Posted on 03/15/2004 9:57:21 PM PST by kattracks
I recently interviewed a 26-year-old Swedish student about her views on life. I asked her if she believed in God or in any religion."No, that's silly," she replied.
"Then how do you know what is right and wrong?" I asked.
"My heart tells me," she responded.
In a nutshell, that's the major reason for the great divide within America and between America and much of Europe. The majority of people use their heart -- stirred by their eyes -- to determine what is right and wrong. A minority uses their mind and/or the Bible to make that determination.
Pick almost any issue and these opposing ways of determining right and wrong become apparent.
Here are three examples.
Same-sex marriage: The heart favors it. You have to have a hard heart not to be moved when you see many of the loving same-sex couples who want to commit their lives to one another in marriage. The eye sees the couples; the heart is moved to redefine marriage.
Animal rights: The heart favors them. It is the rare person, for example, whose heart is not moved by the sight of an animal used for medical research. The eye sees the cuddly animal; the heart then equates animal and human life.
Abortion: How can you look at a sad 18-year-old who had unprotected sex and not be moved? What kind of heartless person is going to tell her she shouldn't have an abortion and should give birth?
The eyes and the heart form an extraordinarily powerful force. They can only be overcome when formulating policies by a mind and a value system that are stronger than the heart-eye duo.
With the decline of Judeo-Christian religions, the heart, shaped by what the eye sees (hence the power of television), has become the source of people's moral decisions.
This is a potentially fatal problem for our civilization. As beautiful as the heart might be, it is neither intellectually nor morally profound.
It is therefore frightening that hundreds of millions of people find no problem in acknowledging that their heart is the source of their values. Their heart knows better than thousands of years of accumulated wisdom; better than religions shaped by most of the finest thinkers of our civilization (and, to the believer, by God); and better than the book that has guided our society -- from the Founders of our uniquely successful society to the foes of slavery to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and most of the leaders of the struggle for racial equality.
This elevation of one's heart is well beyond self-confidence -- it is self-deification.
One of the first things you learn in Judaism and Christianity is that the eyes and heart are usually terrible guides to the good and the holy. " . . . (D)o not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after" (Numbers 15:39); "the heart is deceitful above all things . . . " (Jeremiah 17:9).
Supporters of same-sex marriage see the loving gay couple, and therefore do not interest themselves in the effects of changing marriage and family on the children they do not see. And since they venerate their hearts, the biblical ideal of male-female love, marriage and family is of no significance to them.
Animal rights supporters' hearts are deeply moved by the animals they see experimented on, not by the millions of people they do not see who will suffer and die if we stop such experiments.
Likewise, the hearts of the people who support PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) are so moved by the plight of slaughtered chickens that the organization has a campaign titled "Holocaust on your plate," which equates our slaughtering of chickens with the Nazi slaughtering of Jews.For 25 years I have been asking high school seniors across America if they would save their dog or a stranger first if both were drowning. The majority has nearly always voted against the person. Why? Because, they say with no self-doubt, they love their dog, not the stranger. An entire generation has been raised with no reference to any moral code above their heart's feelings. They do not know, and would not care if they did know, that the Bible teaches that human beings, not animals, are created in God's image.
So, too, those who cannot call any abortion immoral are moved by what they see -- the forlorn woman who wants an abortion, not by the human fetus they do not see. That is why abortion rights groups are so opposed to showing photos of fetuses that have been aborted -- such pictures might move the eye and the heart of viewers to judge the morality of many abortions differently.
It is undeniable that many people have used their minds and many have used the Bible in ways that have led to evil. And some of these people have been truly heartless. But not one of the great cruelties of the 20th century -- the Gulag, Auschwitz, Cambodia, North Korea, Mao's Cultural Revolution -- came from those who took their values from the Bible. And the great evil of the 21st century, though religion-based, doesn't come from the Bible either.
Meanwhile, the combination of mind, Judeo-Christian values and heart has produced over centuries the unique success known as America. Reliance on the heart will destroy this painstaking achievement in a generation.
©2004 Creators Syndicate, Inc.
Translation: When it suits our purpose the Old Testament counts when it's embarrassing it doesn't.
Matthew
5:17
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
5:18
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
5:19
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: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven
Luke
16:16
The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.
16:17
And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.
The Greek word for "servant" used in these verses you cited is doulos which can be translated as "slave" "servant" or "employee."
Only by someone who wishes it doesn't say what it does. Employees call their bosses "Boss" not master.
