Does God demand equality?

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Does God demand equality?

Post by Gnostic Christian Bishop »

Ted;1484836 wrote: My view says the world is not the best it could be. But we see in Jesus the role we must play. We are to work toward a better world. Let us not forget the parable of the Good Samaritan. My neighbour is anyone on this planet that need help. Thousands starving to death or being tortured to death. The parable of the Wedding Feast again shows us what we are to do; look after the poor and the impoverished and those living under oppression. The world will never attain perfection but it is out duty to work towards a better world. Personally I as a Christian am a social democrat. You spoke of capitalism a few posts back. Unbridled capitalism is a curse. We see that 5% or less control and hold about 95% of the world's wealth while a large part of the world's population is living in poverty and under oppression and live in fear for their lives. This is in my view immoral. My own country is fostering immoral situations. Typical conservative thinking.


The Abrahamic cults, Christianity and Islam both give Jesus lip service respect while ignoring his teachings.

The world, overall, is still progressing reasonably well in spite of this religious shortcoming.



Having said the above, it would not take much in political will to set the world to a more ideal and moral socio economic demographic shape.

Here is what that would look like. I have forgotten if I showed you this earlier.

9 Out Of 10 Americans Are Completely Wrong About This Mind-Blowing Fact

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Post by Ted »

When we look back at Abraham etc and judge them we are judging them in hind site. Jesus had not appeared on the scene in the time of Abraham if he even existed. "Religious shortcoming"????? in your view.
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Ted;1484845 wrote: When we look back at Abraham etc and judge them we are judging them in hind site. Jesus had not appeared on the scene in the time of Abraham if he even existed. "Religious shortcoming"????? in your view.


Absolutely.

I thought that you also thought little of the homophobic and misogynous mainstream religions and their ignoring of moral teachings.

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Post by Ted »

Homophobia and misogyny are both a curse as far as I am concerned. If I turn my back on them I have no opportunity to teach them otherwise.
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Ted;1484860 wrote: Homophobia and misogyny are both a curse as far as I am concerned. If I turn my back on them I have no opportunity to teach them otherwise.


Indeed.

I too do not believe in turning my back on evil.

For evil to grow, all we need do is turn our back to it.

If all of us, or at least the good of us, girdled out loins and joined the fray against those foul religions, the world would turn quite quickly from it's present stance on many issues.

All we need to do is remind those religions that equality is the base of all justice and that no religion can be righteous without the equality of all people.

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Post by Ted »

I agree here. Karen Armstrong a renound religious historian has convincingly shown, in her book "The Great Transformation", that all of the world's great faiths were founded on Justice and compassion. Lets not blame the religion for the evil in people: the extremists etc.
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Ted;1485052 wrote: I agree here. Karen Armstrong a renound religious historian has convincingly shown, in her book "The Great Transformation", that all of the world's great faiths were founded on Justice and compassion. Lets not blame the religion for the evil in people: the extremists etc.


I do blame the people because it is the people via priests and imams who interpret what the holy books say and as we both recognize, those interpretations are what created and continue to create homophobic and misogynous religions.

That is why Ms. Armstrong is trying to change the focus back to the Golden Rule. She speaks to that in this link.

Bill Moyers Journal . Watch & Listen | PBS

Rabbi Hillel, the older contemporary of Jesus, said that when asked to sum up the whole of Jewish teaching, while he stood on one leg, said, "The Golden Rule. That which is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the Torah. And everything else is only commentary. Now, go and study it."

Please listen as to what is said about literal reading.

"Origen, the great second or third century Greek commentator on the Bible said that it is absolutely impossible to take these texts literally. You simply cannot do so. And he said, "God has put these sort of conundrums and paradoxes in so that we are forced to seek a deeper meaning."

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Post by Ted »

But there is a great failure to consider those developmentally challenged, or the mentally ill or those of a lower mentality. Some of these folks have to depend on others.

Of course we have the Einsteins of the world but they too can and do make mistakes. It is a gross error to try to make one size fits all.
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Post by Ted »

Since we are all human we do make mistakes deliberately or in good faith.
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Ted;1485061 wrote: Since we are all human we do make mistakes deliberately or in good faith.


I agree with this and your other post and that is why the truth is so important and why I resent priests and imams knowingly lying to the gullible and to dumb to recognize the con.

We are our brothers keeper.

Do unto others my friend.

