Ogen open doen voor transparante verkondiging te zien

In onze huidige wereld willen mensen voor alles wel een uitleg vinden. In de vorige decennia namen velen omtrent het geloof hun toevlucht in interpretatieve geschriften.
De laatste jaren is de hermeneutiek de belangrijkste wetenschap geworden in de theologie.

Velen vinden het moeilijk om dat alles te verbinden met het leven hier en nu. Maar moet men daar niet stellen dat velen het veel te ver gaan zoeken? Heeft de mens werkelijk zulk een noodzaak aan al die theologische werken?

Men zou eigenlijk kunnen verwachten dat de Bijbel op zich toch genoeg duidelijkheid zou moeten kunnen scheppen. In wezen kan die dat ook maar de meeste mensen schenken nog het liefst het meeste vertrouwen in mensen die zij rondom zichzelf kunnen benaderen. Schrijvers en denkers van nu spreken hen dan ook het meest aan.

Velen blijken te vergeten dat het Christelijk Geloof niet zo moeilijk hoeft te zijn of niet zo overgoten moet zijn met onbegrijpelijke verhalen of gebeurtenissen. Men moet maar de bijbel ter hand nemen en men zal, als men zijn ogen open doet, wel de transparante verkondiging weten te zien.

Review: What happened at the cross?

We never hear such thing as people having an “idea that God killed Jesus”, but with trinitarians such ideas are possible, the same as they think God gave Himself on the cross for the sins of the people.

Naturally when a church creates all sorts of false teachings, starting with making Jesus in their god, they continually have to create new false teachings, like Jesus having a mother than God would have to have a mother a.o..

It is curious to see how different protestant groups handle with the atonement and do not see that Jesus did not do his own will (what he would have done if he is God) but did the will of God, and as such gave himself as a ransom for all.

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To remember

Jesus is the most fully realized revelation of God that we’ve got, and what we can see of God in the life of Jesus is the perfect example of self-limitation and humility. (p238)

  • many Christians naively believe that the Payment Model (or penal substitution theory) = commonest view in Western world =  only one => ‘atonement wars’
  • Tony Jones, associated with the ‘emergent’ stream of Christianity, his book sets out all the major (plus a few minor) theories of the atonement and tries to reach a balanced assessment of each one.
  • God’s with us, expressed in the cross, => ours with him. = what the atonement is really all about.
  • Trinitarians must believe God is by nature self-limiting, choosing to use his sovereign freedom to unite himself to humanity in the person of Jesus, and especially in the sufferings of Calvary.
  • Some believe that the frequent emphasis on a bloodthirsty God, marked by punishment and sending folk to hell, is one reason for the decline of Christianity in some of its historic bastions.
  • rivalries developed, leading to violence. Sacrifice developed as a safety-valve: violence was perpetrated on an innocent victim, making everyone feel better, at least for a while. Meanwhile, the person sacrificed was perceived as almost divine, because their death had had such a powerful violence-quenching effect on the society
  • Nowhere does the OT law explicitly condemn child sacrifice (the closest it comes is Lev 18:21), though the practice was common among Israel’s neighbours.
    But Israel did not practise it (Jephthah’s killing of his daughter is a rare exception).
    Animal sacrifice, by contrast, soon became an integral part of Israel’s worship, and it was the blood that made it valid
    (Lev 17:10-16). Two kinds of blood sacrifices were seen as appeasing God: the guilt offering and the sin offering (the kind offered at Yom Kippur). These continued through the desert years, and continued when the Israelites were settled in the land, becoming more elaborate, in spite of the prophets’ condemnation (e.g. Hos 6:6). Their practice continued into the time of Jesus.
  • So God took something that humans were already doing — being violent and shedding blood — and made it sacred. He
    went along with them where they were at, but did not see it as the ideal, and he took human sacrifice out of the picture.
    The sacrificial system controls violence, giving it boundaries.
  • occasional verse talks of God’s anger at particular sins or human behavior that God considers an abomination, > overarching message of scripture is clear = God created us, God loves us, + God wants the best for us. => Bible = rife with stories of God going out of his way to set people on the right path — despite our failures, despite our sins.
  • A lot of us have grown increasingly uncomfortable with the regnant interpretation of Jesus’ death as primarily the propitiation of a wrathful God. 1. we don’t experience God as uber-wrathful toward us. 2. it simply doesn’t make sense that God would game the whole system so that he has to kill his own son just to vitiate this wrath. It just doesn’t smell right. (p26)
  • Calvin + others upped the ante from Anselm => not just that Jesus made our payment for us, = he pays a penalty on our behalf — a penalty that we cannot pay. In theological jargon, this is how it goes from substitution to penal substitution, the “penal” connoting the penalty. This change happened during the Reformation, and it remains popular today. (p113)

  • supposed to learn about love from God => idea God predestined us to sin = results in our eternal damnation + requires God’s Son to die on the cross, teaches very little about love. (p132)

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Additional reading

  1. Atonement And Fellowship 6/8
  2. Atonement And Fellowship 7/8
  3. In the death of Christ, the son of God, is glorification
  4. Omniscient God opposite a not knowing Jesus
  5. Redemption #2 Biblical solution
  6. Redemption #4 The Passover Lamb

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Further related

  1. 15/01/2018: Atonement 10
  2. Facets Of Redemption
  3. Mimesis and atonement
  4. A better way to view the atonement of Christ: Christus Victor
  5. Athanasius as Interpreter of the Trinity: Why the Nicene Creed and Penal Substitution Are Incompatible, Part 2 | New Humanity Institute
  6. Thinking Outloud: Atonement
  7. Triune Atonement in Westminster
  8. How to Understand the Once for All Sacrifice of Jesus Christ
  9. What the crucifiers didn’t understand
  10. Penal Substitutionary Atonement Exemplified In Film
  11. Irenaeus and the Problem of (Greater) New Testament Wrath
  12. Penal Substitutionary Atonement – a myopic narrative.
  13. Review: Tom Wright on the Crucifixion

Dave's Deliberations

This book’s title may mislead you. It is really an examination of the main theories of the atonement; the idea that God killed Jesus on the cross is just one aspect of the Payment Model of the atonement. The book is:

Did God Kill Jesus?: Searching for love in history’s most famous execution by Tony Jones (HarperOne, 2015).   

dgkjlargeThe ‘atonement wars’ are raging right now, in spite of the fact that many Christians naively believe that the Payment Model (or penal substitution theory) that they have been taught—and which remains the commonest view in the Western world—is the only one there is. Jones’s book sets out all the major (plus a few minor) theories of the atonement and tries to reach a balanced assessment of each one.

The major ones he designates the Payment, Victory, Magnet, Divinity and Mirror models. He assesses each against the answers it offers to…

View original post 3,084 more words

Plaatsing van Jezus door zogenaamd Bijbelstudie webruimte

Op“Biblespace- Uw Bijbelstudie – Uw Redding” wordt er helemaal geen plaats gelaten om over te gaan tot ernstige Bijbelstudie, doordat enkel stellingen geponeerd worden waarbij lezers niet kunnen op reageren. (Op 23 juni 2017 is er op die website namelijk geen reactie mogelijk bij de artikelen.)

Zo kan men wel verwensingen of negatieve kritiek vinden op anderen maar laat men geen kritiek op zichzelf toe, of laat men die geschoffeerde groepen niet aan het woord. De andersdenkenden die hun denken met onjuiste informatie worden besproken kunnen geen weerlegging voor leggen.

Algemeen vindt men zo vele trinitarische groepen die totaal geen openheid willen vertonen of zich zo willen opstellen dat anders denkenden kunnen reageren. Het zijn juist die trinitarische groeperingen die doen wat zij anderen verwijten.

Vandaag wil men alle godsdiensten centraliseren en dan controleren, een voorbereiding van de komende antichrist. {Wat betekent Jezus voor u?}

De schrijver van dat artikel geeft aan dat hij wil spreken over de goddelijkheid van Jezus, en schrijft dat

bijna tweeduizend jaar zijn er kinderen Gods die Jezus zijn trouw gebleven, en Hem niet hebben verraden.  {Wat betekent Jezus voor u?}

Hij vergeet dat hij zoals vele andere trinitariërs juist die man van Nazareth heeft verraden en nog veel erger dat hij juist met zijn geloofsgemeenschap de daad van Jezus geminimaliseerd heeft tot een zich belachelijk makende godheid die de ene na de andere leugen verkondigt.

