Outrage

[B/W Photodude]

It really seems to be the way of life anymore to be outraged by something, even when it seems to be a moment for righteous indignation. Outrage seems to have infected all of life even down to our discussions here on Adventistan. So, in a psuedo-epiphanous moment, I was walking thru a book store and happened upon this book by Glenn Beck. I did not read the book or enquire into it's contents, but was struck by the title "Addicted to Outrage." 

This is not an advertisement for the book!

Look around that section of the bookstore it became very clear to me how true that title was. Author after author having written a book with one form of outrage after another filled the display racks.

So, being one who frequently (still am) is outraged about one thing or another, it really made me think. When can you be in righteous indignation? How is all the outrage about this cause or that not just part of the rapid growth of hatred throughout the world including the church world? How is this outrage not just another symptom of love gone cold from the world? How does all this fit into all of the symptoms of the endtime events? How do you remain an astute student of history and not get sucked into all the drama going on around you?

I would say that I have grown very weary of all these causes and look to disassociate my self from caring about them! Doesn't matter if it is another story about pastors who molest, church leaders who denigrate those who don't agree with them, the war of the sexes and the lack of regard for all the young men failing in the church, or any number of other causes.

So, given that Jesus cared very much all thru his ministry and still does, never seemed to have gotten caught up in political drama, but just did what he could for those he came into contact with. Probably many lessons to learn here.

[Gail]

There is a time for outrage. I would think that anyone with a heart will at some time or other be pricked at something.

My worry is the steady stream of news of evil may give us a higher dose of it than what we can safely endure. The Bible talks about what happens to men’s hearts when iniquity abounds (Matt. 24:12)

[phkrause]

1 hour ago, Gail said:

There is a time for outrage. I would think that anyone with a heart will at some time or other be pricked at something.

Made me think of this passage from king Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3:

A Time for Everything

1 There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven - 

2 A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. 

3 A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up. 

4 A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance. 

5 A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing. 

6 A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away.

7 A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak. 

8 A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace. 

9 What profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils? 

10 I have seen the task which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.

[JoeMo]

19 hours ago, B/W Photodude said:

How is this outrage not just another symptom of love gone cold from the world?

I think it is a sign of the end as predicted by scripture- along with countries calling evil good and good evil; and the ever-increasing persecution of Christians  and Jews everywhere in the world (including the U.S.).  As love and tolerance grow cold, hatred and violence and tyranny will continue to increase until the Lord comes.

[thx4mercy]

4 hours ago, The Wanderer said:

This is my antidote to all THAT

 

Nice!  Great pictures and loved the music.

Hard to just carry on, though, as things go on around us.  Today for church we had a guest speaker that is the same pastor who gave the "Adam and Steve" sermon years ago in California.

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

On 2/8/2019 at 6:55 PM, B/W Photodude said:

I would say that I have grown very weary of all these causes and look to disassociate my self from caring about them!

Same here, mostly.  The only things that "outrage" me now are elder abuse, animal abuse, and child abuse.  And the outrage would escalate to critical proportions if it involves my family or friends.

[B/W Photodude]

Staying on Mission in the Age of Outrage

... most outrage is not righteous anger. Many people harbor outrage they think is righteous anger, because our culture often confuses the two. This is harmful for Christians and the world alike.

https://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2019/april/staying-on-mission-in-age-of-outrage.html

[B/W Photodude]

So, I have posted a number of articles that pointed out unseemly behaviors here at Adventistan. And overall, they are getting more and more strange. I keep thinking that sooner or later, one of them will see a general disapproval of the behaviors written about. But it seems like the floor has fallen out and nothing is too extreme. People anymore are afraid to speak out against things that are wrong, because "we don't want to be judging anyone!" Or that is not loving to point out things that are wrong. But can it be anymore unloving than to just let someone go into perdition without a warning?!

If there was a physical danger and we saw and did not warn someone, it would come across as the most callous and uncaring of behaviors. But be sure and not hurt someone's feelings because feelings are more important than right.

[B/W Photodude]

29 minutes ago, The Wanderer said:

Now who or what is "polite society" my friend?

Sister White speaks of those who are getting ready to go to heaven to be a part of the "society of angels." 

[R. G. White]

Why do you seem to be so negative about outrage? As we see much of what is done in the world, love could not exist without outrage (i.e. righteous indignation). However, I do agree that we need to be careful about this, because self-righteousness can easily work its way into our outrage, as we forget to say (and mean), "But for the grace of God, there go I." We are perfectly capable of doing the very things that so outrage us, and if we lose our moorings in Christ, our outrage can even get misdirected. We can end up putting evil for good and good for evil, if we forget about the evil of our own human nature and let go our reliance on God.