Wheather he was real or just a symbol is of no difference to me. He died for our sins. Jesus chose death and chose the State to execute him. If Jesus is just a story, I can still believe that I can be forgivin. I should lead a good life, take care of my neighbor.
Yip, you are correct and all were as well founded and as inspired as your OP. There is a simple proverb: a verse out of context is a pretext... it can inflame the hearts of the simple. You'll love Obama, he's another "leader" who has sound reasoning based on selective quotes. The guys who play with religion and pretexts - they love to start wars. But you will not find Christ teaching that - lol - no way!! But some will use selective misquoting or pretexts to stir up hatred and fool most of the people. I'm not at all meaning you are intending to do that, but if someone believed you quoted correctly or in context, they may feel justified in Jew hating when the NT teaches us to respect them, reminding us they gave us the scriptures and the Saviour. Upon these Jewish scriptures our freedoms, judicial system and moral laws were based. When there is a famine or a crisis, Christian nations are by far the biggest providers of aid and most comes from the churches. But wicked men seek to justify evil deeds, and that will never change.
You and everyone else can believe in whatever they want. As Jim Walker states in http://nobeliefs.com/exist.htm, "we live in a world where many people believe in demons, UFOs, ghosts, or monsters, and an innumerable number of fantasies believed as fact taken from nothing but belief and hearsay." Then there are people who follow the teachings of the greatest thinkers of mankind who won't accept any belief or belief system blindly. Believe nothing just because a so-called wise person said it. Believe nothing just because a belief is generally held. Believe nothing just because it is said in ancient books. Believe nothing just because it is said to be of divine origin. Believe nothing just because someone else believes it. Believe only what you yourself test and judge to be true. -- Buddha The object of the superior man is truth. -- Confucius Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.-- Martin Luther King Jr. There is nothing more frightening than active ignorance.-- Goethe
The bible, talmud, koran are all full of senseless contradictions - that is why it is called a "leap of faith" away from reason itself. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leap_of_faith This is also how they create the systemic mechanism of "sins" - since there is no way to stay "on the course" - there simply is no expressive "golden mean" or "middle path" in the religious texts. In this lies the fluctuation and open subjective interpretation between "good and evil" - which again leads to the power of the priesthood which can "guide the people." When using religious texts as something purely reflective and for personal beliefs - NOT projected onto others or outwards on your surroundings - then it is very different, as it can provide incentives and help a person make important personal life stances and decisions.
I stated my sources as opposed to you so everyone can check out for themselves whether I am misquoting the Gospels or taking statements out of context. Mel Gibson, his father, Pastor Maurice Gordon, and other traditional Christians are correct. The New Testament sanctions Jew hatred. The good that Christians did throughout history was because those Christians chose to ignore the bigotry of the New Testament and only accepted the positive of the tradition. My focus is on traditional Christianity -- not on post Vatican Council II Catholicism, and other forms of Christianity that have veered away from the traditional Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions. However, any Christian that studies the Gospels will sooner or later be exposed to those verses, and will have to make a choice between right and wrong. G-d help them!
