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Of course I can't but help express my own thinking, but I view this topic and topics like this more in light of all people, not just you or me. In other words what matters more than whether the Bible is for me is whether it should be for anyone and/or why it is for many millions of people and "ain't" for many millions of other people.
Ah, but as I suggest in the other thread I just started, we adults are simply beyond mature objective reason about such things...
The bible is for all people, and it isn't an exclusive club, but God wont force you to join, I just don't see you joining.
I think we are getting closer to the heart of the matter, and at the same time I came to something of an epiphany yesterday when I signed off of this forum. Giving it a bit more thought between then and now as well...
Of course, what it is to be "welcoming" involves more than whether we might do business with others or invite them over to the house on occasion. In particular with respect to this topic/thread, I believe the issue revolves around how one views their identity and then how they project that identity with others.
Is it "welcoming" to have people over to your home but not go over to theirs? Is it "welcoming" to socialize only on one's own terms rather than simply as people with common interests? Why the focus on what is not common? Not sure the best word to use here is "welcoming" in the first place. As mentioned before, the issue is more about what tends to separate people rather than bring them together. All people, not just select people...
I'm thinking maybe my epiphany is deserving of a new thread all it's own. Not because it's necessarily more important than anything else. It's just another interesting observation, much like my Cement Theory, that has to do with just how little these observations and discussions matter. People justify their own behavior in whatever way suits, and constructive objective discussion -- including legitimate criticism -- is rarely to be had with adults who care far more about their "identity" regardless of others.
Not sure that's the best way to put it, but maybe I'll do better with the start of a new thread...
LOL, you act as if there is no history of Anti Semitism.
2000 years of persecution and death at the hands of Christians, and 1400 years of persecution and death from Muslims. Your race and your religion chased out of countries everywhere, the words of Constantine against God and his people causing Gentiles to hate Jews wherever they find them. The words of Martin Luther's racism and hate against Jews to convince the German people how Jews were animals without souls.
In my own father's lifetime, genocide against Jews for the 3rd time.
Even in here, we watch anti-Semites come and go, and they always have an agenda in wanting to speak with Jews up unto the moment they show their true colors and the reason for coming into the Judaism forum.
Welcoming?
LOL, whether the Jew turns left or whether he turns right, people are claiming to have replaced them, people calling them God killers. They come in all smilling and being nice with an agenda and a blade in they back pocket, or they just really, really want to save the Jews as if God has directly appointed them to witness to Jews lol.
Just like Martin Luther, they think they have some sort of twisted destiny to reach out to Jews and when they find out how impossible it is, the lamb becomes a wolf.
See, I don't know why Jews wont stop being peculiar or why they don't assimulate, or convert to Christianity, at least they should be more welcoming.
Can't figure out why a Jew might not want to go to somebody's house for dinner?
Like "God -phobia"? I think you may have nailed it there.
Never met anyone who used that term, never used it myself. If you wish to self-identify as such, that's your call.
I was referring to the misnomers of "homophobia", or "islamaphobia". Never met anyone with unreasonable fears of them, but the term has been hijacked to mean something different from the actual definition of it.
Anti-Catholicism had a long, long history in the US, running from the Colonial era through much of the 1960s. In my early years in New England, it was far more vehement than anti-semitism, and was championed mostly by the liberal establishment.
Anti-Catholicism had a long, long history in the US, running from the Colonial era through much of the 1960s.
To be fair, the Catholic church has rather pointedly stated that they're the only real church and the rest of us are just pretending. One could see how that would tend to tick folks off. But yes, I agree -- a theological dispute is not a reason to harm someone or mistreat someone.
The bible is for all people, and it isn't an exclusive club, but God wont force you to join, I just don't see you joining.
Almost seems like you are trying to reason with me, and I appreciate the effort, but I'm not sure we're understanding one another...
The Bible is no more or less "for all people" as any other book, to be considered on the basis of merit as each individual might given whatever their criteria may be when it comes to adopting or adhering to a religion (or any other belief about anything). I'm speaking in terms of merit with respect to the people for whom the Bible "is for." I'm not suggesting that access to the Bible is exclusive or not available to "all people," but whether it's for everyone, as in worthy of merit, this is what everyone needs to decide for themselves just like with the Book of Mormon, the Koran, or any other self-help book for that matter...
LOL, you act as if there is no history of Anti Semitism.
2000 years of persecution and death at the hands of Christians, and 1400 years of persecution and death from Muslims. Your race and your religion chased out of countries everywhere, the words of Constantine against God and his people causing Gentiles to hate Jews wherever they find them. The words of Martin Luther's racism and hate against Jews to convince the German people how Jews were animals without souls.
In my own father's lifetime, genocide against Jews for the 3rd time.
Even in here, we watch anti-Semites come and go, and they always have an agenda in wanting to speak with Jews up unto the moment they show their true colors and the reason for coming into the Judaism forum.
Welcoming?
LOL, whether the Jew turns left or whether he turns right, people are claiming to have replaced them, people calling them God killers. They come in all smilling and being nice with an agenda and a blade in they back pocket, or they just really, really want to save the Jews as if God has directly appointed them to witness to Jews lol.
Just like Martin Luther, they think they have some sort of twisted destiny to reach out to Jews and when they find out how impossible it is, the lamb becomes a wolf.
See, I don't know why Jews wont stop being peculiar or why they don't assimulate, or convert to Christianity, at least they should be more welcoming.
Can't figure out why a Jew might not want to go to somebody's house for dinner?
It is because Jews are observant.
Again we're not understanding one another...
If there is any most significant reason I'm interested in the causes of antiSemitism, the nature of antiSemitism, it's because of it's very long history up to and including today. How does anyone objectively evaluate what prevents people from getting along?
We are all prone toward justifying our own actions and beliefs up to and including the dismissal of legitimate criticism about those actions and beliefs that just may be reason for much of the unnecessary friction.
Why?
Because we are humans, with our own personal home-spun upbringings, notions, biases and egos that more often than not cloud objective reason and sound judgement...
Never met anyone who used that term, never used it myself. If you wish to self-identify as such, that's your call.
I was referring to the misnomers of "homophobia", or "islamaphobia". Never met anyone with unreasonable fears of them, but the term has been hijacked to mean something different from the actual definition of it.
"Godphobia" is a new one for me too...
You have never met anyone with "unreasonable fears" of what now?
The very term "phobia" suggests the fear is unreasonable!
A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder that causes an individual to experience extreme, irrational fear about a situation, living creature, place, or object.
I tend to focus more on what I would call reasonable evaluation in terms of fair and objective judgement about good vs bad, right vs wrong, truth vs nonsense. Very different from irrational fears, phobias, bigotry and the likes...
To be fair, the Catholic church has rather pointedly stated that they're the only real church and the rest of us are just pretending. One could see how that would tend to tick folks off. But yes, I agree -- a theological dispute is not a reason to harm someone or mistreat someone.
To be fair, low church Evangelical Protestants and born again Christians also refer to themselves as "the only real or true Christians", and "the Lord's sheep"- in a manner of exclusivity not seen in Catholicism.
And how many Catholics really believe the "one true church" statement?
Most just regard it as an ancient liturgical statement.
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