[Blanche_Locke]

Re: Introductions, etc.

Please note that the nations which were ordered by God to be subject of complete genocide had no knowledge of God's commandments. So they had no idea what they were punished for - or even that they were being punished for something.

See for example:

Deuteronomy 20:13-18
13 And when the Lord thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:
14 But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the Lord thy God hath given thee.
15 Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.
16 But of the cities of these people, which the Lord thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:
17 But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee:
18 That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the Lord your God.

Please note the distinction between the nations which are to be exterminated totally and those from which women and children may be kept as slaves. Now, you may argue that the nations which need to be annihilated angered God more than the others, but it doesn't change the fact that no missionaries were sent to even try to convert them to Judaism, before genocide.

So you may be punished for something that you father, grandfather, or great grandfather did. Ad if you descend from a bastard, that extends to 10 generations:

Deuteronomy 23:2 A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD.

Now, some people may call that "vindictive" and "unusually cruel" behavior towards "the innocents," but I am glad that you agree that it is perfectly justified and even merciful. --unecessary childish emoticon removed--

That is not what He says - He says He is a god of war:

Exodus 15:3 The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.

The Bible talks much more about the things and people God abhors, than things and people He loves. It's very easy to kindle His Wrath - I don't know if you know people like that in your daily life (who get angry easily and punish others often), but if you do, I'm sure you don't call them "loving and compassionate."

In Christ - sure. In society - nope.

Women are inferior to men:

Ephesians 5:22-24
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

Slaves need to fear and obey their masters:

Ephesians 6:5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;

Indeed. God created slavery as part of the natural social order. God approves of slavery - and we do, too, each time we buy something cheap that was made in China.

Not just by the culture - by God Himself. Otherwise, how would God allow all these passages in the Holy Bible?

Indeed! Woman's place is at home quietly cleaning, cooking, and having babies, not having authority over men. I'm glad we agree on this! --unnecessary childish emoticon removed--

As for your first point, ever heard of something called natural law? Rape, murder, and other such things are abhorrent to almost all societies, as they prevent society from functioning. These peoples were disregarding that, so the fact that they had committed sins against even natural law meant that they were still ripe candidates for punishment.
Also, kindly refrain from putting words in my mouth. I do not lust after the blood of innocents like you and your ilk. As for your argument on that account, may I kindly remind you of Hebrews 8:13... In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
When you talk talk about God being vindictive and spiteful, that seems quite heretical. Perhaps it would have done you good to have been born in the time of the inquisition. It would certainly fix your problem of cherrypicking verses that support your claim without giving thought to any others.
As for your bit about slavery and mysogyny, I would advise you to keep quiet about unless you want to catch a strong case from the FBI. I'm not even going to start on that. If you're brain is rotten enough to be supporting those views, you need mental help.
Cheers, Blanche Locke.

[Blanche_Locke]

Re: Introductions, etc.

Oh, yeah, you've read a whole bunch of apologists.

Why not read the Bible as it is written, like the True Christians™ do?

Look at Genesis 1:27. WHY is the semi-colon there? It separates two distinct phrases, a fact which your apologists IGNORE in order to misrepresent the meaning. The Bible could even more easily have read "in the image of God He created them" instead of just "him". The editors of the KJV back in 16xx were always looking for a chance to trim a phrase here, a word there, smaller Bible means more Bibles made and distributed, a very salient point in the age before moveable type. But... it doesn't. Why not? Why is that extra text there? --unecessary childish emoticon removed--

Interesting how you nitpick one small thing that doesn't affect much. I think you're just pulling things out of your pocket to back up an unbiblical worldview. While pulling things out of one's pocket is fine in most situations and arguments, using it to warp the word of God is not.

[Dolores de Barriga]

Re: Introductions, etc.

I hope this clears up some things!

No, it does not. I still do not understand why innocent people need to be punished for the sins they did not commit - the sins of their ancestors.


I still don't understand why children need to be raped or killed just because their parents do not believe in God.