De artikel schrijver poneert

Vandaag wil het volk Jezus niet meer aanvaarden voor wat Jezus is :

de Zoon van God, en goddelijk ! {Wat betekent Jezus voor u?}

Met de vinger op de zere plek vergeten vele het verschil te zien tussen ‘goddelijk’ zijn en ‘god zijn’ alsook ‘de God zijn’. Zij zien ook over het hoofd hoe er in de Bijbel over meerdere goden wordt gesproken maar ook duidelijk wordt gemaakt dat wij als mensen slechts één Ware God mogen aanbidden, en dat er in het Rijk van God slechts plaats is voor één Enige God die slecht één is, en geen veelvoud van goden is (twee, drie of meerdere).

Voor vele mensen vandaag is Jezus slechts een profeet, als vele anderen. Voor kinderen wordt Hij verborgen als t ware. Welke ouders spreken er nog over Jezus tegen hun kinderen ? Kinderen weten wel veel van superman, maar wie Jezus is moet hun nog duidelijk gemaakt worden. Jezus is God ! God is mens geworden ! {Wat betekent Jezus voor u?}

schrijft dat bovengenoemde blog, waarbij het totaal in gaat tegen de Bijbelse leer, die het zegt te verkondigen en te bestuderen.

Volgens de Schrift is Jezus wel degelijk een profeet, ook al geeft dat blog de indruk dat hij dat niet zou zijn. Het was de Allerhoogste Goddelijke Macht die Zijn gezondene en Zijn eigen eniggeboren geliefde zoon gebruikte om Zijn Woorden kenbaar te maken .

“die te gast moet zijn in de hemel tot aan de tijden van het herstel van alle dingen waarvan God heeft gesproken door de mond van zijn heilige profeten sinds eeuwig;” (Handelingen 3:21 NB)

In die zoon van mensen moeten wij geloof stellen, alsook moeten wij het Geestelijk Wezen, De Allerhoogste Godheid (die geen Driegodheid is)geloven die Jezus gezonden heeft en hem als Zijn zoon erkend heeft.

“zij zal een zoon baren en jij zult als zijn naam uitroepen: Jezus!- \@de Heer redt;\@ want hij zal zijn gemeente redden van hun zonden!” (Mattheüs 1:21 NB)

“en zie, een stem uit de hemel die zegt: dit is mijn zoon, de geliefde, in wie ik een welbehagen heb!” (Mattheüs 3:17 NB)

“wanneer ze u in deze stad vervolgen: vlucht naar de andere; want het is zeker, zeg ik u, ge zult niet het einde bereiken met de steden van Israël voordat de mensenzoon komt!” (Mattheüs 10:23 NB)

“want zoals ‘Jona drie dagen en drie nachten in de schoot van het zeemonster is geweest’, zó zal de mensenzoon drie dagen en drie nachten zijn in het hart van de aarde;” (Mattheüs 12:40 NB)

“Want zozeer heeft God de wereld liefgehad dat hij de Zoon, de eniggeborene, gegeven heeft,- opdat ieder die in hem gelooft niet verloren zal gaan maar eeuwig leven mag hebben.” (Johannes 3:16 NB)

“vast en zeker is het, zeg ik u, dat wie mijn spreken hoort en gelooft in wie mij uitstuurt, eeuwig leven heeft en niet in het oordeel komt; nee, hij is overgegaan uit de dood naar het leven;” (Johannes 5:24 NB)

“Als Jezus dit alles heeft uitgesproken heft hij zijn ogen ten hemel en zegt: Vader, het uur is gekomen; verheerlijk uw Zoon, opdat uw Zoon ú mag verheerlijken,” (Johannes 17:1 NB)

“zoals geschiedde in de dagen van Noach, zó zal het ook zijn in de dagen van de mensenzoon:” (Lukas 17:26 NB)

“En ik zag, en zie: een witte wolk, en op de wolk was gezeten iemand als een mensenzoon, met op zijn hoofd een gouden kroon en in zijn hand een scherpe sikkel.” (Openbaring 14:14 NB)

God heeft geen welbehagen in zichzelf maar in Zijn zoon, die Hij geautoriseerd heeft in Zijn Naam te handelen en ook heeft aangesteld als Zijn hogepriester en als bemiddelaar tussen Hem en de mens.

“Jezus komt naderbij en spreekt tot hen; hij zegt: mij is gegeven alle gezag in hemel en op aarde;” (Mattheüs 28:18 NB)

“en heeft hij hem volmacht gegeven om een beoordeling te doen omdat hij de mensenzoon is!-” (Johannes 5:27 NB)

“Hierom, heilige broeders-en-zusters, een hemelse roeping deelachtig, houdt steeds voor ogen de apostel en hogepriester van onze belijdenis: Jezus,” (Hebreeën 3:1 NB)

jezus op het water

Wij mogen ons geen verkeerde held nemen maar moeten opkijken naar onze voorloper, die door God ook aangesteld is als hogepriester, zodat wij geen andere hoge priesters meer nodig hebben. God kan onmogelijk priester voor zich zelf zijn en zulke positie zou helemaal geen nut hebben. Als priester zou Hij niet voor de mens kunnen optreden noch bemiddelen, want een persoon kan onmogelijk met zichzelf bemiddelen, tenzij hij schizofreen is, wat de trinitariërs van Jezus maken een schizofreen iemand die een bepaald ogenblik alles zou weten en een ander ogenblik beweert dingen niet te weten en zegt dat het niet aan hem gelegen is maar aan een ander, die hij dan weer zelf zou zijn (volgens de trinitariërs).

“waar als voorloper voor ons Jezus is binnengekomen, toen hij ‘naar de ordening van Melchisedek’ hogepriester werd tot in de eeuwigheid.” (Hebreeën 6:20 NB)

“Want God is één, één is ook de middelaar tussen God en mensen: een mens, Christus Jezus,” (1 Timotheüs 2:5 NB)

“en tot Jezus, middelaar van een nieuw verbond, en tot bloed ter besprenkeling dat sterker spreekt dan dat van Abel.” (Hebreeën 12:24 NB)

Wanneer men Jezus tot God neemt ontneemt men hem zijn waarlijke positie en verlaagt men de waarde van zijn offergave. Namelijk zijn er velen die beweren dat Jezus God moet zijn omdat zij geloven dat geen enkele mens bekwam is om datgene te doen wat Jezus deed. Dat is totaal Jezus onderschatten. Ofwel is het de foutieve denkwijze dat God zulk een wrede God zou zijn dat Hij de mensen regels heeft gegeven waaraan de mens zich niet zou kunnen houden en dat Hij daarom moest doen of Hij Zich zou opofferen voor de mens met zijn waandoodsvoorstelling. Zij vergeten dat zulk een schouwspel met God die deed alsof Hij stierf, want God kan niet sterven, een absurde komedie zou zijn die niets op lost en voor de mens ook geen enkel positief vooruitzicht geeft, daar er dan geen hoop in de verrijzenis van een mens kan bestaan omdat God geen mens is maar een Geestelijk Wezen en geen mens ons is voorgegaan uit de dood.

In het geval Jezus God zou zijn is de wereld niets met die schijnvoorstelling van een Onsterfelijk Wezen dat doet alsof het dood gaat en dan uit die dood zou op staan. Verder geeft het de indruk dat die Godheid een verschrikkelijk monster, of wrede God, moet zijn omdat Hij dan na die toneelvoorstelling nog steeds zo vele miljoenen mensen enorm laat afzien. Dagelijks sterven nog vele duizenden aan hongersnood en wegens geweld dat hen ten onrechte wordt aangedaan en de onrechtdoeners blijken nog steeds enorm te genieten van hun daden en van hun rijkelijk leven terwijl anderen alle moeite hebben om in hun armoede te overleven.

