Them MORONS were talking about SLAVES and their SLAVE MASTERS. :eek: Do your God 'condone' with such practice or 'find' such practice acceptable? In the Book the guy Matt was 'recording' for posterity about some episode regarding human affairs and not about His Slaves. And the sad ending of the slave who did not accomplish to his evil master's content. Nothing in the Book TELLS people that it was holy to speculate financially. Or that it was holy to 'have' slaves. A BAD EXAMPLE WAS GIVEN as to His intent. Your God will 'certainly' punish you for making believe that the Holy Book (supposedly to record His Message to mankind) supports financial speculation and that you have given the impression that He is a slave monger.
I have nothing to argue with you about. You obviously misunderstand the context of the Bible and are approaching it with an unwilling spirit. (Spirit not in the spiritual-God context, but the emotional context) If you truly had an open mind I would "invest" my time...that passage is a parable written for the exact instruction you challenged someone to produce... "Slave" in the context of that time does not equate to the definition of US slavery during the 19th century... Faith in God does not equal success in anything on earth, only eternal salvation and success in the long-run.
A PARABLE is a parable, not a direct teaching. Besides it was a parable from the dude Matt and not from Him! This is what I asked for: And you answered with a parable from Matthew. :eek: And now, You say that you have nothing to argue with me about and yet you quote my post. :eek: You are assuming that I don't have a truly open mind and that I do obviously misunderstand things that are easily understood by you. It must surely be that you are smart and I am dumb. :eek: You are also assuming, even accusing me of approching the Bible with an unwilling spirit. :eek: How do you know? Do you think that your God empowered you with an omniscient mind? These question posted for the previous forum member can be also directed to you too: Is your God my Maker? Is your God infinitely Merciful? Is your God infinite Love? Is your God Perfect? Since I am that ignorant, can you enlighten me?
I have to recommend the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0964695227/002-9562826-5420022?v=glance&n=283155"> "God in the Pits"</a> by Mark Andrew Ritchie on this subject. Imho, religious people, of course, are not immune from the stresses and strains of life. On balance we probably get a good deal more of it than non-religious people. I do believe that those who are upheld by God are by definition made durable by Him. Furthermore, religious people dwell in an atmosphere of <i>conviction,</i> which is essential for strength and focus in everyday life. This is certainly not an exhaustive discussion about the subject.
"Slave" in the context of that time does not equate to the definition of US slavery during the 19th century... then why did the south use the bible to justify slavery? "[Slavery] was established by decree of Almighty God...it is sanctioned in the Bible, in both Testaments, from Genesis to Revelation...it has existed in all ages, has been found among the people of the highest civilization, and in nations of the highest proficiency in the arts." Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America. IMHO religious people simply are kidding themselves, but since they really beleive it then of course it can be stress relieving- but that is no more to the point than getting drunk can also relieve stress. reality doesn't care about your religious belief at all. conviction about religion is not at all necessary for focus and drive. two examples people who do/did not believe in a personal god: Gates and Einstein
because they were morons. perhaps not unlike Hitler, who used the bible to rationalize his perverse hatred for Jews. why don't you consider Abraham Lincoln, a deeply religious man, whose character and convictions formed in the crucible of hardship (endured in faith) gave him the backbone to hold the nation together as he worked to effect the abolition of slavery? to a religious person, it's apparent that the Almighty -- in whose name at least one country has fought for, sacrificed for, maintains and makes ever more available the ideal of "liberty and justice for all" -- prepared him for that very task.
you cannot prove this, as they are false assertions -- the second for sure, the first one, most likely. in any event, I used the term "deeply religious," referring to Lincoln. Perhaps you shoud read a few biographies and decide for yourself. the bible clearly states that God did what God did in history to "set the captives free." a child with an open mind can deduce that easily from and unbiased reading of scripture. with all due respect, I don't think you're ready for the "open minded, unbiased" requirement, and so will persist in embracing your personal myth about "the bible" , "christianity," slavery, and a good deal more besides.
"The Bible is not my book and Christianity is not my religion. I could never give assent to the long complicated statements of Christian dogma. " Abraham Lincoln he even wrote a book against christianity, which he was advised not to publish in order to get elected. Your assertions are false, not mine.. heres some 'open mindedness' for you http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/john_remsburg/six_historic_americans/chapter_5.html