tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152270.post115844931502193038..comments2024-03-26T12:23:35.307-05:00Comments on The Buck Stops Here: Levy on the Pope's SpeechStuart Buckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05731724396708879386noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152270.post-1159966543595085542006-10-04T07:55:00.000-05:002006-10-04T07:55:00.000-05:00Jesus corrects Samaritan theology in John 4. His p...Jesus corrects Samaritan theology in John 4. His point against the Pharisees isn't that theology is unimportant but that the Pharisees were not doing what they ought to do. That's an ethical point, not a point about whether it's good to have the right theology. It's that theology isn't good enough if it's all you've got, not that it's bad.<BR/><BR/>It should also be noted that theology + rules is also not good enough, because Jesus is just as critical of the Pharisees for their reliance on ethical conduct. So this isn't an elevation of ethics above theology. It's that ethics and theology don't replace the fundamental issue, which is how you relate to God, in particular how you view Jesus as the only way God has provided for genuine access to a right relationship with God. It's the universalist who most clearly goes against what Jesus says on the issue he places at the very top.Jeremy Piercehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03441308872350317672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152270.post-1159327236638137672006-09-26T22:20:00.000-05:002006-09-26T22:20:00.000-05:00You're engaged in proof-texting -- you're taking a...You're engaged in proof-texting -- you're taking a single cherry-picked text from the Bible, and then setting it up as the sum total of Christianity. This is a crude and simplistic method of interpretation.<BR/><BR/>What do you do with Matthew 7:15, where Jesus warns his disciples, "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves." Or Matthew 24:11, where Jesus warns that "many false prophets will appear and deceive many people." And again in Matthew 24:24, where he says that "false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible."<BR/><BR/>What is this supposed to mean? According to the DeLong Theory of Christianity, there's no such thing as a false prophet, let alone deception. Everyone should just believe whatever they want, and be nice to each other. <BR/><BR/>And if you read the rest of the New Testament, the early Christians were very concerned about distinguishing between true and false Christianity. For instance, in Acts 8, the apostles strongly rebuke Simon the sorcerer for thinking that he can buy God's power. Nothing in the story about patting Simon on the head and saying, "Just do whatever you want and we'll be nice to you." <BR/>Then in 2 Peter 2:1, it says, "there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves." And in 1 John 4:1, it says, "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." <BR/><BR/>So, yes, the Good Samaritan story is a powerful command to show love to everyone regardless of the situation. At the same time, it's simply not credible -- and it ignores the entire rest of the New Testament -- to paint the Good Samaritan story as having the moral: "Do not make intellectual theological distinctions between what is true and what is false."Stuart Buckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05731724396708879386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152270.post-1159239710544360032006-09-25T22:01:00.000-05:002006-09-25T22:01:00.000-05:00A little background. To first-century Jews, the Sa...A little background. To first-century Jews, the Samaritans were ethnically alien, culturally other, theologically heretic--and none too clean. If a negative judgment could be made about a people, their culture, and their faith, first century Jews made it about Samaritans.<BR/><BR/>Those who have ears to hear, let them hear. Tremble and listen now to the words of your God:<BR/><BR/>----<BR/><BR/>"Rabbi," the lawyer said. "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?<BR/><BR/>And Jesus said: "What is written in the law? how readest thou?"<BR/><BR/>And he answering said: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself." <BR/><BR/>But the lawyer, seeking to justify himself asked: "And who is my neighbour?" <BR/><BR/>And Jesus said: "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded [him], and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.<BR/><BR/>"But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him. And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.<BR/><BR/>"Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?"<BR/><BR/>And the lawyer answered: "He that shewed mercy on him."<BR/><BR/>Then Jesus said: "Go, and do thou likewise."<BR/><BR/>----<BR/><BR/>Your God says: Having the right theology is not the point--the Samaritan has the wrong theology, while the Priest and the Levite have the right one. Your God says, as plainly a a God could ever say:<BR/><BR/>1. Stop worrying about who has the right theology.<BR/>2. Love God.<BR/>2. Love thy neighbor.<BR/>3. Try to return Good for Evil.<BR/>4. Rejoice! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.<BR/><BR/>Thus endeth the lesson.bradhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04548019979157668776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152270.post-1158705389006153832006-09-19T17:36:00.000-05:002006-09-19T17:36:00.000-05:00Even so, this assumes that it is possible for you ...<I>Even so, this assumes that it is possible for you to 1) identify which religious principle is true, and 2) condemn those religions that don't conform to your principle. Why can't the Pope do the same?</I><BR/><BR/>Because, to turn around the old jibe, unlike the Pope, Brad has the one true faith.Roger Sweenyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12734128265493099062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152270.post-1158630746986699972006-09-18T20:52:00.000-05:002006-09-18T20:52:00.000-05:00This is funny, because DeLong himself (or, to be f...This is funny, because DeLong himself (or, to be fair, his blog persona) is such an a-----e. Does his god go around deleting comments he disagrees with and banning their IP addresses? I prefer Calvin's God, who isn't such a hypocrite.seanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14541872630011468807noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152270.post-1158503009748113832006-09-17T09:23:00.000-05:002006-09-17T09:23:00.000-05:00Even so, this assumes that it is possible for you ...Even so, this assumes that it is possible for you to 1) identify which religious principle is true, and 2) condemn those religions that don't conform to your principle. Why can't the Pope do the same?Stuart Buckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05731724396708879386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152270.post-1158459238904263472006-09-16T21:13:00.000-05:002006-09-16T21:13:00.000-05:00"The foolishness of men is the wisdom of God!" is ..."The foolishness of men is the wisdom of God!" is it not.<BR/><BR/>No contradiction: The injunction "Be excellent to each other!" is addressed to God as well. Calvin's God is not being excellent toward most of the predestined. And Calvin's priests are not being excellent either.bradhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04548019979157668776noreply@blogger.com