From Galatians, the only thing that matter is faith that works its way through love. In general, if you look at a post and see the fruit of the spirit in the process, that's what is desired.
Okay two points on this. First you said "post" - so you mean what you see in writing?
I don't believe you can properly judge a person based on writing. Writing doesn't take into consideration body language, facial expressions, tone, education level because that might not be as readily obvious, cultural differences and so forth.
Writing is such a small part that I don't believe you can say Oh, I don't think this person is Christian.
Writing doesn't show you how much physical pain I might be in, whether I'm tired and missing your point etc.
Online I do try very hard to give everyone the benefit of the doubt even if it seems crazy to me - though granted imperfectly and it has been getting much more difficult lately... Lol. (Politics has truly gotten particularly nasty)
As to the second point, love is not always giving people whatever they want - in my opinion. It's looking at the whole of a matter and considering what is actually best or right.
So sometimes it will say and do the hard things. Even God says (Revelation 3:19) those whom I love I rebuke and discipline so be earnest and repent.
But we should first seek to not have anything to repent of, as children of the living God.
In terms of murder, using the societal argument doesn't work since police murder people, and military people murder people. Thus creating a double standard, causing all attention to tune out said words.
Murder is the unjust killing or unjustifiable killing of a person.
The government actually bears the sword under God's authority so they have a responsibility before God on punishing the evildoer and such. Romans 13:4-7
Granted, sometimes governments cross the line into becoming evildoers and when that happens we see time and again in Scripture that God uses nations (national government's and their military) to punish other nations who don't repent.
We do have to consider that police are armed and we should be respectful of both their authority as well as the fact they do have the authority to use force if they are in a position they might need to in any of our own interactions with them.
However, from a spiritual perspective, a murderer has no eternal life in them. Thus murder occurring in various places creates a zone of "no eternal life" making the work of God through the redeemed all that more difficult.
Okay .
When the courts integrate "victim impact statements" that's going in the right direction. Instead of stating "it is wrong" .. Stating how it caused harm to others, and how this act impacted society as a whole. Some people don't care about this, but if they do later on, they might have a reason to re-think how they live going forward. God can work with repentance to change the heart.
God always works with the repentant I agree
After writing the above, I think my main objection was the putting the burden on the christian to convince people of things. However, Paul spoke of this, to not use eloquent words to convince people lest the cross be emptied of its power.
God bless.
Christians are the ones with the Truth, and the responsibility to share our faith with the lost as a Church.
Therefore, it is God who has placed the burden upon us.
It's not about using eloquent words, it's about loving both God and neighbor.
