Sabrina,
You totally avoided to answer my question. Here it is again:
Do you really claim that Christendom (the Bible) isn't making the claim to be the only true religion in the world? If it isn't, why then did Jesus send out missionaries to convert everybody to Christendom?"
Why can't you answer this simple question Sabrina?
Then you said:
"totally disagree with the perspective you present here. The reason being that it takes no account of the actual message that the biblical Jesus presented. If he had said go out and preach a doctrine of intolerance, then you might have a point, but I'm sorry - I just dont read it that way."
If your future life is dependent upon if you accept the gospel. Say if you refuse to accept it what would happen to you then, Sabrina? Would Jesus say, "aw that's allright, your religion is as good as mine"? Or will it be something like this?
"...the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels in a flaming fire, as he brings vengeance upon those who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus.(2 Thess. 1:6-8)"
(2 Peter 3:8-9) . . .. 9 Jehovah is not slow respecting his promise, as some people consider slowness, but he is patient with YOU because he does not desire any to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance.
Then you said:
"Jesus sent out missionaries to convert everybody? No, Norm he did not. Jesus fully recognized there would be those who would love others and do good but not be his spiritual brothers and he called them righteous. Matthew 25:31, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And he will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right had, 'Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me.
"Then the righteous will answer him saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink: When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you? Or when did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?' And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me."
Instead of answering my question you are trying to get away by focusing on the word "everybody", not a very honest way of discussing. Again you seem to surgically avoid what I asked you. It goes without saying that not everybody would accept the gospel. But the crusial point is, what would happen to those who refuse Sabrina?
Why didn't you include the very next verse which goes like this?:
"(Matthew 25:41-46) 41 Then he will say, in turn, to those on his left, ?Be on YOUR way from me, YOU who have been cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. 42 For I became hungry, but YOU gave me nothing to eat, and I got thirsty, but YOU gave me nothing to drink. 43 I was a stranger, but YOU did not receive me hospitably; naked, but YOU did not clothe me; sick and in prison, but YOU did not look after me.? 44 Then they also will answer with the words, ?Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister to you?? 45 Then he will answer them with the words, ?Truly I say to YOU, To the extent that YOU did not do it to one of these least ones, YOU did not do it to me.? 46 And these will depart into everlasting cutting-off, but the righteous ones into everlasting life."
If Christendom isn't the only true religion on earth, why should those who didn't accept Jesus
be sucjected to such harsh treatment? I will be interested to hear the explanantion from you Sabrina.
Then you said:
"Jesus continually taught that love was the primary requirement and gave the illustration of the Good Samaritan as an example of neighborly love. The sheep in Matthew 25 are not Christ's brothers but they are good people. Certainly, like most good people they did good to others on the basis that it was the right thing to do just like the Good Samaritan did. When they did good to Christ's brothers they did not know they were his brothers because if they had they would not have had to ask Jesus what he was talking about. But they did ask because they are simply good people who have helped others and unknowingly also helped Christ's brothers. Their good heart is not forgotten by the Christ, their good deeds are recognized and rewarded. There are good people in every religion."
Yes indeed, but Jesus love didn't extend to those who didn't "accept" him. Why? Because he had the only "truth"and if you didn't accept that, you were bound for "everlasting cutting-off"
Then you said:
"As for Jesus claiming to point the way, the only way; yes, of course he did. But many who have in the past (and today) claimed to be his followers have in reality trampled upon his words and have piled up heaps of reproach upon his name with their filthy unloving ways and practices. It is a great mistake to believe all Christian religionists represent the Christ. They do not! Jesus must be allowed to represent himself, he spoke for himself and his words must be allowed to stand or fall on their own not through the words and actions of others."
I agree, and what happened to those who didn't follow that only"way"?
Then you said:
"As for respecting other religions I think it should be rephrased to respecting other people no matter what their religion. Jesus did not limit his help to only Jews, he aided others outside of his faith also. Jesus stood for love of God and neighbor not for the zenophobic practices of the Jewish leaders of his day. Unfortunately, today, that same kind poison is still spreading throughout world."
I must say that I have rarely seen a better example of selctive Bible reading, several of you seem to be extremely picky about which Bible texts to "believe in" and which to ignore. Well, there is nothing new with that. Creating one's own version of a religion based on some selected Bible texts is understandable. I understand fully well all that you don't want to deal with the bigotted nasty, arrogant parts of scripture. But they are there. When it comes to you Sabrina, you seem to have a particular talent for avoiding them.
Norm
