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Things About Christianity that Jesus would not be Happy About

That's what the poster I responded to said. He said he takes scripture literally and that's what the scripture says. So, which one is it?
God gave us the law to better know him. He also knows our incapacity to follow it, and thankfully, has infinite mercy when we are contrite about it. I count on that. As easy as it is to make really good jokes about the catholic concept of purgatory, it’s actually quite comforting to me to know that you don’t have to leave this life fully baked for heaven, even if you are in the waiting room for a while

You know, it’s seems to me that both our literalist friend’s and our mdiv friend’s approaches suffer different shortcomings of hyperscriptual focus. The former seems to ignore a pretty big message that is largely the focus of the New Testament (ie, mercy). The latter’s neo-historicism falls into the trap of being so obsessed with drawing inferential meaning that it draws bad, or at least unnecessary inferences that likewise distract from the point.
 
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God gave us the law to better know him. He also knows our incapacity to follow it, and thankfully, has infinite mercy when we are contrite about it. I count on that. As easy as it is to make really good jokes about the catholic concept of purgatory, it’s actually quite comforting to me to know that you don’t have to leave this life fully baked for heaven, even if you are in the waiting room for a while

You know, it’s seems to me that both our literalist friend’s and our mdiv friend’s approaches suffer different shortcomings of hyperscriptual focus. The former seems to ignore a pretty big message that is largely the focus of the New Testament (ie, mercy). The latter’s neo-historicism falls into the trap of being so obsessed with drawing inferential meaning that it draws bad, or at least unnecessary inferences that likewise distract from the point.
There are no lawyers in heaven. You're screwed.
 
#1 on the list should be Christian “rock”.

Jesus would shield his ears upon hearing such garbage, and label it as an affront to both God and rock ‘n roll.
Hope you're not including Christian metal. There is some darn fine Christian metal out there.

 
The references that scholars point to include female analogies for God. It is also a good idea to look into the characterization of God as Lady Wisdom. I understand that this is deeper and a level beyond “but the Bible uses HE.”


Genesis 1:27 Women and Men created in God’s image

“Humankind was created as God’s reflection: in the divine image God created them; female and male, God made them.”

Hosea 11:3-4 God described as a mother

God: “Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, I who took them up in my arms; but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with bands of love. I was to them like those who lift infants to their cheeks. I bent down to them and fed them.”

Hosea 13:8 God described as a mother bear

“Like a bear robbed of her cubs, I will attack them and tear them asunder…”

Deuteronomy 32:11-12 God described as a mother eagle

“Like the eagle that stirs up its nest, and hovers over its young, God spreads wings to catch you, and carries you on pinions.”

Deuteronomy 32:18 God who gives birth

“You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you; you forgot the God who gave you birth.”

Isaiah 66:13 God as a comforting mother

God: “As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.”

Isaiah 49:15 God compared to a nursing mother

God: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.”

Isaiah 42:14 God as a woman in labor

God: “For a long time I have held my peace, I have kept myself still and restrained myself; now I will cry out like a woman in labor, I will gasp and pant.”



Psalm 131:2 God as a Mother

“But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; my soul is like the weaned child that is with me.”

Psalm 123:2-3 God compared to a woman

“As the eyes of a servant looks to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to you, YHWH, until you show us your mercy!”

Matthew 23:37 and Luke 13:34 God as a Mother Hen

Jesus: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!”

Luke 15:8-10 God as woman looking for her lost coin

Jesus: “Or what woman having ten silver coins, is she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
None of these scriptures you mentioned have anything to do with God's gender identity. These are simply illustrations , or comparisons.
The greatest man to ever walk the earth identified God as "his father" how many times in the gospels
I don't really want to write them all down here but maybe you should go back thru those and see if you find Jesus identifying God as female. You won't find it.....
Ill give you just one....The model prayer
Matthew 6:6-10-But when you pray, go into your private room and, after shutting your door, pray to your Father who is in secret. Then your Father who looks on in secret will repay you. 7 When praying, do not say the same things over and over again as the people of the nations do, for they imagine they will get a hearing for their use of many words. 8 So do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need even before you ask him.9 “You must pray, then, this way:“‘Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. 10 Let your Kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also on earth. 11 Give us today our bread for this day;12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver* us from the wicked one.’*14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15 whereas if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
 
