Zeev's Turnips Talk Politics (ZTTP)

[sarai]

Don't sweat it, jb. The entire argument is wrought with contradiction and hypocracy, and gross religious intolerance, which happens to be the the "highest" form of bigotry, imo.

Such a simplistic interpretation reduces God's Law, which is really a code for moral living, to an issue of "form over substance" rather than actual morality. Per the literalist interpretation, "salvation" is ultimately is a matter of "academics" rather than morality because if one does not adopt the literalist's "academic" interpretation, one is damned for all of eternity. And it is not just non-Christians who are damned. Non-fundamentalist Christians are subject to eternal damnation as well. By the literal interpretation, poor Mother Teresa is suffering "eternal damnation" as we post. Because it doesn't matter that she was ultimately "good" and moral. What matters is that she was Catholic, a faith which considered "idolatry" by many Evangelical "Christians", who have, from time to time, referred to Catholicism as a "satanic cult". You might be inclined to ask "how dare they"? And it would seem to come down to an academic definition of the word "idolatry"? And since their definition is the "right" definition, all others are guilty of idolatry.

Revelation 21:8 -

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Clearly there can be no debate about the meaning of the above. Clearly the above "says" Jews, Moslems, Buddhists, Hindu's, Catholics, secular Protestants, and righteous Agnostics are destined for eternal damnation. Because anything that is not fundamentally Evangelical, is "idolatry".... Forget the fact that Jews and Christians supposedly worship the "same" God, it is idolatry if it is not specifically Evangelical. Forget the fact that "idolatry" refers to "false" gods, specifically. Since the Evangelical interpretation is the only "true" interpretation, all other interpretations are "false" and therefore "idolatry". Forget the Bible says "judge not or be judged", forget "false prophets" forget all of it! It is not applicable to "literal" Evangelism, ie that which is not "idolatry". And don't argue because one can not argue "truth". One can not argue "truth" with "idolatry"? Are you beginning to "understand"?

Somehow I have a hard time viewing God in a purely "academic" sense, but what do I know?.. And who am I to "judge"?.. I have a difficult time conceptualizing a seemingly simplistic "understanding" of an infinite God and Universe in such simple and academic terms, but again what do I know?...


Evangelical Christian beliefs about non-Christian religions:

http://www.religioustolerance.org/hallo_ev.htm#non

Evangelicals and Jews: Is Progress Unraveling?
Recent flaps in Christian-Jewish relations show how much evangelical theology has changed--and how much it has stayed the same.

http://aol.beliefnet.com/story/77/story_7782.html

I will see you in "hades", jb, or so it is according the the fundamental "Evangelical" interpretation.... But fear not, I suspect we will be in very "good" company!...

There is really no need for others to argue this post because when you're "right", you're "right"!.... :)