De Allerhoogste God is gelukkig geen wreedaardig wezen maar een God van liefde. In Hém berust nog een grotere liefde dan de agapè liefde. Gods liefde overstijgt deze van enig mens, zelfs die van de Nazarener Jood die bereid was God Zijn Wil te doen, niettegenstaande dat dat zijn leven zou kosten aan de martelpaal.

Eigenaardig genoeg wordt in het aangehaalde artikel geschreven en zelfs onderlijnt terwijl men het zelf niet gelooft:

Petrus was niet de eerste Paus zoals men wil laten geloven, maar de context maakt duidelijk dat Jezus zijn gemeente bouwt op mensen die weten en erkennen dat Jezus de zoon van God is. Om dit te kunnen aanvaarden is er een operatie gebeurt aan de mens. Dan kan God op ieder zulk mens zijn gemeente bouwen ! Er waren dan nog geen denominaties en soorten van christenen ! {Wat betekent Jezus voor u?}

Wij moeten beseffen dat er zeer vele kerken of kerkgenootschappen zijn. De wereld is bezaaid met allerlei soorten religies en allerlei soorten gebedshuizen, tempels, synagogen, kerken of moskeeën, waar men allerlei leerstellingen op na houdt. Maar ware gelovigen die als navolgers van de rabbijn Jeshua of Jezus Christus, door het leven willen gaan, moeten het wijze besluit nemen om alle leringen die niet met die van Jezus overeenstemmen opzij te schuiven.

Jezus, zoals elke Jood, geloofde slechts in één Ware God, de God van Israël. Die God van Abraham was en is een enkelvoudige God en geen onderdeel van een Drie-eenheid of Drievuldigheid.

Velen die voor het Drie-eenheidsdenken zwichten denken dat Jezus omdat hij zieken genas en zonden vergaf wel God moest zijn omdat alleen God dat kan doen. Zij zien over het hoofd dat het niet Jezus was die al die mensen liet zien of hun kreupelheid ongedaan maakte, of mensen uit de dood deed op staan of zonden vergaf. Jezus verzocht zijn hemelse Vader om dat te doen. Het was steeds God die de handelingen van Jezus Christus en Jezus zijn woorden tot werkelijkheid liet komen. Jezus had van God de autoriteit gekregen om in Gods Naam te spreken en handelen, maar zonder God kon Jezus niets.

“17  Maar hij heeft hun geantwoord: mijn Vader werkt ononderbroken en zo werk ik ook! 18 Daardoor zijn toen de Judeeërs eens te meer zijn dood gaan zoeken, omdat hij niet alleen de sabbat ontbond maar ook God zijn eigen Vader noemde,- zo zichzelf gelijkmakend aan God. 19 Toen heeft Jezus geantwoord en tot hen gezegd: vast en zeker is het, zeg ik u: de zoon kan niet zomaar uit zichzelf iets maken of hij moet het de vader zien maken want al wat díe maakt, evenzo maakt ook de zoon;” (Johannes 5:17-19 NB)

De houders van de website Biblespace- Uw Bijbelstudie – Uw Redding zouden beter in acht nemen wat zij zelf schrijven

Wie Jezus niet als de Zoon van God aanneemt is een antichrist ! {Wat betekent Jezus voor u?}

Iedereen moet beseffen dat vandaag de dag het belangrijk is om te geloven wie Jezus is en om hem als de Weg naar God te volgen. Iedereen moet zoals Jezus elf besefte weten dat God veel groter is dan Jezus. Wij moeten allen onder Jezus Christus komen die zelf ook onder God staat, aan wie Jezus op het einde na onderwerping aan hem ook alles aan zijn hemelse vader zal overdragen.

“ge hebt gehoord dat ík u heb gezegd: ik ga heen én kom naar u toe; als ge me liefhadt zoudt ge verheugd zijn dat ik naar de Vader ga, omdat de Vader groter is dan ik;” (Johannes 14:28 NB)

“Maar wel wil ik dat ge weet dat de Christus het hoofd is van elke man, de man het hoofd van de vrouw en God het hoofd van de Christus.” (1 Corinthiërs 11:3 NB)

“Maar wanneer alles aan hem onderworpen is, dán zal ook de Zoon zelf zich onderwerpen aan hem die alles aan hem heeft onderworpen, opdat het zal zijn: God alles in allen!” (1 Corinthiërs 15:28 NB)

Laat niemand vergeten hoe wij onder Christus Jezus één moeten worden zoals Jezus één is met zijn Goddelijke Vader, en hoe wij de Zoon moeten erkennen voor wie hij is en voor wat hij gedaan heeft. De wereld moet weten dat diegene die God niet gelooft en geen acht slaat op Zijn woorden en op de woorden van Zijn zoon de Vader niet tot zich zal krijgen en geen aanspraak zal kunnen maken op rechtvaardiging door het offer van Gods zoon. Erkenning van de zoon als de Weg naar God is essentieel voor een waardig geloofsleven.

“ieder die de Zoon verloochent heeft ook de Vader niet; wie de Zoon belijdt heeft ook de Vader.” (1 Johannes 2:23 NB)

Wij wensen onze lezers ook te waarschuwen voor die websites die het vertikken om de lezers ook aan het woord te laten. Indien er geen mogelijkheid is op een website die een blog voorziet, om reacties te geven, of als een blog de bedenkingen van anderen verzwijgt of niet publiceerbaar maakt, moet men steeds argwanend zijn. Trouwens moet men altijd op de hoede zijn voor de ontkenners van het zoonschap van Jezus. Steeds moet men ook elke site (ook onze publicaties) onderwerpen aan een vergelijking met de Heilige Schrift, de Bijbel, het enige onfeilbare Woord.

Blijf steeds onder ogen zien dat het belangrijk is om te doen wat, en de weg uit te gaan die, God voor legt aan de wereld. Jezus is de Weg en hem moeten wij volgen. Hem moeten wij erkennen als de eniggeboren zoon van God dankzij wie wij onder de genadegave van God vallen.

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Voorgaand

Jezus zoon van David, zoon van Abraham en zoon van God

Azteekse en Romeinse tradities die ons nog steeds beïnvloeden

El Shaddai Die verscheen voor Abraham

Bijbel, zwaard van de Geest in de eenheid van het geloof en van de kennis van de Zoon van God om tot een volkomen mens te komen

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Vindt ook om te lezen

  1. God die Almachtige Geest die geen mens kan zien
  2. De Almachtige God der goden, groter dan en hoog verheven boven alle goden
  3. Is God een Drie-eenheid
  4. Heilige-drievuldigheid of drie-eenheid
  5. Bijbel, Gods Woord ingegeven nuttig tot lering, tot bestraffing, tot verbetering en tot onderwijzing
  6. Gods vergeten Woord 19 Geopenbaarde Woord 4 Het ware licht
  7. Gods wil dat alle soorten van mensen worden gered
  8. De verkeerde held
  9. Het begin van Jezus #1 Menselijke aspecten
  10. Het begin van Jezus #7 Een Nieuwe Adam, zoon van Abraham
  11. Het begin van Jezus #8 Beloofde Gezalfde zoon van God
  12. Het begin van Jezus #11 Goddelijk verwezenlijkt en niet geïncarneerd
  13. Het begin van Jezus #13 Een te komen mens
  14. De Verlosser 1 Senior en junior
  15. 2020 jaar geleden werd de weg geopend
  16. Verwaarloosde geboortedag en sterfplaats 1 Rabbijn Jeshua en Romeinse weerstand
  17. Wie is Jezus volgens Prof. Buzzard
  18. Een koning die zijn onderdanen wetten oplegt waarvan hij weet dat zij zich er nooit aan kunnen houden
  19. De god zoon, koning en zijn onderdanen
  20. De Gezalfde en de eerste dag van de feestperiode van Ongezuurde Broden
  21. Voor de Wil van Hem die groter is dan Jezus
  22. Belangrijkste weekend van het jaar 2016
  23. Gevangenneming en terechtstelling van Christus Jezus
  24. Jezus vindt de dood op Golgota op voorbereidingsdag
  25. Offers van mensen onvolkomen tegenover het volmaakte slachtoffer door God te leveren 1
  26. Offers van mensen onvolkomen tegenover het volmaakte slachtoffer door God te leveren 2
  27. Na de sabbat na Pesach, de verrijzenis van Jezus Christus
  28. Hellenistische invloeden
  29. Politiek en macht eerste prioriteit #2 Arianisme, Nestorianisme en Monofysitisme
  30. Politiek en macht eerste prioriteit # 3 Verhoging van Maria en de Heilige Geest
  31. Filosofen, theologen en ogen naar de ware kennisgever van bestaan van God
  32. Denkers in de maatschappij
  33. Doctrine van de Drievuldigheid
  34. Filippenzen 1 – 2
  35. Tekenen te herkennen in Tijden der Laatste dagen
  36. Broeders en Zusters in Christus door de eeuwen heen. #5 Apologeten
  37. Broeders en Zusters in Christus door de eeuwen heen. #6 Constantijn de Grote
  38. Vele kerken
  39. Christenen
  40. Bedenkingen: Gods eigen Volk
  41. Heeft Bijbel voor de mens van vandaag nog betekenis
  42. Zomertijd ideaal op met Bijbellezing aan te vangen #1Bestseller aller tijden

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Een gemeente van volkeren

In Genesis 28:3  komen wij het woord lhq qahal tegen dat de Naardense Bijbel vertaald als een “vergadering van volkeren”.

