I love the Bible

[PretzelWarrior]

Why do I love it so much? Well, it does have some pretty sound little proverbs that go along with my collection of Ben Franklin sayings and Confucian statements of wisdom. Yes, it does have quite a lot of terrific language about the history and culture of the time.

But the big reason why I love the Bible? It's so easy to prove fundamentalists and radicals don't really believe it themselves just by pointing to certain passages in it.

I mean, let's get down to basics. The first century Christians were stoned, killed by lions, driven from countries, etc. partly because they were outside the main. They didn't involve themselves in politics. Jesus himself said:

------------------------------------------------
"My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews." -John 18
------------------------------------------------

He also explained that they were not to be of this world..mixing in and supporting the framework of this world:

------------------------------------------------
"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you;
-----------------------------------------------


so....if these hypocritical people really believed the Bible and Jesus' sayings, they wouldn't be tripping over themselves to become wedded to the government or a political party. People like Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Ralph Reed and others have shown their naked ambition and their willingness to twist scripture to absolve themselves while condemning their political enemies.


Below is an excellent page about Christianity and social justice:

http://www.crossroads.ca/unique/un021204.htm

we need to keep promoting this aspect of the story. They pick and choose. Which is something St. Peter in a letter to Christians said would be a mark of false Christians. They would assemble false teachers to "tickle their ears".

If we can create a repository of information showing what is good about Jesus' teachings and how it fits in with the Democratic platform of social justice and inclusiveness...we'll be well on our way.

The other side of this and something Jesus himself was pretty damn good at was calling the hypocrites for what they were. We should point out every instance where some "MORAL VALUES" politician is caught stealing, committing adultery, doing drugs, whatever. Get your war on.

[PretzelWarrior]

1. no other Bible lovers here?

just thought it had some good opposition research if you will. good ideas to pose to some of the self righteous around us.

[clidaw]

2. We would be better off

as a society if we stopped depending on a book put together by clergy from the 4th century for moral guidance. We also need to escape the belief that the bible is a history book. It is a theological text with very little solid history in it. The belief that the bible is an historical account (especially the New Testament) has been hammered into this society for so long that it has become a given. It is far from that.

[PretzelWarrior]

3. welll....actually. there was a lot about history the Bible had stated

which archaelogists had dismissed as false. And the Bible's assertions about certain people and events were viewed as proof of it's unreliability. But many discoveries in the 20th century backed up the Bible's version of events.

Yes, it is true that most of the Greek Scriptures (new testament) had to do with religious teachings but there were quite a few pieces of info in there about the daily life of people in that part of the world at that time which supplement other recorded history.

Hammurabi's code was much older than many parts of the Bible, but much of it's moral guidance is also found in our modern civil law. So, while I understand where you're coming from I don't completely agree with your assertions.