No Room At The Inn?

[Cow Poke]

Later:

I woulda thought a smart boy like you could grasp the concept of "connotation". And obviously "context" is not your strong suit.

[Adrift]

FWIW, it is just the internet. You could ask the same question about me, and I honestly don't know if anyone would/could respond. Doesn't seem like a very useful question in this context to me.

It is just the internet, but you know, it doesn't seem like such an odd request when you look at the broad picture. When a person posts thousands and thousands of posts over the course of very many years on an almost daily basis, you sort of build a mental image of who this person is. The image may be all wrong, but when a professed Christian consistently posts nothing but endless negativity, and seems to delight in the effect his negative behavior has...Its going to make people scratch their heads. Especially when it doesn't match the model of behavior we see while reading the scriptures, or even of Christians we know in our personal lives. Maybe they're hurting physically or emotionally, and they come here to vent all of their anger and frustration at whoever will give them attention. Maybe its something else. I don't know. But it doesn't seem to me to be an odd question to ask of someone who is supposed to be a joint heir in Christ.

[Zymologist]

It is just the internet, but you know, it doesn't seem like such an odd request when you look at the broad picture. When a person posts thousands and thousands of posts over the course of very many years on an almost daily basis, you sort of build a mental image of who this person is. The image may be all wrong, but when a professed Christian consistently posts nothing but endless negativity, and seems to delight in the effect his negative behavior has...Its going to make people scratch their heads. Especially when it doesn't match the model of behavior we see while reading the scriptures, or even of Christians we know in our personal lives. Maybe they're hurting physically or emotionally, and they come here to vent all of their anger and frustration at whoever will give them attention. Maybe its something else. I don't know. But it doesn't seem to me to be an odd question to ask of someone who is supposed to be a joint heir in Christ.

Ok. I suppose I'm just wondering how well I would stack up in that. Not great, methinks.

[Adrift]

Different kind of slave, and CERTAINLY not the kind that you claimed children were.

Well, yeah. Its right there in the verse that was cited:

But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations.

Paul is using the familiar concept of slavery for illustrative purposes. Paul uses all sorts of allegories like this. Here's another from the same book where he uses marriage as the allegory rather than slavery.

Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.

Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.

[Adrift]

Ok. I suppose I'm just wondering how well I would stack up in that. Not great, methinks.

The fact that you'd even think to wonder says something, in my opinion.

[Cow Poke]

Well, yeah. Its right there in the verse that was cited:



Paul is using the familiar concept of slavery for illustrative purposes. Paul uses all sorts of allegories like this. Here's another from the same book where he uses marriage as the allegory rather than slavery.

Yeah, he uses horizontal dualism --- you were slaves to sin, now you are slaves unto righteousness....

[Darth Executor]

Well, yeah. Its right there in the verse that was cited:

Why would Paul use something eeeeeeeeeeeeebil as an allegory? Oh yeah, because slavery isn't inherently evil or abusive. It denotes ownership, which is why it works as a description of the relationship between God and man. And parent and child. And...

Paul is using the familiar concept of slavery for illustrative purposes. Paul uses all sorts of allegories like this. Here's another from the same book where he uses marriage as the allegory rather than slavery.

It's funny you should mention marriage since that's also a form of slavery:

1 Corinthians 7:4 For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.

So of course he would also use marriage as an allegory, since marriage is another form of human ownership.

[pancreasman]

The fact that you'd even think to wonder says something, in my opinion.

If you are actually concerned about how Christ-like you appear, chances are you're doing fine.

And BTW, I notice Pap used the old 'pearls before swine' defence to resist telling CP about his personal faith walk. This would indicate he considers CP a 'swine', his own brother in the faith. Actually I think he probably considers most people swine regardless of their faith.

[Adrift]

The fact that you'd even think to wonder says something, in my opinion.

To clarify, I mean to say that the fact that you wonder about the impression you give off to others is meaningful in a positive way. I don't think anyone is scratching their heads at you Zymologist.

[Adrift]

If you are actually concerned about how Christ-like you appear, chances are you're doing fine.

Oops. Just saw this after I posted. Thanks for clarifying!

[pancreasman]

Gosh we're off topic. I simply asked a hypothetical question about the children of illegal immigrants born in the US. All your positions are clear now. Thank you. Return to your regularly scheduled ranting.

[Darth Executor]

It is just the internet, but you know, it doesn't seem like such an odd request when you look at the broad picture.

No, it's an odd request. Some people come here for a lot of reasons. With those people you can get a more complete picture of who they are. I, overwhelmingly, come here to debate issues.

The image may be all wrong, but when a professed Christian consistently posts nothing but endless negativity, and seems to delight in the effect his negative behavior has...Its going to make people scratch their heads.

There's hardly even an agreement on what is negative. Several people have told me they love my posting style and find it amusing. Others, evidently, not so much. Some are thick skinned, others get grievously offended at the slightest joke. Age seems to play something of a role in this, as do other demographic factors.

Maybe they're hurting physically or emotionally, and they come here to vent all of their anger and frustration at whoever will give them attention.

Boards that let you swear sound like a better deal for that.

[Cow Poke]

If you are actually concerned about how Christ-like you appear, chances are you're doing fine.

And BTW, I notice Pap used the old 'pearls before swine' defence to resist telling CP about his personal faith walk. This would indicate he considers CP a 'swine', his own brother in the faith. Actually I think he probably considers most people swine regardless of their faith.

And he probably thinks his excrement doesn't methanate. (with apologies to OBP)

[Paprika]

Gosh we're off topic. I simply asked a hypothetical question about the children of illegal immigrants born in the US. All your positions are clear now. Thank you. Return to your regularly scheduled ranting.

Indeed, the Terrible Three - Adrift, pancreasman and Cow Poke have made their idiocy sufficiently clear on this occasion (as almost always).

Till next time.

[Cow Poke]

Indeed, the Terrible Three - Adrift, pancreasman and Cow Poke have made their idiocy sufficiently clear on this occasion (as almost always).

Till next time.

Please tell me you haven't procreated, Pappy.