Televangelist needs a private jet & wants donors to pay for it
- Thread starter KingOfBBN
- Start date
I think you are right Idacat. I clearly have not read enough Tolstoy, and have misunderstood his position on this. He seems to believe in the teachings of Christianity, the Sermon on the Mount, but not in the deity of Jesus. Not unlike Benjamin Franklin. Would you agree? I will continue to learn more about Tolstoy's position on this, but I think I stand corrected.
Thank you for admitting a mistake. We all make them. FTR, I didn't know these details until I looked it up. I guess we've both learned something.
I'm not qualified to accurately draw any deep comparisons, but I did see parallels with Enlightenment rationalistic thinking. Made me think a little of Jefferson. They both highly admired some of the words attributed to Jesus's and cut them from the surrounding "nonsense" or "dung" as Jefferson called it. Tolstoy was also an aristocrat who championed the poor. Jefferson was a slave owner who championed freedom. I'm sure there were major differences though.
Fair enough.
You mentioned that government shouldn't give to the poor (Which I do agree by the way, although there are cases where financial assistance is a must- But I hate for the gov't to do it due to "learned helplessness"). But were you implying that Jesus didn't want us to rely on the gov't? Was there an uprising of tax payers around of the 1st of century who were making societal protests about their tax money going to support the poors? When Jesus got up on that Mount, was his sermon in the interest of working tax payers?
I know what I think, I am not trying to convince or persuade anyone.
Try to keep things simple.
Jesus told his disciples to go and preach the gospel. To go tell others about Jesus. Never one time do I remember reading anywhere in the bible that anyone has to "convince" anyone to believe nor should they try. (That is what the Holy Spirit or comforter is for.)
Jesus also said that his burden is light and his yoke is easy. (People make it complicated which may be where the big or mega dough comes in. (That part I don't know about.))
Was a religious tither (If that's a word.). I mean I gave at least ten percent of my gross income for years plus other offerings. I trusted God to take control of it and guide the church where I tithed. We were blessed abundantly during that time but that is not why I tithed.
The last few years I have not tithed but have made sure to help where we could help and donate to causes that seemed just. (I have been out of the country for over 2 and a half years and that was part of the reason of not tithing as I once had been doing.)
Don't trust man in general though I believe that people are good in general.
We should help where we see a need and assure; The elderly, children, and widows with children should be the focal point of Christian giving.
Have always been of the adage; If an able-bodied man does not work he should not eat.
I have a compassionate heart but I have no compassion for an able-bodied man that will not work. if he works and then needs assistance that is another circumstance but rarely do you ever see a man ask for a hand-out if he is working. (I just have not seen that.) I always wanted my children to eat my food.
Anyway, God's way is the right way but it has sure been polluted. Not sure a message board is a large enough place to air it out.
Good luck to you all but Trust in God, he never fails.
This post was edited on 3/24 8:59 PM by BBUK
Try to keep things simple.
Jesus told his disciples to go and preach the gospel. To go tell others about Jesus. Never one time do I remember reading anywhere in the bible that anyone has to "convince" anyone to believe nor should they try. (That is what the Holy Spirit or comforter is for.)
Jesus also said that his burden is light and his yoke is easy. (People make it complicated which may be where the big or mega dough comes in. (That part I don't know about.))
Was a religious tither (If that's a word.). I mean I gave at least ten percent of my gross income for years plus other offerings. I trusted God to take control of it and guide the church where I tithed. We were blessed abundantly during that time but that is not why I tithed.
The last few years I have not tithed but have made sure to help where we could help and donate to causes that seemed just. (I have been out of the country for over 2 and a half years and that was part of the reason of not tithing as I once had been doing.)
Don't trust man in general though I believe that people are good in general.
We should help where we see a need and assure; The elderly, children, and widows with children should be the focal point of Christian giving.
Have always been of the adage; If an able-bodied man does not work he should not eat.
I have a compassionate heart but I have no compassion for an able-bodied man that will not work. if he works and then needs assistance that is another circumstance but rarely do you ever see a man ask for a hand-out if he is working. (I just have not seen that.) I always wanted my children to eat my food.
Anyway, God's way is the right way but it has sure been polluted. Not sure a message board is a large enough place to air it out.
Good luck to you all but Trust in God, he never fails.
This post was edited on 3/24 8:59 PM by BBUK
Not what I said. I was trying to say that Jesus point on the sermon on the mount was that WE should as individuals, but He wasn't talking about the government doing it. Jesus said render unto Caesar, that which is Caesar's. It seems open ended at that point.
I personally think government has a role is helping those who can't help themselves, using tax dollars. It's a slippery slope beyond that IMO.
This post was edited on 3/24 8:23 AM by wkycatfan
