Can one admire a man who is wrong?
 

This thread comes from a quick question I thought of. In response to the magic hair threads and LS, is it possible to honor and truly admire a man that teaches things you would consider dangerous?
(Forget that some may consider magic hair wrong, but not truly dangerous, to which I completely disagree, but to continue....)
I was thinking, "no, how can one admire someone who teaches something so way off base?", but then the thought flashed through my head of all the men I hold in high regard. Men (and women) that I disagree greatly on one or more (sometimes many) things.
Men such as James Randi, atheist in the extreme but most importantly a "debunker" of the supernatural (although he calls himself "agnostic"), or Carl Sagan (also an atheist). Both of these men have accomplished much in teaching about science, the scientific method, and lessons in not getting suckered by others.
Is it any different for someone to say that greatly admire and respect LS despite him teaching something that borders on the occult?
Am I becoming fixated on the sliver in my brothers eye and ignoring the log in my own?

Re: Can one admire a man who is wrong?
 

Worship is of course saved for Christ alone, but there are many men who have traits I admire, and wish to emulate. But to date outside the Son of Man I have yet to find one perfect in every way.



And since I have never met a man who was never wrong about something, then I would have you say the answer to your question is yes.

Re: Can one admire a man who is wrong?
 

I agree with JG.

Re: Can one admire a man who is wrong?
 

I admire Winston Churchill as being one of the greatest leaders ever, even though it seems unlilkely that he was saved.

Re: Can one admire a man who is wrong?
 

Well, sometimes I admire you RW, and sometimes you are wrong. :D

Re: Can one admire a man who is wrong?
 

I admire many men and women for their qualities and accomplishments and the way they conduct themselves. However, when a great leader who is admired for his great leadership changes the way he leads and cause harm to people, he or she loses admiration. I can follow a great leader who gets speeding tickets or other such issues, but when their faults are have to do with what they primarily do, then there is a real problem and they need to be held accountable for the damage they are causing. I have not respect for someone who willfully does that or who may not do it willfully but does it without regard for the consequences. This is a serious character flaw, IMO and on which cannot be glazed over. If it were found out that Carl Sagan's methodology were faulty, he would lose admiration. The same goes with others. Some things as leaders, we can get by with and other are just unacceptable.

Re: Can one admire a man who is wrong?
 

Perish the thought!

Re: Can one admire a man who is wrong?
 

Part of the issue is "earned respect". To put it bluntly I have much more respect for a few non-Christians (Carl Sagan as an example) than I do some preachers. Simply because some of the former are more intellectually honest and just plain old nice then some of the latter who seek power for their own vain reasons always telling themselves that the ends justify the means (aka, magic hair).

Re: Can one admire a man who is wrong?
 

Here's a question for you -

Does a preacher who preaches false doctrine still deserve respect?

People on this forum will tear a preacher apart who preaches the trinity, but this magic hair doctrine is just as false as the trinity! And, yet, it is expected of us to be kind, and kind of tip toe around the issue, and avoid the elephant in the room.

SOrry, folks, right is right, and wrong is wrong - no matter who's preaching it.

Re: Can one admire a man who is wrong?
 

From their perspective it (the Trinity) is not reconcilable with true salvation, so yes it would be different.

IF I thought believing in the Trinity meant believing in three Gods (as some here do) then the magic hair stuff would definitely fall into a secondary issue category, while the number of Gods one has is a BIG deal. :)

Re: Can one admire a man who is wrong?
 

I think admire may be to strong of a word, IMO, for someone that you vehemently disagree with on something major. I'm no linguist and maybe this gets to heavy into semantics, but I can respect someone that I disagree with for what he or she has accomplished, but if there views are so contradictory to mine at some point respect is as far as it could go. Admire, as Webster defined it, is a little too strong for someone I have core belief disagreements with.

For years, I've respected what Bobby Knight accomplished on the basketball court. He has reached milestones and achievements in his profession in life that few will ever achieve. When it comes to Bobby Knight the person, however, I find him deplorable and lacking common courtesy. For example the man once threw a flower pot at his elderly secretary and choked one of his players.

Now I have a healthy respect for Knight the coach, but I find Knight the man repulsive. Therefore I respect him, but I certainly don't admire him. That's sorta the way I see it.

