Christianity Is Dangerous

[Meh Gerbil]

Even if we took gerbil's inane fundie levels of hyperliteralism as truth, the fact remains that loving your enemy is not the supreme command. The foremost command is to love God. Then it's to love your neighbour as yourself. He doesn't say to love your enemy more than your neighbour, and He doesn't even say to love your enemy as yourself. None of the love your enemy scenarios involve any serious threat to your person either. It seems that gerbil went from one extreme type of fundamentalism to an even dumber extreme type of fundamentalism.

When defining the term 'neighbor' he used a really interesting example known as the Good Samaritan.
I think how Jesus defines that term does violence to your unsubstantial point.

Furthermore, we can turn to JP Holding's cartoons for a definition of love or we can allow Christ to define it by His actions on the Cross.
No enemy I have will be less deserving of my love than I was of Christ's love.

While we were yet enemies of God He sent His Son to die the most injust/unfair/ridiculous death so that by that sacrifice He could work the miracle of redemption.
I think He calls us to follow that example - to participate in sharing genuine self-sacrificial love with those who deserve it the least.
If we believe Christ's sacrificial love worked a miracle of change in our lives why not believe that if we follow Christ's example that blessings will follow?

[Meh Gerbil]

Right! Don't think God want's you to go down a dark alley undefended with cookies for the mugger inside...

Why not be open to that possibility?
Given God's record of doing outrageous things such an act sounds exactly like the sort of thing He might command.

[Rational Gaze]

In other words, you're going to just make up your own definition and ignore the definition that historical evidence actually points to. Yay! Revisionism is fun!!!

[Meh Gerbil]

In other words, you're going to just make up your own definition and ignore the definition that historical evidence actually points to. Yay! Revisionism is fun!!!

We see Jesus Christ's example in that He gave His live for His enemies.
We see the example of the New Testament wherein we're commanded to love those that persecute us.
We see the example of the early church and how they lived and died while under persecution.

For me the most startling proof is that the sort of love I'm talking about is the sort of love we required in order to be saved.
We've already been recipients of the sort of love that you're saying is insanity - and yes, it is insane, Praise God!
So how then can you deny this type of love when you depend upon it?

If you have some historical evidence that, after the resurrection, Jesus Christ hunted down Pilot and gave him a beat down in an alley I'm all ears.

[Christianbookworm]

What about when Jesus called the Pharisees whitewashed tombs and a den of vipers? Or Paul telling people who were for having the gentiles have circumcision that they should just go the whole way and cut it all off!

[Rational Gaze]

Or what about when Jesus drove away the money lenders in the temple? Or when he commanded his disciples to buy swords?

Mark 22:36:
"He said to them, “But now if you have a purse or a bag, carry that with you. If you don’t have a sword, sell your coat and buy one."

But then, this would invalid the hippy Jesus hypothesis.

[Meh Gerbil]

What about when Jesus called the Pharisees whitewashed tombs and a den of vipers?
Or Paul telling people who were for having the gentiles have circumcision that they should just go the whole way and cut it all off!

I have a really hard time making the connection between Jesus' assessment of the Pharisees and us killing Jews in an alley.

[Christianbookworm]

We see Jesus Christ's example in that He gave His live for His enemies.
We see the example of the New Testament wherein we're commanded to love those that persecute us.
We see the example of the early church and how they lived and died while under persecution.

For me the most startling proof is that the sort of love I'm talking about is the sort of love we required in order to be saved.
We've already been recipients of the sort of love that you're saying is insanity - and yes, it is insane, Praise God!
So how then can you deny this type of love when you depend upon it?

If you have some historical evidence that, after the resurrection, Jesus Christ hunted down Pilot and gave him a beat down in an alley I'm all ears.

Why would he need to do that? Pilate would die someday... Anyway what Jesus did as broker to allow us into His ingroup is different from our personal interactions. Or should we have no self preservation instinct and cross streets without looking both ways! If you get hit, it must have been God's will! /sarcasm.

[Cerealman]

Apparently the opposite of a pacifist is anyone who kills.

[Andius]

As someone who has absolutely nothing in common with Darth Executor, I'm far more sympathetic to his worldview than those of the dum-dums he's debating. This says more than just a little about their mental competence... or rather, lack thereof.



And now that that is out of the way, DE and I can go back to hating each other again. Yay! :-)

Make that two of us.

Aside from Gerbil swallowing the tired old naive discourse of "Religious governship baaaaadd, Secular governship gooood", I would love to see how nice he can be the moment he starts getting robbed in his own home.

Anyone up for some ransacking? I'm sure Gerbil's hospitality will be lovely ^^ Keep loving that enemy.

[Meh Gerbil]

Or what about when Jesus drove away the money lenders in the temple? Or when he commanded his disciples to buy swords?
Mark 22:36:
"He said to them, “But now if you have a purse or a bag, carry that with you. If you don’t have a sword, sell your coat and buy one."
But then, this would invalid the hippy Jesus hypothesis.

When Peter used the sword in the garden what happened?
Was it the hippie Jesus that was there or was it Darth Executor's Big Book of Torture Porn Jesus that was there?

Given that Jesus healed the guy who was coming to kill Him I think it was the hippie Jesus that showed on that night, don't you?

I think His actions shed light on that verse you quoted.

[Meh Gerbil]

Aside from Gerbil swallowing the tired old naive discourse of "Religious governship baaaaadd, Secular governship gooood", I would love to see how nice he can be the moment he starts getting robbed in his own home.

If you cannot battle my actual points feel free to make up something I never said and ... oh wait, I see you're already clued into that strategy.

[JohnnyP]

If you have some historical evidence that, after the resurrection, Jesus Christ hunted down Pilot and gave him a beat down in an alley I'm all ears.

Revelation is filled with violence, both by Jesus, as well as by the 2 Olive Tree prophets who mimic some of Elijah's violence (righteous Gentiles and Jews discussed in Romans 11).

Although I believe as a rule we ought to avoid violence if we can, and if we can't, hope we are forgiven if it's something like protecting our families. And I believe Crusaders may be the 7th Beast Head as a continuation of Rome, with true Christianity still dividing Satan, a mix of good and evil:

Matthew 12:25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:

Matthew 12:26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?

[Meh Gerbil]

Apparently the opposite of a pacifist is anyone who kills.

I don't see where I claimed to be a pacifist.
In fact, I wouldn't know what pacifism would have to do with this debate.

[Christianbookworm]

I have a really hard time making the connection between Jesus' assessment of the Pharisees and us killing Jews in an alley.

No one's killing any Jews! Alleys are to be avoided because of the bad guys in them!