John 3:16 and Donald Duck on the Pianotech list.

[Robin Blankenship]

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
John 3:16 and Donald Duck on the Pianotech list.Dear Martin,

So, let me get this straight: any time that someone shares their =
thoughts or feelings or beliefs, you feel "pressured" to accept them? =
Sad. You do not understand the Christian's heart. You can accept or =
reject totally. That is all up to you. As it is the piano tuner's desire =
to tune pianos, so it is the Christian's desire to share the promise and =
hope of the Gospel. That's all. You have free will. Accepting a free =
gift IS about the hardest thing there is to do. God loves you. That is =
unchangeable. Go in peace.

Robin
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: vanbrussel=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Thursday, December 14, 2000 4:23 AM
  Subject: John 3:16 and Donald Duck on the Pianotech list.





    From: vanbrussel <vanbrussel@euronet.nl>
    Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2000 22:53:25 +0100
    To: <DGPEAKE@aol.com>
    Subject: John 3:16 on the Pianotech list.




    Christopher Witmer, in a recent post, quoted John 3:16;

    "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
    whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. =
For
    God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but =
that
    the world through Him might be saved." -- John 3:16-17




      And then (another pianotech subscriber) :

      Why does this upset you so much? Are you under conviction? Read =
the verse=20
      again, insert your name instead of "the world" and see how it =
applies to your=20
      life.=20






    Well Sir / Madam,

    I will try to explain to you why, yes.... it bothers me :

    In this opening sentence actually lies the cause and the answer (of =
my being bothered):

    In the first place, I thought I am/was a subscriber to a so called =
'pianotech list', a forum for piano technicians (and not specificly =
'religious only' piano technicians).
    When I subscribed, I did so, because it said nowhere that one had to =
be a piano tech AND be a member of any religion or church.

    By getting e-mail on that very pianotech list with religious =
material  like, :

    quote :

    "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that =

    whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. =
For=20
    God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but =
that=20
    the world through Him might be saved." -- John 3:16-17 "

    unquote.

    I am puzzled and annoyed.

    Why puzzled?=20
    Because, as I said before, I wanted to be a subscriber to a =
'pianotech related' list without sermons or any kind of religious =
influence.

    And why annoyed?
    Because I feel pressured to accept YOUR vision, YOUR way of living, =
YOUR philosophy.

    You probably did not ask yourself (in this case) whether I had the =
WISH and NEED to accept YOUR way, YOUR phantasies.

    Furthermore:

    Suppose I am a believer in 'Deity' Donald Duck...(and please, do =
take my words seriously)
    How would YOU personally react to my asking you to accept 'HIS' =
(Donald Duck's words? How would YOU personally react to my asking you to =
"insert your name instead of "the world" and see how it applies to your =
life" ("For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, =
that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting =
life. ). =20

    You would probably feel very much insulted and you would considder =
it blasfemy (and on top of that....on the pianotech list!)

    So, 'my point' is :

    Maybe I believe in Donald Duck?
    Maybe I believe in Allah?
    Maybe I believe in Buddha?
    Maybe I believe in the Thora?
    Maybe I believe NOTHING?

    I <<<<  try to have respect for others by (on a public forum like =
the pianotech list) not openly push forward MY religious believe or =
opinion.
    If I would do so anyway, it would actually show my contempt for the =
ideas of other persons, my personal criticism of what another human =
being might feel privately in relation to religion, philosophy, or =
whatever way of life.

    I did never want to write this letter in the first place, it did not =
even come up into my mind!
    It shows, that by provoking subscribers of this list with YOUR =
religious ideas, you FORCE and BOTHER other persons with something =
private THEY never asked for.

    And that is exactly what I have against anybody, who forces his will =
upon me...and I don't care whether it is political, religious, or Donald =
Duck!

    May 'any' force be with you anyway.........because I wish no harm =
upon you and forgive you.

    I just wanted to make this clear!



    Martin
    van
    Brussel

    PS.

    As I am still a subscriber to the Pianotech list, and as this all =
came into the world because a religious subscriber of said list wanted =
his personal religious opinion in public, I feel it necessary to make a =
statement (I will however not disclose your personal name, out of =
respect).
    If other religious subscribers (on the list) then find it necessary =
to use the pianotech list as a battleground for their personal =
pyilosophical
    beliefs, I will happily unsubscribe and switch over to a more =
neutral territory.

    At least I know where I stand then.







---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/40/c5/6c/3d/attachment.htm

---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--