Fit 4 Contention
The scripture tell us, that you should not contend one with another, well, sort of, because Jesus was the master of the short but sweet, put down to the authorities of the day, he even started back when he was 12, and his parents accidentally left him in the temple, but found him later, arguing the law with the Sanhedrin . . . beyond native intelligence. The elders of the land, the lawyers, scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees, were always trying to trick Jesus, set a trap, catch him unprepared to handle their questions, and then they were pissed as hell, when he so smug and sure of himself, sarcastically, responded, knowing full well, that they were as envious, and jealous, with a raging and growing hatred for him. I think one of the classic examples of his screwed response, was when this group of men, took a woman, caught in adultery, and threw her at Jesus feet, expecting him to do the custom of the day or that of the law, to stone the woman as an adulterer.
Jesus, without even giving them the dignity of his attention, or a look acknowledging that they were there, or the woman, at first, simply, knowing that probably half the men in the blood thirsty congregation of, possible, partners, co-offenders, and every bit as guilty of the alleged and codified crime, of cheating on a spouse, outside of your marriage, which I am sure, none of my readers, religious or not, have ever done such a thing, but Jesus, simply takes a stick, and writes in the sand, he who is without sin, let him, cast the first stone! All of the men in the crowd, simple turn and walk away, with them gaining momentum and vitriol anger, that continue to mount until the day they would scream to Pilot, the Roman over the providence, to release a murderer in exchange for Jesus, whom Pilot washed his hands of.
With all the old alleged, moral majority, the religious right, or left, for it is not mutually exclusive, I think it worthy to note, that Jesus doesn't reprimand the woman, nor demean her, chastise, accuse, and, as our example, simply tells the woman, to go and sin no more! Wow, that is so fucking awesome, so refreshing, so loving, so understanding, and so none confrontational, so minimized, by the very man, who would pay the price for her sins . . . so what in the hell, is up with the people who don't have to pay, and by what authority do they have the right to judge? Is that not just the kindest, coolest, and awesome response, that all of us, if caught in similar, or even lesser sins, would love to have someone say and do to us, defend us against the murderous and blood thirsty crowd, fucking dig this guy.
Or, when the same set of men, come unto Jesus, and think, now we will get him in trouble with the Romans, who demand taxes, exact punishments, and can literally demand servitude, of errant tax fees and fines, and they ask him, so, and if I remember, handing him a coin, what say ye about the taxes and the burdens of the rulers, who the Jews sought deliverance from . . . again, in a very glib manner, simple states, render unto Caesar, what is Caesars, and unto God, what is God's. And that was the end of the discussion, leaving the venomous teachers of the law, speechless, and without anything to say. Can you imagine, going into court, and to everything the prosecutors, or opposing counsel says, or the judge, you, the attorney for the accused, as smooth as ice, tongue in cheek, trying not to laugh, and say, boohyah! I got you again, just laid out your arguments in a single sentence. He even silenced a particular lawyer, with the reason and rational of his arguments, and the dude was eaten by a dog, as I recall. The Bible is not child's play, believe me . . . but just so good.
Not only did he trap them, spin them, dodge them, taunt them, excel in intelligence, he was loved by the people, followed, touched, mobbed, worshiped, yet, so real and with the people and to his disciples, almost seeing themselves as his equal, as in the case of the son's of thunder, about sitting on the right hand and left hand of God . . . sure, we are willing to be the servants of men, making little distinction between Christ and the 12 apostles, who witnesses his miracles, but didn't fully understand, what exactly was the job qualification of the Son of God, and the specific requirements, which Jesus, later, compares to be not only a servant, but even a slave, or the lowest of human existence of his time . . . yet, so powerful, self assured, magnanimous, and down right bad ass! What a stud . . .
Bill Maher, Religiously, So Jesus Improved on His Father, In the Old Testament?