Re: Can one admire a man who is wrong?
 

I wanted to put my two cents in here...
I took my children (14 and 10) out to lunch the other day and just off the cuff, I asked them who was the greatest Christian that they knew of. My children attend Christian school, and so they have studied Charles Finney, Billy Sunday, Nate Saint;in fact my fourteen year-old had a particular affection for studying the Martyrs. I didn't really know what to expect, but without hesitation they both looked looked up and said, "Dad".
They see my husband every day, they have seen him lose his temper and occasionally (ok VERY rarely), see him make a mistake. Yet this is the man whom they feel best represents Jesus Christ in their lives.
I asked them why, and they answered differently, My son son said, "because he prays and he knows the Bible better than anybody" :). He also said "Cause Dad never lies"
My daughter said it was because Dad always opens the Bible to answer my questions about God, or tells me how to go find it". (the other day they spent about an hour and a half looking at a passage in Matthew).
As his wife, I see who he really is, I see the daily things, and yet I still have to agree with my kids, My husband is the greatest Christian I know.
Is he ever wrong?
yeah, but his character and relationship with God go beyond his minor failings. But he has never taught something that was diametrically opposed to scripture in order to stir up a crowd.
He's transparent, and He's real, which is everything the kids and I admire about him :)

Re: Can one admire a man who is wrong?
 

I concur!

Re: Can one admire a man who is wrong?
 

Great story! It reinforces the fact that the strongest Christians are often the "silent ones", meaning they are strong because of their character and God -not needing the constant validation of adoring, cheering, praising, crowds.

Re: Can one admire a man who is wrong?
 

Very good. What a great testimony!


I too can say my own father was one of the finest Christians I have known. He was always busy in the work of the kingdom. While many would see that he was not a "preacher" nor "in the ministry" I witnessed him often in intentional ministry.

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27)

Re: Can one admire a man who is wrong?
 

We are all idol makers so the key is we can admire the achievements but when they take that inordinate place in our lives they've become something we worship. ALL men have clay feet.

Re: Can one admire a man who is wrong?
 

That's awesome! :thumbsup

I hope my children and grandchildren think this way about me. My father was my hero too!

Re: Can one admire a man who is wrong?
 

That is awesome. It is tremendous that your kids feel that way.
I think it speaks very highly of your husband!

Re: Can one admire a man who is wrong?
 

Sir Winston, is a cousin of mine. May I share in his admiration? LOL

:bliss:fireworks:fireworks

My dad was the most truthful man I ever knew, I admire that character trait.

Re: Can one admire a man who is wrong?
 

if were talking about just everyday people steve irwin comes to mind for me. he was a huge into wildlife conservation. a major oponent of hunting ..which happens to be a big deal to me seeing that hunting is a tradition and basicly a way of life down here. now even though he would have ruined that for me if he could have i still admire his passion. he put everything he had into conservation it was his way of life he involved his whole family and alot of his friends just as we do in hunting. i have seem him cry over alligators bieng killed in fla. he so passionite about wildlife and totally commited to his cause and i admire that.

Re: Can one admire a man who is wrong?
 

I admire my brother Dan, and well...let's say he's not always right:)

Love ya Dan!!!!

Re: Can one admire a man who is wrong?
 

another one ......and this might offend some.is muslims when i worked at angola i would see these guys get up at 4:30 in the morning. an hour and 1/2 before they had to. go into the game room lay out there little blankets get on there faces and cry out a rehearsed prayer to who they thought was god. and 90% of these guys have to go out and work the plaintation in this louisiana heat with picks and hoes. but instead of getting the extra rest they devoted themselves in prayer. that convicted me ..i didnt do that and i serve a living GOD. then you think of the actions of the militent islam they are willing even egar to die for who they think is god...yet i fight with myself about giving up a few meals and they will quickly give thier lives ...now i know there motives are totally wrong they serve an absoultely false god its all grosely misdirected....but i admire thier passion and i am definetly convicted by it...say what you will. if i could be that commitied i would get more done for GOD

Re: Can one admire a man who is wrong?
 

Dan's always right, ya'll just don't always agree with him. LOL