** Please visit our website: http://www.africanassociation.org **
Some things I remember very well from my early Christian education. I'll try
to cast some light on these.
First: "Let ye without sin cast the first stone." What point was Jesus
trying to make to the scribes and Pharisees? The thing that comes to mind is
that Jesus is a very compassionate guy. I guess today we'd call him a
"bleeding heart liberal." Stoning people to death because they are not
Christians, just was not Jesus' style. But he was God.
Some parts of Old Testament says killing sinners and non-Christians is
required by God's law as handed down to Moses and recorded by somebody in
Leviticus and Deuteronomy. So why was Jesus (who was God) going against what
was supposed to be his own law?
To understand this great encyclopedia on human behavior we have to tie it to
life. We have to remember that all those pages and pages of death penalties
in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, that blind-faith believers take for granted,
came to us third hand at best. We're not at all sure they were written by
Moses, much less God. The human being has proclivity to use truth and
reality for their own gain. Did the writers portray the truth?
The ten commandments (which did come from God) prohibited adultery ... and
many other things, but they did not specify any particular punishment. And
they also prohibited killing other human beings because they are not
Christians.
Killing the guilty is OK. But think about it. From an orthodox Christian
perspective, killing an innocent person sends that person to heaven. But
killing a guilty person sends them to hell. Which is worse? Has it ever
occurred to you that may be, just may be the non-Christians go to heaven and
the Christians go to hell? How would you know the difference? I have been
waiting for a report from my grandpa about the weather over there and a
good recipe from whenever he is for years.
The idea that ALL Christians will make the world safer is a dangerous
position. It implies we should punish those who dare not be Christians.
Capital punishment deprives a person of the opportunity to repent. Is that
what God wants? But Christ died for ALL humankind. I don't ever remember,
the bible saying he died for Christians. Christ-believers (i.e. Christian)
were non existent as a religion. His purpose was to save everyone. Is it our
business to interfere with that process by executing, invading, torturing,
killing non-Christians in name of God.
It is therefore wrong to hold extreme and divisive positions as you often do
Vera and turn it into some Christian evangelical crusade. Read...I mean
Study the Bible with an open mind. You may not know about this treasure as
you much as you think you do.
Everybody else excuse for the long write-up.
-----Original Message-----
From: VERA R CROWELL [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, September 09, 2004 10:30 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Ghanaians want Kerry In White House
** Please visit our website: http://www.africanassociation.org **
Hmmm. People make a hundred decisions a day. If any of those decisions do
not line up with God, Jesus and the word of God, they have turned away from
Him that day. It's just that simple. Do you go back to the store when you
realize they undercharged you 25 cents? If a person's words and deeds do not
line up, they have turned away. There is no middle ground. I will not accept
blame for so-called christians rape, torture, and subjugation using the
bible as an excuse...Jesus already did that.
What people need to realize is that their walk with God directly affects the
life, health, and well-being of their family and friends. If you line up
with God and Jesus in every way (and that means suffering being called a
right-wing religious fanatic) and you do not compromise, then if people in
your family are sick, dying, suffering in any way, God can use your strict
obedience as standing in the gap for and interceding for your family and
friends. He cannot use your compromised walk to save your family.
When I pray for the people on this list, I can do so knowing that I have not
compromised my walk. Therefore, I have not created obstacles and hindrances
to impede the answers to my prayers for all of you. The bible says that if
you are a friend of the world, you are an enemy of God. Dangerous position
to be in. If you call yourself a Christian, and you find that your views on
everything are more in line with the world, and don't really line up with
the word of God, check your walk. Are you on the narrow path that leads to
righteousness and God, or are you on the wide, broad, inclusive path that
leads to destruction? Then, take a minute and think about the deaths and
illnesses in your family and friends in the last couple of years. Did you
make yourself available to be used by God to intercede for them?
----- Original Message -----
From: "Amakobe, Peter" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thursday, September 9, 2004 9:58 am
Subject: Re: Ghanaians want Kerry In White House
> ** Please visit our website: http://www.africanassociation.org **
>
> Vera;
>
> Your position has been used throughout American history to portray
> the first
> Africans in this country as belonging to the lowest rang and
> therefore OK to
> kill, rape, mime and subjugate to torture. Is that the same
> religion you are
> referring to?