I probably don't have the name of Bill Maher's book, with the combined words of religious and religiousity, but in a documentary I saw on the book, or a tour, with Maher, making the rounds, interviewing various people, from pastors, preachers, the guy on the street, or his very Jewish mother, as I recall . . . he tried to convince people that their religious views are skewed, if not out right ridiculous . . . there is the other word, Religilous, or something akin to that. People explain to Bill, that the Old Testament, with what Maher, calls the vengeful, violent, and murderous God of the Old Testament, or Jesus' Father, and the stories attached to the older section of the Bible, he thinks are all either just crazy, unbelievable, duping the people, and outright fraud, so is Jesus, in the New Testament, contradicting his own Father, by coming along with a new law, replacing the old law, of Moses, or the eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, stuff.
To me, whether, literal or figuratively speaking, the stories of he Old and New Testament, are just as relevant, raw and real, today as they were, at the alleged time of their happenings. This is part of the blog that the government stole, last Friday or so, that of the story of Jonah and the Whale . . . from what I have heard, from scientists, speculators, and whale specialists, is that, it is possible, for a man, swallowed by a whale to literally, survive, three days in the belly of the whale. But to me, that is not the main point, nor the one that is applicable to us, whether or not, God was just trying to tell a tale tale, or teach us the truth and consequences of refusing to follow God's command, to go to Nineveh to cry repentance to the belligerent and hard hearted people of that town, just across the sea . . .
We All Have Times, When You Could Say, We Are in the Belly of the Whale
As I mentioned in a better version of this, what appears to me, individual calling, to work more in a service to Jesus, or through a more Christlike dealing with people, or even a calling, not necessarily to be a pastor, a preacher, or a minister, but to be a true disciple of Christ, more of a follower, with a focus, less on the world, specifically to politics, which I live, breath and die for, or to at least write about, and to enter into contention with anyone, who is willing to deal with Joe Boxer . . . as was the case this morning or this afternoon, when I attended my second church service; I have always loved church, religion, learning the word, the good news of the gospel, knowing more about Jesus, God, the scriptures, and who they related to mankind. I guess you may say, I look at the Bible as the greatest psychology book ever written, dealing with subjects from child raising, to husband and wife relationships, to dealing with your neighbor, your employer, the learned men and women of the law, and a million other scenarios, that life seems to throw our way. And I find the answers, so often are in the scriptures, or there is a factual story, that is similar, with people similarly situated, so as to bring a particular story to mind, like the Prodigal Son, the Good Samaritan, or specifically with regard to the Old Testament, in searching for a female deity, which to me is in the Book of Proverbs.
Now, whether you take it literally or figuratively, I think there is a wealth of wisdom, knowledge and insight, in human nature, with brilliance, far greater than any, even modern book, be it, on abnormal psychology, like in the case of Cane & Abel, or the battle of the sexes, dealing with blame, characteristics of males and females, the enticements of temptation, Satan, the serpent, or partaking of the forbidden fruit. I guess in my training as an English major, with a much relied on emphasis, on symbolism, dreams, age old stories, like the Garden of Eden and the fall of man . . . leaving paradise, and entering the lone and dreary world, the virtues of work, with authors, especially early American writers, like Hemingway, Steinway--oh, that's the piano, Steinbeck, with stories, that mirror, or resemble the significance of the Old and New Testament stories, like the Old Man in the Sea, East of Eden, Grapes of Wrath, man's struggles to survive, outside the Garden of Eden, or without being in the presence or with a relationship with God. Or my personal favorite, The Scarlet Letter, where Hawthorne, uses the color, the letter "A", to take a woman, who commits adultery, the man is unknown, or the father, and as she struggles with the judgments of the early American Puritans, that "A" comes to mean or represent the word, angel . . . a story of temptation, love, sex, the fall, being kicked out of the garden, so to say, redemption, forgiveness, acceptance, restitution, and recognition of repentance, which is just to change . . . all Biblical themes.
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