On 1/2/2014 4:38 AM, Warp wrote:> John VanSickle 
<evi### [at] kosherhotmailcom> wrote:
 >> Well as a Christian I can tell you that the reason that I do not kill
 >> witches or homosexuals or Sabbath-breakers is not because I have let the
 >> commandments be trumped, but rather because those commandments were not
 >> given to me in he first place.
 >
 > I know that excuse, but it misses the point.
 >
 > It doesn't matter if God gave those commandments to everybody or only
 > to the hebrews, and it doesn't matter if the judiciary system to enact
 > those commandments is nowadays in place or not. The point is that God
 > did give those commandments, which means that God thinks they are good
 > and just.

He gave them in order to accomplish a number of purposes which He 
regards as good and just.  However, now that those purposes have been 
served, the commandments are no longer good and just; therefore they are 
no longer in effect.

 > And if you are completely honest (as you should be, if you
 > are a Christian), then you would agree that you do *not* think those
 > commandments are good and just.

I am glad that the commandments were not given to me, but whether 
something is right or wrong does not depend on how I feel about it.

 > The very fact that you would never
 > stone someone to death in any circumstance (much less for such a
 > "heinous" crime as breaking the sabbath or being rude to your parents)
 > shows that you do not think it's just punishment. If you are honest
 > to yourself, you will agree with this.

"Any circumstance"?  Sir, you do not know me.  There are some crimes for 
which I regard stoning as too merciful a punishment.  But in this era 
God has reserved those things for the secular authorities.

 > In other words, you disagree with your God.

I certainly do disagree with God (and as a result have wronged Him on 
numerous occasions).  There are a number of commandments, which apply to 
me, that I would have left out if I had written the Bible, and it is 
only with careful consideration that I recognize that they really are 
better than what I would have come up with on my own.  And thus I 
recognize that my disagreement with God is proof of a flaw in me and not 
in God.

Regards,
John

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