(June 8, 2016 at 2:58 pm)Ignorant Wrote:(June 8, 2016 at 2:36 pm)ApeNotKillApe Wrote: Why do you think this story is important?
In Christianity, it is one of the more fundamental images of forgiveness and reconciliation between people and between people and God. It results in a party, and everyone is invited.
Nope sorry, still doesn't work.
First off you are still talking about the same character above him in God, which is still the violent OT and violent end times character. The "forgiveness" in the middle is fake, it is like beating your spouse, then promising not to hit them again only to go right back to beating the shit out of them.
Secondly, nobody has the right to tell me who I have to associate with if they hurt me. No third party has the right to force me to accept the transgressions of others who hurt me. That is my decision alone. Now, I am not against forgiveness as an idea, and certainly revenge doesn't teach anyone anything, but I decide whom I forgive, not a third party.
As watered down as many Christians try to paint the NT Jesus character, not even the NT authors agree as to how the OT applies. And even in the NT the Jesus character tells you to abandon your family and friends if they don't follow him. It is still a watered down form of tribal loyalty.
In real life in civil society no one person has absolute power over anyone else, there is no monopoly in western governments. In real life we get to decide who our leaders are, and our leaders need our consent to rule over us and we don't have to blindly follow on person based solely on what that one person claims.
That bible was still written in an age of tribal kingdoms and the Jesus character does not change the tribal times in which it was written.
FYI, don't stupidly accuse me of hate or bigotry, my mom is still Catholic and I myself am a former Catholic.