“God de Almachtige zal je zegenen, hij zal je vruchtbaar en talrijk maken; worden zul je tot een vergadering van volkeren!(-)” (Genesis 28:3 NB)

“God, de Ontzagwekkende, moge je zegenen, je vruchtbaar maken en je veel nakomelingen geven, zodat er een groot aantal volken uit je voortkomt.” (Genesis 28:3 NBV)

Als wij naar de Hebreeuwse bron tekst kijken zien wij in het Nederlands

“Moge El Shadai [de Almachtige G’d] je zegenen en je vruchtbaar maken en talrijk, zodat je uitgroeit tot een grote menigte volken.”

De Willibrord-vertaling gebruikt hier evenals de Canisius en NBG-vertaling de Nederlandse woorden “menigte volken” voor het Hebreeuwse ,ymi lhq q’hal amim.

De Statenvertaling gaat voor een hoop volken wat zou beduiden op meerdere volkeren, zoals de meerdere volkeren in Onderwijzer.

“En God almachtig zegene u, en make u vruchtbaar, en vermenigvuldige u, dat gij tot een hoop volken wordt.” (Genesis 28:3 STV)

“En God, de Almachtige, zal u zegenen en vruchtbaar maken en u vermeerderen, zodat gij worden zult tot eene verzameling van volkeren.” (Genesis 28:3 Onderwijzer_Pentateuch)

Donkey riding on the Beach, c.1898-1900

Enkele mensen samen die gemeenschap vormen. Gezellig samen ezel rijden op het strand, c.1898-1900 (Foto credit: Wikipedia)

Zoals in de Joodse Dasberg-vertaling kunnen wij denken aan een “gemeenschap van volkeren” en waarbij wordt aangegeven dat hier sprake is van een aantal volken die iets gemeenschappelijks zouden hebben.

Als wij dan naar het woord hdi eda kijken dat wij voor het eerst aantreffen in de Exodus (12:3) waar Jehovah Mozes en Aäron de opdracht geeft:

“richt het woord tot heel Israëls samenkomst en zeg: op de tiende na deze nieuwemaan zullen ze zich nemen ieder een lam voor een vaderhuis, een lam per huis;” (Exodus 12:3 NB)

“Spreekt tot de gehele vergadering van Israel als volgt: op de tiende van deze maand zal ieder voor zich een stuk kleinvee nemen, familiesgewijs, een stuk kleinvee per gezin.” (Exodus 12:3 NBG51)

“Zeg tegen de hele gemeenschap van Israël: “Op de tiende van deze maand moet elke familie een lam of een bokje uitkiezen, elk gezin één.” (Exodus 12:3 NBV)

“Spreekt tot de gehele gemeente Israëls als volgt: op den tiende van deze maand zullen zij zich ieder nemen een lam voor ieder vadershuis, een lam voor ieder huis.” (Exodus 12:3 Onderwijzer_Pentateuch)

“Spreekt tot de gansche gemeente van Israël: op den tienden dezer maand neme ieder huisgezin voor zich één lam.” (Exodus 12:3 Obbink)

Hier is er dan sprake van een groep mensen die samen één geheel of één gemeenschap vormen. De “gehele vergadering van Israël ” voor het Hebreeuwse lar>y tdi9lk kol edat Yis’ra’el in het Nederlands weergeven als “de gehele vergadering van Israël” ofwel “de ganse vergadering van Israël” of zoals de Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling en de Willibrordvertaling die kiezen beiden voor “gemeenschap” en de Dasberg-vertaling “gemeente”, mogen wij er van uit gaan dat het om een groep mensen gat die zich verenigd voelen als gemeenschap of in tot een woongroep of gemeente behoren. Maar wij moeten uitkijken dat wij niet gaan denken dat dit de ganse bevolking zou bedoelen. Eerder moeten wij het verstaan als een groep of deel van de gehele gemeenschap die samen wel verbonden zijn, door bijvoorbeeld hun denken en handelen en zo een communiteit vormen.

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Lees meer hier over in De Gemeente aan huis

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Objective views and not closing eyes for certain sayings

The reblog A Progressive Call to Arms caused several very different reactions. Pity some people did not want to react straight on the article and choose other, non public, ways.

English: History of Marxism timeline ---- Own ...

History of Marxism timeline (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We very much appreciated the reaction of “camden41” a retired public school administrator and retired history professor, who took the time to spend a whole article on the writing and an extra one on our reaction. Though perhaps the impression may be given by that author that we do not know our history or do not want to see the “crux of the matter” or to belief Hitler “considered Marxists, Communists and Jews to be traitors.” We are aware of that fact, but that is just what makes us so weary about the president elect. In what way does he want to look at Marxists, Leninist, Communists, Jews, Muslims, refugees, Mexicans, homo’s, transgender and other people?

We also are aware of specific groups who would love abolishing the ever-enlarging systems of hierarchy, control, and environmental destruction necessary to sustain the growth of capital.

We also saw how certain people in the past made use of blackening others to get their goal coming into power. We also are aware that in the past many made use of the chaos and fear to bring others in discredit and to get people on their hand, promising that everything would change by them in power. And once in power they made sure that they could have the highest power for some time, getting rid of those who were standing in their way.

Should we not know when precious experiences in a person his life can make a very dangerous person of him or her, make sure that we look at the previous history of a person and come to look at him or her seriously, not making a joke of him or of his remarks. And Trump made remarks which should make us to think about it.

Should we not be aware where hate can come into existence and how it can grow fast like a virus? Should we not have our eyes opened seeing that people do want to shut out others and that marginalisation has become a favoured thing? Should we not be aware that some might think that marginalisation may be a strategy of protection, so that defence and obstruction cannot wait for the inauguration of an autocrat? Should we do not know what a certain person his sanctuary cities may be and how others may react on it?

Should we also not wonder how long people are going to take it that there may be political domination over them, having the capitalists squeezing workers’ pay packets, keeping individual wages for all blue-workers pretty much flat since a long time, having only a raise for higher level salaries?

These capitalists and their apologists hid the double squeeze behind their effective rhetorical use of issues such as civil rights and affirmative action to invoke in the late 1960s and after the “wages of whiteness”–which any attentive person should have figured wouldn’t pay any better than they did at the close of Reconstruction a hundred years earlier. {W. E. B. DuBois, Black Reconstruction in America, 1860-1880 (1935; repr., New York: Atheneum, 1992); David Roediger, The Wages of Whiteness (New York: Verso, 1991). }

Should we not worry when the president elect, though he might show to be calmed down, still continues in his line of thinking when he announced that Bannon, the controversial executive chairman of Breitbart News, would be his chief strategist, though he denied holding “ethno-nationalist” views?

Does oppression in all of its forms: microaggressions, street harassment, slut shaming, resource hoarding, not feels like hate? And is it not easy to generalise and should politicians not warn people to generalise, instead of generalising themselves?

