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Ask yourself (and your bible) "what did Jesus say"? And "what would Jesus do"? I believe that Jesus did not speak at all about homosexuality. There is no indic

by sgt101 7y ago

Ask yourself (and your bible) "what did Jesus say"? And "what would Jesus do"? I believe that Jesus did not speak at all about homosexuality. There is no indication that he attacked or held any anger towards homosexuals. Conversely Jesus was strongly anti-capitalist! No money changing or animal selling in temples folks! But fundamentally - when reading the bible your question must be "am I a Christian - or not?" what is the purpose of Jesus's ministry and passion if he did not bring a message and a purpose beyond and more significant than the messages revealed to prophets and his servants? If you are a Christian surely your preoccupation must be his word - and more importantly his meaning; interpreted in the context of his explicitly stated principles and lived actions.

ben_w 7y ago
It’s fine that you interpret the bible that way. Certainly I’ve seen Christian pro-gay-rights memes that say Jesus never mentioned homosexuality. Unfortunately, this whole thread seems to be on the topic of “It’s a shame that mass-dissemination of information demonstrably fails to make the best ideas into the most popular ideas [0]” — and although you interpret the bible that way, I’ve witnessed many profess Christianity while also condemning gay men. [0] Well, unless you take the memetic evolution attitude that “best” isn’t a moral statement but shorthand for “best at reproducing”, but if anyone on this thread has said that, I’ve missed it.
- sgt101 7y ago
  To paraphrase someone else "to the extent that their beliefs and actions differ from the words and deeds of Christ they are not Christians". Remember there have been 1000's of people practicing grotesque child abuse while professing Christianity, and yet one of the most frank and flat statements of Christ is "But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea."
  - ben_w 7y ago
    Ick factor aside, that sounds like a “No True Scotsman” argument to me. Be aware that if I, as a lapsed neopagan, am asked to judge which Christians are acting in accordance with the deeds and words of an entity that I regard as fictional as my own pantheon, there might not be any “True Christians” left. To focus on the point, how about a biblical example: Parable of the Sower, specifically that sown on the path and in the thorns.
  - int_19h 7y ago
    If that approach is followed consistently, we'd likely have to conclude that "real Christians" were largely wiped out in the early persecutions. The modern Christian tradition is firmly rooted in the government-mandated imperial cult that was established by the Edict of Thessalonica.

by sgt101 7y ago

ben_w 7y ago

It’s fine that you interpret the bible that way. Certainly I’ve seen Christian pro-gay-rights memes that say Jesus never mentioned homosexuality. Unfortunately, this whole thread seems to be on the topic of “It’s a shame that mass-dissemination of information demonstrably fails to make the best ideas into the most popular ideas [0]” — and although you interpret the bible that way, I’ve witnessed many profess Christianity while also condemning gay men. [0] Well, unless you take the memetic evolution attitude that “best” isn’t a moral statement but shorthand for “best at reproducing”, but if anyone on this thread has said that, I’ve missed it.

sgt101 7y ago
To paraphrase someone else "to the extent that their beliefs and actions differ from the words and deeds of Christ they are not Christians". Remember there have been 1000's of people practicing grotesque child abuse while professing Christianity, and yet one of the most frank and flat statements of Christ is "But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea."
- ben_w 7y ago
  Ick factor aside, that sounds like a “No True Scotsman” argument to me. Be aware that if I, as a lapsed neopagan, am asked to judge which Christians are acting in accordance with the deeds and words of an entity that I regard as fictional as my own pantheon, there might not be any “True Christians” left. To focus on the point, how about a biblical example: Parable of the Sower, specifically that sown on the path and in the thorns.
- int_19h 7y ago
  If that approach is followed consistently, we'd likely have to conclude that "real Christians" were largely wiped out in the early persecutions. The modern Christian tradition is firmly rooted in the government-mandated imperial cult that was established by the Edict of Thessalonica.