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As with any worthwhile worldview, there should be a measure of coherence and internal consistency. For example, there should not be glaring contradictions or a woeful disconnect between what you claim to believe and what you actually do.
A comment from Muehlenberg that sounds quite promising. “No glaring contradictions.” he says. This one should be good!
It is not just a question of one’s walk matching one’s talk, but of having a worldview – in this case, a Christian worldview – which covers all aspects of life, and has a consistent and uniform approach to things. Biblical Christianity is, among other things, a full-fledged worldview, and it should be one which is cohesive and non-contradictory.
Oh, it seems to have come unstuck already. Christianity is anything but cohesive and non-contradictory. It has unicorns for a start. Oh, dragons, giants and talking donkeys. It suggests stoning and loving everyone. And you can’t look at the chrisitans without noticing that there are so many of them under different banners. If there is but one truth why are there so many denominations?
For example, a person claims to be a follower of Jesus, yet:
-insists that obedience to his clear commands is an optional extra;
-refuses to agree with God about His purposes for human sexuality;
-votes for political parties which are committed to death and reject the sanctity of human life;
-lives in known and unconfessed sin; etc.
Hang on a minute, this is interesting list that we’ve been provided with by our Great Sage Billy M (GSBM). These are the very things that form the basis of his ranting blog.
Let me show you:
- insists that obedience to his clear commands is an optional extra;
GSBM wants you do to what he thinks the world-view of his holy book is, that is you should be obedient to him and him alone. Remember only GSBM has the truth.
- refuses to agree with God about His purposes for human sexuality;
GSBM wants you to hate the gays and only put your wandering genitals in places acceptable to him and him alone. You must not refuse to agree with him!
- votes for political parties which are committed to death and reject the sanctity of human life;
GSBM wants there to be no abortion ever. Not only are you not to have an abortion but you have no right to object. Anyone who votes Labor or Greens is demanding abortion and you have no right to vote for anyone who doesn’t agree with GSBM.
- lives in known and unconfessed sin; etc.
You have to get married. No shacking up and no orgies. And just in case he has forgotten anything he’s covered it with an etc.
These are fairly obvious examples of a major disconnect between one’s profession of faith, and what one actually does.
It’s an interesting list, but when it comes to major disconnect between faith and GSBM what about these ones?
- Love one another as I have loved you
- Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.
- Therefore all things whatsoever would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them
- but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Unlike GSBM list, my list is actual words from the bible, not a personal interpretation designed to fit my own personal agenda… ok, ok, it is to fit my own personal agenda. You see that’s what the bible is for, cherry-picking the bits to allow you to behave the way you want with little regard for everything else in the book. It’s really easy to take a bible and your own personal agenda and make the bible match and then claim that you have the truth. This is the only way that you can have this attitude:
there should not be glaring contradictions or a woeful disconnect between what you claim to believe and what you actually do.
You can only avoid the glaring contradictions when you have a woeful disconnect. It’s really no surprise that GSBM leaves out all the good bits and uses his blog not to focus on the good things of his faith but to focus on the negative.
It fits in with his world-view that there is a spiritual war going on and he is a warrior. Armed with the bible and a crucifix.
Time for a spanking GSBM – get those cheeks out for turning.
Dear Bruce, I loved your article on “Learning to Turn The Other Cheek” and your image, which reminded me of the one shown in my “Coles Funny Picture Book No 1” given to me as a child (no doubt to scare me into being good). This, I have now found out (via your divine inspiration) can now bee freely seen online at http://www.gutenberg.org/files/30726/30726-h/30726-h.htm (see especially pages 34, 40, and 41 re “Naughty Boys”, “Whipping Machine” and “Cole’s Patent Whipping Machine”) though you will no doubt find other pics and topics amusing too. The front cover of the book, also inspired me, though it has taken a long time for me to express my learning about those duplicitous times. Enter the confusing world of my childhood. It is no wonder that I turned out as I did…. Thanks so much for titillating me in my older age !