Conflating oppression and hate is fraught with many more problems than such a seemingly small semantic shift would suggest, and if we are to effectively combat domination it’s imperative that we learn to avoid discussing oppression in terms of hate. {Why We Must Stop Speaking of Oppression as “Hate”}

When looking at our society we should not close our eyes for certain situations. There may be many Christadelphians who think we should not be active in politics, but they forget that does not mean we should close our eyes for what happens in the world or should not comment on it.

Even when we give our opinion we do want to have our readers to make up their mind for themselves and want them to give the opportunity to hear different opinions. Only by being open to other opinions people can come to a better insight and also can come to understand why and how others think differently. That way also people can come to see who can be going on dangerous paths of thinking and as such even can become a danger for the society. Only by exposing such ways of thinking the society can be protected.

It is not by closing our eyes for the things we do not want to hear nor see, that they will not exist. That is what our and our parents generation have clearly felt in the previous century. What happened in the Third Reich could only come so far because so many people did not want to know and did not want to see, because most often they were too much concerned about their own ego and their own well-being.

Today we should learn form the lessons of the past and should be weary of what is possible to come.

In the United States of America during this past year, anti-Semitic imagery proliferated on social media, Jewish journalists were targeted and longstanding anti-Jewish conspiracy theories got a fresh airing. Much of the bias originated with the alt-right, or alternative right, a loose group espousing a provocative and reactionary strain of conservatism. It’s often associated with far right efforts to preserve “white identity,” oppose multiculturalism and defend “Western values.”

There are too many Americans who close their eyes for the reports of anti-Semitic vandalism and other attacks which have risen. As the presidential race intensified, Jews started seeing their names bracketed with a series of parentheses in harassing tweets, signalling that the person had been identified as a Jew. The image became known as the Jewish cowbell and its source was traced to neo-Nazis and white nationalists.

During his run for president, Mr. Trump proposed a temporary ban on Muslim immigration to curb terrorism, claimed Mexican “rapists” were pouring into the country, making that Mexican immigrants also were looked at as perverts and criminals. For the African Americans Trump expressed he has no good eye for those who have “no education” and are “monkeys”. After Donald Trump won the presidential election, handouts where presented in many colleges with texts like “He’s much more likely to abuse you” and “Your kids probably won’t be smart.” Several universities made it clear that those flyer’s hateful propaganda and did not belong at a university.

At several places speeches where given against the Muslims.

LeftOfCenter writes

One of the techniques favored by Right-wingers like Kobach are to demonize strongholds of the Democratic Party. They call these big metropolitan areas, a.k.a. America’s biggest cities, Sanctuary Cities, which is code for ethnically diverse areas that want to relieve tensions between its residents, documented and undocumented. They have vowed to only enforce local laws and won’t do the bidding of Federal immigration agents. Kobach wants to change all that and we know he will do everything he can, likely with the help of the other Kansas notorious K word, the Kochs. So many K’s…KKKoincidence? {Kris Kobach Rumored To Be Attorney General Pick, Would Oversee Deportation Policy}

anonymous-kkkOn television we in Europe could see Americans bringing the fascist greeting, holding out their arms in a Nazi salute, shouting, “Heil the people! Heil victory.”

We also could see several letters mosques had received. In those hate letters the Muslims are called “Children of Satan” and “vile and filthy”.

Clearly the writers of those letters do not know much about Islam and Who they worship, because  they wrote

“You are evil. You worship the devil. But, your day of reckoning has arrived.”

It also called on Muslims to

“pack your bags and get out”.

Authorities were first alerted by the San Jose mosque, which received the letter on Thursday November 24. The other letters were received by the Long Beach and Pomona mosques a few days later and in the latter weeks of November other mosques all over the country were targetted.

Trump will do to Muslims what 'Hitler did to the Jews', letters to California mosques say

Law enforcement agencies across the US have reported 257 anti-Muslim incidents last year, which represents a nearly 67% increase from 2014. The CAIR has said that more than 100 such incidents have taken place since Trump won the country’s presidential elections, Reuters reported. Trump, who campaigned on an anti-immigrant platform, had also pledged to ban the entry of all Muslims into the country for an unspecified period of time if he were voted into power.{Trump will do to Muslims what ‘Hitler did to the Jews’, letters to California mosques say}

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR-LA’s executive director Hussam Ayloush said the “irresponsible, hateful rhetoric” of the Trump campaign has fueled

“a level of vulgarity, vile hatred and anger among many self-proclaimed Trump supporters.”

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  1. A Progressive Anti-Trump View Point With My Rebuttal
  2. To SteppingToes, Read History More
  3. A Time for Treason
  4. Waking Up in Trump’s America, Part 1
  5. Why We Must Stop Speaking of Oppression as “Hate”
  6. U.S. Jews grapple with eruption of anti-Semitism in election year
  7. Racist Flyers on ‘Why White Women Shouldn’t Date Black Men’ Found at Texas University
  8. Kris Kobach Rumored To Be Attorney General Pick, Would Oversee Deportation Policy
  9. Holocaust Museum ‘Deeply Alarmed’ by Nazi Rhetoric at White Nationalist Conference
  10. Trump will do to Muslims what ‘Hitler did to the Jews’, letters to California mosques say
  11. Donald Trump Courts Fury by Bringing Stephen Bannon to the White House
  12. Many Jewish Groups Are Staying Quiet on Stephen Bannon

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Preceding articles

A Progressive Call to Arms

Added commentary to the posting A Progressive Call to Arms

 

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Additional reading

  1. The twist of politics and expression
  2. Migrants to the West #1
  3. Migrants to the West #2
  4. Migrants to the West #7 Religions
  5. Democratic downfall
  6. Classes of people and Cronyism
  7. Capitalism
  8. Capitalism and Inequality
  9. Capitalism downfall
  10. Collision course of socialist and capitalist worlds
  11. Blow to legitimacy of the capitalist system
  12. Increasing wealth gap of immense proportions in the Capitalist World
  13. Welfare state and Poverty in Flanders #12 Conclusion
  14. The killing of capitalism
  15. Intellectual servility a curse of mankind
  16. What comes after neoliberalism?
  17. Misleading world, stress, technique, superficiality, past, future and positivism
  18. Still Hope though Power generating long train of abuses
  19. The Scensual World – Mission & Vision
  20. Are Christianity and Capitalism Compatible?
  21. The Truth About the Illuminati: Escaping Slavery
  22. Time to consider how to care for our common home
  23. Do we have to be an anarchist to react
  24. Right to be in the surroundings
  25. Capitalism and economic policy and Christian survey

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Further reading

  1. Whatever Happened To The Human Race?
  2. “Please show us that you see us. Please do all you can to stop this.”
  3. Mapping Trump’s Coming War on Immigrant Sanctuary Cities
  4. This is not a guide: Is the Alt-Right white supremacist?
  5. Bernie Sanders: Carrier Took Trump ‘Hostage and Won’
  6. A Call to Action: Women, We Need You
  7. Tribes Redux
  8. In Wake of Electoral Disaster, Democrats Announce Plans to Stick With Status Quo
  9. Why Donald Trump may not be able to close sanctuary cities
  10. Wanted: Presidential ‘Leadership’ In North Dakota (#NODAPL)
  11. Learning Diversity from the U.S. Government
  12. The Triumph of Diversity
  13. The Trump Pinata Preserving the False Obama Messiah
  14. Donald Trump racist? Quit it! He’s not the problem
  15. Majority of fatal attacks on U.S. soil carried out by white supremacists, not terrorists
  16. AP Rules on Writing About the ‘alt-right’
  17. Richard Spencer Says America Was ‘Designed’ for White People, Shouts ‘Hail Trump!’
  18. Jesus’ Great Commission to Our Islamic Siblings
  19. Avenues of Sameness

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Save

Save

A Progressive Call to Arms

A Progressive Call to Arms

The United States of America having shaken Europe as well with an unexpected outcome, should waken up all those who have been dormant or did not speak up yet, to protect those around them who are in the minority, or who are poor, or who are sick or who have an other colour of skin, or who think differently ….

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To remember

It could well be that we can see in states that one comes for those who are not in line, like

First they came for the Socialists,

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and for the Jews, and then for others until it was the turn to come for you

Martin Friedrich Gustav Emil Niemöller

and than it will be too late to remember the words of the German anti-Nazi theologian and Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller, founder of the Confessing Church (Bekennende Kirche) and a president of the World Council of Churches.

