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Vizio ignores the New Covenant and the Comforter sent in Christ's name to guide us to the truth God has "written in our hearts." He still thinks our hearts are unreliable because our ancient ancestors' hearts were unreliable. It is almost as if he thinks Jesus accomplished nothing and God did NOT institute a New Covenant writing in our hearts.
He refuses to use the standard of agape love to test the Spirit of everything that is claimed to be from God or Jesus. He just accepts it all and relinquishes all responsibility to evaluate good and evil independent of the Bible. This is incomprehensible since even a small child can discern what IS agape loving and what is NOT. No Bible needed because it is in their hearts.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vizio
Can you show me a verse where it says we should test doctrine by "agape love"? I'm not aware of any.
On the contrary, we see statements such as 2 Tim 3:16 telling us to use Scripture to determine truth. We also see the Bereans called "more noble" because they tested what Paul was saying by scripture...not some liver shiver they got from "agape love".
Say what you will, doc, but your feelings of love just don't do much when someone else gets a feeling that disagrees with you. Then it's just your "agape love" beating up their "agape love". I'd rather go by God was said to actually have "breathed" -- that being Scripture.
You are the only one who thinks that agape love is ambiguous. Only those who need to excuse or rationalize primitive and barbaric beliefs about God and anachronistic ancient cultural beliefs and practices pretend that there is any question about it. Agape love considers the well-being of everyone involved all the time. It is no secret when that is violated. It has nothing to do with liver shivers or any other derogatory adjectives. If you removed your indoctrination blinders and sincerely queried your heart about these issues, the real answers would be there, NOT your scripture-bound dogma from the "precepts and doctrines of men."
This is completely and blatantly false for those who have read the bible (several times). I am agnostic by the way.
Regarding the original post: I find that modern Christians seem to have an absolutely unhealthy obsession with all things Israel. This seems especially strong with Evangelicals, but it even trickles into the thought process of non-religious people.
We have allowed our country (USA) to get to the point where people are not even allowed to question the politics of the modern state of Israel without being subjected to accusations of anti-semitism. Bulldozing homes? Nope, can't question that. Threatening every single one of it's neighbors with constant war (and from time to time starting them)? Nope, can't bring that up. Dragging America into wars in the middle east while sitting back and letting other people's 18-25 year olds to take bullets and IED blasts? How dare we.
The fact of the matter is that Americans have been trained better than Pavlov's dogs to always believe that Israel is the "good" guy, while everyone else is "bad", and that this country or it's people can do absolutely no wrong. I'll repeat that: the average American has been better trained than Pavlov's dogs.
And from what this non-religious person has gathered from the bible is that Jesus's teachings (from a secular standpoint assuming Jesus existed as a person and conducted a ministry and gathered a following) were never meant to be a separate religion, but rather a complete reformation of the current practices of the practices of what was then the only Abrahamic religion. I believe Jesus's ministry came about in a similar manner to the way Protestantism was brought about by Martin Luther and others, originally as grievances and demands for reform within the corrupt and abusive church which existed at that time, but it was not originally meant to be a separate and distinct major branch of Christianity.
And what would Jesus do today if he could witness the Federal Reserve, or witness the Obamas or the Bushes or the Clintons of this world? What would Jesus do if he could walk into the offices of JP Morgan or Wells Fargo? Would he turn over the tables of the money-changers and call them out on their usurious practices? Heck yes, of course. Jesus is all about reform and ending corruption if he is about anything. I also believe he'd kick Benjamin Netanyahoo in the pecker for being a warmonger, John McCain too.
Jesus had little to do with any religion and although Christianity dioes imply a close relationship with the "word" Christianity comes in many forms from hot to lukewarm, from a Jesus like mimmic to bizzare nonsense,from wisdom to shear stupidity , Jesus origins to man's origins, obedience to hypocracy, from saintliness to perversion from Jesus as THE MEDIATOR to replacements .. Pick how YOU roll sucka.
I have seen the Holy Scriptures degraded in this topic.
What I have not see is what was missing from them.
I know why, because nothing is missing from them.
Which is why the letter kills but the spirit gives life? I think letters don't contain spirit, though the Spirit may use letters to communicate.
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Great post.
