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Truth or People?

A question I can’t get rid of.

What’s more important. The love of truth, or love for people?

What needs to come first. Do they go hand in hand?

If you had to choose from knowing everything right, perfectly, no flaws in your theology or being able to love everyone, even those that you hate, beyond anything you have before. What would you pick?

9 thoughts on “Truth or People?”

  1. I know this won’t be received all that well, but it’s a question badly posed!

    What I mean is, first, the question needs context in order make practical sense; second, these two ‘things’ don’t really fall under the either/or category a significant portion of the time. Seems like a conundrum that has its roots in the was something is being phrased, rather than existential angst. But hey, that’s just me!

  2. Ok. To put it into context. Here is a random example.

    Explaining the idea of hell to random name Bobby is something that no matter how you put it to him will completely turn him off from the gospel. No exceptions.

    If you are someone that beleives strongly in hell. Do you leave this out when talking to him about the gospel, knowing that he will never accept it or do you tell him anyway because truth prevails.

    That might be a bad example.

    But it comes from conversations I have with people and sometimes I feel odd sharing certain things with people because I don’t see them understanding it nor accepting it, or they aren’t ready.

    Maybe a better question to ask is: is it more important for someone to know the truth about religion or something like that or for them to know that you love them for who they are? And if you were forced to choose. What would you pick?

  3. Dave Hoyt-Walterhouse

    When you find out the answer to this just let me know, okay. This is pretty much a daily decision that I have to make in my marriage. And seeing as how I’m always right and not always loving to other people….yeah.

    There’s a T-shirt that I’ve wanted to make for a long time just because.
    “I won’t compromise my intelligence to satisfy your ignorance”
    That’s often my unofficial motto. But my edges are being curved a bit by the chisel of marriage.

    Dave

  4. VOTE: People, but within a framework of truth.
    The law and prophets hang on loving God and loving others.
    Scot McKnight would call the difference is b/w a torah of love or a love of torah.

    About choosing b/w telling someone the truth or loving them with grace, I think that’s thin ice. Bold love often means telling someone the truth. And if only the truth will help someone (whether it’s the full gospel OR ‘your gambling problem is ruining your marriage and you’re an idiot if you don’t stop’), then lots of love might never be what they really need. In fact, lots of love – authentically, might really mean telling them the truth.

  5. cmon!
    don’t be so retarded mighty mouse is a cartoon…superman is a real
    guy! it wouldnt even be a fair fight.
    nuff said.
    aquaman? give me a break joe! he is not even in the same justice
    league as the super one.
    aquaman (insert shaking head in disbelief here)

    stolen from stand by me…rent it.

  6. Ok, I would have to give it to Mighty Mouse….
    No one knows his weakness…
    Superman… we all know his weakness and I bet Mighty Mouse would play it out to his full advantage..

  7. yeah – Mighty Mouse.

    But what does it mean to “speak” the truth IN love? Is truth only useful in love? Should we wait for a “level” of love to be concerned with the communication of the specifics of truth? Or does the scripture mean whenever we speak the truth it must be with love?

    So should we shut up altogether if we aren’t speaking in love? Does nothing true need to be said if not in the context of love?

    Hey maybe that’s it. Crap I dunno.

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