None of these scriptures you mentioned have anything to do with God's gender identity. These are simply illustrations , or comparisons.
The greatest man to ever walk the earth identified God as "his father" how many times in the gospels
I don't really want to write them all down here but maybe you should go back thru those and see if you find Jesus identifying God as female. You won't find it.....
I'm not really impressed with our M. Div.'s ability to think. He sure does like to appeal to the "authority" of academia though.
 
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It's too bad He didn't tell everyone, "though shall not own people as property". That would've prevented quite a few problems.
 
It's too bad He didn't tell everyone, "though shall not own people as property". That would've prevented quite a few problems.
Exodus 21:16 says, “Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death.”
 
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Christianity believes in the Triune God: God the Father,
God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. For many centuries
the Christian Church has confessed their faith in the
Apostles Creed. It begins: " I believe in God the Father
Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth."
 
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Christianity believes in the Triune God: God the Father,
God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. For many centuries
the Christian Church has confessed their faith in the
Apostles Creed. It begins: " I believe in God the Father
Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth."
If you ever have an hour to kill, this is well worth the time;
 
God gave us the law to better know him. He also knows our incapacity to follow it, and thankfully, has infinite mercy when we are contrite about it. I count on that. As easy as it is to make really good jokes about the catholic concept of purgatory, it’s actually quite comforting to me to know that you don’t have to leave this life fully baked for heaven, even if you are in the waiting room for a while

You know, it’s seems to me that both our literalist friend’s and our mdiv friend’s approaches suffer different shortcomings of hyperscriptual focus. The former seems to ignore a pretty big message that is largely the focus of the New Testament (ie, mercy). The latter’s neo-historicism falls into the trap of being so obsessed with drawing inferential meaning that it draws bad, or at least unnecessary inferences that likewise distract from the point.
and you my friend suffer from the common misbelief that people can sin with impunity, over and over, but as long as you go to confession it's all good right? Doesn't work that way. And yes I believe in God's mercy and patience. But even his patience and mercy has limits. His patience only went so far with the wicked in Noah's day, and in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
2 Peter 2:4-6 sums it up nicely " Certainly God did not refrain from punishing the angels who sinned, but threw them into Tarʹta·rus,* putting them in chains* of dense darkness to be reserved for judgment. 5 And he did not refrain from punishing an ancient world, but kept Noah, a preacher of righteousness, safe with seven others when he brought a flood upon a world of ungodly people. 6 And by reducing the cities of Sodʹom and Go·morʹrah to ashes, he condemned them, setting a pattern for ungodly people of things to come."
The truth of it is just this: Most people today do not want to know what God requires of them. They do not want anyone, God included, to tell them how they should live their lives. They have chosen for themselves what conduct is acceptable, even if God says it's wrong. That's not making mistakes. That's outright choosing to be independent of God and his standards. It may be blunt but that's where most of the world is. And the so called religious leaders of churches who support or condone conduct that God hates are just as guilty. In fact more so as they claim to represent the God of the Bible and are responsible for the care of their congregations. Why do you think people are leaving religion? They are leaving because of the hypocrisy of the religious leaders, and their support of unscriptural doctrines. People aren't taught the bible in church anymore. Its a social sermon, or a political sermon. People are leaving feeling empty and not having their spiritual needs filled.
The farther that people get from God's standards and principles found in His word, the worse things become. The chaos in the world is proof of that.
 
