Venting on hypocrisy - Page 4  

You are certianly entitled to your opinion, but I have to disagree. I believe that MANY Christian denominations have members who follow the bible to the near letter as they interpert it.

For instance, the reason that many Protestant churches do not have statues of Jesus is the 2nd commandment.
http://www.bibletexts.com/terms/10co...ts-texts.htm#2
And the 7th Day Adventist Church believes that The Sabbath is Friday at sundown to Saturday at sundown.

I am not disputing that there are extremely devout Catholics. I'm just pointing out that other denominations have members just as faithful.

I have read the Bible cover to cover. I've read some chapters several times. I have to say that I get confused. I don't blame the Bible. I just believe as a human I don't have the capacity to understand it all right now. I try not to interpert things for others because my interpertation may not be right. I do not want to be the cause of someone being mislead. I do, however, believe that God judges us by the light we know.

No back to the main topic...
I do not believe that true Christians hate homosexuals. Sure, some may use it as an excuse, but anyone who is really a Christian shouldn't be hating others. If a Christian believes that God will turn away homosexuals because that it what they read in the Bible, they are trying to warn them out of love, not out of hate.

God doesn't hate the murderer, prostitute or homosexual. He never has/never will. He hates the "actions" of those mentioned. He expects you to stop and turn away from the sins.

And you can have pictures of Jesus - not of God - no one has actually seen God, so we don't know what he looks like. But people have seen Jesus

Ya, and he probably had black hair and dark brown skin, not blond hair and blue eyes.

IMO he probably looked more like the typical Jewish person. Remember you didn't want someone that different looking. Jesus was born "Jewish"

I think he was inbetween dark and light

I'm guessing you are referring to my post quoting a couple of commandments. You can have pictures of Jesus if you want. Some churches/Christians believe that the 2nd commandment warns against it though. It's a matter of interpertation.

Sure, people have seen Jesus, but as far as knowing what Jesus looks like, I already hi-jacked this thread far enough.

i looked all thru Paul's books, & couldn't find anything like this... these are the closest, but one isn't written by Paul, & neither really says the same thing...
Colossians 3:23-25
23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.
and 1st John 5:16-17
16 If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.
i guess i am, too!
well, obviously some of us think it's both fair & realistic, since we are doing so.
Joseph's father was Jacob. there's an entire geneology in Matthew. here's the relevant verse, Matthew 1:16: 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
i've never hear of the 3 creation stories before... i've had someone tell me there were 2. i see the 2 she mentioned as a brief synopsis, followed by an in-depth telling. the synopsis is Genesis 1:1-31, & then there's a great deal more detail, etc. beginning in Genesis 2:4. what's the 3rd?

I'll concede this point.
By that logic, anything that humans create is ripe for hypocrasy, and um.. religion was created and has been developed and changed by humans, *whether* or not God exists is besides the point.

I'm sorry, but you were not alive, and did not know Jesus as a human, you know only what you feel in faith, and that's not proof that Jesus was not a hypocrit. Perhaps he wasn't, but, you can't state that for a fact.

As far as the sex goes, if you're celibate, you don't know what you're missing. You can't possibly know what it's like to have good sex if you've never even had bad sex. You don't have anything to compare it to. And I have to say, you really are missing out.

More to the point, someone who hasn't ever eaten cheesecake (or insert your favorite food here) won't miss having cheesecake because they've never tasted it. It doesn't, however, mean that they're not missing something, and that their life (or waistline, hehe) wouldn't be enriched by it.

Nope, I disagree, at least on my part. I think most religion is hypocritical, and I think the Muslim as well as some Eastern religions, or at least certain teachings are even more rigid, stringent, radical and intolerant than Christianity. However, in America, Christianity is the one that's yelled the loudest. I won't say that there isn't stereotyping.

And, btw, you made quite a bit of sense.

You know, truly, that might be the point, to discourage all others from living or at least acknowledging that lifestyle, and hey, if they don't call in.. it doesn't exist, right?

I disagree. It is not a choice to *want* to do something, it is only a choice to actually act upon it.

