Nov 24, 2010 -- 8:20AM, REteach wrote:

Who probably had a big influence on Jesus. 

That would seem obvious. Hillel's greatest period of activity was from 30 BCE - 10 CE. It would have been almost impossible for Jesus not have been aware of Hillel's teachings.

Nov 17, 2010 -- 2:31PM, dblad wrote:

Nov 16, 2010 -- 11:03PM, SquirleyWurley wrote:

Jesus repeatedly points out to people where within their hearts there lurks sin, even when on the outside they appear to be following the law.  Hence, looking at another woman with lust is adultery in the heart.

To mess around with people you aren't married to, is not approved of in Scripture, it is considered fornication, adultery, etc..

SW... Scripture teaches that we are no longer under the Law, but under GRACE! You cannot be good enough to earn salvation, it is a free gift.

^{Gal. 3:10}Anyone who tries to please God by obeying the Law is under a curse. The Scriptures say, "Everyone who doesn't obey everything in the Law is under a curse." ¹¹No one can please God by obeying the Law. The Scriptures also say, "The people God accepts because of their faith will live."  ¹²The Law isn't based on faith. It promises life only to people who obey its commands. ¹³But Christ rescued us from the Law's curse, when he became a curse in our place.

 ²³The Law controlled us and kept us under its power until the time came when we would have faith. ²⁴In fact, the Law was our teacher. It was supposed to teach us until we had faith and were acceptable to God. ²⁵But once a person has learned to have faith, there is no more need to have the Law as a teacher.

 

I agree. We are not under the Law, so persons calling themselves Christians need to stop speaking of what is written in The Old Testament as commands Christians are to follow. There is Freedom in Christ, freedom from The Law.

Sherri

I have read this thread with growing consternation. Thank God that there are posters like Darcani, MaineCaptain, smcisaac, and REteach - and some others (sorry if I left your names out) here to give small oases where the calm, compassion, and caring of Christ shine through the negative perversions of the teachings of the One who told us that our most important action should be to love one another as He has loved us, to love others as we love ourselves, and first and foremost, to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength.  

If one believes in a loving God who loves us all equally, then where does anybody get off thrusting the LGBT children of God out of His circle of love? If one believes in a Creator, wouldn't it follow that the Creator , who made all that is, seen and unseen (as we say in the Nicene creed), made those of us who are LGBT. Where do the people who beieve that sin happens only from the waist down get off telling God that He has created abomination? When are they going to learn that God hates nothing that He has made?

The true sin is in taking on the role of God, acting as Judge. Our LGBT brothers and sisters did not choose their orientation, and can no more deny it or change it than they can deny or change their height, body shape, eye and skin colour. Evil is a matter of choice, gender orientation is not.  

And last, but not least, it is not the Christian Church that decides who may marry. It is the state! The state legislates taxation, spousal rights, equal rights and all aspects of marriage and living together in community. The only law we all live under is the law of the land. I have no more right to shove my Christian beliefs down the throats of others or to make decisions for them based on my faith teachings than I have to deny another the right to marry the person he or she loves and wants to spend the rest of his/her life with.