The Beatitudes are for me the be all and end all. IF more religious 'leaders' focused on the words Jesus spoke on the mount the world would be a much better place?!?
My sister tells a story about the time she was behind a car with a “Honk if you love Jesus” sticker on the the rear bumper. She figured she’d give it a try and when she did the driver gave her the finger.
My favorite is from the Talmud (derived from the Pirkei Avot within the Mishnah - we don't have a concise chapter and verse format for this):
"Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world's grief. Do justly now, love mercy now, walk humbly now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.”
Crenshaw (a smug hypocrite I consider a walking example of heresy and lack of morality) might note this is a concept that clearly applies to us all.
And then we have Texas congressmen Dan Crenshaw, an extremely conservative but otherwise seemingly intelligent, thoughtful and sincere person who is able to apply the bible in real life ways who posts this, “You can’t have freedom without order, order without law, law without morality, morality without religion, or religion without God”. So, you can’t be moral without a religion and a god? Crenshaw may be a better person than Trump but he drips the same arrogant, patriarchal conceit that organized religion is built on. It’s no wonder the supremacists feed off of it.
And he is right now the target of his party's base. Sad, that, though once you get the mob whipped into a frenzy over nonsense like this, you can't always find the off switch.
As for morality and religion: I, who profess a Christian faith, admire people who are moral because they want to create a better world, right now, without a hope of an eternal reward. Some of us are moral for the cookie at the end.
I just assumed it was "Two Corinthians" since he said that verse "was the whole ballgame" back in 2016 before he was president. Yeah, let's go with Two Corinthians!
I'm a lapsed Lutheran, but I've always liked the Bible verses about kindness. Like "One Corinthians 13: 4-7: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
Oh! Remember that one? Fundamentalists everywhere who support that travesty scrambled to describe how not even knowing how to pronounce the name of a book in the Christian scriptures. I mean, seriously.
Honestly, while I like your favorite verse fine, the whole context of just one verse troubles me. We have way too many people into just the coffee mug version of the Bible.
I think that the Bible is best read in great big swaths, appreciated as myriad writers in conversation as old texts get reread in light of newer challenges.
(And what a weird idea that one's "favorite Bible verse" would be personal in the sense of inappropriate to talk about. I know Trump is just finessing his ignorance, but I suppose the concept is some sort of stepchild or echo of "personal relationship with Jesus"? Not that I've ever known what that meant, to those who use the concept.)
Ha. That's the issue (hello, Marco Rubio) when you start quoting scriptures. You're opening yourself up to a Bible throw-down with people who know the Bible and think your interpretation is ridiculous.
That said after the mango Mussolini announced that he was the chosen one I would often share this with the gullible dupes that worship the great grifter
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. 4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; 6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless 8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— 9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. 10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings; 11 yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from the Lord. 12 But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish. 13 They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you. 14 With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood! 15 They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness. 16 But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—an animal without speech—who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness. 17 These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 18 For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.” 20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. 22 Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.”
The Beatitudes are for me the be all and end all. IF more religious 'leaders' focused on the words Jesus spoke on the mount the world would be a much better place?!?
I'm not trying to mix religion and politics here, but I always thought the entire Sermon On the Mount would make a great political platform.
My sister tells a story about the time she was behind a car with a “Honk if you love Jesus” sticker on the the rear bumper. She figured she’d give it a try and when she did the driver gave her the finger.
My favorite is from the Talmud (derived from the Pirkei Avot within the Mishnah - we don't have a concise chapter and verse format for this):
"Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world's grief. Do justly now, love mercy now, walk humbly now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.”
Crenshaw (a smug hypocrite I consider a walking example of heresy and lack of morality) might note this is a concept that clearly applies to us all.
Amen. This is beautiful and thank you, Ava.
And then we have Texas congressmen Dan Crenshaw, an extremely conservative but otherwise seemingly intelligent, thoughtful and sincere person who is able to apply the bible in real life ways who posts this, “You can’t have freedom without order, order without law, law without morality, morality without religion, or religion without God”. So, you can’t be moral without a religion and a god? Crenshaw may be a better person than Trump but he drips the same arrogant, patriarchal conceit that organized religion is built on. It’s no wonder the supremacists feed off of it.
And he is right now the target of his party's base. Sad, that, though once you get the mob whipped into a frenzy over nonsense like this, you can't always find the off switch.
As for morality and religion: I, who profess a Christian faith, admire people who are moral because they want to create a better world, right now, without a hope of an eternal reward. Some of us are moral for the cookie at the end.
I just assumed it was "Two Corinthians" since he said that verse "was the whole ballgame" back in 2016 before he was president. Yeah, let's go with Two Corinthians!
I'm a lapsed Lutheran, but I've always liked the Bible verses about kindness. Like "One Corinthians 13: 4-7: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
(I'm surprised Trump didn't pick that one!)
https://www.npr.org/2016/01/18/463528847/citing-two-corinthians-trump-struggles-to-make-the-sale-to-evangelicals
Oh! Remember that one? Fundamentalists everywhere who support that travesty scrambled to describe how not even knowing how to pronounce the name of a book in the Christian scriptures. I mean, seriously.
Honestly, while I like your favorite verse fine, the whole context of just one verse troubles me. We have way too many people into just the coffee mug version of the Bible.
I think that the Bible is best read in great big swaths, appreciated as myriad writers in conversation as old texts get reread in light of newer challenges.
(And what a weird idea that one's "favorite Bible verse" would be personal in the sense of inappropriate to talk about. I know Trump is just finessing his ignorance, but I suppose the concept is some sort of stepchild or echo of "personal relationship with Jesus"? Not that I've ever known what that meant, to those who use the concept.)
Not my favorite verse but it immediately comes to mind with Trump, “let he who is without sin cast the first stone”.
Ha. That's the issue (hello, Marco Rubio) when you start quoting scriptures. You're opening yourself up to a Bible throw-down with people who know the Bible and think your interpretation is ridiculous.
Amen… in concert with:
Matthew 25 vs 31-40.
I am so not a religious person
That said after the mango Mussolini announced that he was the chosen one I would often share this with the gullible dupes that worship the great grifter
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. 4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; 6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless 8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— 9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. 10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings; 11 yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from the Lord. 12 But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish. 13 They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you. 14 With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood! 15 They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness. 16 But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—an animal without speech—who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness. 17 These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 18 For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.” 20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. 22 Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.”
Perfect.