You just made my desktop

This deserves a bump

I think he proved his lack of grounding in reality many times.

Parables that advocated deception - the hidden treasure Matthew 13:44

He had no idea when figs were in season Mark 11:13

on following the Old Testament:

Matthew 5:18-19

Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or tittle shall nowise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven.

And in rebuttal:

Luke 16:16

The law and the prophets were until John [the Baptist]: since that time the kingdom of heaven is preached.

Romans 6:14

Ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Romans 7:4, 6

Ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ .... We are delivered from the law, that being dead.

Romans 10:4

Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

2 Corinthians 3:14

But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which veil is done away in Christ.

Galatians 3:13

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law.

Galatians 3:24-25

Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Galatians 5:18

But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

Ephesians 2:15

Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances.

Colossians 2:14

Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances ... nailing it to his cross.

Add to that the many instances science has proven the bible wrong. i.e biology proves bats aren't birds or that insects don't have a total of four legs or that unicorns don't exist. physics proves that the Earth isn't as depicted in various old testament books, and even those books are in disagreement with each other as to how the Earth is. To use the bible against itself; A house divided cannot stand.

Why don't christians ask themselves "WWJD?" when considering gun control, the death penalty, pre-emptive war, torture, mandatory sentencing, minimum wage increases etc. ?

Or, if they do ask themselves "WWJD?" on these subjects, how do they reconcile their belief in a generally very liberal Jesus with their own typically very conservative and merciless viewpoint?

(I'm speaking of the mostly white right wing christians I am in contact with here in Texas and the Bush admin and Bill O'Reilly etc. I know that there are many exceptions)

They can always find a scripture to justify their position.

Gun control - Matthew 10:34 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword."

                    -Luke 22:36 "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one."

Pre-emptive war - Luke 14:31 "Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?"

If you look you can find anything you'd like to justify Jesus would approve.

Sure, of course, I understand that. In my experience though the average xtian doesn't actually use those verses or any other verses. Most don't read much of their own holy book. Anyway, yeah, I take your point that anyone can find what they want to in the bible. My question was more rhetorical and designed for a christian to think about. No matter what Jesus said in a parable or teaching it is extremely difficult, when considering what he would do, to imagine him torturing or bombing or executing etc.

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Regarding those verses in particular:

LUKE 14:25-33 Seems to be about planning and "forsaking"...

Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— 29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? 31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

Pretty clear (to me) that LUKE 22:36 was about the need to have some swords on hand so that they could fulfill a prophecy.

Matthew 10:34 is also about forsaking and divisions. The sword represented division. Not an instruction for his followers to arm themselves.

Depends on the eye of the beholder though, I guess...

Exactly my point.

Another thing to consider is Jesus is 1/3 of the Trinity according to the majority of Christian faiths so that means he did murder and kill millions as he is part of Yahweh (aka The Father).

Hmmm....you;re right. I hadn't thought of that. Good point.