BetheButterfly Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 (edited) The Bible, especially the Tankah or Old Testament, has many strict and harsh penalties. However, one thing that is very important to note is that most Jewish people today consider the Tanakh's harsh commands to have only been for the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob for the time period of long ago, or simply an allegory. Now, I personally take most of what the Tanakh says (except what I consider to be figurative speech) as literal. However, I do think agree that most of the harsh penalties, as well as animal sacrifices, are no longer what God requires. I believe that is because of Jesus. Jesus is Jewish and I believe is the one who laid down the foundation of tolerance for Abrahamic beliefs. It is important then, to be tolerant. Jesus indirectly taught tolerance and directly taught love for people, including one's enemies. How he indirectly taught tolerance is through hanging out with people the religious leaders of the day despised. He even indirectly called himself "a friend of tax collectors and sinners." (Matthew 11:19) He was rebuked by the religious leaders of that day for that. (Matthew 9:9-12) However, he rebuked them and stated that the tax collectors and prostitutes, because of their belief and repentance, were entering the Kingdom of God before them - the religious leaders. (Matthew 21:28-32). He also indirectly taught tolerance for apostates when he focused on his apostles' beliefs. He never ordered his loyal follows to kill, mock, curse, hate those who left him. (John 6:32-69) Now, this is very important because there are many many people who have been raised to believe, but turn their back. That is their right and they should be free to do so!!! Jesus indirectly taught tolerance also by showing that his disciples and apostles should not fight or kill their enemies. He taught this important lesson through Peter's error in cutting off Malchus' ear!!! (John 18:10-11) Obviously, Peter had not been trained in sword-fighting, which is a very important point. Jesus rebuked Peter and healed Malchus' ear. That speaks volumes... as the saying goes, "Actions speak louder than words." Jesus did not train his apostles and disciples in the "art" of war. Rather, he trained them in love and telling others about him, and in helping people!!! Other quotes of Jesus are accounted concerning swords or fighting: Matthew 25:50-56 and Luke 22:49-51. Jesus directly taught love for one's enemies! This is even greater than tolerance! Matthew 5 includes Jesus' command to love as well, though the account in Luke goes into deeper detail as to what exactly Jesus says to do to those who basically don't like you. Luke 6 (I boldened some.) "27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you. 32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Jesus' teachings of love, which exceeds even tolerance, is clearly taught However, horribly and tragically throughout "Christian" history, "Christians" have not even been tolerant. Sadly, history abounds with "Christians" killing, mocking, and hating "sinners", not being a friend of sinners, like Jesus. Sadly, history abounds with "Christians" killing apostates, not loving them anyways. Sadly, history abound with "Christians" not loving their enemies, but hating all those who disagree with them. However, if one looks closely into Jesus' teachings, one can see that tolerance is there: tolerance for sinners, even friendship; tolerance for apostates, even love; tolerance for enemies, even love. In the world today, there are people of all sorts of beliefs and philosophies. Jesus' teachings advocate tolerance and even more than that - love, for them. We are not to force them to believe how we do. Thankfully, in the USA, Theists and Atheists can live side by side, in tolerance and hopefully in love. Thankfully, Catholics (like a good friend of mine) and Protestants (like me) can agree to disagree in differences and yet still consider ourselves sisters in Christ and in humanity. What the world needs is love. We don't need hate. We don't need insults. We don't need killing others. What we need is love and kindness and tolerance, no matter what one believes or doesn't believe. Ok, rant over lol. I'm just writing about what I am learning and I'm very passionate about it. I am so glad that Jesus teaches love (and tolerance indirectly.) If not, I'd have a huge problem with his teachings. However, his teachings on love attract me and i hope to grow in love too, both love for God and love for others. Edited September 24, 2012 by BetheButterfly 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Author BetheButterfly Posted September 24, 2012 Author Share Posted September 24, 2012 (edited) It's His love that attracted me also. The problem today is that some Christians ignore the "don't judge" lesson that Jesus taught, and instead, pick the sin they hate the most (for whatever reason) and go at it. I was reading a discussion on facebook a while ago, about how a Christian man thought it was his "place" to judge other people, and how he was called to do so. It saddened me that he