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Post by Ted »

Are they knowingly lying or do they believe they hold the truth? There are a lot of people in this world that hold the idea that they alone hold the truth. Thus we have some 22000 variations of Christian sects around the world. I feel sorry for those folks because I firmly believe that no one not even me have much of a grasp of the truth.
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Post by Gnostic Christian Bishop »

Ted;1485073 wrote: Are they knowingly lying or do they believe they hold the truth? There are a lot of people in this world that hold the idea that they alone hold the truth. Thus we have some 22000 variations of Christian sects around the world. I feel sorry for those folks because I firmly believe that no one not even me have much of a grasp of the truth.


If I say that God is unknowable and unfathomable, --- and then I start reaming off what I say I know and fathom of the unknowable and unfathomable, --- would you think I was lying and do you think I would not know that I am lying, --- as I make stuff up?

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Post by Ted »

"As I make stuff up" Yes but many folks believe they have the sole handle on the truth. Regardless of how they got that information is irrelevant they believed what they were taught.
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Ted;1485126 wrote: "As I make stuff up" Yes but many folks believe they have the sole handle on the truth. Regardless of how they got that information is irrelevant they believed what they were taught.


Then they should remember that the first truth they are taught is that God is unknowable and unfathomable and that that first truth should be humbling them to admit that they are likely lying when saying anything about God.

That is the moral thing to do yet priests and imams do not start with the moral thing.

Demonstrably, they are liars. Some with good hearts, granted, but liars nevertheless and likely bright enough to know it.

Here is an example.



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Post by Ted »

Have many ever been taught that God is unknowable or unfathomable?? When I was growing up in a fundamentalist church I was never taught or even heard that. Like trying to blame someone for getting a cold.
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Ted;1485270 wrote: Have many ever been taught that God is unknowable or unfathomable?? When I was growing up in a fundamentalist church I was never taught or even heard that. Like trying to blame someone for getting a cold.


Yes many have been taught that as can be seen every time a Christian has his back to the wall on a religious discussion he is loosing and pops out with how God works in mysterious ways as his only reply left to hide behind so as not to admit he has lost the argument.

Hypocrisy at it's best that Christians are forced to use constantly to maintain their immoral double standards of morality.



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Post by Ted »

I was raised in a fundy church and God's unknowabllity and unfathomability was never taught. There are millions in like minded congregations around the world in the same sport. Here you do what Dawkins did generalize to every one. No a good osition to be in. I'm now in a mainline church and that has never been mentioned in 20 years. Perhaps a little research on your part would change that.
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Ted;1485354 wrote: I was raised in a fundy church and God's unknowabllity and unfathomability was never taught. There are millions in like minded congregations around the world in the same sport. Here you do what Dawkins did generalize to every one. No a good osition to be in. I'm now in a mainline church and that has never been mentioned in 20 years. Perhaps a little research on your part would change that.


As I said, that mysterious ways and unfathomable line get's hauled out when Christians have their backs to the wall.

As to your education, let me add to it.

Romans 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!

I never lie. I am almost phobic on that thanks to my absentmindedness. I might forget a lie but never the truth.

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Post by Ted »

I did not accuse you of lying. I simply pointed out a reality of my experience and observations. Those are and were experiential realities. BTW the Bible also tells us to "Study to show yourself approved ".. Jesus has quoted as saying "You shall know the truth and it shall set you free".
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Ted;1485385 wrote: I did not accuse you of lying. I simply pointed out a reality of my experience and observations. Those are and were experiential realities. BTW the Bible also tells us to "Study to show yourself approved ".. Jesus has quoted as saying "You shall know the truth and it shall set you free".


Yes but free of what?

I suggest it was free of religions and being a sheeple.

Note that Gnostic Christians are goats working towards freedom.

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Post by Ted »

Free to live our lives in any way we wish provided we do not have a negative impact on others in our societies. Bonhoeffer Sp?? wrote about religion less Christianity. I support that. Jesus way was to do and make our world a better place for all.
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Ted;1485456 wrote: Free to live our lives in any way we wish provided we do not have a negative impact on others in our societies. Bonhoeffer Sp?? wrote about religion less Christianity. I support that. Jesus way was to do and make our world a better place for all.


A worthy goal but not quite the right mind set.

To not have a negative impact to the evil ones in our society is for good people to let evil grow.

Jesus cleared the temple of the money changers and I see that as not letting evil grow. He impacted them in a negative way.

