The issue of civility

There is also the issue of civility. Again, I only know what I read in the Gillette News Record. I am thinking of this especially as it applies to the Christian. The Apostle Paul teaches in the Bible that Christians should, if possible, as far as it depends on them, live at peace with everyone. The Apostle Peter teaches that the Christian should make his case with gentleness and respect. There are many more Biblical teachings that say how the Christian is to interact with society.

One could just not read books that one finds offensive. There is some question as to how far one can go to protect young people from the ideas that are out there. Other than homeschooling, turning off the television and internet and preventing all other contact with the outside world, it is pretty hard to shield young people from them. Perhaps it’s better to teach children what one believes and why. In the end they will have to make their own decision regarding acceptance or rejection of Biblical standards. In my observation some young people who have been brought up very strictly and shielded from many of the values of society in general didn’t turn out the way their parents hoped. Over the years I have exposed myself to a lot of ideas that could be characterized as anti-Christian (Nietzsche, Marx, Bernard Russel and many others) and have come down on the side of Christianity but not everyone will.

R. Ross Derksen

Gillette