On Spiritual Conviction

One of the things that seems to be one of the strongest emotional elements of Armstrongism can be totally summed up in one word. That word?

Conviction.

It seems that conviction is the one thing that never leaves - no matter what end of the spectrum you are on. It really doesn't matter what you believe - if you came from Armstrongism, you believe it. Perhaps that's the tendency or characteristic that got people hooked into Armstrongism in the first place!

I've read the opinions of die-hard fundamental Armstrongites. I've read the opinions of Atheists. I've read the opinions of mainstream Christians of all sorts of denominations. I've heard the sermons of pastor after pastor, leader after leader - many of them thoroughly and solidly convicted in their individual beliefs, molded into the shaped understanding by their mentors and life experiences. Conviction. It's a powerful thing, isn't it?

It's often amusing to me to see many of the Armstrongites cast judgement on me for my writings and opinions. I've been told I'll be subject to weeping and gnashing of teeth. And that's just a mild statement from the things I've been told by those who are thoroughly convicted of their belief system. I know they believe what they believe, because I was there once myself!

Recently, one of the commenters at the site that I regularly contribute to decided to turn an extremely negative slant to one of his "slams" - all of which were absolutely untrue and a figment of an overactive imagination. What is it that causes conviction to become negative? What is it that causes conviction to exude negativity, judgementalism, slurs, attacks, and untruth? What does it say when one who is convicted of their beliefs resorts to destructive slurs and juvenile words meant to try to harm? How is it that so many who believe they serve Jesus spew such negativity and untruth - and still believe they represent Jesus Christ?

Jesus said so much about the fruits of the Spirit as the identifiers of the Christian. The fruits of the Spirit being the emotional balance of goodness, kindness, gentleness, self control, mercy, faithfulness, love, joy, and patience. Yet so many who are convicted instead exhibit the fruits of negativity, confrontation, put-downs, name-calling, arrogance, and outright lies. How can they think they represent Jesus Christ and the "one true Church" yet at the same time be servants of lies, falsehoods, and negativity?

Conviction is a powerful thing. So is belief. But all the belief in the world is thrown in the toilet when the very words they speak come from the sewer the toilet's connected to. Jesus Christ had so many words for those who claim they follow Him, but prove with their hearts and their words that they don't know Him - because you know them by their fruits, not by their claims.