Appealing to ancient scripture lends a spurious authority to the half baked spitting of contemporary bigots.

So there has never been one single person in your entire life who referred to Scripture who you did not think was a spitting bigot ?

Look, maybe I have encountered as many charlatans as you have. But you see, one prayer I prayed to God at the beginning of my Christian life which He answered. I prayed and asked God to lead me to people who could HELP my faith in Him rather than HURT my faith in Him.

I am not searching for bigots.
I am not hunting for bigots to spot them.
I am seeking normal Christians to encourage rather than discourage, my faith.

I asked God to help me meet people who could nourish and assist my faith in Him.
And God was faithful.

Besides, when you get down to it - What did Jesus do to hurt you anyway ?

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
[b]Humans decide what is morally acceptable.

Sorry but torturing babies for fun is always wrong regardless of what humans decide.[/b]

That's not necessarily true.

Originally posted by sonship

Appealing to ancient scripture lends a spurious authority to the half baked spitting of contemporary bigots.

So there has never been [b] one single person in your entire life who referred to Scripture who you did not think was a spitting bigot ?

Look, maybe I have encountered as many charlatans as you have. But you see, one ...[text shortened]... faithful.

Besides, when you get down to it - What did Jesus do to hurt you anyway ?[/b]

If bigots appeal to scripture it does not follow that everyone appealing to scripture is a bigot.

Clearly I am saying something different to what you imply.

Originally posted by sonship

We have had quite a number of theocratic nations on this planet and there is a lot of interest in imposing something of that kind in the US under the leadership of the American Taliban. I do not find the precedents encouraging.

I think we have had one genuine theocractic nation on earth's history, the nation of [b]Israel.

Now ther ...[text shortened]... brew Bible is surely an "integral part" of its own predicted "new covenant" - the New Testament.[/b]

There have been many theocratic nations on earth. The Aztecs were an example. The Muslim Caliphates were examples. Ferdinand and Isobella's Spain was an example. The papacy worked hard and only just failed to establish a theocracy across Western Europe: for a long time they were very close.

Originally posted by sonship

Selective quotation, selective interpretation, selective extrapolation is the order of the day.

This is something like a man I heard talk about the city of Jerusalem. He said that in Jerusalem history is like an obedient little donkey. Which ever way you directed it to turn, it turned.

I think this concept can be over played. Should ...[text shortened]... ut you didn't want to listen because you see, you hated Me. But I loved you and informed you. "

from my experience, the living God will illuminate those parts of the Bible to a man's conscience which God wants him to hear.

From my experience, any counter examples will be dismissed as not authentically Christian. In general, only the elect, the truly Christian, the properly trained believer, the thorough biblical scholar, is to be heard. As there is no sure way to determine who is the expert here, unless you belong to a Christian grouping with bishops and ideally a pope or a patriarch, it turns out that there is no objective way to discover who is really and truly a Christian and who is not. You are, it seems, a self proclaimed authority.

Originally posted by finnegan
There have been many theocratic nations on earth. The Aztecs were an example. The Muslim Caliphates were examples. Ferdinand and Isobella's Spain was an example. The papacy worked hard and only just failed to establish a theocracy across Western Europe: for a long time they were very close.

There have been many theocratic nations on earth. The Aztecs were an example. The Muslim Caliphates were examples. Ferdinand and Isobella's Spain was an example. The papacy worked hard and only just failed to establish a theocracy across Western Europe: for a long time they were very close.

Of course I know this. But I did say "genuine" theocratic nation.

Spain or the Aztecs did not give the world anything as impacting as the Hebrew Bible.
They made significant contributions though.

Can you think that Spain or the Caliphate of Islam or the Aztecs produced anything as influential as the ten commandments or the city of Jerusalem ?

I think you could make a case that Mohammed can compete with Moses. But who came first ? Who is an imitation of who ?

See what I mean ?

Originally posted by finnegan

From my experience, any counter examples will be dismissed as not authentically Christian. In general, only the elect, the truly Christian, the properly trained believer, the thorough biblical scholar, is to be heard. As there is no sure way to determine who is the expert here, unless you belong to a Christian grouping with bishops and ideally a pope or a patriarch, it turns out that there is no objective way to discover who is really and truly a Christian and who is not. You are, it seems, a self proclaimed authority.

i am not a self proclaimed scholar and authority. I have the word and I trust the Holy Spirit. I put out there some explanations and believe some people will see the sense of some of these interpretations.

I do not think my interpretations of the Bible are infallible.

A little Christian history: the Brethren of the 18th century was composed of many educated "clergy" who decided that they would not stand upon their ecclesiastical status at all. They did not think that that is what God wanted.

They ceased to meet as a clerical class and began to break bread from house to house and call themselves simply "Brothers." We call that move today "the Brethren". Get it? - "We Christians are all just brothers. Regardless of knowledge of Greek or Hebrew of homiletic or Church history, we no longer want this divisive status of hierarchy. We will go back to simply being Brothers."

The Quakers are similar.

So finnegan, i put out some explanations and interpretations. I think they either stand or fall. Anyone is able (and advized) to check some more educated academics to examine the things i write.

I am just a Christian brother to the other Christians. And to unbelievers - Well, I'm usually a pain in the neck.

"The truth will make you free but first it will piss you off."

Originally posted by finnegan

From my experience, any counter examples will be dismissed as not authentically Christian. In general, only the elect, the truly Christian, the properly trained believer,

Properly trained. I have to be properly trained indeed. I want to be properly trained.
I want to be ever under the training of the grace of God.

" For the grace of God has appeared, bring salvation to all men, TRAINING US that, denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in the present age,

Awaiting the blessed hope, even the appearing of the glory of the great God and our Savior, Christ Jesus ... " (Titus 2:11-13)

I do so much want to stay under this divine training.

Originally posted by finnegan
If bigots appeal to scripture it does not follow that everyone appealing to scripture is a bigot.

Clearly I am saying something different to what you imply.

Agreed.

Originally posted by twhitehead
No, I disagree that what people think is irrelevant. If everybody, yourself included, thought that torturing babies for fun was OK, then surely it would be OK, and you would agree (as that is one of the conditions).

[b]In a classroom, the teacher's rules with regards to behaviour are the ones that matter.
On what basis?

That's what I think.[ ...[text shortened]... ant to know why you think it. How did you decide that that was what was 'right'? Is it Biblical?

Are you saying it is not universally wrong to torture babies for fun?

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
Are you saying it is not universally wrong to torture babies for fun?

Oh come on, you were thoroughly defeated in this thread. Why have you resurrected it?

Leave those babies alone.

😠

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke
Oh come on, you were thoroughly defeated in this thread. Why have you resurrected it?

Leave those babies alone.

😠

Lol that is your subjective opinion. The babies are back to haunt you. 😛