BT wrote:
> Greetings fellow revolutionary alchemists!
>
> The question I have is, How do we help separate the good-hearted
> followers from their devious leaders?
I've found the best thing to do is go back to the scriptures from
whence Christians are supposed to derive standards for their behavior.
This is especially true when the argument of "you shouldn't judge
anyone" comes to fore. Now, Jesus himself said this, in the second
part of Luke 12: 48:
"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and
from one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."
Leaders, who ought to know better, are far more accountable than the
average person. When Jesus confronted the leaders of his day, he
seldom had pleasant words for them for this very reason. Here is an
example:
"Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and
its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.
(There's a biofuel angle in there!) You brood of vipers! How can you
who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart
the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good
stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil
stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account
on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For
by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be
condemned." (Matthew 12: 33 - 37)
So, no higher authority than Jesus Christ himself condemns reckless
rhetoric, and we who call ourselves Christians should not soft pedal
this kind of behavior either. A man like Pat Robertson, who CLAIMS to
be a Christian, should have read statements of this nature and taken
them to heart long ago. When I complain about this kind of problem, I
do so because it degrades the standing of the Christian faith in the
eyes of nonbelievers who are watching. If I, a nobody, get upset when
the name of God is blasphemed in this manner, shouldn't genuine
Christian leaders roundly condemn the same behavior? After all, this
is what the scriptures admonish:
"Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you
of wrongdoing, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day
he visits us." (1 Peter 2: 12)
And elsewhere:
"But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there
WILL BE FALSE TEACHERS AMONG YOU. (Emphasis is mine.) They will
secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Sovereign
Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many
will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into
disrepute. In their greed, these teachers will exploit you with
stories they have made up . . ." (2 Peter 2: 1 - 3)
The fact that Pat Robertson calls himself a Christian disgusts me for
this very reason. He's not following the example of Jesus Christ, so
by his actions, he denies Christ. If he's impulsive and can't control
himself, he has no power from God. A person who calls himself a
Christian is one who should know God very well. Therefore:
"We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The
man who says, 'I know him', but does not do what he commands is a liar
and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love
is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him:
Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." (1 John 2: 3 - 6)
So then, if we examine what Jesus did, we will find a man who never
sought harm for anyone else. He was a man who lived by high principle
and spoke very carefully. He did not advocate violence, he did not
stir up a mob to overthrow the Romans, he did not seek political power
or financial gain. Therefore, if you see someone who claims to be a
Christian doing these things, you can KNOW that he's a liar. Further
on, you can read this:
"Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no
murderer has eternal life in him." (1 John 3: 15)
Now, I know that these faux Christians will say "Those verses only
apply to your Christian brother," because that's what they're
programmed to say by the false teachers they follow. But the
principles that Christians should follow transcend this worldly
attitude. Once again, here's what Jesus actually taught:
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your
enemy. But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He
causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the
righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what
reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And
if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others?
Do not even the pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your
heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5: 43 - 48)
The principle outlined above is one of social justice. Anyone who
calls himself a Christian can be characterized as one by considering
how he treats his enemies and others who do not love him. Pat
Robertson seeks political power. Pat Robertson called for a team of
"specialists" to take out Chavez. Pat Robertson does not behave in
harmony with the principle outlined in the above passage. I dare say
that had there been no hue and cry over the reckless call for killing,
Pat Robertson would NOT have apologized for his remarks.
robert luis rabello
"The Edge of Justice"
Adventure for Your Mind
http://www.newadventure.ca
Ranger Supercharger Project Page
http://www.members.shaw.ca/rabello/
_______________________________________________
Biofuel mailing list
Biofuel@sustainablelists.org
http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org
Biofuel at Journey to Forever:
http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html
Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages):
http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