Not only coloured people expressed their fear. People who were born in a body they did not felt the right body and had gone on the trajectory difficult path to change their looks now felt pushed in a bizarre corner.

Some felt

“it will become open season on people like me.”

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Indiana, a state which is anything but safe for people who are different > birthplace of the KKK.

In Europe we have seen the vitriol and hate spreading of Donald Trump and how he created division. as such we cna udnerstand people over there now are afraid of violence under a Trump presidency.

seen the rallies + heard the hate-speech.

Mike Pence as governor passed laws making it legal for businesses to discriminate against members of the LBGT- community +  passed laws discriminating against woman’s right to choose.

We worked tirelessly to get a Pathway to Citizenship referendum passed, but our representatives would hide in their offices and refuse to meet with us.

Donald Trump not limited his hate-speech to members of just one community >made hateful comments + threats to members of Hispanic community, Blacks, Jews, women, Muslims + differently-abled.

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  • bigots of all varieties feel emboldened by his ignorance + subsequent rise to power.
  • school-yard bullies + cowards of all stripes feel that hate = acceptable + rewarded.

 

It is our job to speak out when and where we see discrimination.

> compassion + activism.

>  help cause of equality => make world better place

 

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Preceding article

Islamophobia Must be Fought and Defeated

Stand Up

God Isn’t a Republican

American Christianity no longer resembles its Founder

 

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Additional articles

  1. 150 Years after the 13th Amendment
  2. Walls,colours, multiculturalism, money to flow, Carson, Trump and consorts
  3. Scepticals of the Bible
  4. Refugee crisis, terrorist attacks and created fear
  5. Coming closer to the end of 2015 and the end for Donald Trump as presidential candidate
  6. Looking at an American nightmare
  7. Fearmongering succeeded and got the bugaboo a victory
  8. Blinded crying blue murder having being made afraid by a bugaboo
  9. Some quotes Americans should remember when going to the ballot office
  10. When so desperate to hold onto power
  11. The clean sweeper of the whole caboodle
  12. A strong and wise fighter who keeps believing in America
  13. Brexit No. 2 Blow-up
  14. Voted against their system
  15. Nigel Farage called Donald Trump’s victory ‘bigger than Brexit’
  16. Stand Up

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Further related

  1. Anti-Trump protesters march amid tear gas, flash grenades
  2. We Are Better Than This
  3. Left Wing Conspiracy
  4. Protesters Take Anti-Trump Message to His Doorstep, and Plan Next Move
  5. Left Wing Conspiracy
  6. Op-ed: The supposed ‘party of family values’ is overlooking major flaws in its candidate
  7. Death and Taxes: A Road Trip, A Funeral, and Election Results
  8. The Left and transgender: “work with trans people, not against them”?
  9. Donald Trump Walked Through Dressing Rooms of Underage Miss Teen USA Contestants — Dating, Fitness, Celeb Gossip & Everything College | CC
  10. Can A Boy Wear Skirts To School?
  11. Transgenderism is a ‘Superstitious Belief’ says Princeton Professor
  12. “Playing Russian Roulette With The History Of The Country…” *Open Thread*
  13. A WTF At The BBQ
  14. Reflections from the Wrong Side of History
  15. What’s the real danger?
  16. “Another Terri Schiavo Moment”: Are Republicans Falling Into A Democratic Trap On Transgender Bathrooms?
  17. Gender Neutral Bathrooms: not a safety concern
  18. New Bathroom sign — Vermont Loon Watch
  19. ICE to Open Special Transgender Housing Facility in Texas
  20. Transgenders rights? Just say no! Protect the rights of straight people to their privacy.
  21. New words for gender confusion. A Limerick.
  22. The Left’s Latest “War on Women” *Open Thread*
  23. Taboo Subjects vs Society?
  24. Transgenders
  25. School adopts gender-neutral homecoming court, so there might be no ‘king’ or ‘queen’ – The Washington Post
  26. Leave Gays and Trans People Alone
  27. Transgender Issues Reach Toy Store Shelves
  28. Department of “Justice” has used YOUR Tax Money to Develop this Video on how Law Enforcement Should Interact with Cross Dressers…
  29. US Department of Defense Ends Ban On Transgenders In Military
  30. Transgender Numbers
  31. Longing For Human Company 
  32. Dear Donald
  33. Judgment
  34. Trans Awareness : Importance
  35. The Re-Education of Their America
  36. Dear White Privileged
  37. How this affects me
  38. 10 tips for the media on how to be a better Trans ally
  39. Fleeing To Canada
  40. Caring for Yourself as You Parent After a Trump Election
  41. There is Light in the Dark: #TransLawHelp Connects Lawyers With Trans Individuals
  42. A Reference of Trump & Pence’s Statements on LGBTQ+ Issues
  43. The Ideology of the Anti-Gay Movement Is an Ideology of Inconsistency and Hypocrisy
  44. Donald Trump is President!!
  45. Today I learned that my fellow Americans hate me, my body, and my friends
  46. Make America a great Horror again!
  47. 2016 Post Election Prayer
  48. How the Gender Binary Affects So Much of Catholic Thinking
  49. Trumpland: white women, why, and where to now
  50. What the hell did we just do?
  51. Why America?
  52. Post Election: Daring to Hope?
  53. Is Trump bad for trans people?
  54. Day 1 of President of hate.
  55. Jordan Peterson: The right to be politically incorrect

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Save

theindependentthinker2016

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

-Martin Niemoller

RUSSIA-GAY-RIGHTS-DEMO

A friend of mine stopped by my house recently.

She was scared.

My friend was born male, but now identifies as female.

She said…

“I’ve only recently began to be able to walk down the street. I fear that if Donald Trump becomes president, then it will become open season on people like me.”

Our house is a safe haven in the middle of Indiana, a state which is anything but safe for people who are different.

There…

View original post 1,218 more words

American Christianity no longer resembles its Founder

In the United States of America the last few months we could see that there is much division in the country, with lots of people who call themselves Christian took on not only a racist attitude, but also used many awful words against the different peoples living in their state and against those who show that they do not agree with their favoured politician and presidential candidate.

In the 16th century there was a time many who fled to the New World carried a Dutch crescent-shaped Geuzen medal at the time of the anti-Spanish Dutch Revolt, with the slogan “Liever Turks dan Paaps” (“Rather Turkish than Papist“), 1570, indicating to be better a Muslim than to be a Roman Catholic.

An American writer who considers himself reformed in his thinking and faith, considers himself a follower of Jesus and believing all  Scriptures, though he looks like a papist (not in an offensive way) and does not seem to believe all words of Jesus and not to accept that God is only One, but that is not the issue in this writing.  Today we want to look at what he wrote already in 2012.

In his article The Best Argument Against Christianity he looked at “Some Disturbing Statistics” and wrote

David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group (a research organization focusing on religious trends and information), asserts that the primary issue that today’s culture has with Christianity is that it no longer resembles its Founder. {David Kinnaman, Unchristian, 2007, pg. 25. + The Best Argument Against Christianity}

In his book Unchristian, Kinnaman studied the Mosaic (born between 1984 and 2002) and Busters (born between 1965 and 1983) generations of the United States, which currently comprise approximately 77% of America’s population. With respect to Christianity, Kinnaman notes a growing tide of hostility and resentment, a statistic which is trending downward from a positive study that was done by his Barna group only one decade before. {The Best Argument Against Christianity}

Barna also describes the Mosaic Generation as “comfortable with contradiction”, “post-modern” and exhibiting “non-linear” thinking. All the contradiction going on in the New World many wanting to screw back into the past, makes it very chaotic.

The criteria for human value, to the world at large, has shifted from that of someone who champions high ethical standards at work, has personal integrity in his dealings, and who is committed to doing the right thing no matter what, to someone who, at work, is willing to do whatever can ensure the greatest commercial viability and his own personal security, and get away with whatever s/he can in their personal dealings. The more noble qualities of human nature are unwittingly being sacrificed on the altar of commerce. Most do not realize the cost: ending up as two-dimensional beings, mere cogs in the wheel of commerce without a heart capable of compassion.{Millennials: Escape the Credit/Debt Matrix}

For the blogger “evangelical” relates to Christianity, though we do not hope he wants to give the impression to his readers that ‘Evangelism‘ are the norm and does not use ‘Christianity’ in the same way as it is often used in Belgium when they speak of Christianity or of Christendom they mean ‘Roman Catholicism‘.