God gave us "free will" to choose what you want to do. However there are consequences for your actions.

You can choose to murder someone, you can choose to lie/steal/commit adultry. And you can choose to commit homosexual acts. But in all cases, there are certain consequences and penalties for your actions.

We will all have to answer to God in the end.

There's a new Christian song out (not sure of the title or who sings it) but this is very true '

in part "its not who you know, its not what you do, its HOW you've lived"

Ok, pop-poll time!

Who has had their faith, or lack of faith, or worldly viewpoints changed or altered by anything that has been posted here so far?

Has anyone even given another viewpoint any thought?

Just curious

nope, just makes me kinda glad I'm not religious in any way to be honest. I'm more than happy to accept everyone for who they are regardless of what they do behind closed doors....or out in public for that matter. I just cannot fathom that homosexuals are clumped into the same group as murderers.

I also think sex is over rated by society. You don't have to have sex with someone in order to love that person, or to even be dedicated to that person.

I know a gay couple that I work with. They don't have sex at all. Mentally they are Male oriented, meaning they are more comfortable with man and relate more to men then they do to women. I know they get sexually attracted to males, but they don't have sex at all. They are in love with each other and totally devoted to each other. Sexual activity has nothing to do with it.

Personally, I think we all should step back from the sexual activity. I' gone a full year without it, and I am fine.

Jesus is God. For God to be hypocritical is an oxymoron, an nonsequitur. But you're quite right in the sense that there's NOTHING about Jesus provable today as fact.

But here's another pop-poll: who's had a good time?

me!! me!

IMO is rarely about changing someone's mind

Ditto and likewise!

You never know what seeds may have been planted. Even if nobody who has posted changes his mind, it doesn't mean the topic isn't worth discussing.

I've definitely given other viewpoints some thought, and to be brutally honest, many of the posts about religion have actually strengthened my lack of faith, which definitely began when I switched to a parochial high school after 9 years of a public school education. I respect others' religious beliefs, but I hate to have anything shoved down my throat.

It's easy to have one's lack of faith strengthened. Satan is good at that.

The teachings and actions of Jesus are one part of the Bible that I do find to be completely consistent, and they consistently show that we should not judge others, should love people regardless of if we think they make poor decisions, and that the oppressed with little voice and the social outcasts are the ones who need our love and support the most. If Jesus did not feel above others, or judge them, then I know I sure can't. It's about humility, forgiveness, and trust, not about tattletelling to God that someone isn't following all the rules to the letter.

And to me, that's all homophobia (including the supposed 'love the sinner, hate the sin' thing) is. If you truly believe its a sin worthy of the amount of loathing expressed by a great many including the OP radio hosts, then why not just leave it to God and quit worrying about other peoples' sex lives? But IMO, that is not the case, and I don't think it's truly a defensible position.

Very well said

Tja! If you're not susceptible to God's teachings, you're probably not susceptible to Satan's! If either one of them actually exists, of course,

LOL I guess we'll all find out for sure eventually won't we?

In my case, this kind of discussion doesn't so much confirm my lack of faith, but it does reinforce my reluctance to accept any "rules" pushed on me by any belief system. I am very rebellious that way.

For example, I refuse to believe that homosexuality is a sin, unless I get a decent explanation as to WHY it is (i.e. how it hurts anyone). Ok, I'm not a Christian so the term "sin" might not be the correct one. "Harmful behavior" might be a better term.

Anyways, I'm not trying to start an argument about homosexuality... I am just explaining my reaction to this thread, since the question was asked.

I sure am agreeing with you alot lately. Great post.

I don't know about that one Jamie. I think it is much easier to sin than to be good. Human just have a sinful nature.

I think we've finally found our common ground

Yes, I can state it as FACT, Jesus is divine, he cannot sin.

I think so too and I am really happy about that.

You are correct! I know the bottom line for me is that I believe in God; I believe Jesus is His Son and my Savior. If I'm wrong I have nothing to lose, if I'm right I have everything to gain.