Abiding

[pecunium]

On the flip side of my last post, there are those Christians who don't subscribe to the pernicious doctrines I was railing against in my last post (disjointed though the beginning was).

Sojournors

An excerpt.

Confessing Christ in a World of Violence

Our world is wracked with violence and war. But Jesus said: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God" (Matt. 5:9). Innocent people, at home and abroad, are increasingly threatened by terrorist attacks. But Jesus said: "Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you" (Matt. 5:44). These words, which have never been easy, seem all the more difficult today.

Nevertheless, a time comes when silence is betrayal. How many churches have heard sermons on these texts since the terrorist atrocities of September 11? Where is the serious debate about what it means to confess Christ in a world of violence? Does Christian "realism" mean resigning ourselves to an endless future of "pre-emptive wars"? Does it mean turning a blind eye to torture and massive civilian casualties? Does it mean acting out of fear and resentment rather than intelligence and restraint?

Faithfully confessing Christ is the church's task, and never more so than when its confession is co-opted by militarism and nationalism.

3. Christ commands us to see not only the splinter in our adversary's eye, but also the beam in our own. The distinction between good and evil does not run between one nation and another, or one group and another. It runs straight through every human heart.

We reject the false teaching that America is a "Christian nation," representing only virtue, while its adversaries are nothing but vicious. We reject the belief that America has nothing to repent of, even as we reject that it represents most of the world's evil. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23).

...The Lord Jesus Christ is either authoritative for Christians, or he is not. His Lordship cannot be set aside by any earthly power. His words may not be distorted for propagandistic purposes. No nation-state may usurp the place of God. "

Comments

Re: Respect means that G_d is a word that entails many religious teachings

[lilithharp17.livejournal.com]

I think Henry had 8 problems and he loved watching childbirth. Very interesting. Heir?
Women are able to wait in the waiting room for any baby please.

But seriously, even with my typos above. Those religions were not as strict. More manageable. NOt totally according to religious laws. I do not kid myself that it does not matter that I do not know how to practice my religion in orthodoxy does not matter. I just hope my human being is acceptable if necessary on judgement day.

If not then I am too weak. Or not well off enough to pay the dues or perhaps too worldly for a woman married to an orthodox jew. OK?
Maybe that is why I would not allow myself that much cleaving without being able to say no. MY first word I was told was "NO".

Re: Respect means that G_d is a word that entails many religious teachings

[patgreene.livejournal.com]

I think my response to this is covered in my reponse above. I respectfully suggest that you know very little about Christianity.

As far as religious laws, whose religious laws? Moses's? The Mosaic law has not been followed since the very early days of Christianity. St. Paul's entire ministry was to gentiles -- and developing the doctrine that one did not need to follow the Mosaic law in order to be saved. Jesus's? Jesus had two basic laws: love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, mind, and will, and love thy neighbor as thyself. The doctrine promulgated by the Roman Catholic church are interpretations of Scripture and tradition, not "laws." To say that by its history the Roman Catholic church carries claims to some special moral legitimacy above other Christians (which was traditional RC thought, although having left that church, I am not sure the ways in which that might be changing) is to ignore much of its history.

I think Henry had 8 problems and he loved watching childbirth. Very interesting. Heir?
Women are able to wait in the waiting room for any baby please.


No. Henry had a daughter at the time he sought the dissolution of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. He specifically wanted a *son*. I have seen nothing that stated Henry loved watching childbirth -- I have read that about Louis XIV of France, though. (In fact, Henry was not present at the birth of his son, and I don't think he was at the birth of either of his daughters.) Perhaps you are getting your monarchs mixed up.

Re: Respect means that G_d is a word that entails many religious teachings

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

You keep mentioning a fetishistic aspect to Henry and the observation of childbirth. I have never seen any reference to this, and he was specifically not present when any of his legitimate offspring were born (the word, for example, of Elizabeth's birth being brought to him in the great hall, with courtiers all about).

TK