Most important to notice is the reflection of the spirit of the age. We have come in a time where atheists speak publicly more often about God than their in God believing counterparts. By the majority of the population there is a bad co-notation to the word ‘Christian’. In 2012 nearly half had a bad impression, and four year later we may say nearly three quarter of the population has a bad idea by the word ‘Christian’ and lots of them do find religion the cause of all the problems and all the wars.

Many non-religious people in the States and in Europe look at the works of ISIS/ISIL/Daesh, Boko Haram, Al Qaeda and see the similarities with the crusaders.  All those groups went killing and conquering territory, terrorising lots of people. Many non-religious people also hear the vile language of many who say they are Christian or are saying they are defending the Christian values. The 2016 American presidential election has been the example how the Christian manners shown to the world are not those of the master teacher, rabbi Jeshua, known in the States and many other countries as Jesus Christ.

In 2012 also

There were two things that Kinnaman’s study uncovered, and neither had anything to do with the theological teachings or doctrinal standards of the Church. First, unbelievers responded negatively to what they termed the Christian “swagger” – how Christians’ lives don’t match up to Christ’s, and the bark and bite that unbelievers say they see in Christians’ demeanor and action. {The Best Argument Against Christianity}

The immoral way of life by Christians, outsiders can see, is the most chocking to non-religious and other religious people. Muslims in particular are very disgruntled by the way Christian behave. Put out over their way of life no wonder several Muslim groups try to get Christians to their faith, trying to have them understand such a way of living is totally against the Will of God.

Lots of non-religious and non-Christian religious groups see as many respondents said that the charity and compassion of Jesus’ teaching in the Gospels have been dismissed by Christians in favour of their selfish gain, combative and judgemental actions against what they believe to be threats against their moral positions.

In other words, as Christians, we have become famous for what we oppose and stand against rather than for what we are in favor of and champion. {The Best Argument Against Christianity}

But what are those American Christians are in favour for? What are their aims and what is their willingness to follow Jesus’ teachings and to have that same attitude as that master teacher? How peaceful do they want to be? In most instances we can see those American ‘Christians’ only considering their church or nomination to be allowed to have the label Christian. Very often they feel other denominations of Christendom are the false groups and consider that most of those people will land up in hell (for them a place of eternal torture). The exclusion of other people is the most problematic element the American population now encounters.

Many youngsters, particular the Millennials who had first difficulties in paying their studies and now have problems paying off the loan and need a place to live (besides with their parents), clothes on their back, food to eat and resources to care for their children, do not see any surplus a church or religion may give them. For them their focus is not at all on something which we cannot see or not fully understand. They are focussing on the material which might be in their reach if certain groups would not stand in their way. They want to have time and money for travel, doing fun things, but nobody standing in their way or confronting them with how they have to live or behave. At the moment they also have become very disappointed with the political system they are living in and want change. It is that carving for change what made many also to chose for Donald Trump to be the next president of the United States, which have become very divided now.

The neo-Nazis and the weapon lobby gladly backed Donald Trump, because in him they saw the man to clean up the country and to enable enough income by the promotion of weapons to determinate ‘the vermin’. Strangely enough lots of evangelist Americans and other so called Christians in those states do promote the carriage and use of weapons and do not seem to mind to shoot at an other creature of God.

When we do hear how those gun-lovers talk about them having to prepare against ‘the enemy’ and how they have to train their kids in shooting and defending themselves, we clearly can form a good idea how far away they have gone from the teaching of Christ. It has gone even so far that there are churches in America where in the service there are tombola’s for or weapons given to their members. There exist even crusader rifles of which so called Christians are very proud to have such gun, which has a cross engraved on it.

That is where the Americans have left the real faith and have also gone far away from the idea of defending and living in a free state.
Lots of American Christians have come to think their freedom is to limit the freedom of others and to oppress their way of thinking to others. For them all have to take on their ‘belief’ and their ‘faith’ and all people in the United States of America do have to live according to their religious rules. For sure that was not something the founding fathers of the New World had in mind. They just had escaped the tyrannising position of the churches in Europe. Today lots of Americans are trying to create that what the founding fathers of the United States of America had fled for and have no idea of their sayings.

It is getting time American Christian get back to reading the Bible and to listen what is written in it. They have to get back on track, finding the inner moral compass to resist unethical business practices, to show others they have a moral and ethical attitude according Judeo Christian values.

Once back on track they can give a good example how a Christian should live together with all sorts of people from all sorts of place and religions. than they can start to rebuild the shattered state they are living in now.

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Preceding articles

Scepticals of the Bible

Islamophobia Must be Fought and Defeated

God Isn’t a Republican

 

++

Additional articles

  1. American Founding Fathers Sayings
  2. 2014 Religion
  3. Six Reasons Young Christians Leave Church
  4. The 17th annual White Privilege Conference a militantly Christophobic conference held in Philadelphia
  5. Iranian preacher creating more hatred between religious groups
  6. Hamas the modern Philistines
  7. Refugee crisis, terrorist attacks and created fear
  8. Silence, devotion, Salafists, quietists, weaponry, bombings, books, writers and terrorists
  9. What Jesus Did – Misleading around the Messiah and the final assessment
  10. Running the battle
  11. Living in faith
  12. If You want to start winning the war
  13. Blinded crying blue murder having being made afraid by a bugaboo
  14. The clean sweeper of the whole caboodle
  15. Separation of church and state
  16. Demonizing families in poverty and misleading actions
  17. Right to be in the surroundings
  18. Which back voters in the US wants to see
  19. Christian values and voting not just a game
  20. Faith related boycotts
  21. Roman Catholic Church in the United States of America at war
  22. Ron Paul blames Neocons
  23. Jews the next scapegoat for Donald Trump
  24. The American clouds of Anti-Semitism
  25. Trump brand of migrant demonization #1
  26. Peppered Speeches at Republican National Convention
  27. Bumpy road to success
  28. Reluctance to act in Syrian civil war
  29. Al Qaeda regaining foothold in Middle East bubonic plague for American elections
  30. ISIL will find no safe haven
  31. The Crusader Rifle
  32. Conservative and Communist Climate Change Scam
  33. Bridge builder Obama
  34. Obama made in a cult
  35. Second term for Obama
  36. Children of Men
  37. Preparing for an important election
  38. Coming closer to the end of 2015 and the end for Donald Trump as presidential candidate
  39. Walls,colours, multiculturalism, money to flow, Carson, Trump and consorts
  40. When so desperate to hold onto power
  41. Are United States of America citizens going to show their senses
  42. Brexit No. 2 Blow-up
  43. Nigel Farage called Donald Trump’s victory ‘bigger than Brexit’
  44. Trump et al.— The Global Storm
  45. A strong and wise fighter who keeps believing in America
  46. Victims and Seekers of Peace
  47. Declaration of war against Islam and Christianity
  48. Discipleship way of life on the narrow way to everlasting life