It is a good thing that you and I do not believe in coincidences. Look who sings this one.



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Post by Ted »

But we do not have to be overly negative. Jesus drove out those who were cheating the citizens. Jesus has righteous anger against those who are using people for their own gain. Then Jesus apparently that we should love our enemies.
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Ted;1485530 wrote: But we do not have to be overly negative. Jesus drove out those who were cheating the citizens. Jesus has righteous anger against those who are using people for their own gain. Then Jesus apparently that we should love our enemies.


The Romans like that one. That is why they wrote it into scriptures.

Would you tell that to the Jews lined up in front of the ovens?

I did not think so.

Socrates also said that we should love our enemies, but only after we have made them friends. Reciprocity is fair play and even God gives hate for hate, evil for evil, even though scriptures say to answer evil with good.

Who, today, cheats more citizens than all the churches and mosques, priests and imams world wide?

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Post by Ted »

Jesus had the habit of great exaggeration at times when he spoke. I think his real point is rather simple, love is the best way. "The Romans wrote that", you are joking right. Whomever the author of that Gospel was we don't know but he wrote it. I doubt he was even close to being a Roman. This is just wishful thinking on your part since you really don't want to understand the Bible. I accept the writings of all the great faiths in general. Sure, many also contain things that I do not support. Understanding is important rather than wild speculation basd on wishful thinking.
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Ted;1485681 wrote: Jesus had the habit of great exaggeration at times when he spoke. I think his real point is rather simple, love is the best way. "The Romans wrote that", you are joking right. Whomever the author of that Gospel was we don't know but he wrote it. I doubt he was even close to being a Roman. This is just wishful thinking on your part since you really don't want to understand the Bible. I accept the writings of all the great faiths in general. Sure, many also contain things that I do not support. Understanding is important rather than wild speculation basd on wishful thinking.


Sure. Every priest I had up against a mental wall always come back with that foolish idiom.

You insult thinking people with a thoughtless saying that hold no value.

If love was a way, it is strange that Christianity did everything but love when it killed all who would not think as they did and burned all their holy books.

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Post by Ted »

There are Christians and there are Christians. Common sense dictates that we cannot tar all with the same brush.
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Ted;1486212 wrote: There are Christians and there are Christians. Common sense dictates that we cannot tar all with the same brush.


All who fly the cross are the same color.

They all lack good morals thanks to their embracing the notion that guilty people should profit from an innocent man being punished instead of themselves.

Substitutional punishment is quite immoral and all Christians begin their religious life accepting that satanic moral; tenet.



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Post by Ted »

So don't blame all Christians and even those who relate to the cross as a symbol of Jesus love for all humans. Blame those who came up with and teach substitutionary atonement. Yes a mindless invention and demeaning to the Divine.
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Ted;1486253 wrote: So don't blame all Christians and even those who relate to the cross as a symbol of Jesus love for all humans. Blame those who came up with and teach substitutionary atonement. Yes a mindless invention and demeaning to the Divine.


Those who fly the cross only care about Jesus' love because of the salvation that comes with it.

Take that salvation out of the equation and watch the crosses come down. Christians are self-serving and do not wish to serve God.

The Christian divorce and abortion rates show this clearly.

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Post by FourPart »

Gnostic Christian Bishop;1486262 wrote: Those who fly the cross only care about Jesus' love because of the salvation that comes with it.



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Post by Gnostic Christian Bishop »

I see nothing that refutes what I said.

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Gnostic Christian Bishop;1486300 wrote: I see nothing that refutes what I said.

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So you don't see the discrepancy of the KKK flying the Cross because they only care about God's love - whilst hanging blacks - because it is God's will? That's some tough love.
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FourPart;1486304 wrote: So you don't see the discrepancy of the KKK flying the Cross because they only care about God's love - whilst hanging blacks - because it is God's will? That's some tough love.


My statement was ---

Those who fly the cross only care about Jesus' love because of the salvation that comes with it.

Take that salvation out of the equation and watch the crosses come down. Christians are self-serving and do not wish to serve God.

The Christian divorce and abortion rates show this clearly.

---------------------

Take the salvation angle away from Christianity and watch the KKK find some other emblem for their cause.

Nothing you have said refutes what I put.

All of Christianity is immoral so the KKK is just another part of that.

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Post by Ted »

I choose not to respond since I think it is nonsense.
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