and you my friend suffer from the common misbelief that people can sin with impunity, over and over, but as long as you go to confession it's all good right? Doesn't work that way. And yes I believe in God's mercy and patience. But even his patience and mercy has limits. His patience only went so far with the wicked in Noah's day, and in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
2 Peter 2:4-6 sums it up nicely " Certainly God did not refrain from punishing the angels who sinned, but threw them into Tarʹta·rus,* putting them in chains* of dense darkness to be reserved for judgment. 5 And he did not refrain from punishing an ancient world, but kept Noah, a preacher of righteousness, safe with seven others when he brought a flood upon a world of ungodly people. 6 And by reducing the cities of Sodʹom and Go·morʹrah to ashes, he condemned them, setting a pattern for ungodly people of things to come."
The truth of it is just this: Most people today do not want to know what God requires of them. They do not want anyone, God included, to tell them how they should live their lives. They have chosen for themselves what conduct is acceptable, even if God says it's wrong. That's not making mistakes. That's outright choosing to be independent of God and his standards. It may be blunt but that's where most of the world is. And the so called religious leaders of churches who support or condone conduct that God hates are just as guilty. In fact more so as they claim to represent the God of the Bible and are responsible for the care of their congregations. Why do you think people are leaving religion? They are leaving because of the hypocrisy of the religious leaders, and their support of unscriptural doctrines. People aren't taught the bible in church anymore. Its a social sermon, or a political sermon. People are leaving feeling empty and not having their spiritual needs filled.
The farther that people get from God's standards and principles found in His word, the worse things become. The chaos in the world is proof of that.
Not at all sir. Not at all.

I do get a kick though out of your reference to Old Testament god. I’m pretty big on prodigal son god.
 
Not at all sir. Not at all.

I do get a kick though out of your reference to Old Testament god. I’m pretty big on prodigal son god.
You might realize that scripture in 2 Peter is in the new testament? And you do realize many fine principles are found in the Old Testament? Oh and the same God of the OT is the same one in the NT.
And you reference the prodigal son frequently. You do realize it was only after the son repented of his lifestyle and wanted to ask his fathers forgiveness did he go home? The lesson Jesus was presenting here was to illustrate how God feels toward those who are repentant and sincere in their desire to clean up their life.
The scribes and Pharisees of Jesus' day were hard hearted in their view of common people. They did not want to extend mercy to those who had previously been living sinful lives. Instead they were unwelcoming and resentful.
One of the main lessons of this illustration was that if those who deviated from God's ways were truly repentant, they would humbly return to God to return to his favor, just as the son did in Jesus parable.
 
You might realize that scripture in 2 Peter is in the new testament? And you do realize many fine principles are found in the Old Testament? Oh and the same God of the OT is the same one in the NT.
And you reference the prodigal son frequently. You do realize it was only after the son repented of his lifestyle and wanted to ask his fathers forgiveness did he go home? The lesson Jesus was presenting here was to illustrate how God feels toward those who are repentant and sincere in their desire to clean up their life.
The scribes and Pharisees of Jesus' day were hard hearted in their view of common people. They did not want to extend mercy to those who had previously been living sinful lives. Instead they were unwelcoming and resentful.
One of the main lessons of this illustration was that if those who deviated from God's ways were truly repentant, they would humbly return to God to return to his favor, just as the son did in Jesus parable.
Of course.
Repentance is both easy, and it counts. I’m not comvinced you get that.
 
history-george_lucas-bible-gospel-bible_story-sunday_school-cszn103_low.jpg
 
You might realize that scripture in 2 Peter is in the new testament? And you do realize many fine principles are found in the Old Testament? Oh and the same God of the OT is the same one in the NT.
And you reference the prodigal son frequently. You do realize it was only after the son repented of his lifestyle and wanted to ask his fathers forgiveness did he go home? The lesson Jesus was presenting here was to illustrate how God feels toward those who are repentant and sincere in their desire to clean up their life.
The scribes and Pharisees of Jesus' day were hard hearted in their view of common people. They did not want to extend mercy to those who had previously been living sinful lives. Instead they were unwelcoming and resentful.
One of the main lessons of this illustration was that if those who deviated from God's ways were truly repentant, they would humbly return to God to return to his favor, just as the son did in Jesus parable.
You are not incorrect but before the son repented to his father, it is important to note that the father ran to his son, already full of compassion. The other parables here show the nature of God, unconditionally and consistently pursuing His people with love. Repentance is important and necessary, but God pursues all of our hearts first:

Luke 15:20 NIV
[20] So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
 
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You are not incorrect but before the son repented to his father, it is important to note that the father ran to his son, already full of compassion. The other parables here show the nature of God, unconditionally and consistently pursuing His people with love. Repentance is important and necessary, but God pursues all of our hearts first:

Luke 15:20 NIV
[20] So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
Agreed. God is always on the lookout for those truly repentant sinners that want to return to him. But the son had to take the first step. He had to recognize and abandon his debauched lifestyle , then return to his father . The father in the parable running to meet his son shows God is ready to meet us when we return to him ….
 
