Feedback requested. I am attempting to form a counter argument when speaking to someone who believes that the Old Testament should be American law. I will write this in my journal to review and internalize.
"If God’s law is appropriate to rule the nation with, that can happen naturally if you convert the nation first, and that would only be able to be done if people weren’t running away from the church, as it seems" 1/3
"the Bible is too often used as a weapon to cause shame and suffering, rather than a source of peace. A nation of Christians could be democratic about it, and God’s will would be done. As it is, it seems God’s will is for us to learn to accept each other, and learn from the challenges we face. If God’s will was for us to force each other to act according to His laws, efforts to do so would not result in such anger, rage, and resistance. "
P.S. - This is me, who remembers Jesus only from Sunday school, and is more of a mostly secular pagan attempting to speak to fundie Christians who would tell me I should be set on fire if I wasn't careful about my beliefs.
Simplify.
Ask them which parts.
Because none of them are obeying the Ten Commandments.
@Shelter Thank you for reminding me to brush up on my 10 commandments, it's been a few years, and I can't believe I haven't jotted them down in my notes. Unfortunately, the exact perspective I am trying to counter is dominion theology, which doesn't seem to stem from the Ten commandments, but rather the bit about God granting dominion over the earth.
@tippitiwichet
Ah.
Those people.
@tippitiwichet
Those people who don't understand that in order to honor God's creation dominion requires being careful custodians.
@Shelter It breaks my heart. I'm actually grateful for the Sunday school lessons that taught me to be a better person through "don't do anything that would make Jesus cry" rather than "obey or burn". I was taught the custodial perspective as well, and that the rod for the child referred to the Shepard's crook, which does not beat the sheep. The people in that church seemed peaceful and happy. They did not seem like the angry people of my uncle's church, who had a show on TV.
@tippitiwichet I think you have a good handle on it.
If you want to have a "Christian" country, then you have to have a country filled with Christians. Therefore your duty as a Christian is not to influence government to implement bible-based law, but to lovingly preach the Gospel in the hope that they will put their faith in Jesus.
This is what Paul did on his journeys through Europe and it's what Christians must do today. It was Christ's final and most important command: The Great Commission.
@tippitiwichet
I would be wary of the last sentence here.
Some Christians view opposition and resistance as a sign that they are doing God's work, because throughout the Old and New Testaments God's people met with (often violent) opposition and persecution.
Better I think to point out that throughout the Bible, God never *forced* anyone to obey him, but there *were* consequences of disobedience. If somebody claims Christ, the best thing they can do is to behave like him.
@stueytheround Okay, I can see where that perspective would come from. Excellent, I knew it was a good idea to ask.
"The best results to change someone’s mind arise when someone acts as Jesus did, with kindness and acceptance, communicating God’s love through action." The End