A "short" story to illustrate differences in separation

IfbReformer · Dec 15, 2003

Please forgive the repetition but it is necessary for the point of the story.

This is a story I will be using as an illustration for an upcoming article I will be doing on separation:

"One day a Christian man name John, decided to get together for some Christian fellowship with one of his friends. He called his friend, Tom, and asked him if he would like to go to see a war movie on Friday night at the local cinema and afterwards go to a nearbye Bar and Grille resterant for a dinner and a drink.

His friend, responding to the invitation replied "Sure, I would love to see that war movie with you. But I don't drink anymore at all, because I went to another friends church and the Pastor said that drinking any alchohal, not just getting drunk is a sin. So I will go with you to the resterant, but I will not be drinking."

Then Tom asked John if he could invite another friend of his to join them. John said "Sure, go ahead and invite him.". So Tom calls his friend Ed and invites him out. Ed replied to his friend Tom, "Tom I would love to go see that war movie with you and your friend John, but as far as that resterant I just can't go there. You see, I was in a friend's church last week and their Pastor taught that is was a sin for a Christian, not only for a Christian to get drunk, or even drink at all, but that it was a sin for a Christian to even enter a resterant that sells alchohal. Can we go to this other resterant that I know is by the theater?". Tom replied "Sure, I am sure my friend John won't mind abit".

Ed then asked Tom, "Can I invite another friend to join us? He is the one I went with to his church last week, and I am quite sure he would like to go see this war movie with us". Tom said, "Sure Ed, go ahead and invite him." So Ed phoned his friend, Tim and invited him out.

Tim replied "Ed, I would have loved to go see that movie with you, but last week I was invited to a Bible study with a group of some other friends and their Pastor. Well, during the study their Pastor said it was a sin for a Christian to watch movies with violence in them. Can we see a different movie? How about this Disney show, it looks really funny and it won't have any violence?" Ed replied, "I suppose that would be fine, I am sure the other guys won't mind seeing that film."

Tim then asked Ed, "Do you mind if I bring another friend of mine, I am sure he will love this movie and he would enjoy the fellowship." Ed, replied "Thats fine." So Tim called his friend Matt and invited him out.

Matt replied, "I would have loved to go see that Disney movie with you. But last week I heard a preacher on the radio say it is a sin for Christians to watch Disney movies, even the family friendly ones. He said it was because they approve of gay rights for their employees and they produce other movies that are filled with filth. There is another movie playing that is not by Disney, and its not violent, do you think your friends would like to see this one instead?"

Tim said "I am sure they won't mind abit. It will just be fun to get together." Then Matt asked Tim, "Do you mind if I invite another friend to go with us?" Tim replied "Sure, why not?"

So Matt called his friend Bob and invited him out. Bob replied, "I would love to see that movie with you guys. But last week I was listening to a radio preacher who said Christians should not go to movie theaters at all, even to see movies like that. So how about you guys come over to my house and we can go rent a movie and my wife can cook us dinner?"

Matt replied, "Well, ok, I am sure the other guys won't mind." Bob then asked, "Do you mind if I invite another friend of mind to join us?". Matt said, "Sure go right ahead". So Bob phone his friend Todd and invited him out.

Todd replied "Sure I would love to join you guys. But as far as renting that movie I could not go along with that. Last week I heard a preacher say that we should not even go into video rental stores because of all the bad movies that are there - even if we are going to rent a clean movie. Can we play a card game like UNO instead? That would be a blast! Do you think your other friends would mind?"

Bob replied, "I don't think that would be a problem, after all we just wanted to get together for fellowship." Todd replied, "Thats great! Do you mind if I invite another friend?"

Bob said "Sure, the more the better." Todd called his friend Andy and invited him out. Andy replied "Sure I would love to come over your house with your other friends. But last week I heard a radio preacher saying we should not play cards at all, even UNO because cards are associated with gambling. Can we play a board game like monoply instead?"

Todd replied "Sure, I am sure the others won't mind." Andy said "Thats great!, do you mind if I invite another friend?" Todd said, "I don't see why not!" So Andy called his friend Wil and invited him out.

Wil replied,"I would love to get together with you and your friends. But last week I heard a preacher say Christians should not be playing games at all. It is a waste of the time God has given us and we should be using all our spare time for Bible Study, prayer and evangelism. How about you and your friends come over to my house for a Bible Study and my wife can cook dinner?" Todd replied, "Thats fine, I am sure that will be ok with the other guys, it did not matter what we were doing, we just wanted to get together for some fellowship." Todd then told Wil, "Can you call these other guys whose phone numbers I got passed down and let them know where you are and what time". Wil said "Sure thing!".

Wil called John and said "Hi John, my name is Wil. I am a friend of a friend. I hear you wanted to get together friday night. Well I volunteered to have the Bible Study at my house at 6:00, here are the directions...."
Click to expand...

While I realize there may be some extremes on both ends of the spectrum of this story, you can see the how different we really can be from one another.

Remember the game we used to play in school where we would all get in a circle and whisper something to the next guy it would go all the way around and at the end was so different?

Once again please forgive my writing style as I am not good and short stories.

I look forward to your responses.

IFBReformer

Dr. Bob · Dec 15, 2003

When someone ELSE makes standards that I must keep, that is legalism.

Interesting story. And, sadly, not too far from real life!

I Am Blessed 24 · Dec 16, 2003

Those sure are a lot of accomodating fellows!

They must not be Baptists 'cause it is hard to find that many Baptists that will skip a movie, and ESPECIALLY a MEAL, to go to a Bible Study!

Thankful · Dec 16, 2003

I'm concerned about the wife who has to cook for all these fellows....I lost count

You know that is close to the truth, isn't it?

Loren B · Dec 16, 2003

These "Friends" must not know each other very well. If they did, they would already have known what the other men's standards were. No one I know changes their standards at every whim of a preacher.

Emily · Dec 16, 2003

Loren

Most people I know do!

My sister in law doesnt know why she believes half the stuff she believes. She could never show it to you in her bible, but when her Pastor has a conviction about something, so does she, and she isnt the only one.

A "short" story to illustrate differences in separation

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