I understand the sarcasm in your statement Ivan, but you have to realize that the practice of slavery and the subjugation of women by the menfolk and powerful tribes waging war on and killing the "evil heathens" who happen to worship the "wrong" god are all qualities very much in tune with Biblical teachings and precepts.

EXAMPLE; Long ago when the first anti-slavery crusaders came forward to openly oppose slavery and speak out strongly against it, some of their staunchest opponents were people from the South who angrily and adamantly pointed out --quite correctly-- that slavery was sanctioned by the God of the Christian Bible himself.

i know. but i see christianity as CHRIST. IF you go by what he SAID, almost all of the old testament would be ignored. including slavery, etc..
it is hard to tell what christianity, islam, etc., will eventually evolve into.

i know. but i see christianity as CHRIST. IF you go by what he SAID, almost all of the old testament would be ignored. including slavery, etc..
it is hard to tell what christianity, islam, etc., will eventually evolve into. "Do you think that I[Jesus] have come to abolish the Law or Prophets;I have not come to abolish them but to fullfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disapperar, not the smallest letter, not the last stroke or a pen, will by any means, dissapear from the Law until everything is accomplished." (Matthew 5:17-18) If that is not Jesus ordering his followers to follow the Law of Moses in the old testament then what is it?

"Do you think that I[Jesus] have come to abolish the Law or Prophets;I have not come to abolish them but to fullfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disapperar, not the smallest letter, not the last stroke or a pen, will by any means, dissapear from the Law until everything is accomplished." (Matthew 5:17-18) If that is not Jesus ordering his followers to follow the Law of Moses in the old testament then what is it?Jesus was a subversive who often spoke koans of a sort. Consider the possibilities of "fulfill." Taken in context of the bulk of his statements and actions, the ones reliably accepted as his, there seems to be more here than ordering folks to obey the Sabbath and stone adultresses, both things he openly stood in opposition with the legal watchdogs of the day.

fulfill

Variant(s): or ful·fil \fu̇(l)-ˈfil also fə(l)-\
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): ful·filled; ful·fill·ing
Etymology: Middle English fulfillen, from Old English fullfyllan, from full + fyllan to fill
Date: before 12th century
1archaic : to make full : fill <her subtle, warm, and golden breath…fulfills him with beatitude — Alfred Tennyson>
2 a: to put into effect : execute b: to meet the requirements of (a business order) c: to bring to an end d: to measure up to : satisfy
3 a: to convert into reality b: to develop the full potentialities of

I posted this link on the Pro-America thread... but this is probably a better place for it since it relates to both Christianity and the history of America.

Diamond Rio... great video... great message.

In God We Still Trust (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiYgpPB1kwU)

(forgive the duplication... or don't. I'll get over it.)

;)
SMW

I posted this link on the Pro-America thread... but this is probably a better place for it since it relates to both Christianity and the history of America.

Diamond Rio... great video... great message.

In God We Still Trust (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiYgpPB1kwU)

(forgive the duplication... or don't. I'll get over it.)

;)
SMW In 1797, America made a treaty with Tripoli,declaring that"the government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion." The U.S. constitution is a secular document. It contains no mention of "God" or "Christianity." The presidential oath of office, the only oath detailed in the Constitution, does not contain the phrase "so help me God" or any requirement to swear on a bible.(Art. 11.Sec.1). References to "Nature's God," "Creator," and "Devine Providence" in the Declaration do not endorse Christianity. The framers of our constitution wanted no part of religioujs intolerance and bloodshed, wisely establishing the first government in history to separate church and state.

In 1797, America made a treaty with Tripoli,declaring that"the government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion." The U.S. constitution is a secular document. It contains no mention of "God" or "Christianity." The presidential oath of office, the only oath detailed in the Constitution, does not contain the phrase "so help me God" or any requirement to swear on a bible.(Art. 11.Sec.1). References to "Nature's God," "Creator," and "Devine Providence" in the Declaration do not endorse Christianity. The framers of our constitution wanted no part of religioujs intolerance and bloodshed, wisely establishing the first government in history to separate church and state.True dat.

According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the following is the oath taken by ALL Federal employees (including judges)... with the exception of the president.

************

The Oath of Office and the Constitution

Oath
I, [name], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.

5 U.S.C. §3331


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Federal civil servants, we take an oath of office by which we swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. The Constitution not only establishes our system of government, it actually defines the work role for Federal employees - "to establish Justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty."

The history of the Oath for Federal employees can be traced to the Constitution, where Article II includes the specific oath the President takes - to "preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States." Article VI requires an oath by all other government officials from all three branches, the military, and the States. It simply states that they "shall be bound by oath of affirmation to support the Constitution." The very first law passed by the very first Congress implemented Article VI by setting out this simple oath in law: "I do solemnly swear or affirm (as the case may be) that I will support the Constitution of the United States."

The wording we use today as Executive Branch employees is now set out in chapter 33 of title 5, United States Code. The wording dates to the Civil War and what was called the Ironclad Test Oath. Starting in 1862, Congress required a two-part oath. The first part, referred to as a "background check," affirmed that you were not supporting and had not supported the Confederacy. The second part addressed future performance, that is, what you would swear to do in the future. It established a clear, publicly sworn accountability. In 1873, Congress dropped the first part of the Ironclad Test Oath, and in 1884 adopted the wording we use today.

*********
http://www.opm.gov/constitution_initiative/oath.asp