thought that because I instantly thought it wasn't very Christian of him. Above all else, we are called to love. Judgement is not loving, and does not open the doors to love. I also watched a documentary about the Westboro Baptist Church and they said they were doing it out of love. It scares me that some people cherry pick from the Bible the bits they agree with, and toss the rest out of the window. From where I'm standing, picketing soldier's funerals is not an act of love, and I know Jesus would not approve. It's sad that these kind of groups are the ones that seem to "represent" Christians, and the people who could have been swaying towards Christianity may turn away at the sight of them. Yeah, love helps people. If my Mom had told me when I was struggling with things that God hated me and that she hated me and that I was a ____, I would have died inside. However, she didn't. She just loved me through what I was experiencing and prayed with me. Even though some people question the validity of the account of the woman caught in adultery who Jesus didn't condemn, it's important to note that he didn't demand that she be killed. Rather, he showed that none of her accusers were perfect either. I love that so much because he showed her love, mercy, and concern through not condemning her. He has shown that to us as well!!! John 8 (I boldened some.) John 8 NIV - but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. - Bible Gateway "1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” I still want to know, where was the man!? It takes at least 2 to commit adultery, right? Anyways, all throughout the accounts in the Bible of what Jesus said and did, he obviously had mercy and compassion on sinners. This quote of his is awesome: "12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’[Hosea 6:6] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Edited September 24, 2012 by BetheButterfly 2 Link to post Share on other sites
tom3.1415 Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 How he indirectly taught tolerance is through hanging out with people the religious leaders of the day despised. He even indirectly called himself "a friend of tax collectors and sinners." (Matthew 11:19) He was rebuked by the religious leaders of that day for that. (Matthew 9:9-12) However, he rebuked them and stated that the tax collectors and prostitutes, because of their belief and repentance, were entering the Kingdom of God before them - the religious leaders. (Matthew 21:28-32). He also indirectly taught tolerance for apostates when he focused on his apostles' beliefs. He never ordered his loyal follows to kill, mock, curse, hate those who left him. (John 6:32-69) Now, this is very important because there are many many people who have been raised to believe, but turn their back. That is their right and they should be free to do so!!! Jesus indirectly taught tolerance also by showing that his disciples and apostles should not fight or kill their enemies. He taught this important lesson through Peter's error in cutting off Malchus' ear!!! (John 18:10-11) Obviously, Peter had not been trained in sword-fighting, which is a very important point. Jesus rebuked Peter and healed Malchus' ear. That speaks volumes... as the saying goes, "Actions speak louder than words." Jesus did not train his apostles and disciples in the "art" of war. Rather, he trained them in love and telling others about him, and in helping people!!! Other quotes of Jesus are accounted concerning swords or fighting: Matthew 25:50-56 and Luke 22:49-51. Jesus directly taught love for one's enemies! This is even greater than tolerance! Matthew 5 includes Jesus' command to love as well, though the account in Luke goes into deeper detail as to what exactly Jesus says to do to those who basically don't like you. Luke 6 (I boldened some.) Ok, rant over lol. I'm just writing about what I am learning and I'm very passionate about it. I am so glad that Jesus teaches love (and tolerance indirectly.) If not, I'd have a huge problem with his teachings. However, his teachings on love attract me and i hope to grow in love too, both love for God and love for others. Your thesis on Jesus and tolerance is really bias towards one side. It paints an incomplete picture of the New Testament. You mentioned Matthew, John and Luke so here are some variations on intolerance in those: Matthew While insulting the Pharisees and Sadducees, John the Baptist calls an entire generation a "generation of vipers." 3:7Those who bear bad fruit will be cut down and burned "with unquenchable fire." 3:10, 12Jesus says that most people will go to hell. 7:13-14Those who fail to bear "good fruit" will be "hewn down, and cast into the fire." 7:19"the children of the kingdom [the Jews] shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." 8:12Jesus tells his disciples to keep away from the Gentiles and Samaritans, and go only to the Israelites. 10:5-6Cities that neither "receive" the disciples nor "hear" their words will be destroyed by God. It will be worse for them than for Sodom and Gomorrah. And you know what God supposedly did to those poor folks (see Gen.19:24). 