It really is all about "moral rectitude" for you, isn't it Petosiris. Can you distinguish between being righteous and being self-righteous? You try to inhabit a strict and rigid rule-based world, in order to feel in control. But Christian love is not so rule-driven, other than that you are commanded to experience and profess it.
Your version of Christianity is only partial. What about this part?
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NLT)
"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."
What about, if your enemy smites you, turn the other cheek? (Matthew 5:39)
What about, "If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?" (Matthew 5:46)
You can't have it both ways, Petosiris. Either you read the Bible literally or you don't. Either you admit that it is contradictory or you simply ignore vast swaths of text.
"'Vengeance is mine,' sayeth the Lord." Vengeance belongs to God, not to you.
The Torah prohibits unjustified willful murder, such as the murder of Abel by Cain or judicial murder (murder of an innocent). It permits killing in self-defence, killing a burglar by night (but not by day) and it commands the Israelites to exact death penalty for certain transgressions. It also has commandments regarding accidental killing to protect these people from being exacted revenge by the family members. Willful murder is established by showing the instrument that caused death (Num. 35:16-18) or by proving the enmity or hate toward the victim (Num. 35:20-21, Deut. 19:11-13).
''Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.'' - Romans 12
Now Paul quoting Proverbs 25 seems to contradict the principle of an eye for an eye. But there is no contradiction between these two statements.
One is either going to be punished in this life, or he is going to be punished at the day of judgement (these are the burning coals). Of course these statements (with Matthew 5:38-44) are contradictory if you are an atheist. But God is coming to exact vengeance upon the nations.
Jesus and Paul, being righteous Jews knew that God is either going to punish the wrongdoers, or the wrongdoers will repent of their sins and start keeping the commandments of God. Indeed, it is through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, that people from every tribe and every nation are repenting of their sins and turning towards the God of Israel, and the martyrs followed his example ''for even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed''.
Therefore a friend of mine says he prays to God to punish him for the sins he has committed in this life <if God deems it necessary>, so to avoid the wrath of God at the day of judgement, which is taught in many places of the scriptures.
Thus Jesus Christ and his brother James, whose death at the hands of the Jews is recorded by the historian Josephus and by the church fathers, while they were being unjustly murdered, they were praying for their murderers, for by doing so, they were giving them a second chance while they themselves were getting a crowning reward from God.
Waybread, Peto is playing trickster, and not for the first time. Next thing you know, he'll be the staunchest of atheists.
We used to call it "playing with someone's head"!
Wanna bet on whether he'll deny it?
You reckon? I sure hope you're right.
For a moment there, I thought he was actually serious.
By default I can't be racial anti-Semite since I acknowledge only Jews as prophets and apostles, and a Jew from the tribe of Judah as my Lord and Savior. You probably mean that I am somehow a religious anti-Semite. I am not, and I don't believe I have said anything which can be misconstrued in that way. I disagree with some claims of Rabbinic Judaism just as I disagree with most claims of Eastern religions or Roman Catholicism. I can't hate Jews since I said I wanted to be part of the Jewish nation in the kingdom according to the Jewish scriptures - https://www.astrologyweekly.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1035313&postcount=312
While I don't confess saying anything wrong against the Jewish nation, I myself repented for the Christian antisemitism of past ages - https://www.astrologyweekly.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1033966&postcount=10350 , which is a collective sin, just as I urge the Jewish nation to repent for the persecution and murder of the Christ and the Nazarenes, for their repentance would mean the resurrection of the dead and the arrival of the kingdom according to the apostle Shaul - Romans 11:15 (For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?) and Yeshua himself - Matthew 23:39 (For I say to you, from now on you will not see me until you say, ''Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!'').
You are using the loaded antisemitic label at me so frequently for perfectly innocuous statements that it is a parody at this point. All of this while being part of a group that curses Christians do be destroyed in a moment and for their names to be blotted from the book of life.
''Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.'' - Matthew 7:3-5
Actually, I'm not oblivious, Petosiris. And devolving to personal insults does not make your case.
I'm still waiting for you to talk about Christian love. That's a big truth in your Bible.
Indeed it is. I am showing you your error, and you do not admit it. I freely admit I personally fail the first and second commandment, and I beg mercy from God.
I'm sure She'll forgive you.
Alyssa Trahan Sharpe made a video with her fascination in astrology, religion, sociology and the meaning of life, and the concept of gender or sex is real. The video has two parts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veOMMVWDkT8&feature=em-subs_digest
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCWrBZZmUR4&feature=youtu.be
In astrology, the four elements are divided into two halves: the masculine (fire and air) and the feminine (earth and water). I also believe in the concept of two personalities both men and women can be: alphas and betas. It's kinda stereotypical, but there's a grain of truth: men want to rule, but alphas want to lead. And women want to be taken care of, but betas don't seem to want to lead. And the element air are males with a somewhat feminine (or beta) side, and water are females with a somewhat masculine (or alpha) side. It can explain why Aquarius, Gemini and Libra men are this way, while Scorpio, Pisces and Cancer women are that way. From an Aquarius sun/moon and Cancer ascendant who's a straight genderfluid beta biomale.
God is genderfluid! A never-ending cycle of Him/Her/It!!!
What about God hardening the pharaoh's heart in the 10 plagues of Exodus? Granted, the pharaoh was perfectly nasty in his treatment of his Jewish slaves, but he mostly serves as a foil against which God's authority can be registered. God Himself "hardens" the pharaoh's heart in Exodus 7:3. In 7:4, God says that the pharaoh will not listen to Him. (Also Exodus 9:12, 10:20. 10:27.)
When God determined to harden the pharaoh's heart, what choice did the pharaoh he have?
Notes written by the builders, their housing, their tombs, the records available, the archaeology, etc.
In fact, there has never been any evidence at all that the pyramids were built by slaves, and, no evidence that the slaves left in a mass exodus, etc … except the old testament.
The physical evidence is that craftsmen and laborers built the pyramids, and while its not impossible that some of these parties also had some slaves… the evidence is that these were for all intents and purposes, public projects paid for from treasury funds, etc… and “slaves” did not leave en masse.
Because we know who built them - we have the archaeological and historical records - and the builders were neither slaves, nor Jewish