In now way can these verses be construed that the Apostle Paul favored slavery. Nowhere in these writings does he endorse the system. In fact, in 1 Timothy 1:10 "menstealers" or "slave traders" are classified with "whoremongers," "liars" and other evildoers. The Roman world at that time was full of slaves. Some historians estimate that about 1/3 of the population of the Roman world consisted of slaves. Paul did not recommend outright revolt by slaves but rather advocated faithful service, as to the Lord.
What about Onesimus the run away slave in the book of Philemon that Paul finds.
Does Paul do anything to free or hide him? Does he at least tell the owner (His friend) slavery is wrong and to free him.
Nope our "Hero" Paul returns him.
Jesus and Paul were supposedly working for God, They went into pretty much everything else so you think if God hated slavery he would have had at least one of them say something negative about it.
But don't let the facts get in the way of your hatred.
LOL! The ole Liberal tactic that Fundamentalist love to emulate. Accuse your opponent of what you are doing. It wasn't an Atheist who wrote this article.
Christians do not live under the Mosaic Law. If we did, we would sacrifice sheep, goats and turtledoves regularly. Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law, and by doing so, He essentially did away with the tenents of the law.
In other words, He is the one sacrifice for all sins from then on. Therefore, the entire Mosaic Law is, in essence, invalidated by Christ. You might want to try reading the books of Galatians and Hebrews. They explain it far better and in more detail than I can here.
Christianity ended the Western slave trade in the 18th Century. That is incontrovertable historical fact. No Historians dispute that. To do so betrays an astonishing ignorance of history.
However, the stipulations of the moral law were not abolished. The moral law applies to all men at all times, while the civil law applied to one nation only and the ceremonial law was rendered void by the Cross and Jesus' Resurrection. We are saved by grace and not by works, which would include obedience to the moral law. "Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law." (Romans 3:31) Without the moral law, we would lack guidelines to know whether we have transgressed. "for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation." (Romans 4:15) We express our love for our Savior by obedience. "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." (John 14:15)
To deny the continued applicability of the moral law in this church age is to fall into the antinominalism that has plagued much of the evangelical church. Poor teaching in all too many churches and failure to condemn sin in the congregation from the pulpit have led to the abominable statistics regarding the moral behavior of supposedly born-again Christians in sexual, business, and other ethical matters.
Alexis de Tocqueville, in his observations about early 19th Century America, noted that the secret of America's greatness could be found in its pulpits on Sunday mornings "aflame with righteousness." He observed that America is great because she is good. When she ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.
While we're on the subject, what translation do you use at the moment for the words "alone", "sex" and "is"?
Uh, huh. Attempting to reason with such willful ignorance is pointless. I leave you to your delusions and hate.
I don't argue with that, but where did that moral basis come from? Certainly not the Bible, since the Bible condones and justifies slavery.
This moral basis must have been extra-Biblical, but you can't get some here to admit that morality is based on more than the Bible. It must cause a lot of cognitive dissonance for them.
Deuteronomy 23:15-16
"You shall not hand over to his master a slave who has escaped from his master to you. He shall live with you in your midst, in the place which he shall choose in one of your towns where it pleases him; you shall not mistreat him."
And here is the text of Philemon, emphasis mine:
"Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker, and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:
"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
"I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints; and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ's sake. For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.
"Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper, yet for love's sake I rather appeal to you--since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus--I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart, whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel; but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will. For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. If then you regard me a partner, accept him as you would me.
"But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account; I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well). Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say.
"At the same time also prepare me a lodging, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given to you.
"Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit."
It appears that Onesimus ran away to Paul and was converted while with him. Apparently Onesimus consented to return to Philemon's service, as it's hard to believe Paul, who looked on him as a son, would force him to go back if he didn't want to--especially as he had Old Testament law to back up his refusal to send him back. It isn't hard to read the subtext of this letter: "If you don't do as you should and free him, you will be sinning and spurning my counsel."
The Old Testament allowed the Israelites to purchase slaves from the surrounding countries, but had laws to protect them from mistreatment. It was absolutely forbidden and punishable by death to sell another Jew into slavery. Israelites who went into service to pay off debts were freed in the year of Jubilee and their debts were forgiven.
The New Testament once again holds God's people to a higher standard. While the early Christians were not required to revolt and try to end the Roman practice of slavery any more than they were to revolt against the Roman's oppression of their people, they were encouraged to free their own slaves. If they refused to free their slaves they were reminded that in God's eyes they were all equal (Gal. 3:26-28, Eph. 6:9, Col. 4:1).
The relative silence of the New Testament on this topic probably arises from the New Testament emphasis on the dignity of service to others--all were to be servants (Mark 10:43-45). As well, the New Testament teaches us to be content in whatever situation we find ourselves in (Phil. 4:11-13). I Corinthians 7:20-24 says, "Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him. Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it trouble you--although if you can gain your freedom, do so. For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to."
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