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Yes absolutely! Just like you should be selling your possessions and giving the money to the poor or not reporting theft of your possessions and trying to get them back.
Well if you believe that people who are wanting the law to save them should have their eyes surgically removed. I think you have missed what Christ was telling us.
By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. It is a gift of God not of works, lest any man should boast.
Good deeds, and good works can not save you. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave us His only Son, (THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM) shall have everlasting life.
Gullibility is one of humanity's most indoctrinated and ingrained traits. Tell us what we should believe in and we will die convinced it is true. Show us, and we will hate all who disagree. We are all too quick to accept our indoctrinated and ingrained beliefs...without ever actually examining those beliefs. 90% of all the earth's population have exactly the same religion.....Whatever Mommy, Daddy & your culture tell you is true.
This fact alone causes the majority of our wars and societal problems. We are RIGHT. We are GOOD. We have the TRUE RELIGION. All the others are DISGUSTING FILTH or in league with satan. They must be converted, hated or killed. Either way they will spend the rest of a billion forevers in everlasting hell. WE have the REAL Scripture. THEIRS are phony, and evil lies.
That, my friends, is your heritage. Almost every person on the earth, in one form or another, holds this view. Simply because that's what their parents have taught them. That's how the System works, and sustains itself. The only thing that separates a Christian from a Budhist, Hindi, Muslim, etc...is GEOGRAPHY. Our indoctrinated and ingrained beliefs are a direct product of our geographical location and the beliefs of the people who raised us.
Why do the "Muslims" hate the "Christians"? For exactly the same reasons the "Christians" hate the "Muslims." Why do the Christians hate "Budhists, Hindis, New Agers, etc??? THEY are not US. And only the US (and those who side with US) are right and have the one and only truth.
The overwhelming majority of you, statistically, do not care to find things out for yourselves. The overwhelming majority of you, statistically, will NEVER EXAMINE YOUR BELIEFS NOR ANYONE ELSE'S BELIEFS...to see if what you've been indoctrinated with could possibly be untrue.
Put as simply as possible:
Just because a government tells you something does not make it true.
Just because a church tells you something does not make it true.
Just because a media outlet tells you something does not make it true.
Just because your parents tell you something does not make it true.
Just because I tell you something does not make it true.
Just because any XYZ tells you anything, does not make it true.
So...I am asking for some open discussion on exactly what makes Christianity any more the TRUE RELIGION than any other religion. I would also like to know the steps you've taken in studying other religions to rule them out as the TRUE RELIGION.
For the Christians, specifically, I'd like to know exactly what you think of Jesus teachings when he stated: "Love your neighbor, as yourself...Love your enemy, turn the other cheek, etc..." Apparently your neighbors only include those who believe as you do and it has been made plainly clear, by all the wars we are involved in, that you don't love your enemies...I don't believe this is what Jesus taught...so tell me why or how you came to the conclusion that Jesus didn't know what he was talking about...since Christians completely ignore these things.
You are right, and because of it I convert to Norse Paganism.
The Sermon on the Mount was not a list of things for us to do. And if you believe it was. Then do you also agree that if our eye offends us. We should pluck it out of our head as Jesus stated in His Sermon. Or would you say Jesus was just kidding about that? You cannot just pick and choose what you want to believe in His Sermon. Jesus was telling the Jews how perfect they would have to be in order to be saved by the law. And to be that perfect, you would have to be willing to remove your eye physically if you wanted the law to save you.
Anytime evil is defeated it is a time to celebrate. The 3,000 who were killed in the World Trade Center had no time to celebrate. They only had time to die. Most of the world ignores the teachings of Christ. And many that do consider them, often take His meanings out of context.
If Jesus' teachings are not what we are called to do (and I would say that "plucking one's eyes out" was rhetoric), then we can pretty much throw the Bible out the window.
3,000 killed in NYC? What about the 14,000-34,000 Afghan civilians killed by Americans?? Are they worth nothing?? Why didn't you mention them?? Are they worthless?? How many Afghans is an American worth, in your opinion? If someone kills your brother, do you then have the right to kill their whole family and cousins??
Jesus teaches us to love our enemies, and to not resist evil. I don't think there is a higher commandment that man is called to attain to.
If Jesus' teachings are not what we are called to do (and I would say that "plucking one's eyes out" was rhetoric), then we can pretty much throw the Bible out the window.
3,000 killed in NYC? What about the 14,000-34,000 Afghan civilians killed by Americans?? Are they worth nothing?? Why didn't you mention them?? Are they worthless?? How many Afghans is an American worth, in your opinion? If someone kills your brother, do you then have the right to kill their whole family and cousins??
Jesus teaches us to love our enemies, and to not resist evil. I don't think there is a higher commandment that man is called to attain to.