Exodus 21:16 says, “Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death.”
Nice cherry pick. What about the many other verses explaining who to own, how to treat them, and what to do with them.
 
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Morality is the biggest one .
God intended marriage to be between man and woman. Sex was to have a rightful place within that marriage arrangement.
He has not changed in his viewpoint on homosexual relationships . In his eyes it’s wrong .
Most churches have condoned or supported this lifestyle. Paul under inspiration made it clear in 1st Corinthians 6:9-11 “Or do you not know that unrighteous people will not inherit God’s Kingdom? Do not be misled. Those who are sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, men who submit to homosexual acts, men who practice homosexuality, 10 thieves, greedy people, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners will not inherit God’s Kingdom. 11 And yet that is what some of you were. But you have been washed clean; you have been sanctified; you have been declared righteous in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and with the spirit of our God.”

Paul not only clearly explained what kind of conduct would disqualify a person from gaining the Kingdom, but his words in verse 11 help us appreciate that some people who were engaging in that conduct changed with God’s help. They had been washed clean and their worship was now acceptable to God.
Again it’s important to understand that God sets the standards not humans. If we truly seek a friendship with Him we must be willing to make changes , no matter the personal cost.
Since you seem to claim such expertise you should be aware that your text above is the English standard version of the Bible published in 2002 based on the work of conservative evangelicals.

The original Greek from which it derives does not have a consistent definition for the english words you shared. In particular Paul uses the term “arsenokoitai“ for which there is debate as to its cultural meaning at the time Paul wrote it.

More knowledgeable people than me indicate you won’t find it in any other Greek texts of the era prior to Paul’s. He made up the word as a combo of “male” and “bed”. So we have to interpret what Paul meant. It may indeed refer to homosexuality, but it also may refer to male prostitution, masturbation, or pedophilia. We cannot say for certain that Paul was referencing homosexuality in his writing.

The fact you profess such absolutism based on the work of modern day evangelicals (who have a clear bias) does not speak well to your postings. Perhaps you should study more and preach less.
 
Since you seem to claim such expertise you should be aware that your text above is the English standard version of the Bible published in 2002 based on the work of conservative evangelicals.

The original Greek from which it derives does not have a consistent definition for the english words you shared. In particular Paul uses the term “arsenokoitai“ for which there is debate as to its cultural meaning at the time Paul wrote it.

More knowledgeable people than me indicate you won’t find it in any other Greek texts of the era prior to Paul’s. He made up the word as a combo of “male” and “bed”. So we have to interpret what Paul meant. It may indeed refer to homosexuality, but it also may refer to male prostitution, masturbation, or pedophilia. We cannot say for certain that Paul was referencing homosexuality in his writing.

The fact you profess such absolutism based on the work of modern day evangelicals (who have a clear bias) does not speak well to your postings. Perhaps you should study more and preach less.
lol..actually you might want to do a little more research on what Paul was saying here.
Paul said at 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10: “What! Do you not know that unrighteous persons will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be misled. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men kept for unnatural purposes , or “male prostitutes,” [New International Version;]“effeminate,” [King James Version], nor men who lie with men ; “sodomites,” [Jerusalem Bible];homosexual perverts, [Todays English Version],will inherit God’s kingdom.” Note that Paul specifically mentioned those who evidently take on a passive sexual role and those who assume a more active “male” role in their immoral relations. Thus he made it plain that God disapproves of all homosexual acts. How many versions of the scriptures that refer to this do you need here to get the point ?
My main point in this post was to say that people have decided to make their own standards of right and wrong. That’s not debatable.
 
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