An Offended Nation
 

What do you think about how everybody gets offended at everything?

From a secular standpoint all you hear on the news is how the comments of another have offended them and that they should apologies....I say, "Grow up!" While it may be true that people have said stupid things don't get offended over it.

On the spiritual side people leave churches, break relationships, and live in offense when the Bible is very clear that we are not supposed to be offended. Of course, it is impossible to live without the opportunity to get offended, but we control what we hold on to.

For me I think people should get a grip on life and quit being so sensitive...what do you think?

Re: An Offended Nation
 

This is what comes from intellectual and emotional socialism. Try'n to make everything fair and equal. For that to really happen we'd all have to be exactly the same.

Even Jesus said "the poor you have always"....seems He understood life is not always "fair".

Re: An Offended Nation
 

Yes, I think it's gone too far in this country.

Re: An Offended Nation
 

Yes, I have been thinking about that a little lately.

Re: An Offended Nation
 

it is not just this country. the muslims are always offended about something somewhere in the world. America certainly does not have a corner on the offended market. the Jews were offended at the term swine flu. the Mexicans were offended at a fast food commercial.

I am offended at EVERYTHING. =)

Re: An Offended Nation
 

Not to go off on the usual rant about what's wrong with the world --- but we are a consumer culture, owed the world, and spoiled brats that have no clue about personal accountability. We use tort law as our judge, finding negligence in all things, instead of chalking some things up as part of living in this old world. If your child was struck tragically by a car after running in the street -- instead of mourning with grief, we want to sue the pants off the guy in the SUV. It would be absurd for us not too. It's expected. If I spill coffee on myself, it's the restaurants fault for not fully protecting me. Everyone's fault. Everyone... but ME. Being easily offended is just part of that nasty syndrome.

Re: An Offended Nation
 

The Muslims play our sensitivity card against us. They laugh at our PC squirming. We shoot bullets, and shout apologies while they are flying. They don't need an anti-missile system, they just need guilt trips, public "I'm offended" statements, and a vulnerable Western culture. I highly recommend Mark Steyn's "America Alone."

Re: An Offended Nation
 

I agree, it's not limited to any single element. Everyone gets offended. Christians are offended, Muslims are offended, women are offended, minorities are offended, politicians are offended, various cultures are offended etc. It is a never ending cycle of being offended. Shawn Hannity is even offended :ursofunny

Re: An Offended Nation
 

I always wondered why I never heard back about my comedy screenplay. Would the scene where a guy dressed as Allah is chasing a rotund prophet Muhammad in Benny Hill-Fast motion style, to over the top?
You KNOW that a show like Family Guy wouldn't hesitate to show Jesus and the Apostle Peter in a similar scene.

Re: An Offended Nation
 

Being offended is one thing-- what we do with the offense, our response to the offense, is what separates the adults from the children.


Should unadulterated truth always trump our regard for "the common good" of mankind?

Re: An Offended Nation
 

I think YES
Truth should always win out over whatever it comes up against, the greater good, political correctness, etc....

Re: An Offended Nation
 

Sometimes,

some folks,

just can't handle...



the truth.

Re: An Offended Nation
 

Okay, you are right in a sense, but consider the following. I think we could both agree that the Word of God is truth. However, I have seen some of your positions that you hold as truth (and you have scripture) that I strongly disagree with and think you're a nut. I am positive you could also say the same on positions that you've seen me to hold.

So it's easy to say people can't handle truth, but in reality it is the truth that you believe to be truth. We need to just not get offended whether it is truth or error

Re: An Offended Nation
 

The Bible shows in several places that we can offend the weak and cause them to fail. My emphasis in on the "weak".

The pastors that scattered sheep in the Book of Jeremiah. Malahi 2:8 says that you have departed out of the way and caused many to stumble. Stumble means to fail or fall down and be ruined.

Matthew 18:6 But whoso shall offend (trip up) one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

Colossians 3:21 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged (disheartened/spiritless).

Romans 14:21 says that it is good to neither eat flesh, nor drink wine, nor anything whereby we cause our brother to stumble, be offended or made weak.

I Cor 8:11-12 says that if we sin against our brother by wounding his weak conscience we sin against Christ.

Matthew 18:7 speaks of offenses coming and woe to the one that caused the offense.

Offense has two meanings - skandalon and skandalizo. In our terms it would be defined as scandal and scandalize.

Skandializo is used primarily as something we often come against - just being annoyed or slighted by someone.

Skandalon means a trigger of a trap that has bait placed on it. The animal will touch the bait and the trap springs. In the moral sense it is referring to an enticement to some conduct that will ruin a person. In Matthew 18:7 Jesus is concerned with the temptation or the enticement that will cause others to sin.

The Bible speaks in all of these verses of NOT being instrumental or having been instrumental in causing another to stumble and thereby fall into temptation and sin.

I heard a preacher once say, and I agree with him, "A preacher makes his worst mistakes when he is tired."

In other words, it is my firm contention, that when pressure is put on a person and you continually wound a person where he is weak and vulnerable, you can cause him to sin. You can be the offense or the stumblingblock and you have sinned against Christ. Again, my focus is damaging those that are weak. The scriptures wouldn't deal with not offending or becoming a stumblingblock if it was not possible that it could happen.

One of the definitions in “sin” also includes “offend”. hamartanō - offend, sin, trespass.

We should take great care of our treatment toward others. Politically or in society, in general, it is always a lack of morality at play in all matters concerning the Word of God and our actions to our spouse, family, community and nation at large.

Re: An Offended Nation
 

LOL!

I AM A NUT!!

A walnut to be exact....



I agree with your last sentence, to an extent.

I think there are times that it is necessary to be offended. What we do, how we handle that offense is key.

Re: An Offended Nation
 

Can you give any scriptural evidence of when it is okay to be offended?

Re: An Offended Nation
 

Jesus was offended at what the religious folks had made the Temple into.

Paul was offended at Alexander the Coppersmith and prayed for (paraphrased) the Lord to take care of him .


It is necessary that offense comes, but woe to the offender. It would be better if he/she was not even born.

Being offended is a fact of life. It's neither ok or not ok-- it's a given. Someone, somewhere at sometime will offend you.



What will I do when the offense happens? It depends on the situation. Some offenses warrant a response, others don't.

Re: An Offended Nation
 

I agree that it is impossible for offenses to come, but that is quite different from being offended. I think the difference in the point you are making and the point I am making is that of "taking offense to something" and "being offended"

Re: An Offended Nation
 

Well if I took offense to something you said or did, I would be offended.

If I am offended, it is because I took offense to something you said or did.

Where is the difference?

Re: An Offended Nation
 

You may walk up to me and tell me I'm the ugliest person you have ever seen :foottap which would be an offensive statement. But how I deal with it would determine if I am offended or not.

I could over look your poor judgment :blush and continue to walk in love and never allow our relationship to be damaged by it, or I could walk way thinking you were the biggest jerk I've ever met, everyone I see tell them how you hurt me, and continually think about it and stew over it.

That is the difference that I was trying to draw. Maybe we are saying the same thing

Re: An Offended Nation
 

That happens often on here. In fact, I think this has happened with us on here before.

I guess that means you are about as much of a walnut as me! :)

Re: An Offended Nation
 

:ursofunny