Because Christianity is based in Judaism, of course. It's part of the scriptural selections, but we don't practise slavery with France & Ireland or Mexico & Canada etc., we eat shellfish, wear polyester, wear glasses in church and so on. The Old Testament is a guide to life, not an absolute and inviolable law.
Preaching Christianity
- Thread starter Ziggy Stardust
- Start date
Traitorfish
The Tighnahulish Kid
That doesn't mean that it is to be taken in isolation. The English 1689 Bill of Rights is pretty integral to the English constitution, but that doesn't mean that it can be taken as an effective guide to modern British democracy.
Lillefix
I'm serious. You can.
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2003
- Messages
- 5,699
Definitely. But what I'm saying is tha one shouldn't gloss over the ugly parts and just quote the nice parts as priests do. I've been to many church services through my life, and never have the priests quoted the old testament and said that this part of the bible is simply wrong and unethical.
It's not like Christians can assume it either. Think about it. Every single week the priest is up there saying how much God loves you as if the crowd had never heard it before. Still, they never tell that parts of the bible can be compared to Mein Kampf.
They shouldn't just ignore it, they should quote certain verses and actively reject them. Anything less is just being untruthful.
DroopyTofu
Double Bass Double Bass
Let's assume that I am an aviation engineer. I design a really:ty prop plane - it falls out of the sky like a brick one month later, even though it had been perfectly maintained.
Who is to blame: the design, or the designer?
What I'm trying to say is, God made us this way, therefore everything he considers 'bad' is his own fault.
But God didn't design us to be like this. We went against his commandments (do not eat of this tree) and made oursleves 'bad'. That's like if your plane was told not to loosen it's screws but it sabatoged itself. (Sorry, a plane really isn't the best way to illustrate this, but I'm trying to work with your original example.)
Hm...
Spoiler contains definitions for 'lust' and 'tempt'.
So to test someone by offering them a choice of gaining something they want is not a sin? But if someone's 'want' is to strong it is labeled 'lust' and thus a sin?
Note that it is fully possible to lust for a hamburger, or for a good life. Just as it is possible to lust for bread (and water) in the desert, or for power over the whole world. At least according to definition 3 and 4.
Lusting can thus only be a sin if you lust for something that is considered sinful and then give into the lust.
Thus, thinking of that hot girl, or wanting money, or planning to shoplift is not a sin, unless you actually act on those wants.
PS: I'm pretty sure you can think of your naked grandma and not give into your lust, so I don't think you actually consider thinking of naked people to be a sin.
It's lust when you start putting it above thinking about and loving God. I've also heard it explained that if your mind can go to the place of thinking of sinning, it is as bad as actually doing the sin. That's just one person's opinion. I agree with what Randomnerd said. There's a difference between thinking about something and desiring it.
There are some things in the Old Testement that relate to Christianity. The New Testement clearly says that Christians are not required to follow Mosiac Law. It was given to the Hebrews so that they could see how hopeless they were to try and fulfill the law on thier own. This shows us our need for Christ as our one and only Savior.
Ziggy Stardust
Absolutely Sane
So what God designed went against his commandments. That is shoddy design right there.
If you design a being (us) and add the module Curiosity v2.5.01 you shouldn't be blaming the being when that module is malfunctioning.
That's why invoking God at the moment of climax is actually proper Christian behaviour.
There are no atheists in ... no, lets not go there.
Fr8monkey
Deity
Free will is a cop out.
PeteAtoms
FormulaRandom
Did we get free will before or after eating the forbidden fruit?
Fr8monkey
Deity
The serpent apparently gave it to us so God is in the clear...
beingofone
Warlord
When Jesus died, God the Father died to old ways of perception concerning himself. He learned a great deal from the experience of the life of Jesus.
He expanded and realized a new way of reconciling himself through the resurrection.
He expanded and realized a new way of reconciling himself through the resurrection.
Fr8monkey
Deity
So an omnipotent, all knowing God made a mistake and changed the rules in mid-game?
warpus
Sommerswerd asked me to change this
Not to mention planting a giant tree with awesome looking fruit on it, then telling us how awesome and amazing it is, and then making it so that if we eat from it, we are screwed.
That kinda sounds like entrapment to me, actually.
the above posts made me think of this quote so I highlighted the relevant bits
Strange...a God who could make good children as easily as bad, yet preferred to make bad ones; who made them prize their bitter life, yet stingily cut it short; mouths Golden Rules and forgiveness multiplied seventy times seven and invented Hell; who mouths morals to other people and has none himself; who frowns upon crimes yet commits them all; who created man without invitation, then tries to shuffle the responsibility for man's acts upon man, instead of honorably placing it where it belongs, upon himself; and finally with altogether divine obtuseness, invites this poor, abused slave to worship him! ~Mark Twain
Strange...a God who could make good children as easily as bad, yet preferred to make bad ones; who made them prize their bitter life, yet stingily cut it short; mouths Golden Rules and forgiveness multiplied seventy times seven and invented Hell; who mouths morals to other people and has none himself; who frowns upon crimes yet commits them all; who created man without invitation, then tries to shuffle the responsibility for man's acts upon man, instead of honorably placing it where it belongs, upon himself; and finally with altogether divine obtuseness, invites this poor, abused slave to worship him! ~Mark Twain
DroopyTofu
Double Bass Double Bass
Honestly, I'm not sure why it was done that way. That's one of those questions you have to wait and ask him in person. People spend their lives wondering about this and never really understand it. You just have to trust that he knows what he is doing and has a reason for all of it.
That's why invoking God at the moment of climax is actually proper Christian behaviour.
Well, God did invent it...
Before.
rollo1066
Warlord
I'm inclined to believe God does care about what we do and how we live our lives. I doubt that God is too concerned about what we believe about Him/Her.
I'm always surprised at how inavertibly antisemitic people are.
Fr8monkey
Deity
Along with "free will", all that "God works in mysterious ways" is a load of hooey! God works in mysterious ways = I don't care what you say because I know God exists, I don't understand it but I just know. Don't ask me to explain it because I can't, I don't know enough about the world or universe to counter your point. BUT I know he exists!
So basically during a debate you have no answers, stick your fingers in your ears and go LALALALALALALALA!
That goes with the people who say; "God said it, I believe it, That settles it!". If you don't have an answer, just say "I don't know." Otherwise you sound stupid.
Ziggy Stardust
Absolutely Sane
edit: Fr8, that's not very nice. I ask some rather personal questions I'd rather not see the answers ridiculed.
Besides, I feel his answer "I don't know" is refreshingly honest. Many Christians pretend to understand God's intentions, desires and personal secrets as if they've got a personal hotline with God and we just have to take their word for it.
Besides, I feel his answer "I don't know" is refreshingly honest. Many Christians pretend to understand God's intentions, desires and personal secrets as if they've got a personal hotline with God and we just have to take their word for it.
Well, if that whole trusting things you don't understand and have no prospect of understanding until you die works for you, good luck. I'll pass
Are you a Christian?
I'm not anti-Semitic in the slightest. I'm just tired of Christian fundamentalists insisting that the only way to live a Christian life is by selectively following some ancient Jewish priestly behavioural texts in a very small part of the Bible.
