perhaps (hopefully) a final note on Reggie White

[pres2032]

I posted threads yesterday against all the pissing on his grave and got scolded for defending a homophobe-racist-bigot. Perhaps he was some of those or all three, i don't know, and you who were pissing on his grave can't say with any certianty either. The reason why: there is not a human being on this planet who knows exactly what's going on in a person's heart. As a Christian, I know that I don't know everything, and the only ones who know are God and His son, Jesus Christ (yes, i know they are one in the same too). What I do know was that he did try to do good in the community, he was a RESPECTED leader on his football teams, and a good friend to many many people and I don't doubt that he loved his family with all his heart and soul.
Was he a homophobe-racist-bigot too? maybe, I don't know. One of the things talked about yesterday, and today in an unrelated thread, was the possibility that he was raised that way or that he was brainwashed. Does being naive make someone evil? Hardly.
I know some of you will bring this up, so I'll do it first. Let's say he came to those thoughts on his own. Let's say he was a homophobe-racist-bigot. Does that mean that we piss on his grave? Does that mean we throw vile insults at him? No. Why? One word: Forgiveness. This is something we here on DU tend to overlook and ignore in favor of insults. If someone mentions a republican doing something good, ten people will immediately jump on him or her calling them a whore, a facist, an asshole, a dick, a deuchebag. Not only is this wrong, it makes DU, and the Democratic Party look bad. It destroys any attempts we're making to present ourselves as the true "good" party. In short, it makes us out to be hypocrits.
In my posts yesterday, I quoted Jesus saying "Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone." The most popular reply I got was that even Jesus stood up to evil men. That's absolutely true and it is important that we do the same. There's a saying that goes "for evil to triumph, it requires that good men do nothing." That is also true. I don't deny that there's evil in the world and I will never stop anyone who is trying to stamp it out. However, there are ways of doing it, both good and bad. The way Bush led us into Iraq was the wrong way to stamp out that evil. Pissing on the grave of a person who perhaps said evil things is also the wrong way.
One good way, doing good yourself. For every anti-gay remark spoken, say something in support of equal rights. For every evil act, do an act of charity, do something which benefits the community. But if you want to do something incredibly good, something which will make everyone take notice, is to forgive that person. Every time Jesus scolded the Pharisees or another sinner, He gave them the opportunity to join Him. When they crucified Him, He didn't scream or curse at them and He didn't urge His followers to form an army. Instead, He looked up to His father and said, "Forgive them, they know not what they are doing."
The sight I want to see up in heaven, the greatest show of love I could see from God, would be to see either Hitler walking in heaven or God weeping that Hitler is not in heaven with Him. If you want to show the country, especially those in swing and red states that the Democratic Party is the true "good" party, then you must do an act of good yourself and you must forgive our enemies. To do that would be an incredible act of love and it would signal the demise of the Republican party.

May God forgive Reggie White, he knew not what he was doing.

[Tweed]

1. True true

Christ forgave his enemies and lived by the Golden Rule. Oh and get ready to be flamed...

[pres2032]

3. yup

for both things you said.

[Kire]

2. The flowers will look nicer...

...with all that fertilizer.

[RevCheesehead]

4. Nicely written. Thank you.

[redqueen]

5. WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

[ronnykmarshall]

6. Who's Reggie White?

<ducking for cover>

[sniffa]

7. forgive, not forget

it's one thing to forgive, it's quite another to gLoss over the bad things just because he died. they're Lowering fLags, retiring his number, and singing his praises.

if peopLe Like myseLf weren't around, we'd have a nice revisionist view of his Life with those incidents scrubbed.

now if you'LL excuse me, i have to go find new things to name after our greatest president, ronaLd reagan.