I have to admit that I grew tired of reading the back-and-forth over the first entry. I felt that there was nothing new being said after a point, and stopped reading, but did have a few comments. As a writer, you open your work for criticism, and must be willing to endure same, hopefully growing and maturing in your efforts. When you create characters, you are creating their speech, habits, mannerisms, etc., in short, you are responsible for their actions. I do realize that there are times when the characters must be called upon to be inflammatory...but it must be relevant to the text and needs to contribute to the storyline. I'm thinking more along the lines of the villans in the old war epics and other such movies my dad used to watch. For example, a Nazi soldier would contribute hate speech, and commit unholy acts against various people groups...an overseer would be equally demonic to an African slave, etc. etc.
Sadly, writers who have nothing relevant to say...those whose prose would better serve a subway terminal restroom wall...feel free to insert all sorts of ill-mannered commentary against Our Lord, and/or Christianity in general. As you well know, Christians are the group least protected under civil rights legislation and the glut of political correctness doctrinal statements. We must be tolerant of the behaviors of others, and may not ever dare call a sin a sin; by so living we go against the discipline by which we are called to serve. Of course these are the same who throw out the tired commentary of the cross, slamming us for wearing the symbol of a death chamber around our necks, or worse still, some dead guy...how would we feel if they wore an electric chair, etc? Too blind to see the point--we do not celebrate the death, but the life. That is why I do not wear a crucifix...I recall the barren cross, the empty tomb. Yet others choose commemorate the Passion by the crucifix (a Baptist friend of mine prefers a crucifix to remind her of what was done for her), either way, the Life, not the means of death is remembered.
I hate that your stand on the faith has caused an uproar, but I suppose that is to be expected (we were warned in the Book, were we not?). Meanwhile, I hope you will forgive my soapbox ramblings, and know that they were meant as support from a fellow believer.
Please indulge my soapbox
Sadly, writers who have nothing relevant to say...those whose prose would better serve a subway terminal restroom wall...feel free to insert all sorts of ill-mannered commentary against Our Lord, and/or Christianity in general. As you well know, Christians are the group least protected under civil rights legislation and the glut of political correctness doctrinal statements. We must be tolerant of the behaviors of others, and may not ever dare call a sin a sin; by so living we go against the discipline by which we are called to serve. Of course these are the same who throw out the tired commentary of the cross, slamming us for wearing the symbol of a death chamber around our necks, or worse still, some dead guy...how would we feel if they wore an electric chair, etc? Too blind to see the point--we do not celebrate the death, but the life. That is why I do not wear a crucifix...I recall the barren cross, the empty tomb. Yet others choose commemorate the Passion by the crucifix (a Baptist friend of mine prefers a crucifix to remind her of what was done for her), either way, the Life, not the means of death is remembered.
I hate that your stand on the faith has caused an uproar, but I suppose that is to be expected (we were warned in the Book, were we not?). Meanwhile, I hope you will forgive my soapbox ramblings, and know that they were meant as support from a fellow believer.