The issue of dating vs courtship and marriage opens the door to many considerations. I have been reading with great interest the various posts and to me it is very clear that different cultures have a great impact on the various points of view and emphasis. While in college one of my majors was sociology. When I received my BA in addition to my declared major I had six minors. How come? Well to me the university was like a candy store that I had full access to. Since I was on scholarship for most of the time I was not limited in what I could take. Even though a good focused student could graduate with 120 hours, I wound up needing 173 to meet the criterion. I had a minor in behavioral psychology. So please bare with me for just a little bit. Our various cultures had a lot to do with our lc experience and our reaction to it.
My culture effects me to this day. I try to watch out for it lest it derail me from following the Lord purely but often I realize I am doing many things not because of the Bible Truth or the Lord’s leading but because that is the way my mother raised me.
A big problem comes from spiritualizing our culture and then imposing it on others. People came up hard in my culture. The individual was called upon to sacrifice his own personal interest for his family and for the community. When I was a senior in high school, I was the captain of the football team and the middle linebacker on defense and called the defensive plays. During the second game on the first play from scrimmage, I broke my foot. I told the coach I was hurt and needed to come out. He replied we must have you on the field. You are the team leader. You must just get through it. I even punted twice but they let me out of those duties after the second pathetic punt. Of course they did not know at the time my foot was broken. I had a very high pain threshold but that night was the worst agony I have ever experienced. I often looked back and wondered why I put myself through that. The coaches never apologized to me and did not feel they needed to. It happened because the team needed me and the individual must sacrifice for the community. I did a lot of that in the lc not because of the lc but because it was my natural culture. I promoted denial of personal interest for the sake of the community, church. I do not blame others for my cultural slant but with real spiritual maturity you will learn to recognize when your culture is being spiritualized.
I see a conflict going on between the culture of "every tub must sit on its on bottom" and "it takes a village." Is child raising the exclusinve responsibility of the parents, or does the extended family need to get involved or how about the village, a la Hillary Clinton?
The Texas culture puts rugged individualism and personal responsibility way way up there. Boy do I hear that coming through loud and clear from some of the posters. It is just me and God. On the other hand the Texas culture demands strong leaders who focus the community on the job at hand. The model for all real Texans is William Travis and drawing a line in the sand at the Alamo. All Texas school kids are raised on that tale. You choose death for the sake of the whole.
Another problem is that people may exalt superstition and myths and they become part and parcel of the culture. Things like James Barber’s the Lord is coming maybe as soon as 1994, therefore give your all for Christ and the Church. Things like Jacob getting the blessing and we should all desire the blessing and the blessing comes from close association with anything from WL or the co-workers or the elders. Or the flip side of that, this is the way to be immune to problems and failures. Of course, superstition and myths never work out but when they are an intergal part of the culture great disapointment and hurt is sure to to follow.
I have read a lot about our relationship to the Lord. That is surely a given. But is it just “me and God?” It is certainly that but watch out rugged individualist. We also should hear the Lord and be in a relationship with Him as we read the Word. Do not just pick up principles and doctrines. When I am with another believer, whoever they may be, I am very excercized to hear what the Lord is saying to me. THE BODY OF CHRIST IS A REALITY. The Lord speaks to us through His members. When I am reading the posts on this forum, I am seeking to know more of the Lord and hear what He is saying to me. I seek to especially listen up when someone is giving me a hard time or disagreeing with me. We just have to shut off some of the natural defensiveness or prejudices that flare up.
In Christ Jesus there is hope for us all,
Hope, Don Rutledge
PS If you have problems with this post because I once was a lc elder,an evil shepherd who was fired by the Lord, I apologize. Please have mercy on me.
