Went to Confession...

I guess a lot of christians do follow that advice, especially in the last decade.

snakes aren't wise.

a snake attacks reactively.

 

Cunning would have probably been a better word. i resent your inference but whatever. Christians aren't attacking muslims or atheists for that matter. Matter of fact if left alone and not consistently attacked such as on this board, in the media, entertainment, gov't, business and socially, christians are very peaceful and they certainly aren't starting any of these aggressive topics on this board. So, then exactly WHO are the verbally and physically violent ones?

 

wisdom and cunning are not in any way similar words.

christians are not peaceful.

they are human beings.

many are peaceful, a considerable number are not.

on this board, some of the nastiest and most aggressive posters identify as christian.

america identifies as a "christian" nation. its reaction to 9/11 was to start two wars, one with a country that in no way whatsoever could be blamed for any involvement in 9/11.

 

A snake is able to survive without feet, claws and teeth using new forms of senses and new methods to hunt. Jesus was very wise when he used this picture of the wise snake. Specially also because the snake is a creature what shows very good how fragile life is and how important biodiversity is. And this example shows also very good how we have to fight against the wrong pictures in our own brains. What you are calling "not wise" (I guess because you are not able to imagine nice snakes) seems to be only a human-centralized or ego-centralized form of wisdom. The way to see even in snakes our wise brothers and sisters is not a popular way. Without any doubt Jesus was very wise and without any doubt snakes are on very good reasons a symbol for wisdom and health.

The real question is perhaps: Are we ourselve wise although we are calling us ourselve "homo sapiens sapiens". That's Latin and means "worst idiots of all idtios from the third planet of the solar system". A snake is for example not doing most uncalculable experiments with green house gases in global dimeusions to accelerate a climate change what couöd in the worst case kill all snakes and all human beings for all thinkable futures. From the point of view of the earth we are the main reason for the begining of the worst speciocid this planet ever had seen in history. And the world does nearly nothing - thats written n-o-t-h-i-n-g - against because the USA, China and India are "thinking" a lot without any will to survive.

http://youtu.be/Oos7tkWrKyY
http://youtu.be/pWrMDd-_sp8

 

I have no problem with snakes, and have probably far less fear of them than you do. I have had plenty do with them, however I can assure you that even non venomous snakes react in a similar way to other snakes.

snakes are not wise. they react - that's what animals do.

snakes have adapted to suit their environment. christians (and muslims) have adapted their environment to suit them. I can certainly understand why the analogy of the snake was used, a snake is unobtrusive, it blends in to the environment. if you are out walking you have to be observant to spot a snake. snakes don't make proclamations, or loud noises, nor are they flashy.

perhaps THAT is why they are often regarded as wise in mythology (in the chinese tradition snakes are also seen as wise). to use discretion, and to think before you speak and to not make a spectacle of yourself are generally signs of having at least some wisdom.

I love your definition of homo sapiens.

as a species we are definitely NOT wise.

 

Horaz:
Dimidium facti, qui coepit, habet: sapere aude, incipe

Immanuel Kant:



http://youtu.be/nYmrUmRsATI

 

That is very true, however when Jesus preached the gospel He hid it in the form of parables, but only told the meaning of it in private to His disciples. So believe it or not Jesus never wanted the masses to be converted. It’s one of the reasons why Jesus told the 12 disciples that they were chosen, after many of the others that He spoke to left Him, but the 12 did not. It’s also why Jesus said that no one can come to Him, if the Father does not calls them.

There are many ignorant Christians when it comes to the scriptures and what God is doing. Most Christians don’t know that the gospel that Jesus preached is not the same gospel that Christians are familiar with today. Christians today, try to tell people about Jesus, but Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom.....Jesus never went around preaching about Himself. And He commanded the disciples, and by extension us as well to preached the same message that He preached. Jesus said when the gospel of the kingdom is preached around the world then the end would come.