>
> "If people who claim to be Christians would get their act
> together, this
> world would really be a much nicer place." This is an extreme and
> verydangerous position. Many people in the world are not Christian
> and those who
> do, do not practice Christianity. In my humble opinion, people who
> describethemselves as Christians will never make this world a
> better place. They
> misinterpret the bible and hold extreme and cathartic positions
> such as
> your. Search for protestants and Catholics in Ireland on google. Both
> Christians?
>
> Hell must be running out of room with all these non Christians,
> unless the
> boss there is practicing some major recycling in the form of "Born
> Again."
> The world has been revolving around the sun...our African
> ancestors have
> been going to heaven...ever since we discovered walking.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: VERA R CROWELL [[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 2004 4:31 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Ghanaians want Kerry In White House
>
>
> ** Please visit our website: http://www.africanassociation.org **
>
> PS What I have learned by participating in this listserve is that
> onlycertain people deserve (I don't know who decides) to "have all
> the rights
> and deserve to be considered decently." It doesn't appear to be
> an "across
> the board" attitude here.
>
> PSS Since you brought it up, the world really has only two major
> issues:the people who don't know Jesus, and those that claim to,
> but are rebellious
> (disagree with Him and the Father, don't believe the Bible) and
> lazy (won't
> do what They have commanded us to do). If people who claim to be
> Christianswould get their act together, this world would really be
> a much nicer place.
>
> I mean, really, what corporation would keep anyone as an employee who
> refused to read the policies and procedures, refused to follow
> them, decided
> they didn't exist (or didn't mean what they said...they have their own
> interpretation), didn't even think the CEO was who He said He
> was, didn't
> believe He made His Son the COO, but decided that they would
> determine who
> they would work for? How long would you keep your employment, let
> alonequalify for any employee perks? Not long. You would not be
> able to
> accurately call yourself an employee.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: VERA R CROWELL <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Wednesday, September 8, 2004 4:14 pm
> Subject: Re: Ghanaians want Kerry In White House
>
> > ** Please visit our website: http://www.africanassociation.org **
> >
> > We're not talking about consideration of people's opinions here.
> > The article's intent is to support people who plan to vote for
> > Kerry by stating that since majorities in 30 of 35 countries want
> > him as president, then he must be the better candidate and he will
> > naturally have a much more effective foreign policy (because the
> > majority disagree with Bush's foreign policy). That goes beyond
> > opinion. Stable and nice governments don't happen by accident.
> > They exist because of hard work and "on purpose" decisions made
> > by the people of the country, year after year, election by
> > election, win or lose. The reason I brought it up, well, would
> > you consider the advice of an accountant with an unbalanced
> checkbook?>
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Aggo Akyea <[log in to unmask]>
> > Date: Wednesday, September 8, 2004 3:51 pm
> > Subject: Re: Ghanaians want Kerry In White House
> >
> > > What has having a "stable" and "NICE" government got to do with
> > > the peoples' opinion to have John Kerry as president. Of course
> > > they can't vote here, we all know that.
> > >
> > > Are people in unstable and "ugly looking" governments, not human
> > > enough to just want one thing over the other?
> > >
> > > I think we are all becoming too arrogant and feeling too special
> > > as God's gift to man/woman-kind. Other human beings live on this
> > > earth too and have all the rights and deserve to be considered
> > > decently.
> > > I thought that is what the good book teaches those of us who claim
> > > to be born again.
> > >
> > > Cheers.
> > >
> > > VERA R CROWELL <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> > > ** Please visit our website: http://www.africanassociation.org **
> > >
> > > I know I'm going to regret this...but, here goes.
> > >
> > > How many of these countries have nice, stable governments? Of the
> > > stable ones, how many have had the same constitution (with only
> > > amendments added) for over 100 years?
> > > My point is...you're going to trust their judgement?
> > >
> > > PS...children love permissive parents that let them do what they
> > > want, whenever they want. The world wants an isolationist US
> > > president who won't interfere or attempt to stop whatever they
> > > want to do to someone else.
>
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