From: mitchell@nsslsun.nssl.uoknor.edu (DeWayne Mitchell)
Newsgroups: alt.atheism
Subject: Re: Crusades; Once more into the breach
Date: 21 Aug 92 15:40:18 GMT
Organization: National Severe Storms Laboratory

In article <1992Aug19.200311.13841@bmerh85.bnr.ca> dgraham@bmers30.bnr.ca (Douglas Graham) writes:
>In article <1992Aug19.100131.288@doc.bmd.trw.com> jbrown@doc.bmd.trw.com writes:
>>Doug, your comments seem reasonable in the context of one who does not
>>have a fundamental understanding of Christianity.  Having a poor grasp
>>of the doctrines and principles of Christianity is understandable for
>>one who denies or disbelieves in God, and who is not likely motivated
>>in gaining a complete understanding of Christian principles and teachings.
>>
>>
>>I am not criticizing you, so I hope you understand that I mean no offense
>>when I say that your understanding of Christianity, its doctrines, and
>>harmonizations of the gospels and the epistles in the NT is quite lacking.
>
>No offense taken.  I was thankfully spared the Sunday lessons in
>rational^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hharmonization when I was a child, so when
>Jesus says the Law stands, and later Paul says it's out, I naturally
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

	Jesus here was still alive and he lived under the Law(OT).  When
	Jesus was nailed to the cross then the OT was nailed as well.
	It is written that Jesus came to fulfill the law not to break
	it (paraphrase. I can find the exact reference.).  Thus, when
	Jesus died the New Law (NT) was enacted.  Thus, no contradiction
	IMHO.  
>tend to see a contradiction.  I see a lot of other contradictions as
>well, but I'm sure that's due to my poor training in "spiritual
>matters" as a child.  It may be too late now, so I may have to opt
>for the lobotomy instead.
>
>>There is no contradiction whatever between the teachings of Jesus and Paul.
>>Nor is there a contradiction between Paul and James.  Nor between, Jesus,
>>Paul, James, and John.  Etc.  The cohesive structure of the NT is well
>>established in Christian philosophy and thought.  Any imagined contradiction
>>in the NT is trivial at best, and the real work of harmonization remains,
>>admittedly, between the NT and portions of the Old.  Whether you or others
>>wish to accept Christian harmonizations in the NT, is of course, up to you.
>>But arguments as to whether Christians obey Jesus or Paul (or James or John)
>>really carry little weight for the well-grounded Christian who is aware of
>>the context and harmonizations of these various teachings.  You might as
>>well assert that Jesus never lived, or that Christianity is "immoral" for
>>all the good it will do.  All you will succeed in doing is to convince other
>>non-believers, as lacking in their understanding of Christianity as you, of
>>the "truth" of these assertions.
>
>Yes, I understand that all of us non-believers are that way because we lack
>understanding of Christianity.  The religion is so obviously true, and
>has borne such wonderful fruit, that nobody in full possession of the
>facts could possibly spurn it.  In addition, it seems to make people
>so happy, as they bomb clinics, murder homosexuals and heretics, donate
>much of their earnings to filthy-rich televangelists, and spew gibberish
>on Usenet.  I do admit that the appeal to join in the festivities is
>great, but alas, I just can't get the hang of that Christian "philosophy"
>and "thought."
>
>You are quite right about arguments with "well-grounded" Christians being
>futile.  Most have been immunized against the attacks of reason by many long
>years of mindnumbing dogma.  Any hope I may have once had for shaking loose
>a few brain cells in the faithful, are rapidly fading, but there are still
>those whose brains haven't atrophied completely yet.  Who knows, I may even
>catch you on a day when, due possibly to something you ate,  your brain is
>in an abnormally fluid state.  When those neurons start firing, watch out!
>
>>Regards,
>>
>>Jim
>>Send a copy of any replies to Jim_Brown@oz.bmd.trw.com as I am not able to
>>read this newsgroup each day, and many posts get deleted from the system
>>before I can read them.
>--
>Doug Graham         dgraham@bnr.ca         My opinions are my own.

DeWayne
Newsgroups: alt.atheism