I like this understanding. One thing that jumped to mind while reading this was that there is a "God" mandate in this instance. We are told that we are to care for the immigrant and treat him/her as if they are family. So perhaps in regard to immigration, we need to start clobbering the right with their own "God said it, so we must do it." thinking.
They always seem to fail to understand the real body of Christ which stems from the heart & a Christ consciousness. Everything is literal litany to them misusing & misunderstanding of these holy concepts. Even Christ said there is no man women or other they'd probably chastise him for preaching to the eunuch in the holy Spirit or any they deemed unworthy but yep we know many of them did do that huh but Christ did it anyway because it's not up to them now is it 🤔 so who's really trying to lead who
>1 Kings 20:35: One of the prophets told another prophet, “Hit me!” He said that because the Lord had commanded it.
Here's the thing: I am an autistic person, and what makes me melt down does not always make sense to other people. And I have met a lot of kind people, truly well-intentioned people, who loved me and wanted to help me
and they made things worse. Much worse, in some cases. Because they could only love me the way they knew how. It took so long, even for my mother, to understand that social contact was the cause of my meltdowns and not a cure for them. It wasn't her fault; it's natural for parents to want to hug their kids and talk things out. She's human, and humans don't really know what love is. Christianity is not as simple as "do whatever you think is right". We *need* an omniscient God to make us step back and learn what will really help people- and we're supposed to have a relationship with God separate from our relationships with people. Morality doesn't subsume religious practices. Jesus left His earthly family without warning to commune with God. He gave advice on fasting, He got baptized, He instituted religious ceremonies like the Eucharist, He was addressed by His apostles as "Rabbi" (*not* "first among equals"). It's alright to go away from people so you can spend time with God, even when those people *think* they need your attention. It isn't loving to give humans the idea that they're the centre of the universe or that they're entitled to an explanation of every order God gives them. What's good to do is according to His logic- logic that may be incomprehensible to us- and that's why doing it requires faith, not just compassion. Faith is something you have in someone greater than you.
@James, Do you see that word "love" in your first sentence? What _you_ seem to have forgotten is that love is more than mindless obedience. That's called legalism, and Jesus spends a LOT of time railing against legalism. What Jesus is quoting when he says these two things are passages from the Old Testament, and those passages have a context. The "love God" passage comes from Deuteronomy 6 and is called "The Shema." The setting is that the Hebrews are moving from being a nomadic people in the wilderness to entering Canaan. In context, this passage reminds the Hebrews to reject polytheism, which is present everywhere around them. Their *identity* is that they are the ones who reject polytheism, and _love_ _their_ _one_ _God_. The love of God referenced here means to love God in ALL ways: emotionally, spiritually, and physically. And we know that God loves all his children (Psalm 145:9, Jonah 4:10-11, Micah 4:1-2, Genesis 1:27, Amos 9:7, Deuteronomy 10:18–19, Leviticus 19:34, Ezekiel 18:23). So if I am to love God in ALL ways, and God loves his other children, then *I* am to love his other children as well. You see, there *is* no contrast or contradiction like you're trying to imply. There is only harmony. In fact, you testify against God the Father when you try to deny his love of all mankind.
You seemed to have forgotten the part where Jesus told us: "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength", before the part where he tells us to love our neighbor. When our neighbors decide to kill their unborn children or OD on fentanyl and we do nothing, is that serving God, is that loving towards them? When we allow rapists, murders, thieves and child molesters to prey upon the most vulnerable in our society by not enforcing our laws, is that love? If your ideas are not rooted in objective moral truth, one given to us by God, you have a subjective standard that will shift to fit whatever societal norms, whims, etc. that you want them to fit. But I think you know all of this. You are picking and choosing what you want to follow. You are taking the place of judgement that rightfully belongs to God. You are using the bible for your purposes and discarding whatever you find distasteful, uncomfortable or not to your liking. I hope that you are able to see the truth and fall upon it and that you do not wait for it to fall upon you. I hope that your compassion is genuine and your intentions are sincere and you are not just using the word of God to manipulate and make arguments that you want to be true.
These two parts are not in opposition to each other. You must not choose one or other you must do both. Also in loving your neighbour you are demonstrating your love for God. Also Scripture explicitly says that if you say you love God and hate your brother, you are a liar. So there's that .
