Christians, what happened to "love your neighbor"?

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Tensu
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12 Oct 2010, 2:50 pm

For a gene that causes those who have it to NOT reproduce?

I've been trying to find percentages for genetic disorders that alos cause the affected to fail to reproduce, but have been unable. I know homosexuality will be higher than these due to homosexuals having kids as a cover or an adolecent experiment, but for a gene that will generally inhibit reproduction, 5% seems very high going on gut intuition...

but guts are often wrong. If you have the percentage of some other genetic traits that cause the affected to fail to reproduce, I'd love to see them so I cold form a more accurate comparison.



MrXxx
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12 Oct 2010, 5:13 pm

"Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" is one of the most frequently misunderstood scriptures of all, even among professed Christians.

It seems no matter what Christian denomination a person is part of, this scripture is all to often interpreted to mean to treat others in exactly the same way you would like to be treated. This is only partially true. Too often though, we consider precisely how WE would like to be treated, then assume that we should treat others in that manner. This though, is not what is truly meant by these words.

What is meant is to consider the fact that there is a way in which we would like to be treated, but that others may wish to be treated in an entirely different manner.

The real key to understanding what is really meant by these words is this:

Consider that there is a way in which you like to be treated. Now consider that there is a way in which the person you are dealing with would like to be treated. Learn what that is, then treat them that way.

That is, after all, how WE would truly like to be treated. Isn't it?

We wouldn't want others treating us in a manner that they may enjoy, but we don't, would we?

What works for us doesn't necessarily work for others, but what works for them does. That, in essence, is what Jesus really meant.


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12 Oct 2010, 10:43 pm

ChrisVulcan wrote:
as a Christian, my beliefs must be consistent with Biblical scripture, and the Bible is clear that homosexual behaviors are not appropriate. I can't get around that. So, Christians, how do you interact with someone you geniunely believe to be a "sinner"? I think it is to remember that different individuals are simply inclined toward different kinds of wrong behaviors. A person might be a sinner, but he or she isn't any worse in this area than I am.


i am curious, does this mean that while you won't blatantly disrespect a gay person, neither would you help them in their times of trouble? refuse them public accomodation, lodging or employment?



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12 Oct 2010, 10:46 pm

ruveyn wrote:
About five percent of the male population. That is not "much too common" at all.


from reading kinsey, i got the impression that a much higher percentage of men at least "tried it." doing is being, at least in part.



Emeria
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12 Oct 2010, 11:05 pm

First of all, not all Christians are judgmental and nor are they called to be as such. If you actually read the New Testament, Jesus spent most of his time socializing with the people who were despised or looked down upon by others: the widows and orphans, the tax collectors, the Samaritans... and he ridiculed the Pharisees, who were well-respected by the rest of society, because of their attitudes.

Being a Christian means that one is a "follower of Christ". Does a follower not want to closely imitate the one whom he is following?

But this doesn't necessarily stop people from acting like they do. According to the Judeo-Christian tradition, humans are horribly flawed and their lives get messed up by sin.

Quote:
as a Christian, my beliefs must be consistent with Biblical scripture, and the Bible is clear that homosexual behaviors are not appropriate. I can't get around that. So, Christians, how do you interact with someone you genuinely believe to be a "sinner"? I think it is to remember that different individuals are simply inclined toward different kinds of wrong behaviors. A person might be a sinner, but he or she isn't any worse in this area than I am.


This is something that is difficult for me to think about. Some of the nicest people I know are homosexual, including one of my best friends who's known me for a really long time and been there when other people haven't. I can't bring myself to ridicule him just because he happens to be gay. He knows that I don't agree with his behaviors, but he also doesn't agree with some of the behaviors that I indulge in, but we both support each other.



AngelRho
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13 Oct 2010, 11:57 am

MrXxx wrote:
"Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" is one of the most frequently misunderstood scriptures of all, even among professed Christians.

It seems no matter what Christian denomination a person is part of, this scripture is all to often interpreted to mean to treat others in exactly the same way you would like to be treated. This is only partially true. Too often though, we consider precisely how WE would like to be treated, then assume that we should treat others in that manner. This though, is not what is truly meant by these words.

What is meant is to consider the fact that there is a way in which we would like to be treated, but that others may wish to be treated in an entirely different manner.

The real key to understanding what is really meant by these words is this:

Consider that there is a way in which you like to be treated. Now consider that there is a way in which the person you are dealing with would like to be treated. Learn what that is, then treat them that way.

That is, after all, how WE would truly like to be treated. Isn't it?

