Pastor RANCITAS

Ranc..well said mate.. re 1Corinthians 13.. the chapter on love. How we NEED these reminders, and what you said fits into the category of Hebrews 10

24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

So, keep up the good work.

I would add to what you said, the idea of ‘let us not give up meeting together’ which is one place where we can also receive and give that love Paul speaks of. “Recharge” so to speak. Yet, if we limit our Christian love to church members we will dry up and become stale and rotten. (refer my reply to Sancho below)

SANCHO

Matthew 5

46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?

So, it seems to me, that all of the criticism of Christians past and present, is quite justified in the light of Christs own Word. Therefore...how should we approach each other ?

1/ Look to JESUS not to Christians. ‘Looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of our faith”

2/ Encourage one another (as Rancitas did) to look to Jesus.

3/ Avoid judging others in a personal way.

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.....
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" (Matt 7)

Is it possible, that those judging “Christians” also have the odd speck or plank ? :)

4/ Speak the truth in love. (which balances point '3' above)

Kev D laments that, while "Islam cannot be lampooned", Christianity is "fair game." He's right. Boaz_David does it daily.

Strewth:

The wry wit, I am in awe of such satirical mastery.

If Islam cannot be lampooned then what am I to do with the observation that is has obvious homoerotic overtones that need exploring?

That sibilant “s” in “Isssslam” that we hear so often from those that are incandescent with love for the prophet. Something deeply Freudian going on there I imagine. What say you? Surely one can still poke fun at the gayness of it all.

Keysar Trad’s website, the section dealing with Islamic wills. The long and detailed set of instructions on how the “Trad Todger ©” is to be revered and handled post-mortem. As if it were a religious relic. You mean that this is out of bounds for those chasing a good chuckle? Speaking of members, what of the suicide bombers who wrap their knobs in tin foil before setting off on their martyrdom operations, so that the important bits arrive in paradise in better shape for all the virgins. What is that all about? What are these people thinking? Have they thought it all the way through?

No, I think you are wrong there. Islam can and should be lampooned. Regularly. And loudly. By people far more talented than you and I. It is probably the only chance it has of being dragged out of the dark ages that does not involve horrible consequences for everyone.

dobbadan,

Your awareness of history is truly lamentable: ignorantly or deceitfully so I don't know. If the Catholic Church came into existence in 313AD, how come it was mentioned long before then? Don't forget, if it wasn't for the Catholic Church you wouldn't have a Bible (as incomplete as the Protestant one is).

Mr Pig, Didn't you notice the quotation marks? I was quoting Kev Donnelly. You know, the guy that wrote the essay above? Personally I enjoy a good lampoon, especially BOAZ's efforts. Your paltry effort pales by comparison with this master of the genre.

Mr Strewth.... *grrr*

I don't 'lampoon' Islam, I condemn it outright. There is a difference.
Its not something I regard as a joke or funny... nor entertaining.
As far as I am concerned, speaking from a Gospel centric perspective, Islam is a false faith, an empty hope, and a huge lie. None of those things strikes me as funny.

One cannot associate the evils of Islam with the average Muslim any more than one can associate the essense of Christs teaching and ethics with the average nominal cultural Christian.

Make no mistake, Jesus condemned educated falsehood without reservation. But, for the hapless ignorant sinner.. he had gracious compassion, why ? because it was not 'calculated' as was the behavior of the Scribes and Pharisees.

Mat 23

5"Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries[a] wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them 'Rabbi.'

13"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.[c]

As Solomon said, there is a TIME for everything. For comforting and for condemnation. Jesus taught it and lived it.

I see we have descended into 'storytime' in the other thread :)
Uzi's and Wolves and Sheep....makes for more interesting reading that's for sure.
cheers