Agreed. They are not in opposition to each other but we live in a world that staunchly opposes God and anyone who believes that he created us and lovingly gave us rules and standards that are for our health and happiness. People wish to do what they want to do and be their own God, and that is their freedom to do so. But you cannot serve God and choose to behave however you wish and tell others to do so and get confused when Christians appeal to the God given rules and standards and seek a just and sane society, not one overrun by cowardice and "empathy". Letting people do what they want is not empathy.
The message from the bishop was simple and straightforward: Show mercy to the people who are scared. What part of that message was wrong? Even if you don't agree with someone or think what they do is morally or legally wrong, doesn't mean you cannot be merciful and kind.
*You* are in no higher position to evaluate someone *else's* relationship with God. NO ONE gets everything right relative to their relationship with God, and God doesn't expect them to. Each person is on a different path that started in a different place than you, and will end in a different place than you. God knows their whole path. You don't. You reduce the Lord to a cosmic rule giver and punisher. He will not stay in the box you craft for him, mortal.
I am not evaluating anyone's relationship with God. I am not on the side of those who think empathy is a sin but i am also firmly not on the side of those who think we should just not enforce rules and laws as a society. The article expresses exasperation with people who have no empathy for the criminal element of people who have been unchecked by the laws of the society that I am a part of and the lack of enforcement of rules. I am not putting God in a box. He is ultimately the judge of us all but he is pretty clear about the rules, laws and standards that we are judged by and how society will effectively run when in proper alignment to God's will and love for our fellow humans.
>those who think we should just not enforce rules and laws as a society
This is a canard. Nobody says that, so it is ridiculous for people who lean a little harder toward mercy than they do justice enforcement to be accused of such a stupid extreme.
They may not say it but our actions as a society play it out. We are actually now enforcing the laws that we previously weren't and evicting a bunch of criminals from our land because previously we let those individuals prey on our weakest members because to enforce the laws would be mean and racist or not "merciful". And we kill unborn children, especially unborn African American children, in staggering amounts because "well who are we to judge if you want to murder your child?". That's not a canard. That is beliefs played out at large in society.
I like this understanding. One thing that jumped to mind while reading this was that there is a "God" mandate in this instance. We are told that we are to care for the immigrant and treat him/her as if they are family. So perhaps in regard to immigration, we need to start clobbering the right with their own "God said it, so we must do it." thinking.
Actually, Jesus stresses that we must have both - love God and love your neighbor. The gospels are the guide in finding that balance.
I never said we didn't need to love God. But the way we do that is by loving our neighbor.
They always seem to fail to understand the real body of Christ which stems from the heart & a Christ consciousness. Everything is literal litany to them misusing & misunderstanding of these holy concepts. Even Christ said there is no man women or other they'd probably chastise him for preaching to the eunuch in the holy Spirit or any they deemed unworthy but yep we know many of them did do that huh but Christ did it anyway because it's not up to them now is it 🤔 so who's really trying to lead who
If gender isn't real, then why are women told to wear hats in church?
This is such a good analysis of the situation. I fully agree with everything you wrote.
Well expressed! Keep living loved!🙏❤️
>1 Kings 20:35: One of the prophets told another prophet, “Hit me!” He said that because the Lord had commanded it.
Here's the thing: I am an autistic person, and what makes me melt down does not always make sense to other people. And I have met a lot of kind people, truly well-intentioned people, who loved me and wanted to help me
and they made things worse. Much worse, in some cases. Because they could only love me the way they knew how. It took so long, even for my mother, to understand that social contact was the cause of my meltdowns and not a cure for them. It wasn't her fault; it's natural for parents to want to hug their kids and talk things out. She's human, and humans don't really know what love is. Christianity is not as simple as "do whatever you think is right". We *need* an omniscient God to make us step back and learn what will really help people- and we're supposed to have a relationship with God separate from our relationships with people. Morality doesn't subsume religious practices. Jesus left His earthly family without warning to commune with God. He gave advice on fasting, He got baptized, He instituted religious ceremonies like the Eucharist, He was addressed by His apostles as "Rabbi" (*not* "first among equals"). It's alright to go away from people so you can spend time with God, even when those people *think* they need your attention. It isn't loving to give humans the idea that they're the centre of the universe or that they're entitled to an explanation of every order God gives them. What's good to do is according to His logic- logic that may be incomprehensible to us- and that's why doing it requires faith, not just compassion. Faith is something you have in someone greater than you.
