Lance & U/C Apostolics have something in common

[Charnock]

They both love to throw dirt on anyone who exposes their hypocrisy.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/24/sport/...html?hpt=hp_c1

[Charnock]

"David Walsh

The British journalist who co-wrote "L.A. Confidentiel -- Les Secrets de Lance Armstrong" said he took his share of abuse, as well.
"He called me 'the worst journalist in the world,' referred to me as 'the little f***g troll,' tried to pressure Betsy Andreu (a source for L.A. Confidentiel) into discrediting me and, of course, he sued," Walsh wrote in a piece for Sports Illustrated Monday. "That lawsuit now seems as close as you can get to an 'Oscar' in our game."

Walsh describes how his claims that Armstrong doped made him "a black sheep of the cycling family," shunned by those inside the cycling world and given the cold shoulder by fellow journalists who feared associating with him would cost them access, too."

http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/24/sport/...html?hpt=hp_c1

[Charnock]

"For years, as Lance Armstrong basked in the glow of an adoring public, his critics frequently were banished to the shadows, dismissed by the cycling legend and his coterie as cranks or worse.

Now, with Armstrong stripped of his titles and endorsement deals, those who spoke out against him before it was the popular thing to do are feeling vindicated.

"Eleven years of bullying and threats," Kathy LeMond, the wife of cyclist Greg LeMond -- one of Armstrong's earliest targets -- wrote on Twitter. "LA is now the Greatest Fraud in the History of Sports."

http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/24/sport/...html?hpt=hp_c1

[KeptByTheWord]

Two things come to mind:

Be sure your sins will find you out.

He who is without sin, cast the first stone.

Two deeply contrasting statements, yet in both, the love and mercy of God is there. We are all sinners, each of us greatly needing the love and mercy of Christ... yet for our sins, there is a restitution price to be paid.... varying sin by sin... yet forgiveness is a given, if asked for with a repentant heart.

Forgiveness may be found for sin at the feet of the cross, yet the road to recovery and restoration is long, and hard... but possible with the help of Christ....

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Charnock

They both love to throw dirt on anyone who exposes their hypocrisy.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/24/sport/...html?hpt=hp_c1

Considering that Lance is not an Ultra Con, it appears you've just shot your "I hate UCs because...." in the foot...apparently it's a human response not an Ultra Con response

[mizpeh]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

Considering that Lance is not an Ultra Con, it appears you've just shot your "I hate UCs because...." in the foot...apparently it's a human response not an Ultra Con response

Charnock is doing the thing which he accuses UC's of doing.

[Michael Phelps]

Originally Posted by mizpeh

Charnock is doing the thing which he accuses UC's of doing.

In the wise words of Benincasa, "Don't become the thing you hate"

[mizpeh]

Originally Posted by Michael Phelps

In the wise words of Benincasa, "Don't become the thing you hate"

May God have mercy on us all.

I've been listening to a series on Love and Judgmentalism by Greg Boyd. Excellent series except for the parts are about the eternal "triune God". He wrote a book on it called Repenting of Religion. Here is part of the intro:


"An Experience of love

I am sitting in a mall on a Saturday afternoon. As I sip my Coke and relax, I study people. I notice some are pretty and some are not. Some are slender; some are obese. On the basis of what they wear, their facial expressions, the way they relate to their spouses, friends, or kids, I conclude some are "godly" while others are "ungodly". Some give me a warm feeling as I watch their tenderness toward their children. Others make me angry or disgusted.

Then suddenly I notice I'm noticing all this. Believing as I do that every activity we engage in , including our thinking, is for a purpose, I begin to wonder what purpose this silent commentary about other people is serving. After a moment's introspection I realize it is on some level making me feel good. It is in a sense feeding me. It's satisfying some need I have to stand in judgement over people. Deep down, I enjoy being the one who at least before the tribunal of my own mind gets to pronounce the verdict: Pretty. Ugly. Good Figure. Fat. Godly. Ungodly. Disgusting. Cute. And so on.

With this insight came another: this one, I am sure, prompted by the Holy Spirit. I recall that Jesus taught where ever we go, our first responsibility is to bless people (Luke 10:5). I recalled Scripture teaches us to think and speak evil of no one (Titus 3:2; James 4:11). Instantly I am convicted by how many non-blessing thoughts--indeed, how many cursing thought---I have been entertaining without even being aware of it.

