Subject:
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Re: codifying marriage on biblical principles
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Fri, 12 Mar 2004 16:46:20 GMT
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Viewed:
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332 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, John Neal wrote:
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I guess this is the crux (no pun intended): Who gets to say which group
truly follows Christ? I mean, aside from Jesus himself, of course!
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The proof is in the pudding. Or, as Jesus put it: “If you grow a healthy
tree, you’ll pick healthy fruit. If you grow a diseased tree, you’ll pick
worm-eaten fruit. The fruit tells you about the tree.” Matthew 12:33
I say: don’t tell me you are a follower of Jesus Christ, show me.
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But see, there’s the problem. On what basis can one assess someone’s actions to
be following or not following Jesus? Unfortunately, the Gospels don’t qualify
as adequately impartial accounts of his life, death, life, or teachings, so we’d
need independent documentation before we can use anything from the Gospels in
our determinations.
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Maybe I’d feel better about it all if we had a better (i.e., more reliable)
accounting of his life and works. The Gospels, alas, present insufficient
evidence for me.
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God bless you, Dave! You are such a “scientist” (I say that as a
compliment:-) I would suggest reading the Gospels in a modern translation
(try The Message) A paraphrase,
actually, but the omission of verse numbers and the easy-flowing language
really makes the Truths come alive to the reader...
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This is perhaps the essence of our disagreement. I can’t accept the Gospels (or
a translation thereof) as reliable evidence, so they are of no value in
attempting to further my understanding of Jesus.
Here’s a lighthearted example to illustrate my point: If LUGNET-at-large could
read only my own reports about MEGABLOKS, and if I reported that MEGABLOKS has
indeed surpassed LEGO quality in every possible way, then LUGNET would likely
dismiss my claims rather than accepting them without independent, corroborating
evidence. If, however, Todd, Tim, and Jake replied to my post to confirm my
report despite their own brick-preferences, then my claims would be given much
more credibility. Sure, some purists would still condemn me for heresy, but
there will always be people unwilling to change their views.
For the story of Jesus, in effect, we have the Gospel of Dave! but we lack the
Gospels of Todd, Tim, and Jake. Without those independent sources for
confirmation, then it is impossible for me to conclude that the Gospels are
accurate, because so much of what is contained in them directly contradicts
modern understanding of reality. And, because I can’t accept the validity of
the Gospels, I’m left with no independent evidence about Jesus at all, so I have
no basis for assessing people’s behavior in comparison to him!
Dave!
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: codifying marriage on biblical principles
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| (...) Ummmmmm, where are you going with this? You ironically note that quoting yourself as a source is dubious by itself, but with Todd, Tim, and Jake providing corroborating evidence, you are at least more credible. But in the next breath you (...) (21 years ago, 12-Mar-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate, FTX)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: codifying marriage on biblical principles
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| (...) The proof is in the pudding. Or, as Jesus put it: "If you grow a healthy tree, you'll pick healthy fruit. If you grow a diseased tree, you'll pick worm-eaten fruit. The fruit tells you about the tree." Matthew 12:33 I say: don't tell me you (...) (21 years ago, 10-Mar-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate, FTX)
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