BCITORGB wrote:
Tink, commenting on my new view of JC:
=================
I clearly made a false assumption about JC being kind,
loving and forgiving. Thanks to you, and your refeences to
scripture, I have been disabused of such faulty notions.

Yes, and Good.
======================

But, Tink, why do you see this as good? Are you thus definitely
saying
that JC was neither kind, loving, or forgiving? The only reason I
repeat my question is because this revelation stuns me.

I believe it is better to figure out what is not right and fix it, than
to think every thing is Ok, and find out that it is not! I think it is
good that your incorrect notions are exposed for being incorrect, then
we can work on figuring out what is the truth. Your notions may be
comforting, and make you feel all warm and fuzzie, but if they are
false, they will eventually get you in trouble.

For example, if you were getting ready to go on a boat trip, and were
going to rent a boat. Now, I knew the guy that ownes the rental fleet,
rents boats that were poorly maintained. Would you rather have me tell
you that the boat you are going out in had a hole that had been patched
with paper-mache. Or would you rather have me not dampen the excitement
of your trip, and let you get out in the deep water, where the paper
mache gets wet and falls out, and exposes the hole. And the boat fills
with water, and things go from bad to worst?

Now if you were operating on misconceptions about God, would it be
right for me to let you continue, without at least trying to warn you.
You may find that some very long held misconceptions, get disturbed,
but hopefully, you and your boat do not end up at the bottom of some
very deep water.

Now, obviously if you are content to paddle around in the farm pond, a
little hole may not be anything to worry about. A lot of Christians
like to paddle around in their little ponds, and they may even be the
best boater in the pond. Not that I would want to trust them, and their
experience in deep water!

Now all that I have addressed so far is why it is good to have our
notions disturbed. As to the exact nature of those notions, and maybe
more important, the true notions, that may take a bit longer to
consider. Suffice to say that the Scriptures say that "God is Love", so
if you have already jumped to a conclusion that "God is not Love," then
I would expect that your conclusion is incorrect, due to incomplete
data, and probably other continuing silly notions.


Tink wonders:
====================
I definitely agree that you have some silly notions about
the kind and caring prophet, and I would be interested where
you got those ideas.
====================

I must get these notions from the society around me. I'm a
non-believer, but I have some intellectual curiousity about the
people
around me (some of whom purport to be Christians). They tell me of a
kind, caring, loving, forgiving JC. I guess I've believed them in the
past because, in my non-believer mind, the only way I could come even
close to accepting this religious stuff, is if it offerred a life
philosophy worth emulating: kindnees, peace, charity etc.

Now you've explained to me that it isn't so. In your words, they were
"silly notions".

The silly notions were primarily in your understanding of the nature
and character of God. The apparent expression ot peoples faith is
another matter, which I must tell you many Christians have a few silly
notions about as well. So if you end up with some accompaning silly
notions about how Christians are, and maybe should be "from the society
around me", I am not surprised!

However, what am I to replace those silly notions with? What, then,
if
not love and peace, is the true nature of JC?

frtzw906

Let me start to answer your last question, by asking you a question. I
am going to go out on a limb here and make a big assumption, If I am
wrong, please let me know. Have you ever heard the Scripture, "Thou
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself"? Would you say that this phrase
sets a high mark to strive for in the New Testament? Do you think we
should try to live according to this Scripture today?

Actually that is three questions, I was never that good with math!
Answer these questions for me, and I will be able to answer your last
Question above. BTW, I appreciate your intellectual honesty and
curiosity! TnT