So I stopped. I determined to have one thought, and one thought only, about every person I saw in the mall on that afternoon: it was to love them and bless them as people uniquely created by God who have infinite worth because Jesus died for them. Whatever they looked like, however they were behaving, whatever their demeano: I simply agreed with God that each of them had infinite worth. I just loved them. I began randomly selecting people in the crowd to love and bless.

As I replaced judgemental thoughts with loving thoughts and prayers of blessing, something extraordingary began to happen. I began to see the wotth I was ascribing to people,a nd I began to feel the love I was giving to them. As I ascribed worth to people, not allowing any other thought, opinion, or feeling to enter my mind, my heart began to expand. In fact, at certain moments I felst as though I would explode with love. I was waking up to the immeasurable value and beauty of each person in the mall that afternoon." Greg Boyd

(I hope that quote isn't too long)

Boyd's sermon series from 2002 on Love. Scroll down to 4/14/02 for the first in the series. It's all about love.

http://whchurch.org/sermons-media/se...5/2002-sermons

[Charnock]

I'm not a cycling fan, but have been following this Lance Armstrong story with interest. Over the past 16 years he was incredibly successful, and was widely considered the best in his sport. During that time, friends, colleagues, and news sources came forward with second hand evidence that he was doping (cheating).

He vigorously defended himself, and set out to personally destroy the reputations of those who questioned his integrity. He maligned everyone and anyone who brought evidence that he was doping. He successfully sued news agencies. He clung to his titles and trophies.

Last week, the U.S. and World Doping agencies stripped his 7 Tour de France titles and banned him from the sport forever. It has been proven that he had been cheating as far back as 1996, and that his previous battle with cancer was directly related to the junk he put into his body in order to win.

However, at no time has he issued an apology. Not for cheating. Not for the way he treated his colleagues and friends. Not for the disgrace he's made of cycling.

It would be easy to slam Lance, and to mock him for his hypocrisy. He is, in fact, a liar. A cheater. An embarrassment. Worse, he's unrepentant. He valued public perception, trophies, and winning, more than truth.

Unfortunately, there is a little bit of Lance in all of us. When faced with our sins we lie, just like him. We cover things up. We beat our chest and berate anyone who identifies our failures. We justify our sin because "everyone does it." All the while, we know we're wrong.

Lying for any reason is sinful, and sad. But the worst lies are the ones we tell ourselves, and God. When we are confronted for our sin we have a choice - cling to our unearned trophies and false image or confess that we are sinners in need of saving.

No one has ever been saved by showing God how "good" they are. Salvation is wrought through an admission that we have been, are, and will always be sinners. Then, and only then, will God impute His goodness to us. Lay down your pride. Let go of dishonesty. Throw away your unearned trophies.

Get real with Jesus. Jesus saves.

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Charnock

I'm not a cycling fan, but have been following this Lance Armstrong story with interest. Over the past 16 years he was incredibly successful, and was widely considered the best in his sport. During that time, friends, colleagues, and news sources came forward with second hand evidence that he was doping (cheating).

He vigorously defended himself, and set out to personally destroy the reputations of those who questioned his integrity. He maligned everyone and anyone who brought evidence that he was doping. He successfully sued news agencies. He clung to his titles and trophies.

Last week, the U.S. and World Doping agencies stripped his 7 Tour de France titles and banned him from the sport forever. It has been proven that he had been cheating as far back as 1996, and that his previous battle with cancer was directly related to the junk he put into his body in order to win.

However, at no time has he issued an apology. Not for cheating. Not for the way he treated his colleagues and friends. Not for the disgrace he's made of cycling.

It would be easy to slam Lance, and to mock him for his hypocrisy. He is, in fact, a liar. A cheater. An embarrassment. Worse, he's unrepentant. He valued public perception, trophies, and winning, more than truth.

Unfortunately, there is a little bit of Lance in all of us. When faced with our sins we lie, just like him. We cover things up. We beat our chest and berate anyone who identifies our failures. We justify our sin because "everyone does it." All the while, we know we're wrong.

Lying for any reason is sinful, and sad. But the worst lies are the ones we tell ourselves, and God. When we are confronted for our sin we have a choice - cling to our unearned trophies and false image or confess that we are sinners in need of saving.

No one has ever been saved by showing God how "good" they are. Salvation is wrought through an admission that we have been, are, and will always be sinners. Then, and only then, will God impute His goodness to us. Lay down your pride. Let go of dishonesty. Throw away your unearned trophies.

Get real with Jesus. Jesus saves.

.