Chris Bell wrote:
> lynx wrote:
>> Mark T wrote:
>>> "lynx" wrote:
>>>>> No Christian follows what Jesus says in the bible when I ask them
...
>>>>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>>>> Jesus said in Matthew 5:42, "Give to him that asketh thee, and from
>>>>> him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away." May I have
>>>>> your house and car and may I borrow your most prized possession?
>>>>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Perhaps it's implied that the request stems from genuine need.
>>>>
>>>
>>> The passage says nothing about genuine need ... only a request.
>>>
>>
>>
>> Well if you're going to apply a strict literal interpretation, and
>> you accept that Jesus did say this, then you only have the conclusion
>> that Christianity imposes impossible demands on us available to you,
>> which then begs the response, so why even bother trying to live a
>> christian life?
>>
> Jesus said many things which appear to us to be impossible. eg about
> moving mountains by faith, about selling all your possessions and
> giving the cash to the poor. There is no way you can rationalise them
> away no matter how hard you try.
>
> That is why I object to those people who pick on homo***uals as the
> only ones living lives of sin and not changing that as a matter of
> course.
>
> So why bother even trying, you ask? It is a very good question, one of
> the best in fact. And I don't have a good answer. Its rather like the
> problem of evil, much discussed, but there are no clear answers.
I think that if we're talking in terms of practical christian living,
then it has to be considered as a principle to follow, rather than an
instruction; which would then allow for some discretion as to when and
what to give.
>
> If God forgives our sins (if we repent), then why don't we just keep
> on sinning, then repent just before we die (cf Augustine)? And if
> we're worried about being hit by a bus, then we must repent at every
> possible op****tunity, while also knowing that we are liable to sin
> just before the bus hits anyway. That way is the "good life" scenario,
> but its pretty problematic anyway, as most sins are sins of omission,
> not commission, and there is no guarantee of heaven. This is why the
> church got into such problems in the Middle Ages, when the priests
> thought that they had some influence over this and could guarantee a
> trip to heaven for the right consideration.
>
> My take is that it is asking the wrong question. Being a christian is
> about belonging to God's kingdom, called the Kingdom of Heaven in
> Matthew, and it is firmly here on earth. Its rewards are also found on
> earth, and come from the way you live and the life you lead, not as a
> reward in the afterlife.
>
> Chris
--
rgds,
Pete
=====
http://pw352.blogspot.com/
'I'm not young enough to know everything' -Oscar Wilde
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