I still don't understand why God approves of oppression and genocide.


I still don't understand why God approves of slavery and mistreatment of women.


Yes, that one verse you cite sounds nice, but it only refers to treatment of slaves, foreigners, and women in the afterlife - it does not refer to the way slaves, foreigners, and women should be treated in this life, as shown by the other verses cited by Sister Basilissa.

[Basilissa]

Re: Introductions, etc.

The mentions of racism applied back in those times as a punishment for that people. It wasn't racism, it was retribution for numerous sins

Please note that the nations which were ordered by God to be subject of complete genocide had no knowledge of God's commandments. So they had no idea what they were punished for - or even that they were being punished for something.

See for example:

Deuteronomy 20:13-18
13 And when the Lord thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:
14 But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the Lord thy God hath given thee.
15 Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.
16 But of the cities of these people, which the Lord thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:
17 But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee:
18 That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the Lord your God.

Please note the distinction between the nations which are to be exterminated totally and those from which women and children may be kept as slaves. Now, you may argue that the nations which need to be annihilated angered God more than the others, but it doesn't change the fact that no missionaries were sent to even try to convert them to Judaism, before genocide.

But at the same time, curses expire:
Exodus 34:6-7 Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness, maintaining loving devotion to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers on their children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

So you may be punished for something that you father, grandfather, or great grandfather did. Ad if you descend from a bastard, that extends to 10 generations:

Deuteronomy 23:2 A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD.

Now, some people may call that "vindictive" and "unusually cruel" behavior towards "the innocents," but I am glad that you agree that it is perfectly justified and even merciful.

God is a god of compassion and love.

That is not what He says - He says He is a god of war:

Exodus 15:3 The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.

The Bible talks much more about the things and people God abhors, than things and people He loves. It's very easy to kindle His Wrath - I don't know if you know people like that in your daily life (who get angry easily and punish others often), but if you do, I'm sure you don't call them "loving and compassionate."

Misogyny and ill-treatment of women is sinful and condemned by god.
Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus!
Paul is very simply saying that in Christ: no one is inferior, and no one is superior.

In Christ - sure. In society - nope.

Women are inferior to men:

Ephesians 5:22-24
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

Slaves need to fear and obey their masters:

Ephesians 6:5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;

Slaves were treated as less than human and had fewer rights than one who was free.

Indeed. God created slavery as part of the natural social order. God approves of slavery - and we do, too, each time we buy something cheap that was made in China.

Women were considered by the culture to be subservient to men.

Not just by the culture - by God Himself. Otherwise, how would God allow all these passages in the Holy Bible?

What Galatians 3:28 doesn’t mean is that women can be pastors and deacons.
I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather she’s to remain quiet. (1 Timothy 2:12)

Indeed! Woman's place is at home quietly cleaning, cooking, and having babies, not having authority over men. I'm glad we agree on this!

[Didymus Much]

Re: Introductions, etc.

... But, as with the Jew and the Greek and the slave and the free, both men and women are made in the image of God, and to both are given the kingdom of God.
So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)...

Oh, yeah, you've read a whole bunch of apologists.

Why not read the Bible as it is written, like the True Christians™ do?

Look at Genesis 1:27. WHY is the semi-colon there? It separates two distinct phrases, a fact which your apologists IGNORE in order to misrepresent the meaning. The Bible could even more easily have read "in the image of God He created them" instead of just "him". The editors of the KJV back in 16xx were always looking for a chance to trim a phrase here, a word there, smaller Bible means more Bibles made and distributed, a very salient point in the age before moveable type. But... it doesn't. Why not? Why is that extra text there?

[Blanche_Locke]

Re: Introductions, etc.

Miss Blanche, please note that I am not a True Christian. I am a deeply troubled soul, conflicted between my lack of faith in a benevolent deity and fear of going to Hell. I come here hoping that some of the True Christian faith will eventually rub at me, that I will finally be able to discard logical reasoning and plunge into real deep faith.

