Concerning Conservatives...

I normally consider myself fairly conservative. I'm a member of the Fort Worth diocese that agrees with the direction Bishop Iker is headed. I believe that extra-marital sex is a sin, and that marriage is between a man and a woman. So I'd say I'm pretty conservative, theologically and politically.

Yet I am constantly amazed when I see someone become (as my mother put it) sanctimonious over certain situations. In a recent online conversation I was pointing out that the better way to ban a residential sex club was to argue for the illegality of such a situation due to traffic flow, noise, and parking rather than the immorality of the situation and was chewed out by another poster for not condemning the immorality. Except that I did say I don't agree with the situation, but using an emotional morality argument is not going to get the club banned.

On another website an article was posted complaining about how upset the author was when Christians send non-religious Christmas cards (such as family picture cards, cards expressing generic "Peace and Joy" sentiments, etc) and they should be more religious.

I know that as a Christian my actions and words are the best way to evangelize, not telling non-Christians that they must conform to my views because my faith is the right way. I can't think of anyone at the moment who converted to the Christian faith merely because someone told them they absolutely had to for their salvation or they were going to hell. Generally people don't react well to being told they're wrong.

I can't count the number of times people have come up to me and asked me about my DOK cross...or have told me that I act more mature than most people in my age group they've met (I'm serious). Sean and I are good friends with a family where the father is quite anti-Christian. We always avoid religious debates, but we absolutely love this family and consider them an extension of our own. They invite us to their home not because we shove our faith down their throats, but because we LIVE it.

I'm not saying we step on eggshells, but we don't force others to listen to us. We try to show our faith by example. Kind of like the song "They will know we are Christians by our love". Some people I've met are surprised when they find out I am Christian because I didn't try to shove a tract down their throat. Of course then it gives me an opportunity to explain what the Christian faith is really about. I don't know if I've ever converted anyone, but I hope I've at least provided an incentive for them to open their hearts to the truth.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I just don't see any sense in acting like a holier-than-thou jerk. I'm not good at preaching and I have a lot of trouble coming up with a counter-argument on the spot when debating, so this is my way of evangelizing.