Yep. I walked away from The Lord for several years after college. I sensed great weakness in religion, but I came to the realization a few years ago that the weakness I was seeing was the failure of weak church leadership and, in turn, weak Christians.
Everything changed for me when I heard a Biblical scholar making the case that Jesus Christ was the most dangerous person to ever live - and not just because of what he was teaching. This scholar was talking about how Jesus was a man of action and that when he cleared the temple, it wasn’t just flipping a table and walking away. It was an all day, violent affair.
Be like Jesus. I would like to think Jesus would be dual wielding machine guns and taking out pedos. I have no tolerance for evil. I am a sinner, certainly, and I have much to repent for. But we need to confront evil. Violence will be necessary.
That's not a representation of Jesus that came from the Bible. He flipped tables and whipped people, he absolutely showed that action and violence can be necessary, but that was a far cry from mindless massacres. What Jesus had that essentially nobody else does is the ability for anger without hatred. The Bible tells us that human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Just a tidbit to think about. Not saying that violence is in any way off the table, but it can't really be out of anger, it should be for love. Love of people and defense of their freedom is good enough as far as I've seen, and that's the motivation I try to stick to.
I guess if you don't think there is anything that comes between freedom and the death penalty, sure. Fact is, saying that pedos aren't people may be fun (I've been known to dehumanize a commie here and there) it immediately violates your job to love everyone, seeing as Jesus loves everyone, even those pedos and commies. Love the children, defend them, hate the sin not the sinner.
I am not disagreeing with you, because at the heart of your position you are right. But the whole "Love everyone, hate the sin" mindset is why I lost trust in the church. I cannot, and will not, love everyone. I hate them because their sin defines them.
Pedophile. That is a creature that thrives off the exploitation, manipulation, fear, and sexual dominance of CHILDREN. I cannot love them. They can never be trusted in a society that values the rights of children. Either lock them up and chemically castrate them, or it's open season.
Yep. I walked away from The Lord for several years after college. I sensed great weakness in religion, but I came to the realization a few years ago that the weakness I was seeing was the failure of weak church leadership and, in turn, weak Christians.
Everything changed for me when I heard a Biblical scholar making the case that Jesus Christ was the most dangerous person to ever live - and not just because of what he was teaching. This scholar was talking about how Jesus was a man of action and that when he cleared the temple, it wasn’t just flipping a table and walking away. It was an all day, violent affair.
Be like Jesus. I would like to think Jesus would be dual wielding machine guns and taking out pedos. I have no tolerance for evil. I am a sinner, certainly, and I have much to repent for. But we need to confront evil. Violence will be necessary.
"Being like Jesus" is following him to the cross realizing that our enemies are spiritual. Being in the world, but not of this world.
I don't know about gunning down pedos. Nowhere in the Gospels does Jesus actually kill anybody, although in the book of Revelation He does.
That's not a representation of Jesus that came from the Bible. He flipped tables and whipped people, he absolutely showed that action and violence can be necessary, but that was a far cry from mindless massacres. What Jesus had that essentially nobody else does is the ability for anger without hatred. The Bible tells us that human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Just a tidbit to think about. Not saying that violence is in any way off the table, but it can't really be out of anger, it should be for love. Love of people and defense of their freedom is good enough as far as I've seen, and that's the motivation I try to stick to.
Killing pedophiles (who aren't even people) is an act of love for children and defends their freedoms.
Kill all pedophiles.
I guess if you don't think there is anything that comes between freedom and the death penalty, sure. Fact is, saying that pedos aren't people may be fun (I've been known to dehumanize a commie here and there) it immediately violates your job to love everyone, seeing as Jesus loves everyone, even those pedos and commies. Love the children, defend them, hate the sin not the sinner.
I am not disagreeing with you, because at the heart of your position you are right. But the whole "Love everyone, hate the sin" mindset is why I lost trust in the church. I cannot, and will not, love everyone. I hate them because their sin defines them.
Pedophile. That is a creature that thrives off the exploitation, manipulation, fear, and sexual dominance of CHILDREN. I cannot love them. They can never be trusted in a society that values the rights of children. Either lock them up and chemically castrate them, or it's open season.
Kill all pedophiles. Let God sort them out.