The parts of the Bible which espouse racist and antisemitic views - at which you have hinted mentioning Hitler - do trouble me, and alongside with the misogynist ones, they make it very difficult for me to accept the Bible as the Word of God.

If I could understand how you mind works - how you can accept God of the Bible as real and worthy of worshiping, despite of all the hatred contained in the Bible - maybe I could follow the same path.

The mentions of racism applied back in those times as a punishment for that people. It wasn't racism, it was retribution for numerous sins But at the same time, curses expire:
Exodus 34:6-7 Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness, maintaining loving devotion to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers on their children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”
Jeremiah 27-30 “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and of beast. Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, to demolish, destroy, and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the LORD.


“In those days, it will no longer be said:


‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,


and the teeth of the children are set on edge.’


Instead, each will die for his own iniquity. If anyone eats the sour grapes, his own teeth will be set on edge.


God is a god of compassion and love.


Psalm 86:15 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Exodus 34:6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,"


Misogyny and ill-treatment of women is sinful and condemned by god.
Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus!
Paul is very simply saying that in Christ: no one is inferior, and no one is superior. Jews can’t consider themselves better than the Greeks, nor can the Greeks think of themselves any better than the Jews, because everyone has sinned and have fallen short of God’s will for our lives.
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, giving His riches to all who call on Him. (Romans 10:12)
For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift. (Romans 3:22-24)
Slaves were treated as less than human and had fewer rights than one who was free. But, like with the Jew and the Greek, there is no distinction. For both are enslaved to sin and both are equally set free in Christ.
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)
Women were considered by the culture to be subservient to men. But, as with the Jew and the Greek and the slave and the free, both men and women are made in the image of God, and to both are given the kingdom of God.
So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)
That’s the part of the verse that tends to get abused.
What Galatians 3:28 doesn’t mean is that women can be pastors and deacons.
I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather she’s to remain quiet. (1 Timothy 2:12)

I hope this clears up some things!
Cheers, Blanche Locke.

[MitzaLizalor]

Re: Introductions, etc.

First I'd like to acknowledge the previous two posts before moving on. In particular, "not the word of God" suggests prior knowledge of what God is. Where does that knowledge come from? Our experiences help us to understand what His message means regardless of its origin; many and varied are the suggestions regarding that topic.

spiritual enrichment

Here I need to ask for clarification. You've used a word spiritual. What do you mean by that? What does the word signify? It would help me to understand your idea better if I knew what the word means.

Thanks.

[Basilissa]

Re: Introductions, etc.

Attend the church? Which one? If anything, I'd choose one of the watered-down megachurches, that way I'm getting a general level of spiritual enrichment without as much of the hypocrasy and greed

And how do you think they get to be "mega" without a steady influx of money from their believers, and without bending their own rules?

[handmaiden]

Re: Introductions, etc.

Miss Blanche, please note that I am not a True Christian. I am a deeply troubled soul, conflicted between my lack of faith in a benevolent deity and fear of going to Hell. I come here hoping that some of the True Christian faith will eventually rub at me, that I will finally be able to discard logical reasoning and plunge into real deep faith.

The parts of the Bible which espouse racist and antisemitic views - at which you have hinted mentioning Hitler - do trouble me, and alongside with the misogynist ones, they make it very difficult for me to accept the Bible as the Word of God.

If I could understand how you mind works - how you can accept God of the Bible as real and worthy of worshiping, despite of all the hatred contained in the Bible - maybe I could follow the same path.

Her mind works the same way that a good 95% of the people on this planet manage to get through their lives. When someone says something that they already want to hear, they listen. If what is being said requires confronting their own worldview and putting in the hard work to learn complex information, they take refuge in their sense of self-importance and fling around glib quips.

They also type out stirring statements about "taking a stand" while sitting at their keyboards and offer to die for others when they probably have never been punched, beaten with a whip or had a knife held to their throat.

