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Nothing makes me sicker than seeing someone who beleives that Jesus will save them (give them a fish). This Mr. Roger-ish version of the man (Jesus) probably is what is responsible for our perceptions of most Christians. They smile with their empty heads and do what Jesus says NOT to do: be weak and mindlessly follow stronger people. Jesus was trying to teach that we must all be strong (learn to fish).
For instance, when Jesus was on the cross, one would think that people would rise up against this BS, as they would not have it for themselves. Instead, we all know what happened and so we see:
Jesus died for our sins. (For the unenlightened, nothing brings out the Mr. Rogers-like visions of Christianity more than this quote)
Jesus died for our sins. And our sin was that we were too weak to help him, to make the righteous stand against the people who nailed him up. To make the obvious choice that we would not have this for ourselves, so we ought not let it happen to Jesus. Jesus died for our sin of being to weak to stand up for ourselves. ----------------------- Jesus taught a course of strength and if you do not want it, then . . . Do not have it. It is your choice, really. There is no reason that Christians should recruit. If you are strong, and someone else is weak, they will eventually come to YOU and ask YOU how you are so strong.
Anyway, strength is a two part formula according to Jesus, and we see most people missing this (thus the warning that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter Heaven.) The rich man does not have the perspective to see the second part of the formula.
The first part of the formula is that you must be strong, and that the seven sins will lead to your weakness in one way or another. Sometimes this is not easy to see - but some sins take a while to come back on you. I suggest you also try replacing the words "sin" and "evil" with "weakness" to further your understanding.
The second part is what will you use your strength for? Some sins (of the left) will keep you from accomplishing the first part, above. Other sins are more insidious - you have already accomplished being strong, but you weaken yourself by mis-using this strength in a way that weakens others. Weakening others is a sure-fire way to EVENTUALLY weakening yourself.
Hmm. I am probably not saying it right - read this story and see if it helps you see that strength is a two part formula.
Two men who are 7 feet tall and extremely muscular each go into taverns that are right next to each other. Each is pretty much equivalent in strength, it seems. You have never seen anyone as strong as these two men.
The man who walks into the bar on the right pushes people around with his strength, starts fights, grabs other men's women, steals the pool cue and just starts playing (dares anyone to say anything), intimidates the bartender so he can't call the cops, etc.
The man who walks into the bar on the left patiently waits for a path through the crowd (as anyone would), ends fights and brings stability to the people around him, is respective of the relationships of others, waits his turn, helps others around him, etc . . .
Now which is the stronger man? They are both similar physically, yet one has been thinking a little more about the true meaning of strength, as you see. Which one is like Machiavelli? Which one is like Jesus? Curses, foiled again . . . .
So you can laugh at the freepers all you want, they have simply misinterpreted the simple teachings of this man.
Really, a better way to see this is that someone is mis-teaching the simple teachings of this man, as I have noticed a preponderance of very, very large churches since 1990. I wonder who has paid for these?
Nothing is more right wing than banks and newspapers. It takes a lot of money to have these - you are welcome to try and start one.
Nothing is supposed to be more left-wing than a church, and yet . . .
Every zen idea is supposed to teach balance. But if there is no balance then it is best just to say:
The Eagle cannot fly on just one right wing.
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