Blessings,
brian
Scripture tells us. (IF POSSIBLE, BE AT PEACE WITH ALL MEN). Yet this is not always possible. And Scripture gives us the right to defend ourselves. What does America have to do with the Christian faith? What does American foreign affairs have to do with the Christian faith? At least 50 million died in World War II. Do you believe we should of surrendered to Hitler after Japan attacked us?
Again, Jesus told the Jewish people of the time how good they would have to be to earn salvation by the works of the law. And in order to be that good. You would have to be willing to love your enemies, and pluck out your eyes. Do you think your that good? And when Jesus tells us in the same sermon and the same breath. To love your enemies and to pluck out their eyes if they offend. Where does the truth begin and the rhetoric end. If you cannot view the full context of what Jesus was saying here, your going to have to start rewriting Scripture to fit your beliefs.
Last edited by Campbell34; 05-04-2011 at 02:40 AM..
Scripture tells us. (IF POSSIBLE, BE AT PEACE WITH ALL MEN). Yet this is not always possible. And Scripture gives us the right to defend ourselves. What does America have to do with the Christian faith? What does American foreign affairs have to do with the Christian faith? At least 50 million died in World War II. Do you believe we should of surrendered to Hitler after Japan attacked us?
Again, Jesus told the Jewish people of the time how good they would have to be to earn salvation by the works of the law. And in order to be that good. You would have to be willing to love your enemies, and pluck out your eyes. Do you think your that good? And when Jesus tells us in the same sermon and the same breath. To love your enemies and to pluck out their eyes if they offend. Where does the truth begin and the rhetoric end. If you cannot view the full context of what Jesus was saying here, your going to have to start rewriting Scripture to fit your beliefs.
Jesus lived in peace, all the way to the cross!
You raise a good point, however, when you ask what Christianity has to do with the state. Absolutely nothing! And if we are faithful to Christ, we must follow His commands first and foremost. If Jesus tells us to love our enemies, and the President tells us to kill them, then we must make a choice: follow Jesus or the President? The concept of a "state" is not biblical. (Interestingly, this is the exact same reason why many Jews are against the state of Israel, but I digress..)
Jesus tells us that if our eye offends us, to pluck it out. That is, the Kingdom of God is much more important than the things of this life, and He is making a comparison. The same comparison is made with regard to family. Are we supposed to hate our family? No. His comment about hating our family in order to follow Him is rhetoric: the Kingdom is way more important than family will ever be. (But that's not to say that family is not important, only that it must be put in perspective.)
I hope that explanation was a bit more clear..
Jesus tells us how to live with our neighbors: in peace. And that peace isn't the peace of the world, which says, "I'll put up with you unless you really make me angry." No. His peace is "love your neighbor as yourself." We all know this, and we know that this is the right way to live. But many are not ready to accept this yet. 2,000 years since Jesus has taught it, and some are indeed living it (Amish, Quakers, etc), but the majority of "Christians" have not yet taken up their cross. They don't want to forsake all.
My hope is that we all soon start to follow Jesus.
You raise a good point, however, when you ask what Christianity has to do with the state. Absolutely nothing! And if we are faithful to Christ, we must follow His commands first and foremost. If Jesus tells us to love our enemies, and the President tells us to kill them, then we must make a choice: follow Jesus or the President? The concept of a "state" is not biblical. (Interestingly, this is the exact same reason why many Jews are against the state of Israel, but I digress..)
Jesus tells us that if our eye offends us, to pluck it out. That is, the Kingdom of God is much more important than the things of this life, and He is making a comparison. The same comparison is made with regard to family. Are we supposed to hate our family? No. His comment about hating our family in order to follow Him is rhetoric: the Kingdom is way more important than family will ever be. (But that's not to say that family is not important, only that it must be put in perspective.)
I hope that explanation was a bit more clear..
Jesus tells us how to live with our neighbors: in peace. And that peace isn't the peace of the world, which says, "I'll put up with you unless you really make me angry." No. His peace is "love your neighbor as yourself." We all know this, and we know that this is the right way to live. But many are not ready to accept this yet. 2,000 years since Jesus has taught it, and some are indeed living it (Amish, Quakers, etc), but the majority of "Christians" have not yet taken up their cross. They don't want to forsake all.
My hope is that we all soon start to follow Jesus.
Blessings,
brian
Thank you Brian for expressing some of the points I was attempting to make so succinctly. The majority of Christians completely IGNORE the teachings of Jesus when it suits them to do so, which is why they have absolutely no credibility in my eyes...and they justify their bad behavior in any way possible...even to the point of calling it "biblical".
Jesus followers cannot be in the world as well as be a part of it...they are called to be separate and different from the rest of the world...they are called to set a particular example to others which shows how different they are and how serious they are about their walk, they are called to LIVE A CHRISTLIKE LIFE...sadly, the majority of Christians are undistinguishable from the rest of society.
If I were a Christian (a label I would never use for myself)...this would be of great concern to me...why isn't it to the Christians out there???????????
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