We wouldn't want others treating us in a manner that they may enjoy, but we don't, would we?

What works for us doesn't necessarily work for others, but what works for them does. That, in essence, is what Jesus really meant.


I think you're pretty close to the spirit of that verse.

Perhaps we might read it better to say this: "Treat others the way you'd want to be treated if you were in their place."

"Love thy neighbor..." refers to a call to action. In my opinion, someone who cuts themselves doesn't really love themselves ("themselves" to include their physical bodies, and cutting is doing harm). People who DO "love" themselves take care of themselves. You wear the best clothes according to affordability and function, you eat healthy food, you get plenty of exercise, and you keep birds from building nests in your hair. The idea behind "Love thy neighbor..." is that you take care of those around you the same way you would care for your own personal needs. I think the word "love" is misunderstood purely as an emotion or sentiment. The verse doesn't read "Have warm and fuzzy feelings for your neighbor." Sure, that CAN be a good thing, to feel all warm and fuzzy about being with your friends. But there's no force behind it. The "love" in "love thy neighbor" is the "going the extra mile," "turning the other cheek," and so on. I take it to refer to enemies as well as friends. It's an active, hands-on kind of thing rather than the old warm-and-fuzzies.



ChrisVulcan
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14 Oct 2010, 11:46 pm

auntblabby wrote:
ChrisVulcan wrote:
as a Christian, my beliefs must be consistent with Biblical scripture, and the Bible is clear that homosexual behaviors are not appropriate. I can't get around that. So, Christians, how do you interact with someone you geniunely believe to be a "sinner"? I think it is to remember that different individuals are simply inclined toward different kinds of wrong behaviors. A person might be a sinner, but he or she isn't any worse in this area than I am.


i am curious, does this mean that while you won't blatantly disrespect a gay person, neither would you help them in their times of trouble? refuse them public accomodation, lodging or employment?


I wouldn't blatantly disrespect a gay person or refuse him or her things like lodging or employment because of their sexual orientation. The idea behind my post is that even though I believe homosexual behaviors to be sinful in nature, I shouldn't treat a gay person differently than a straight person. Straight people sin as well, simply in different ways. We shouldn't become self-righteous and look down on people that we have labeled "sinners".

I apologize if the purpose of my writing was unclear. I'm usually pretty tired when I post here, so I realize it's not always completely coherent.


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15 Oct 2010, 12:05 am

AngelRho wrote:
"Love thy neighbor..." refers to a call to action. In my opinion, someone who cuts themselves doesn't really love themselves ("themselves" to include their physical bodies, and cutting is doing harm). People who DO "love" themselves take care of themselves. You wear the best clothes according to affordability and function, you eat healthy food, you get plenty of exercise, and you keep birds from building nests in your hair. The idea behind "Love thy neighbor..." is that you take care of those around you the same way you would care for your own personal needs. I think the word "love" is misunderstood purely as an emotion or sentiment. The verse doesn't read "Have warm and fuzzy feelings for your neighbor." Sure, that CAN be a good thing, to feel all warm and fuzzy about being with your friends. But there's no force behind it. The "love" in "love thy neighbor" is the "going the extra mile," "turning the other cheek," and so on. I take it to refer to enemies as well as friends. It's an active, hands-on kind of thing rather than the old warm-and-fuzzies.

A while ago, parents beating their children as a way to educate them, which currently is considered child abuse, used to say that they did it because they loved them.

People may do things out of love perhaps, but some wouldn't exactly know if wether that do really a good thing or cause more damage.


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15 Oct 2010, 12:24 am

SteamPowerDev wrote:
It's pretty much considered to be something you are born with. It's also found in nature. So either sin affects animals, or homosexuality isn't a sin. Or the whole sin idea is just something to reconsider.

An explanation: the Bible is innacurate about creation, given evidence contradicting this, so much as the issue with homosexuality is also a problem, given that both things are related to cultural and historical notions as well as how much the writers knew about astronomy, physics and biology. I mean, it looks like that was a sexually repressed society, the knowledge of human sexuality wasn't a thing to wonder about or investigate, something they wouldn't cared about, given that sexuality was likely taboo.

Homosexual practices in pagan cultures may be one of the reasons to reject the practice, as well as the solely purpose of sexual relationships, procreation. And this sounds funny though, as for consistency, any form of sexual relationship that is not aimed to produce offspring (vaginal intercourse) within marriage, should be regarded in the same level as homosexuality, for the sake of fairness.

In any case, living in a secular society, has its benefits.


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