Love Your Neighbor
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May 31, 2005 |
Brendan Deiz | Comments (9 so far)
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Posted by: Becky | Jun 1, 2005 6:13:38 AM
I don't think it's just Americans who have perverted the ideals put forward by religious leaders. It seems to be a historical trend. This highlights one of the most disappointing things about religion - it doesn't fulfill its promise to change basic human nature. It might motivate people to behave themselves more of the time, but when it really counts we're still the same beastly creatures inside that we've been for tens of thousands of years.
Christians all suffer from cognitive dissonance anyway. The Old Testament and New Testament tell such different stories, both within them and between them, that it takes quite a bit of intellectual gymnastics to believe any of it. This issue is a case in point. The Old Testament has several references to homosexuality in which it is referred to as an abomination. This gives comfort to homophobes and allows them to overlook the less-specific statements and example of Jesus regarding treatment of one's neighbor. In this area, one can truly observe human nature at work in Christians. Believers can find scripture to support whatever view they hold of homosexuality and feel as if they have God on their side. Thus, for the homophobe, their paranoid and hateful human nature is amplified by their belief that they are following the will of God - and that is the danger of fundamentalism.
Posted by: Sid | Jun 1, 2005 7:40:02 AM
I have to say, it's quite nice being in a country where people don't concern themselves with so-called 'morals.' Germans seem to concern themselves with the things that matter: jobs, environment, status of the EU, peace and drinking damn good beer... How refreshing it is!
btw, if you happen to be in Berlin on June 11, it's Gay Night at the Berlin Zoo ;-)
Posted by: Gregor | Jun 1, 2005 11:10:28 AM
If these radical Christians would think again about evolution, they might see that the Old Testament is what the Father did, and the new Testament is what the Son did, and they should "evolve" into the New Testament. If what they are doing resembles the Old Testament, get "born again" for the umpteenth time and reference the New Testament. I can't understand how they are so pure that they can find the time to work on someone else's salvation anyway.
Posted by: Brandon Rhodes | Jun 1, 2005 2:37:02 PM
Saying that "Christians all suffer from cognitive dissonance" is just as fundamentalist as how a lot of Christians behave.
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Also, the Leviticus verses condemning homosexuality as an abomination, and Christ's command to love your neighbor as yourself are not mutually exclusive. They do not contradict at all. Christ's law doesn't cancel out the Levitican one, just supercedes it. It is not a stretch to consider someone's lifestyle a sin, but to love them at the same time. ... But I think the Great Commandment of loving your neighbor goes much further than this. Cuz, I have heard it said "love the sinner, hate the sin." but that really isn't it. It's "love the sinner, hate your own damn sin!" Get the log out of your own eye and all that.
But again, it is possible to disapprove of homosexuality and love homosexuals at the same time. For me that looks like keeping my mouth shut. I'm not going to try to persuade someone that their way of life is wrong -- that's absurd. But what I can do is be a conduit for the Father's love to that person. My job is to do just that -- share love to everyone as an outpouring of love recieved from Father.
To clarify, I'm no apologist for these Lon Mabon, Jerry Falwell types. Not at all. I voted a very big NO on 36. The socially conscious/active Christian shouldn't make it about making man's law to God's law. They should be concerned with making God's love evident in THEIR life. Though God does have His ways (i.e., morality), the Christian's duty -- nay, joy -- to others is to share His love in spite of brokenness. And even then it shouldn't be "I love you, even if you are gay." It should just be "I love you, because God loved me first."
OK I'll stop getting preachy. Dang. ;0)
Peace, y'all.
Posted by: x | Jun 2, 2005 3:16:59 PM
Funny how Christians are open season.
Same article about blacks or jews and you guys would be hammered.
pathetic.
Posted by: Brendan Deiz | Jun 2, 2005 3:57:08 PM
blacks and jews are not passing jim crow laws
Posted by: Mrs terry | Jul 18, 2005 11:10:49 AM
Prayer requestJ
Pray for street bully. Pray all mama & daddies will pray for their Childrens, Love their Childrens. Teach Childrens right from wrong. Read Bible to There Childrens, Tell Childrens Jesus Loves Them, So do mama & daddies
Pray People Keep Dogs in Their Own Yard
(A VERSE TO LEARN ) God said: "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39 -
Posted by: Danny Haszard | Dec 20, 2005 2:24:08 PM
I love your artwork and your essays.-Danny Haszard Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses Rockland Massachusetts
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Posted by: jenson | May 31, 2005 8:44:28 PM
If you keep this up, we'll have to rename you the:
Kontroversial Kid
That's not a bad thing