Guest Griffin Posted September 4, 2002 Share Posted September 4, 2002 Faith by it's very defination is not rational. What I am saying is that "no respecting of persons" seems to be an unsupported and out of context satement. Further Paul said "I hope they castrate themselves". Is this God? or did Paul make a statement on his own? History and God shows respecting of persons in both testaments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest EPHRIAM777 Posted September 4, 2002 Share Posted September 4, 2002 Faith by it's very defination is not rational. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jipsah Posted September 4, 2002 Share Posted September 4, 2002 The point being that if you were from another culture, for example a descendant of Ishmsael, who had many children in Canaan, and you were reading the Old Testament, God would appear quite rascist, The Canaanites were racially indistinguishable from the Hebrews. Some of that rascism was continued after the New Testament times, as Christian crusaders and missionaries conquered many territories in Europe and the New World in Jesus name, "and whoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel was put to death, whether small or great, Whether man or woman". The Crusaders were by and large interested in freeing the Holy Land from its Muslim conquerors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ovedya Posted September 4, 2002 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 375 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 11,400 Content Per Day: 1.44 Reputation: 125 Days Won: 0 Joined: 08/30/2002 Status: Offline Birthday: 08/14/1971 Share Posted September 4, 2002 Faith by it's very defination is not rational. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josephstrks Posted September 4, 2002 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 12 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 143 Content Per Day: 0.02 Reputation: 2 Days Won: 0 Joined: 03/24/2002 Status: Offline Share Posted September 4, 2002 Yes, GodMan, to everything that you wrote (I mean, amen!) In pursuing my faith in Jesus I have to just leave it a mystery why the suffering of so many in conquest of nation against nation, I have to trust in His plan, I have to trust in His soveriegnty, and in God as the absolute in which we measure all else. This process of renewing the mind to the Word is very difficult at times. Sometimes I feel as though I am in a 'spiritual wilderness' as there are so many churches, doctrines, denominations, debates, points of view all coming from the same Bible. I realize that the OT is multi-layered in meaning and full of hidden treasures, and I seek earnestly for them as I read. My faith comes from my conversion experience and not because the Bible convinced me to believe. In fact my believing is not based on intellectual rationalization in any way (according to the world's thinking). I read the Bible to get to know God better and to seek guidance and direction, comfort, etc. I am a pacifist and always have been, war and violence are revolting to me, both the capability of the agressors to commit such atrocities and the suffering of the victims. So it is hard for me to integrate into my faith that God would actually command people to do such things to others. What we are calling racism here (although agreed it's ultimately the same ancestry) runs rampant through the Bible. However, Jesus teaches us to love our enemy, that it's easy to love those we agree with and like, but a far greater thing to love our enemy. This is a contradiction to me. God is ultimately as capable of healing as He is destroying. Why are not more benovelent methods used to change lives and hearts. I realize no one can really answer this question and other cultures and religions don't do much better at explaining the great mystery of suffering, war, conquest and all that. I realize Jesus suffered and God did not spare Him either. It's pretty profound stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Griffin Posted September 5, 2002 Share Posted September 5, 2002 Faith by it's very defination is not rational. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Griffin Posted September 5, 2002 Share Posted September 5, 2002 The Canaanites were racially indistinguishable from the Hebrews. The Crusaders were predominantly European, but I don't think that fighting one bunch of Semites to return control of the region to another Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ovedya Posted September 5, 2002 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 375 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 11,400 Content Per Day: 1.44 Reputation: 125 Days Won: 0 Joined: 08/30/2002 Status: Offline Birthday: 08/14/1971 Share Posted September 5, 2002 Paul in Gal first or second chapter mentions that verse concerning castration. The only think I can find in the 1st and 2nd chapters of Galatians are a couple of verses that mention circumcision, not castration. I also looked up the word on the online Strong's and can't come up with anything. So if God is no respecting of persons concerning the Law, quick questions and not condemination, Do you observe God's Law as layed out in Lev. and further in the words of Christ?? Well, first, I am not a Jew, so I do not follow the Mosaic law. Second, the New Testament affirms that Christ was the end of the law to those who believe. This subject could easilly trail off into another thread entirely.... Agreed Paul does at several time say that something is from him and not God, but in the verse I mentioned mentioned in Gal he doesn't make that clearification. So give your comments. Well, I need the verses before I can do that. But still we need to have discernment when reading the Scriptures, to tell which is which. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Griffin Posted September 5, 2002 Share Posted September 5, 2002 Ok I missed it I will find the verse and locate it for you, sorry for the missleading info. Give a minutes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adstar Posted September 6, 2002 Group: Royal Member Followers: 12 Topic Count: 75 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 3,399 Content Per Day: 0.43 Reputation: 1,307 Days Won: 1 Joined: 09/01/2002 Status: Offline Share Posted September 6, 2002 Josephstrks You talk of Christian crusades and inquisitions, have you read the teachings of the Messiah? His sermon on the mount? His guidance to his followers? If you have you will know that is was not Christians who carried out these abominable acts but false Christians deceived by satan. All Praise The Ancient Of Days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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