[Dolores de Barriga]

Re: Introductions, etc.

The difference is that Lenin, Stalin, and co. did not have Jesus in their hearts. And why are you complaining about Hitler? I thought you held the same stance on jews and blacks as he did.

Miss Blanche, please note that I am not a True Christian. I am a deeply troubled soul, conflicted between my lack of faith in a benevolent deity and fear of going to Hell. I come here hoping that some of the True Christian faith will eventually rub at me, that I will finally be able to discard logical reasoning and plunge into real deep faith.

The parts of the Bible which espouse racist and antisemitic views - at which you have hinted mentioning Hitler - do trouble me, and alongside with the misogynist ones, they make it very difficult for me to accept the Bible as the Word of God.

If I could understand how you mind works - how you can accept God of the Bible as real and worthy of worshiping, despite of all the hatred contained in the Bible - maybe I could follow the same path.

[Blanche_Locke]

Re: Introductions, etc.

Greetings Signorina Bianca.

May I ask you how did you end up in both the feminazi and the furry cults? Anyway, I think that we can solve the problem if you attend the church and read the Summa Teologica of Saint Thomas Aquinas. It could help you leaving idolatry and joining the true church.

God will await you in Heaven if you repent (even though I guess he is gonna shut down the doors very soon, since we are close to the end times). Otherwise, you can still made it in Purgatory.


I will also pray for you of course.

Ah, my friend, you ask of my past... settle in, for this will be a long tale.
A few years ago, I was browsing the internet looking for tutorials for making a cat ear headband for a cosplay. I found several mentions of 'furries' in the comment sections, and I decided to look the term up. As it turns out, the term refers to people who think that anthropomorphic animals are aesthetically pleasing. No more, no less. Now, that doesn't mean that there aren't a few oddballs and perverts, but for the most part it's simply a group of people who appreciates art. I've been in it for 3 years now, and find it quite rewarding.
As for the feminazi bit... I personally wouldn't consider myself such. At the same time, I will in no way apologize for taking issue with domestic abuse. You all know what I'm referring to.
Attend the church? Which one? If anything, I'd choose one of the watered-down megachurches, that way I'm getting a general level of spiritual enrichment without as much of the hypocrasy and greed I see in other churches.
God already awaits me in heaven. I am assured of my salvation, as much as anyone can be.
I appreciate your prayers. Many thanks, friend.
Cheers, Blanche Locke.

[MitzaLizalor]

Re: Introductions, etc.

[papism] ……………of course.

To whom will you be praying?

[Romeo Rovagnati]

Re: Introductions, etc.

Greetings Signorina Bianca.

May i ask you how did you end up in both the femminazi and the furry cults? Anyway, i think that we can solve the problem if you attend the church and read the Summa Teologica of Saint Thomas Aquinas. It could help you leaving idolatry and joining the true church.

God will await you in Heaven if you repent (even tough i guess he is gonna shut down the doors very soon, since we are close to the end times). Otherwise, you can still made it in Purgatory.


I will also pray for you of course.

[Blanche_Locke]

Re: Introductions, etc.

Anyhow, thanks for giving me the pink name! I like it, it's very pretty . I think I've found this place to be quite to my liking, all in all. You know the saying: truth is stranger than fiction. The goings-on here are quite entertaining and informative, and I hope they continue on for many years to come. Cheers and best of wishes!

[Blanche_Locke]

Re: Introductions, etc.

...Said the Inquisitor as he continued to torture people and then burn their empty shells at the stake. (I'm pretty much sure that the death in flames was actually a relief after months of torture).

I'm pretty sure Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, and Pol Pot also believed the same thing. I'm not entirely sure this is the sort of company you truly wish to have. But if this is what you believe, I just hope to be on another continent when you start to act on your beliefs.

The difference is that Lenin, Stalin, and co. did not have Jesus in their hearts. And why are you complaining about Hitler? I thought you held the same stance on jews and blacks as he did.