I'd like to hear some feedback from this past Tuesday's meeting. There are times when it seems that questions are raised that don't get fully addressed (because of time, failure to understand the breadth of the question, etc.) or that people with different ideas might hesitate to reply to once one answer has been given.
We truly want the WHHE to be a place of mutual learning and open discussion. I invite you to come back soon to read a comment from one of the women at the meeting and to join in on the conversation.
Other topics are welcome, too, of course.
Blessings to all,
Jennifer
Hello Jennifer. Could you please post to the blog my comment about a question brought up at the February 24th meeting?
ReplyDeleteDoes a hero have to be Christian?
At the last meeting a question was posed that went unanswered: “Does a hero have to be Christian?” At the time, I was feeling too shy to speak up (my lack of courage perhaps proving that I’m not yet hero material). However, I think the question needs to be addressed and I hope that you will allow me to give my opinion here.
What I was too reticent to say was: “No, heroes do not have to be Christian.” I can think of lots of examples of non-Christians who show heroic characteristics. One example that comes to mind immediately is Mahatma Gandhi, whose non-violent protests eventually led to the independence of India after almost 170 years of British oppression. Gandhi was a Hindu.
Anne Frank is an example of a Jewish heroine for having the courage to maintain her love for humanity in the face of great cruelty. And she was just one of countless Jews who showed courage, kindness, self-sacrifice and integrity during the holocaust.
Just because someone seems “Godly” does not automatically make them heroic. My good friend’s mother grew up in a Christian household. Her father was highly respected in his religious community. To all outward appearances he seemed to be a “Godly” man. Unfortunately, behind closed doors he severely abused his children. Certainly, there are many, many good and honorable Christians, but being Christian does not automatically make one ethical. By the same token, not all non-Christians are “good” people but there are also untold numbers of everyday heroes who are not Christian: people who show characteristics of courage, altruism, non-violent self-sacrifice, truthfulness, kindness, humility, integrity, perseverance and wisdom (among other virtues).
I sincerely hope that there were others at the meeting who felt as I did and that they, like me, were just feeling too shy to speak up. Hopefully, in the future we will find the courage and integrity to speak up for what we believe in, so that we too may be worthy heroes for our children.
Thank you for your time, Ellen
I wasn't in the room for that part of the meeting. I wonder if I would have commented myself if I'd been there.
ReplyDeleteSomething that I've come to believe over my lifetime has been that God reveals truth in all sorts of different ways. Any truth and beauty come from God, even if the person who is exhibiting those things doesn't acknowledge Him.
So, as far as hero admiration goes, I don't believe it is necessary that a person be a Christian to be someone we can look up to and admire.
As my daughter is getting older (she's now 12) we sometimes have conversations about historical figures, fictional characters, and contemporary people, and look a bit at their motivation for doing what they did. (I suppose you might say that we try to determine their world view.) The motivation for heroic action isn't always the motivation we would want our children to adopt, but these conversations lead to opportunities to discuss what, as a Christian, our own actions might have been.
In addition, I'd certainly want to be careful with my children that they see that there is a difference between someone's eternal destiny and their potential to inspire.
What do you think?