YOUR SOURCES⦠Mel Gibson "It was just the stupid rambling of a drunkard, you know and ... the last thing I want to be is that kind of monster," he told ABC's Diane Sawyer. http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2006/oct/11/news.melgibson Pastor Maurice Gordon & other traditional Christians DENVER -- The pastor of an East Denver church has apologized for a "Jews Killed Jesus" sign, following a protest by dozens of people and the intervention of the United Pentecostal Church International The pastor of Lovingway, Maurice Gorden, said he put up the original message in response to the Mel Gibson movie "The Passion of The Christ." He said he did it to get people to think about what is in the bible. Thursday, the sign was changed to include an apology by Gorden. He had been contacted by the United Pentecostal Church district office about the original sign, which gained international attention. "Rev. Maurice Gordon has acted individually and separately from the United Pentecostal Church International and all of its affiliates," said a statement from the Rev. Billy E. Hale, the district superintendent. "Rev. Gordon's decision was made without support or contribution from the United Pentecostal Church International and does not reflect our position on this matter. We regret any offense his actions have caused." "It is ironic that a church named 'Lovingway' would advance such an attitude of hurtfulness," said the Rev. Jim Ryan, a spokesman for the Colorado Council of Churches. "Christ gave his life for all people. To blame a particular group of people, then or now, is a misuse of the Gospel of love and grace. The Colorado Council of Churches wishes to make it clear that this one congregation does not speak for the vast majority of the Christian community. In fact, we stand in direct opposition to the message on this sign and its implications." "In regards to the Jewish guilt concerning the crucifixion, the United Pentecostal Church International believes that all of humanity was complicit in His crucifixion," continued the statement by Hale. "According to our belief, neither the Jews nor the Romans had the power to kill Jesus, but Jesus, by His own admission, laid down His own life for the salvation of all humankind." The church sign was changed shortly before 10 p.m. Wednesday to say "God So Loved The World That He Gave." It was changed again Thursday afternoon to an apology by Gorden. http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/2877421/detail.html MY SOURCES⦠Matthew 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? JESUS John13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. JESUS 1John2:9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. 10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. The Apostle John Romans10:21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people. Romans11:1 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. 11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. 19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. 20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes. The Apostle Paul Cardinal Vanhoye on Jews and Scripture "The Plan of God Is a Union of Love With His People" In 1996, after its partial renewal, the Pontifical Biblical Commission was invited by its president, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, to choose a new subject of research, which would be important for the life and mission of the Church today. Several subjects were proposed and voted upon. The subject that obtained the majority of votes was âAnti-Judaism and the Bible.â The term âanti-Judaismâ was preferred to âanti-Semitismâ because it is more precise. In fact, there are other Semitic people in addition to the Jews. â¦the texts themselves inspire respect and love for the Jewish people. âIn the Old Testamentâ indeed, the plan of God is a union of love with his people, a paternal love, a spousal love and, notwithstanding Israel's infidelities, God will never renounce it, but affirms it in perpetuity (Is 54:8; Jr 31:3). In the New Testament, God's love overcomes the greatest obstacles; even if they do not believe in His Son whom He sent as their Messiah Saviour, Israelites are still loved (St. Paul affirms this in his Letter to the Romans 11:28). Whoever wishes to be united to God, must also love themâ (no. 86, end). The Biblical Commission clearly oriented herself in the direction indicated by Pope Paul VI in his homily of 28 October 1965, the day of the promulgation of the conciliar document "Nostra Aetate," which dealt with relations with the non-Christian religions, particularly the Jewish one. Speaking of Jews, Paul VI wished âthat we would have respect and love to themâ and he also added âand that we would have hope in them.â This extremely positive orientation leaves no room for anti-Judaism. It should be maintained most faithfully. http://www.zenit.org/article-23841?l=english You sir are hating Godâs beloved in direct contradiction to the commands of scripture. Using your sources, the only one I can find left standing is Mel Gibsonâs father. I for one wonât be pinning my faith on him!
LMFAO! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chosen_people http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_superiority http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_exceptionalism http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_upon_a_Hill Indoctrinated brainwashed morons...
Speaking of His life, Jesus said: John 10:18 King James Bible "No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." fact-The roman soldiers could not have killed Jesus unless Jesus and the Father willed it. fact- yes, Jesus blood is on the Jews, just as it is on every living persons hands. The idiocy you see written on this subject on threads like these is astonishing.
lets see, the Bible is to be believed as it tells us many useful things. I especailly like its slavery passages: However, you may purchase male or female slaves from among the foreigners who live among you. You may also purchase the children of such resident foreigners, including those who have been born in your land. You may treat them as your property, passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance. You may treat your slaves like this, but the people of Israel, your relatives, must never be treated this way. (Leviticus 25:44-46 NLT) If you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve for only six years. Set him free in the seventh year, and he will owe you nothing for his freedom. If he was single when he became your slave and then married afterward, only he will go free in the seventh year. But if he was married before he became a slave, then his wife will be freed with him. If his master gave him a wife while he was a slave, and they had sons or daughters, then the man will be free in the seventh year, but his wife and children will still belong to his master. But the slave may plainly declare, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children. I would rather not go free.' If he does this, his master must present him before God. Then his master must take him to the door and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will belong to his master forever. (Exodus 21:2-6 NLT)