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Further reading

  1. Millennials: Escape the Credit/Debt Matrix
  2. Fully Satisfied
  3.  Election 2016
  4. Election 2016 Afterthoughts
  5. On voting
  6. This American Life
  7. How America got Trumped
  8. they tried to bury us. they didn’t know that we were seeds.
  9. How the Hated Donald Trump Came to Power
  10. What Great Leaders Stay Focused #Leadership #SMB
  11. “love keeps us safe, not fear”
  12. … Focus on the Task at Hand , ObamaCraps [#Islamic Terrorism]…
  13. Lesson From Election 2016
  14. The Need to Focus and Not Be Scattered
  15. Blog 2016 046. 11/11/16 Evangelize like Jesus did! Ask questions to get to their motives.
  16. Racism in America or Amerikkka( as some might call it)
  17. Andrew Young: ‘This is our country. And it does not depend on the president to make it great’
  18. The ‘Theoretical’ Significance Of This Election
  19. Cacophony of lawsuits to follow Trump into White House
  20. How a major hate-watch group is preparing for President Donald Trump’s America and the alt-right
  21. The Power of Apathy
  22. Division: An open letter to my sons 
  23. Donald Trump Is an Icon
  24. Clinton Wounded the Party, Now Howard Dean Wants to Kill It
  25. Southeast schools take the streets of South Gate
  26. Trump Denounces Protesters In Tweet, Praises Them In Another
  27. Man Describes Brutal Attack; Crowd Yelled ‘That’s A White Boy Trump Supporter’
  28. The Transition
  29. Donal Trump, The New Miracle
  30. Millions Of Concerned Citizens Are Signing A Petition That Asks The Electoral College To Vote For Hillary Clinton
  31. PFW: Blowing the Rust off of Hillary’s America
  32. Rowan Blanchard Marches In ‘Not My President’ Protest With Powerful Sign — See Pic
  33. The media’s sanctimonious self-righteousness contributed to Trump’s victory
  34. Rural vs Urban: the Greatest Divide in Modern America
  35. Trumped up
  36. The traumatized Democrats
  37. Rainier Beach High Students Walkout to Find Hope, Optimism After Election
  38. Well, That Didn’t Take Long
  39. Call to ‘Lock Her Up’ Puts Trump in a Bind Over His Threat to Prosecute Clinton
  40. White Christians Who Voted for Donald Trump: Fix This. Now. | John Pavlovitz
  41. The TRUMPet Has Been Blown
  42. We Will Rise Above
  43. Post-Election 2016, cont.
  44. How Donald Trump Pulled It Off
  45. Confession of a watcher
  46. Things I’m Verbing: “We Reject the President-Elect” and a WPA for Journalism
  47. The Era of the Post-Truth Politician?
  48. The Ku Klux Klan has a Voice and a Leader in Washington
  49. Where Were They?
  50. Oh, Really? Omarosa Says Black People Should Educate Whites After Trump Victory
  51. Oh, Really? Omarosa Says Black People Should Educate Whites After Trump Victory
  52. Immigrants in U.S. gripped by deportation fears with Donald Trump election win
  53. Between Friends
  54. Hitlery’s terrorist youth demand a government overthrow
  55. The Other Side We Failed to See – 2016 U.S. Presidential Election
  56. Blanketing Fantasy With A Hint of Reality
  57. Here’s how to sleep with Donald Trump
  58. Voices: Reacting to Trump | ‘I will fight for my right to speak’
  59. Women Warned To Get IUDs Before Trump Becomes President
  60. November 11, 2016
  61. Trump commends protesters’ ‘passion’ after new night of rallies
  62. How Will a Trump Presidency Impact Your Health?
  63. The tweet of a narcissist 
  64. Episode 43: Welcome to Trumpdome
  65. Republican Age Of Austerity – ‘And Here We Go’
  66. The Wall
  67. Popped and Cultured: The Results Are In
  68. It’s time for a few hard truths.
  69. Usually liberals would have same opinions & views as the media & liberal social networking groups… really sad…
  70. The pitfalls of underestimation
  71. With the possibility of 11th-hour change, here are suggestions for Trump’s ‘national growth and renewal’
  72. A Rock and Roll Generation (Post-Election blues)
  73. Election Results 2016: Did Voter ID & Voter Suppression Help Elect Trump?
  74. Here’s What it Means to “Make America Great Again”
  75. Election vitory: Anti-Trump Protest enters day two
  76. The way of the world

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Save

Not having Jesus’ skull

The problem for us about the figure of Jesus is that we only have secular, civilians and clergy their writings about the man who live about two thousand years ago and walked many miles telling about his heavenly Father, the God of Abraham.

Many people would like to put a face on that man born in Bethlehem, who was brought up in Nazareth in a family of the tribe of king David. We do not have any particular elements of his body which creates for any forensic reconstruction of his face.

Now, what about Jesus? Without a skull, what could they discern what he looked like? Well, they did something dumb, but it’s the best a believer can do. Christianity Today reports excitedly:

With this in mind, the research team acquired three well-preserved skulls from Jerusalem in Israel, where Jesus lived and preached.

Medical artist Richard Neave from The University of Manchester in England then took charge of evaluating the skulls. Using special computer programmes, his team was able to re-create the muscles and skins overlaying the skulls.

The skulls, however, did not provide two key pieces of information about Jesus’ appearance: his hair and his skin colour. To be able to determine these, the researchers analysed drawings found in various archaeological sites in Israel.

The research team ultimately concluded that Jesus had dark eyes, and was bearded following Jewish tradition.

As regards the length of Jesus’ hair, the researchers deviated from the common belief that Christ had long, straight hair. Instead, they assumed that Jesus Christ had short hair with tight curls, based on their analysis of the Holy Bible. [JAC: I don’t think the Holy Bible tells us anything about how Jesus’s hair looked!]

Well that’s certainly convincing, isn’t it? The chance that Jesus, if he really existed, looked like an amalgam of three random skulls dug up in Jerusalem (dates not given), is about nil. Nevertheless, they produced the image given below, which links to the AOL video. >

Forensic science reveals how Jesus really looked

British scientists have stitched together (in 2015) what they say is probably most accurate image of Jesus Christ's real face.

British scientists have stitched together (in 2015) what they say is probably most accurate image of Jesus Christ’s real face.

 

Please also find:

  1. A dark skinned Jesus
  2. Most probable and accurate image of Jesus Christ according British scientists

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Allowing dress code according liberty of religion

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In this contemporary world with many refugees coming into our regions from Muslim countries, lots of people become afraid their culture may take over ours. Undoubtedly the last ten years we have seen the dresses of many women changing to less colourful hip fashionable dresses into monotone long dresses which are associated with Muslim faith.

Français : habillement modeste pour des musulm...

Habillement modeste pour des musulmans et des non-musulmans (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With the knowledge that observing hijab and covering the woman’s face in front of men would be established in the saheeh Sunnah that explains the Book of Allah according certain groups of Muslims. We should know that not all groups or denominations of the Islam do restrict women with strict dress codes which seem to limit their freedom, according our Western view.

It seems that certain Muslim women are convinced that the words

“and to draw their veils all over Juyoobihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms)”

mean that this covering the face came from the Prophet, because he was there and they asked him about everything that they did not understand about their religion.

When we want to live in a free democratic state we should allow to everybody the right to live according to their faith. This means that we also should respect those women who do want to cover their face with a veil, like they consider their religion wanting this from them.

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Preceding articles

The Dress Code for Women in the Quran

Meditating Muslimah on “hijab to be a religious obligation”

Coverings Worn by Muslim Women

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The Importance of the Prophetic

Humankind is given the words of God and is free to accept them or to reject them. But they shall have to bear the consequences of their choice.
Having sent His son to the world, who came to make everything clear, man should have no excuses any more. By the Grace of God Jeshua’s offering was accepted to liberated all from death, but those who would not accept the Most High would have no opportunity any more if they also reject the offering of God’s son.

We now have the words of many prophets and should take them at heart. Those, in modern times, who still do find reason to object those words and all the happenings from the past would better look into their own heart to feel their inner being and react better on that.

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Find also to read:

  1. Summerholiday season time to read the Bible
  2. Holiday making and dreaming
  3. Home-stayers and their to do list
  4. Genre – Playing by the Rules
  5. The Need to Understand Genre
  6. Get into the habit of dealing with God about everything
  7. Great things, Voice of God and terrors
  8. Hatred and hostility against God
  9. Arguments about believe and About Christianity versus Atheism

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The Road

head-of-prophet-1905 “Head of a Prophet” by Mikhail Vrubel

This is an excerpt from a post published on the blog Grace and Truth:

The Importance of the Prophetic

The prophet represents God. He goes forth from the presence of God and speaks what God has given him to speak. The prophet speaks the Word of God in the power of the Holy Spirit. It is not just speaking the Word, it is speaking it forth in the power of an anointing borne out of intimacy with Jesus Himself. The prophet is the ambassador of Christ in this world, and so the prophet and his message are inextricably linked. A true prophet cannot be separated from the message he brings.

We see this with Ezekiel. God had a message for Israel and He had His prophet to act out what he was proclaiming to Israel. He had to lie down for a certain…

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