which is it? Christian doctrine advises Christians 'love thy neighbour', but also advises them to hate (and sometimes kill) those who worship other or no gods. since neighbours often have different or no gods, how does that work? old question, done to death, but interested in responses nevertheless.
You fail again here. Christianity teaches that men are to "love their enemies" (Matthew 5). This was the great message from Christ. We preach the truth, even as enemies grow against us, because truth will eventually change dumb angry people and make them sane and sensible. Violence will not work, (as the OT taught), because there are too many dumb people who need be taught the truth.
then why do so many devout Christians expressly hate their enemies, and have no problem with using violence against those they hate? the problem I have is that this supposed "truth of faith", is ignored by so many of the "faithful">
In the Bible a person's neighbors were members of his own family unit/clan/tribe. They were not outsiders. Remember, Jesus told his disciples not to go to any Samaritan or Gentile towns. And it was against Jewish law to associate with such people. Since they were not their neighbors they didn't have to love them.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke 14:26-27&version=KJV " 26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. " cult leaders pray on the weak.... .
The Luke 14:26-27 passage is a restatement of Deuteronomy 13:6-18 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy 13:6-18&version=TLB;CEV;MEV;CEB;NLT. You have to share the same religious delusions if you want to have peace in the family or else they might kill you.
it surprises me that Christians, Muslims and Jews would follow this God after reading the religious texts about him, but even when you point them out, they refuse to see the truth many of those are indeed good Christians, Muslims and Jews too (not religious fanatics)... just simply blind to the truth it's ok though... I believe we will all eventually find enlightenment... no mater the path we take ...
One of the most ridiculous verses in the Bible is Deuteronomy 13:18 (TLB) = “Of course, the Lord your God will be merciful only if you have been obedient to him and to his commandments that I am giving you today, and if you have been doing that which is right in the eyes of the Lord." Now remember, the preceding instructions said that the listener had to go ape crap crazy and go on a killing and arson spree against the people who dared hold a different religious belief. But the Lord thinks that's the right thing to do. How insane is that? It's the same garbage that the ISIS & Taliban members believe in. Belief in ethnocentric Middle Eastern religious fairy tales is harmful to one's mental health. By a sane person's criteria such doctrine is pure evil.
that makes it even more confusing. again, since the enemy is very likely to have different gods, are you supposed to hate (and maybe kill) him, or love him?
so you only have to love your neighbour if they're exactly the same as you - otherwise all bets are off? and evidently a neighbour who was of a different faith and ALSO an enemy, would not last til breakfast. stoned to death with stones. seriously, I'm having trouble teasing this one out. how does the theist in the street reconcile such a deeply conditional version of the word love?
again, this does not speak of loving enemies (or differently faithed neighbours). if I'm missing something I'd be curious to hear it.
I don't know that they can't see the awfulness, so much as the brainwashing converts it to an acceptable form. like a a simple camera reverses an image. the mechanism which allows this to happen is the crucially important meme "god is good". once that's been installed by an authority figure and accepted by the subject, there is little possibility of viewing the negatives in their 'true' form without serious work. It's fascinating to see what happens on the rare occasions when someone retains just enough doubt to trigger a landslide return to 'normal'. I've been told of people being physically sick, after breaking the meme's grip. the full and uncorrupted view of what they'd defended for years was a little too much, apparently. - - - Updated - - - are you having a laugh? or pretending half the bible doesn't exist?
No, I'm asking where in the New Law, God tells us to kill people. Not the historical text of the OT. If all your arguments are going to hinge on old law, written for Jews, who lived in OT times... you might want to find something else to bicker about. Just seems people should understand what the Bible is, before childishly challenging it. Nonstop, I might add. Start with Romans.... if you're able pull yourself away from these stupid threads.
As much as you pretend to know about Christians, one would have assumed you understood the relationship of the OT to a Christian. That is pretty basic stuff, but yes, in a sense Mosaic law is superceded by the NT.
not a word of the law shall be changed, or whatevs. ten commandments. jesus prophesied, etc etc. dismiss the OT at risk of collapsing the foundations of the NT. but moving on, avoiding answering my questions this way isn't helpful.
Seems a lot of atheists here at PF are too busy arguing about what the Bible says to actually spend the time to find out. Odds are, tomorrow we'll see another thread about eating shellfish.
I've read the bible. Cover to cover. not interested in shellfish, as it happens. I am curious to know if a differently faithed enemy (or neighbour) is to be loved or hated.
Instead of erroneously quoting it... try actually reading it. In all fairness, your question was a stupid one.... but it was already answered. The Bible doesn't tell us to kill, or hate.
I can't even count how many times it clearly tells us to love everyone. The fact that you have to ask shows us you haven't read it.
How can you "Love" those you have decided are your Enemies? Does not the very act of mentally designating someone an enemy require the removal of love? Personally, I freely admit I do not "Love" Christians and their faith...but they are most certainly not my enemies, though many here have decided I am theirs.
It's nice that you think I remember lines from your book, but I did read it. I know because it was stupifyingly dull. The question is more stupid if you don't like it Ah, so at no point in the bible does god recommend killing (usually an act of hatred)?
