15 Jul '10 11:48>4 edits
Originally posted by twhiteheadMaybe its because I feel you are taking each of his teachings in isolation and saying that it wont work. You have to remember the parable of the talents, ie he taught that if you have talents, you should use them. So living like Jesus taught would include hard work.
Maybe its because I feel you are taking each of his teachings in isolation and saying that it wont work. You have to remember the parable of the talents, ie he taught that if you have talents, you should use them. So living like Jesus taught would include hard work.
I also think that he did teach that you should have ideals and strength of conviction. I ...[text shortened]... ves to the poor because he is scared of punishment if he doesn't is missing the point entirely.
ok, ground given there...but working with a literal framework we're considering a somewhat extreme situation and you're imposing a condition that applies to all people with complete generality; it's the latter I take issue with. There may well be endeavours in which the payoff for mankind as a whole exceeds the expense paid, necessarily, by one individual; but that one individual, being human, might still evaluate the costs as too high (even when lending higher weight to the desire that he lives like Jesus).
I also think that he did teach that you should have ideals and strength of conviction. I do not think that being forced to live like Jesus really counts.
I have always believed that a Christian who gives to the poor because he is scared of punishment if he doesn't is missing the point entirely.
But did he teach the special case that strength of conviction should always, without exception, dwarf any hesitation?
On your final point I agree, it does offend me slightly when some Christians question my morality purely by virtue of my failure to believe in God when they themselves suggest they act as they do only out of fear or expectation of eternal paradise.