The Kinder God of the New Testament

[Rhondazvous]

The first four chapters of the book of revelations tells us why the end has come.

In essence the world at large is beyond corrupt/beyond salvation and now the '7 churches' or 7 recognized brands of Christianity have also been corrupt (all except one) and the start of the tribulation is to waken the last of those who can be save into being saved.

Oh yeah? Well I have a book that says the world is supported on the back of a giant turtle, and at the edge the waters fall off the surface in giant cascades, and that if you look over the edge and see what's below, that's the color of magic. Furthermore, I have seen over the edge myself, as the great turtle revealed it to me in a vision, which you cannot disprove.

Check mate.

Hey, I read that book, too. The world will end when all the water falls over the edge. I think the book is titles You Never Miss the Water Til the Ocean Runs Dry or something like that. Then those who want to be saved will walk across the ocean bed or ride on camels and jump off the edge into the magic ocean where they will turn into seals and live happily ever after. World without end. Amen.

[Rhondazvous]

Oh, you don't have to go to Revelation for cruelty. Even Jesus could tell a brutal story. Remember the parable of the "talents" - - a rich man went away on a journey, (to be made a king) and entrusted stewards with amounts of money that they are supposed to keep safe/do business with/make a profit. The parable notes that there were folks who did not want him to be king and tried unsuccessfully to stop the kingmaking.  He came back as a king, two of the stewards had made him some money, one had buried it and returned it to him without a profit. That steward was shamed and his money given to the most successful steward.  

Jesus ends the tale (speaking as the King - and most people who try to explain this parable say he is speaking of his future self): 

26  "He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away.
27   But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them--bring them here and kill them in front of me."
It is also interesting to note, in Luke, that this is the last thing he said before going into Jerusalem for his "Triumphal Entry".    Luke 19: 11-27

But Revelation does give George R. R. Martin some competition.  My mother used to LOVE Revelation 14:20, where angels would use sharp sickles on the unbelievers, and the blood would rise as high as horses' bridles for 180 miles. Oh, yes, Jesus was coming back and she was going to get to watch him kill ALL her enemies and won't it be GLORIOUS?

How can puny humans be the enemies of the creator of the universe? No, that low level regional manager we read about in the bible didn't create anything.

[Wyrd of Gawd]

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I emboldened the reason you believe this is a story of unfairness.

If the story was about keeping safe what was given you would have a leg to stand on. However the bits of the passage you did not quote tell a different story. The wicked servant was given money to invest wisly, but rather he sat on it doing nothing, even after he admits to knowing what was expected. At the very least he could have put the money given to him in a savings account and collects intrest from the bank.. But he did not.

Even in this servant's failings, the story never says the servant was fired, it simply says what he failed to invest was taken from him and given to the one who invest properly. i would have fired that guy, but Christ doesn't take way his salvation, just his 'wealth' in heaven.

Drich: Is English your 3rd or 4th language? If so, then we should ignore the incomprehensible sentences and misspellings. 

Luke 19: 12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.  
(no instructions to make money here)
22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: 23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?

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Jesus was supposed to be such a scholar of the law . . . yet he is ignoring the 18 instances in the "Old Testament" that declare usury (charging interest/making money by loaning money) to be a sin?

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Of course, it is absolutely silly to be debating Bible passages in this forum. The book is the worst piece of literary shite ever created by humankind. It is full of lies and absurdities from beginning to end. It has been used to support and encourage evil in a way that no other tome has - including the Koran. And Jesus could come in the flesh and tell this to most Xtians, and they would crucify him all over again.

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The rule was that the Israelites were not supposed to gouge their fellow Israelites by charging them interest.  They were free to gouge the hell out of the Gentiles by charging them as much interest as possible.

[el_presidente357]

Where would Christianity be without hell and the devil?

There wouldn't be anything to be "saved" from, so I'd suppose the dustbin of history.  Satan is a necessary straw man.  It goes like this: "There's an invisible force of evil that will torture you forever after you die unless you believe I am God's son."  Since Christianity is at heart a salvation religion, this is the most important message from Jesus.  And it sells.

[drfuzzy]

The two stories about the loaves and fish are about the power of sharing and hospitality.  Each person in the crowds had their own food but it was bad manners to eat without offering food to others even if it meant that you didn't have any left over for yourself.  

Jesus had his minions walk out into the crowds with their stinky fish and stale bread and offer it to the people.  Since each person had his own eats tucked away in his dusty robe he couldn't take their so he pulled his own food out and joined the minions in offering it to others.  The process spread through the crowd and once people saw what was happening they all pulled out their eats.  When it was over everyone had enough to eat and there was some left over.  

No one was going to go out into the wilds to listen to some guy flap his jaws without taking something to eat.  They just didn't want to share it with the dummy who didn't bring his own food.  But everyone packed his own lunch.

There are numerous stories in the Bible about food and the rules of hospitality.  The stories about the fish and loaves illustrate the principle.

Do you ever tire of being demonstrably wrong?!?

Jesus feeds 5,000 Matthew 14:13-21 - Matthew 14:13-21

According to the story, jeebus was told that because it was getting late, he should send the crowds away so they could go and buy some food.

Ah, but Wyrd is just giving us the current popular "spin" that preachers and priests (aka modern witch doctors) are currently putting out there. The bible means whatever they say it means, just ignore the actual words.