(August 10, 2024 at 9:22 pm)CuriosityBob Wrote:(July 22, 2024 at 10:12 am)Disagreeable Wrote: Quoting from the bible, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household." - Jesus Christ, Matthew 10:34-36
How would theists defend Jesus here? It's my favorite biblical quote when I want to point out that Jesus is a dick.
It is incumbent upon us to understand what is written and what is translation. What bible translation are you quoting from?
If you go back to the Greek as written then the verse reads very differently.
"Think not that I am come to send [ballō - to throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls] peace. I came not to send [same word, same meaning as before] peace but a sword [machaira - this is not a sword as we imagine but a small sword or large knife, its use here is figurative to mean judgement]. Freed of the constraints placed on it by translation it now says (me paraphrasing);
"Think not that I am come to carelessly discard peace. I have not come to carelessly discard peace but to bring judgement." This is setting up the next lines, where he then explains that judgement will set a man against his father, daughter against mother, etc.
Thank you for that translation. I don’t think that line about swords means that Jesus is saying that he is coming to our house to stick a sword in our guts. I agree with you.
When it comes to christians, they defend Jesus as if he would never harm anyone.
The reality is that when you are the life giver, the dictator, the ultimate judge, it goes with the territory. You will most likely desire to damage, inflict pain, make people suffer, kill off those who don’t worship you.
It is part of the personality of ancient people, such as the jewish priestly class and they built their god in their own image.
For example, read Revelation 14:2.
This shows that Jesus is racist. His goal is to save his people, the jews.
Quote:Revelation 14:9 KING JAMES VERSION
And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive [his] mark in his forehead, or in his hand, {14:10} The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: {14:11} And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up FOR EVER AND EVER: and they have NO REST DAY NOR NIGHT, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Notice the line:
the smoke of their torment ascendeth up FOR EVER AND EVER
That implies being tortured forever.
Notice the line:
they have NO REST DAY NOR NIGHT
That implies being tortured forever.
Quote:Revelation 14:19 KING JAMES VERSION
And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast [it] into the great winepress of the wrath of God. {14:20} And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand [and] six hundred furlongs.
^^^^^Jesus is talking about collecting people, putting them in a winepress and crushing them like grapes and letting the blood flow into the streets.
Christian: It is a figure of speech. Jesus is a nice guy. He will give you hugs and kisses.
