Well...I was being rather smart-alecky in my post, and both Ferd and PP called me on it.
Sorry I wasn't more...er...insightful...it must be the DECAF coffee my mother made this morning. *gasp* I can't believe I have been sullied with that horrid stuff, and thinking I was fueling my brain, I was in fact fooling it instead.
Here's what I think:
I think The Borg mentality exists. I don't think that PP has it, nor Ferd, nor I, and wasn't trying to imply that with my post. I do think it can come from both sides, and I think it is unfair to say that a man who is refusing to tolerate what he believes is sinful is suffering from The Borg mentality.
I will agree with a generic premise, that, in many cases, members of the churches of any given organization are following rules "just because", and not because they really believe them or have searched the scriptures or because they have convictions on matters, or even have preferences.
There is something to be said for submitting to authority, but it is a bit frightening to think that we have hundreds (thousands? ...I would hope not...) of folks walking around with a form of religion, without knowing God, really, except in a distant, facade-ish, fragile and hollow sort of way. ...who have been duped into thinking that practicing a religion can be equivalent to, or take the place of, a real, consistent,
personal relationship with God Himself.
As for your last comment, PP...I really don't understand why folks who aren't going to love the diversity within an organization and embrace it and fellowship with those with whom they don't see eye to eye would ever join or remain in such an organization to begin with.
There you have it. No sugar. Apparently no caffeine. That is all I have to offer with my dull head.
