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Significant importance on some *parts* of the Old Testament, anyway. You know, the parts consistent with the True Christianity of the day.
This sounds so much like the old argument that the only true Christians are the Christians that are members of my synod. "You're a Catholic? Well, Catholics have that whole weird thing with the Pope and saint worshipping, they're not Christians. You're a Baptist? You're lucky you can even read, so you can't understand the Bible correctly and therefore not Christian. You Lutherans over there, you're far too __________ to be Christians. Out. The only true Christians belong to the Holy Mount Methodist synod. Only WE understand the message of Christ and execute it correctly." And so on. It's like those that claim Islam isn't a religion, that it's really just a cult. A billion-plus person cult.
Oh, good heavens. So people are what, supposed to not believe that where they attend has things maybe figured out a little better than places you don't attend? There has to be some reason why they attend where they do, and it's probably because their beliefs match closer to those they attend with than the place down the street with different beliefs. You're arguing against human nature. Of course there are people who take it way too far in thinking that only they have the truth and nobody else has a clue, but you're sweeping comments go way beyond such persons.
Well said. Don't let the haters get to you.
So, we shouldn't decry that Hitler tried to use a Christian facade to push his agenda? As 5mn said, to paraphrase, there's obviously people who claim to be Christian and display little or nothing of Jesus' teachings. To pretend there isn't a disconnect going on with such people doesn't seem reasonable or rational to me.
I've never heard of Christians who only go by what Jesus said directly in the New Testament and ignore what was written by others (who were inspired by the Holy Spirit, who is part of the Triune God, so you have Jesus in that part if you connect the dots). Maybe there's some offshoot group somewhere that has such a belief. I haven't heard of it.
Seriously? There's one right in this thread! 5mn says that the standard by which we should decide whether someone's actions were Christian is whether they follow the teachings of Christ, and Christ only. He wants to throw out the rest of the book altogether (since he knows that there are plenty of places in the other parts of the Bible that condone slavery and were used by self-identified Christians as justification for extending American slavery).
If you've ever used the term "Muslim Terrorist," then you're a hypocrite.
Oh, try to be serious. He's not saying that at all. He's not saying throw out anything that isn't in red letters, as you speciously speculate he's saying.
Oh, try to be serious. He's not saying that at all. He's not saying throw out anything that isn't in red letters, as you speciously speculate he's saying.
Again, nonsense. I don't know any Christians who would limit themselves to the red letters in discussing Jesus teachings. Again, so how the dots are connect (one of many ways) in my recent post. Jesus teachings certainly course through the writings of Paul, Peter, Luke, etc. You're trying to box something in in a way that doesn't make much sense.
Great. So let's discuss these verses which condone slavery, and in some cases explicitly direct the Jewish people to take slaves:
