aspects.
posted by Antoine @ 8/08/2005 02:15:00 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
I had this posted as part of the main post, but thought it better to have it here and see what other folks might want to say about this posting
My personal opinon (first about the issue), is that the developer has every right to embed the Word within their software. I find it acutally a kool concept and something other developers could probably chime in on doing. Now, if you are marketing to an wide audience, that might be questionable as establishing a good user base could be just as easy to minister to as would doing the verse-popup. However, without documentation that clearly states that this is something embedded, one would/could do more harm than good to those (such as the poster in the thread) who had been wounded by the actions of a particular Christian or Christian group. Maybe a screen shot within the manual would dampen the hurt of the Scritpure being known, but its hard to say not be gung ho for God and then have to scale back just for numbers.
In these times, we have to be wise about how much of God we show to people, as their experiences might deny the goodness that we are trying to share. I ran into that when emailing a bunch of folks about Issue 2 of MMM. One person said that they loved the magazine, but it was too religious. They acknowledged, however, that since that was the point of the magazine, that it was probably ok. Yet, I imagine if they were thinking that it would be a better magazine if my personal beliefs were left out of it. Its a tough line; and sometimes, I feel that there should not even be a line, that the Gospel shold be as loud as many of the commericals, ads, and other blatant sinful content that is out there. And yet I cannot help feeling that at the same time, being subdued can sometimes be the same volume, and allow for one to receive the grace of God, without feeling beat upon.
Please make sure to read this link as it further explains this particular situitation in more detail.
Please note that the PalmYanoff webhost is having upgrade problems so my site is down but I thought you might like to know that version 3.1 of New Yanoff is out. Not only did I *not* remove the default signature (but did add more error checking around it) but I also added a "real" deault News server (NewsIsFree) so I had to also demonstrate this by auto-subscribing new users to a newsgroup. Now what NG do you suppose I chose?
The lilly-livered cowardace of the vast majority of people calling themselves sickens me. Are you Christians or not? Do you know your Bible? Do you believe it? It is REPLEAT with commands to KEEP God's word and live lives SET APART. Consider Matthew 5:13-16:
"Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
Remember Romans 12:1-2!
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
SO TAKE HEART YOU SOLDIERS OF THE LORD!!!! Remember John 16:1-4!
"These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended [LET THEM BE OFFENDED!]. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you."
Why is this so? Remember John 3:19-21: "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."
SO LET THEM HATE YOU even as the LORD loves you! Live the words of John 15:18-25:
"If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning."
They hate me. I take joy in it! It means that I am striking blows into the principalities of Satan! It means I HAVE ENEMIES IN THE HIGH PLACES! It means I am suffering lost sales of my product: PRAISE THE LORD!!!
Stop being babies and live IN FREEDOM as Paul encouraged the Ephesians 6:12 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
Are you wrestling or rolling over? In the end, either you are a sheep or a goat and it should be *P*L*A*I*N*L*Y obvious to even the most casual observer.
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