Still, it was really interesting to see the shards of ideas stringed in a sequence coming out of your mind. It was exciting actually. These things float around in our heads and we try to string them together and yet there are so many anecdotal pieces of information that it would take longer than we have here to put together what could be a whole book on the topic.
Of course, reading into it, I can see where I think you are going on all these thoughts and in many cases, I am in agreement. Some of the things you put forth are downright ludicrous and some are nearly universal truths. I won't argue them point for point because you leaped across history and back in lightning speed and there is no way to preserve nuance and depth by replicating the feat.
One thing I would observe which is consistent through everything you have said in both of these posts is the certainty of the universalness of many of your assumed truths. I look at life as supreme irony. As a Catholic, I bring my faith to a church which on one hand says we should respect the human body as a temple yet on the other spent a good part of the 15th century illuminating city squares across Europe with more than the occasional human torch.
All of life is irony.
According to Matthew, Jesus said:
“A Prophet is Not Without Honor Except in His Own Home Town and His Own House” Matt 13-57
We live in a world where those who should love, support and believe in us the most are often are harshest critics and the very people who would seek to undo our success. Jesus recognized this. His own brothers and sisters did not believe him according to the scripture.
If your own siblings and/or townspeople don't recognize your outstanding qualities, who will? That in itself gives me cause to believe that even that which we take for granted was once in doubt or may well be in the future...and when in doubt, we should tread lightly in the judgment of others.
Jesus is also purported to say:
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured unto you. And why behold you the mote that is in your brother's eye, but consider not the beam that is in your own eye? Or how will you say to your brother, Let me cast out the mote out of your eye; and lo, the beam is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of your own eye; and then shall you see clearly to cast out the mote out of your brother's eye.”
Matt 7:1-5
I believe one of us or both is in for a real awakening after this life ends. I accept the fact that it may well at least be me. I would like to go into that with as much compassion for others (even those different from myself), so that if I fail to uphold all that God wanted me to uphold, at least I will believe in my heart that I have tried to treat others as I would have wanted to be treated if I were in their shoes. So, I chose to tread lightly. What does amaze me is how heavy the shoes are of many of those who profess to stand on the “conservative” side of these particular issues.
Sorry I am all over the map, but I do not have the time to edit my writing or I would never be able to post anything. Granted, if these were papers submitted for my college classes, I would have done poorly—and I am sure I have plenty of spelling and grammar errors, also.
I do not judge other people. I leave that to God. My expertise is in child development and the way children learn and I have little tolerance for people who try to destroy the innocence of childhood. I have even less respect for feminist ideology which is responsible for the deaths of millions of babies and the destruction of emotionally healthy children and contributed greatly to the disintegration of the family unit.
I am an imperfect Catholic (like everyone else), but think that Christian thought combined with Western Civilization, esp. as evolved through the Catholic Saints, have given us the most perfect blueprint for happiness, ever in the history of the earth.
I do believe in the freedom of association and the writings of St. Paul:
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature[a]will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil.
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.
everything that does not come from faith is sin.
This is my all time favorite:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
What is the expected result when someone tries to use Jesus’ word to justify sin (hint - it’s extremely unpleasant and lasts forever)?