@James, Do you see that word "love" in your first sentence? What _you_ seem to have forgotten is that love is more than mindless obedience. That's called legalism, and Jesus spends a LOT of time railing against legalism. What Jesus is quoting when he says these two things are passages from the Old Testament, and those passages have a context. The "love God" passage comes from Deuteronomy 6 and is called "The Shema." The setting is that the Hebrews are moving from being a nomadic people in the wilderness to entering Canaan. In context, this passage reminds the Hebrews to reject polytheism, which is present everywhere around them. Their *identity* is that they are the ones who reject polytheism, and _love_ _their_ _one_ _God_. The love of God referenced here means to love God in ALL ways: emotionally, spiritually, and physically. And we know that God loves all his children (Psalm 145:9, Jonah 4:10-11, Micah 4:1-2, Genesis 1:27, Amos 9:7, Deuteronomy 10:18–19, Leviticus 19:34, Ezekiel 18:23). So if I am to love God in ALL ways, and God loves his other children, then *I* am to love his other children as well. You see, there *is* no contrast or contradiction like you're trying to imply. There is only harmony. In fact, you testify against God the Father when you try to deny his love of all mankind.
You seemed to have forgotten the part where Jesus told us: "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength", before the part where he tells us to love our neighbor. When our neighbors decide to kill their unborn children or OD on fentanyl and we do nothing, is that serving God, is that loving towards them? When we allow rapists, murders, thieves and child molesters to prey upon the most vulnerable in our society by not enforcing our laws, is that love? If your ideas are not rooted in objective moral truth, one given to us by God, you have a subjective standard that will shift to fit whatever societal norms, whims, etc. that you want them to fit. But I think you know all of this. You are picking and choosing what you want to follow. You are taking the place of judgement that rightfully belongs to God. You are using the bible for your purposes and discarding whatever you find distasteful, uncomfortable or not to your liking. I hope that you are able to see the truth and fall upon it and that you do not wait for it to fall upon you. I hope that your compassion is genuine and your intentions are sincere and you are not just using the word of God to manipulate and make arguments that you want to be true.
These two parts are not in opposition to each other. You must not choose one or other you must do both. Also in loving your neighbour you are demonstrating your love for God. Also Scripture explicitly says that if you say you love God and hate your brother, you are a liar. So there's that .
Agreed. They are not in opposition to each other but we live in a world that staunchly opposes God and anyone who believes that he created us and lovingly gave us rules and standards that are for our health and happiness. People wish to do what they want to do and be their own God, and that is their freedom to do so. But you cannot serve God and choose to behave however you wish and tell others to do so and get confused when Christians appeal to the God given rules and standards and seek a just and sane society, not one overrun by cowardice and "empathy". Letting people do what they want is not empathy.
The message from the bishop was simple and straightforward: Show mercy to the people who are scared. What part of that message was wrong? Even if you don't agree with someone or think what they do is morally or legally wrong, doesn't mean you cannot be merciful and kind.
*You* are in no higher position to evaluate someone *else's* relationship with God. NO ONE gets everything right relative to their relationship with God, and God doesn't expect them to. Each person is on a different path that started in a different place than you, and will end in a different place than you. God knows their whole path. You don't. You reduce the Lord to a cosmic rule giver and punisher. He will not stay in the box you craft for him, mortal.
I am not evaluating anyone's relationship with God. I am not on the side of those who think empathy is a sin but i am also firmly not on the side of those who think we should just not enforce rules and laws as a society. The article expresses exasperation with people who have no empathy for the criminal element of people who have been unchecked by the laws of the society that I am a part of and the lack of enforcement of rules. I am not putting God in a box. He is ultimately the judge of us all but he is pretty clear about the rules, laws and standards that we are judged by and how society will effectively run when in proper alignment to God's will and love for our fellow humans.
>those who think we should just not enforce rules and laws as a society
This is a canard. Nobody says that, so it is ridiculous for people who lean a little harder toward mercy than they do justice enforcement to be accused of such a stupid extreme.
They may not say it but our actions as a society play it out. We are actually now enforcing the laws that we previously weren't and evicting a bunch of criminals from our land because previously we let those individuals prey on our weakest members because to enforce the laws would be mean and racist or not "merciful". And we kill unborn children, especially unborn African American children, in staggering amounts because "well who are we to judge if you want to murder your child?". That's not a canard. That is beliefs played out at large in society.