10:14-15Families will be torn apart because of Jesus (this is one of the few "prophecies" in the Bible that has actually come true). "Brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death." 10:21"Whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." 10:33Jesus says that he has come to destroy families by making family members hate each other. He has "come not to send peace, but a sword." 10:34-36Jesus condemns entire cities to dreadful deaths and to the eternal torment of hell because they didn't care for his preaching. 11:20-24"He that is not with me is against me." 12:30"Whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him." 12:31-32 Jesus often called people names. One of his favorites was to call his adversaries a "generation of vipers." 12:34Jesus will send his angels to gather up "all that offend" and they "shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." 13:41-42, 50Jesus refuses to heal the Canaanite woman's possessed daughter, saying "it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to the dogs." 15:22-26The ever-so-kind Jesus calls the Pharisees "hypocrites, wicked, and adulterous." 15:2-3"Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder." Whoever falls on "this stone" (Jesus) will be broken, and whomever the stone falls on will be ground into powder. 21:44In the parable of the marriage feast, the king sends his servants to gather everyone they can find, both bad and good, to come to the wedding feast. One guest didn't have on his wedding garment, so the king tied him up and "cast him into the outer darkness" where "there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." 22:12-13Jesus condemns the Jews for being "the children of them which killed the prophets." 23:31Jesus blames his the Jews (who were then living) for "all the righteous blood" from Abel to Zecharias. 23:35The servant who kept and returned his master's talent was cast into the "outer darkness" where there will be "weeping and gnashing of teeth." 25:30Jesus tells us what he has planned for those that he dislikes. They will be cast into an "everlasting fire." 25:41"His blood be on us, and on our children." This verse blames the Jews for the death of Jesus and has been used to justify their persecution for twenty centuries. 27:25 Luke Those who fail to bear "good fruit" will be "hewn down, and cast into the fire." 3:9John the Baptist says that Christ will burn the damned "with fire unquenchable." 3:17Jesus says that entire cities will be violently destroyed and the inhabitants "thrust down to hell" for not "receiving" his disciples. 10:10-15 "He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me." If you don't like what Pat Robertson says (or any other Christian), then you don't like Jesus, and if you don't like Jesus, you don't like God. 10:16Jesus says, "He that is not with me is against me." 11:23Those who "blaspheme against the Holy Ghost" will never be forgiven. 12:10God is like a slave-owner who beats his slaves "with many stripes." 12:46-47According to Jesus, only a few will be saved; the vast majority will suffer eternally in hell where "there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." 13:23-30Jesus also believes the story about Noah's flood and Sodom's destruction. He says, "even thus shall it be in the day the son of man is revealed ... Remember Lot's wife." This tells us about Jesus' knowledge of science and history, and his sense of justice. 17:29-32In the parable of the talents, Jesus says that God takes what is not rightly his, and reaps what he didn't sow. The parable ends with the words: "bring them [those who preferred not to be ruled by him] hither, and slay them before me." 19:22-27 John People are damned or saved depending only on what they believe. 3:18, 36The "wrath of God" is on all unbelievers. 3:36John, with his usual anti-Semitism, says that the Jews persecuted Jesus and "sought to slay him." 5:16, 18John says that Jesus "would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him." 7:1No one could speak openly about Jesus "for fear of the Jews." 7:13If you don't believe in Jesus, you will "die in your sins" (and then go to hell). 8:24Jesus calls his opponents (the Jews) the sons of the devil. 8:44"Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him." 10:31Once again, "the Jews" are accused of trying to kill Jesus. 11:8If you don't believe in Jesus you are going to hell. 12:48Jesus is the only way to heaven. All other religions lead to hell. 14:6John blames the Jews for the death of Jesus. 19:7, 12, 14-15"He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father." If you follow Jesus' teachings, God will love you -- otherwise... well, you know. 14:21Those who do not believe in Jesus will be cast into a fire to be burned. 15:6Now that Jesus has come, non-believers have no excuse for not believing in him. 15:22The Jews are blamed for the death of Jesus. 19:7-15"For fear of the Jews" You've got to watch out for Jews wherever you go. 19:38John, with his usual anti-Semitism, says that the disciples hid in locked room "for fear of the Jews." 20:19 Link to post Share on other sites
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