In article <_3ee9.58074$Ic7.4272085 at news2.west.cox.net> "John Knight" <jwknight at polbox.com> writes:
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<"Cary Kittrell" <cary at afone.as.arizona.edu> wrote in message =
<news:albba1$j5$1 at oasis.ccit.arizona.edu...
<
<> <John, I've noticed that some Christians are able to accept that they
<> <(again, according to their myths) are "adopted" sons of Abraham
<> <without trying to push the "firstborn" out of the way. And I've
<> <noticed that some who claim to be Christian seem to think that the
<> <only way that they can "prove" their "fitness" is to dispariage the
<> <Jews. Which category do you fall in?
<> <
<> <That's a serious question, John -- not a flame, an insult, or a =
<troll.
<> <
<>
<> Please, then, allow me: John falls into a noticibly distinct group --
<> nominal Christians who are nowhere near ready to go in for all
<> that Jesus stuff -- mercy and charity and self-sacrifice and
<> loving those who hate you -- they're by temperament far more
<> comfortable with the Old Testament ambiance, all that smiting
<> and abominating and all-around tribalistic xenophobia. Reflexively
<> exclusive, not inclusive, by nature, they look about for something to
<> support their us-vs-them tendencies, and it's obvious where that's
<> to be found. Only problem: YWH clearly wasn't talking to us.
<> As a matter of fact, YWH spends a great deal of time warning the
<> Chosen against the likes of us. So what's a bigot to do when
<> faced with such roaring cognitive dissonance?
<>
<> You've seen the answer to that. Not pretty, is it?
<>
<>
<>
<> -- cary
<
< Sooo, you want to stick to the "New Testament" and throw out the "Old", =
< cary?
Nope, I'd say toss them both.
However, I was discussing you, not me, and in particular your
utter disinterest in the New Testament values of humility,
self-sacrifice, and love of others regardless of their
station in life and indeed, regardless of their attitude
towards you.
That Jesus guy appears to have been serious about all this, too:
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels
with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate
them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the
goats:
And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the
left.
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed
of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation
of the world:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave
me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in
prison, and ye came unto me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an
hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed
thee?
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you,
Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my
brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye
cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye
gave me no drink:
I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not:
sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an
hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison,
and did not minister unto thee?
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as
ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous
into life eternal.
[Matt 25, 31-46]
Have a nice eternity, you hear?
-- cary