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Perspective Having a Conversation Gregg Cudworth

March 12th the Catholic Church stood up for truth by holding on to the church doctrines of marriage between a man and women, life of the unborn, and the sanctity of life in the elderly. They did this by electing a pope who has had a tradition of holding up church orthodoxy. But that wasnt the way it was told in the secular media. Pope Francis has been reported to be against same sex marriage, against abortion, and against euthanasia. The difference being as Chuck Colson said some time ago, we need to be more about what we are promoting and less about what we are against. This is liken to the clich, is the glass half full or half empty. When the glass is half empty it is a negative, when it is half full it is a positive. When defending a position by declaring the other person is wrong you are being negative. When you defend your position by declaring what you are for without attacking the other persons views may not always be a positive, but it certainly is not a negative. The issue for some Christians is they dont know how to defend their position because they dont fully understand their position from a biblical view. I have heard more than one person say, This is what I believe and thats good enough for me. Or another meaningless argument is, The bible says so, I dont know how or where but I know it does. I put the following quote on the bottom of all my emails, Knowledge, like air, is vital to life. Like air, no one should be denied it I dont know anymore who said it, but knowledge is good and when spoken in truth it will set you free. Free from the discouragement and embarrassment of speaking from ignorance. The second big issue is we dont know enough about the flip side of the argument. Francis Schaeffer was once asked, If you only had an hour to talk to a non-believer what would you say? His response was, I would only ask questions for the first fifty five minutes, then I would explain to him Christianity. Schaeffers point was, until I know and understand the persons positions on life I have nothing to say to him. The question mark is our best ally and tool when trying to understand a persons view points on life and the world. Most of us are too quick to voice an opinion before we have learned the other persons outlook; more likely than not this will come across as offensive, negative and aggressive. Learning to be a good questioner and then a good listener is vital if we are going to have a civil dialog with people holding an opposing point of view. So, how do we apply this to the three biggest issues confronting the church; i.e. marriage, abortion, and euthanasia? The best argument for marriage is the quality of life in a proper relationship. Marriage between a man and a woman is not only biologically correct but sociologically and culturally correct. The argument for marriage is

the strength of a culture which has always promoted marriage as it was intended by God. Everyone with even an ounce of common sense knows all the pitfalls of homosexual marriage, so why rub them raw with the negatives? But the argument is more than saying it is obvious heterosexual marriage is best; it must be articulated in a positive way with factual truths. The pro-life advocates have done an excellent job of transforming their approach. The once anti-abortion group is now pro-life. They are now using technology such as ultra-sounds to demonstrate the life of the fetus. This has been a big step in removing the false idea that the fetus is only a tissue mass. But there are many other statistics to show the benefits to a culture which promotes the biblical truth of be fruitful and multiply. For example, Japan has been a culture in decline and their low birth is purported to be one of the causes. Abortion statistics are staggering in Japan even though it is illegal. There was an estimated 210,000 abortions in Japan for the year of 2010; but sources say the number is probably much higher. Girls are the mostly likely to be aborted and as a result there are not enough women for men to marry. The result has been women are treated like a commodity and are often sold for a dowry to the highest bidder. Lastly, there is a growing number who see economic value in euthanasia. The positive side of this issue is always life and the benefits which come from making a persons last days as comfortable and rewarding as possible. This is not only a plus for the dying, but a bonus for the living. There is nothing in life more rewarding than helping a person to live through the process of dying. There are many statistics reported where the people showing loving care for a dying person has not only grown spiritually, but they have also grown in their other relationships. The positive side of the argument is we all want to be loved, and the person most loved is the person who loves the most. The next time you are confronted by a secular viewpoint take the time to understand the person, understand the issues and show the willingness to converse respectfully. A conversation is by definition a two way dynamic, ask questions and respond with true factual answers. When you do this you need not fear standing up for your convictions.

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