Friday, 31 August 2012
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Jesus Can Take An Insult
So my buddy shared a link on Facebook about some billboards – paid for by a group called American Atheists – that basically insult Jesus and Christianity. According to the article, the group was asked to take down their message after they and Adams Outdoor Advertising received an outpouring of “vitriol, threats, and hate speech” directed toward their staff.All well and good, and it’s fair to question whether this outpouring of hate actually occurred, but I’ll assume that it did. I make that assumption because a large percentage of American Christians have demonstrated time and again that they can’t comprehend the meaning of this statement: We wrestle not against flesh and blood.
One of my buddy’s Facebook friends commented that he viewed these billboards as hate speech, and that those atheists were guilty of a hate crime – to which I replied that Jesus was more likely to give them (the atheists) something to eat than to press charges for a hate crime.
That simple statement resulted in an unleashing of vitriol against me by this person I don’t know. I was accused of putting words in Jesus’ mouth, being arrogant in my statement, and adopting “typical tactics." He went on to announce the coming judgment of Jesus on this type of thing (the billboards) and that there would be no “smarty pants gainsaying” after that. I presume he was referring back to my simple statement about Jesus.
This outpouring of negative passion did not offend me in the least, but it did reinforce my assertion that many Christians in America mistakenly believe that our enemies are the atheists, agnostics, and liberal professors, as if anyone who insults Jesus or Christianity is on God’s bad side and destined for hellfire (to the glee of Jesus and his followers).
So how did Jesus react to insults? Let’s take a look at Luke 9:51-56 (AMP):
51 Now when the time was almost come for Jesus to be received up [to heaven], He steadfastly and determinedly set His face to go to Jerusalem.52 And He sent messengers before Him; and they reached and entered a Samaritan village to make [things] ready for Him;53 But [the people] would not welcome or receive or accept Him, because His face was [set as if He was] going to Jerusalem.54 And when His disciples James and John observed this, they said, Lord, do You wish us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elijah did?55 But He turned and rebuked and severely censured them. He said, You do not know of what sort of spirit you are,56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them [from the penalty of eternal death]. And they journeyed on to another village.Here Jesus receives a major insult in the culture of his day – a refusal of hospitality. James and John suggest fiery judgment on the Samaritans, but Jesus rebukes them severely, reminding them that His mission is to save people from hell, not to harm or condemn them for their insults.
In other words, Jesus can take an insult. In fact, he has stated that “Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven” (Mt 12:32). Since His followers are not above their Master, we also should expect to be insulted, and we should receive those insults with the same benevolent attitude. Our passion is to be for the salvation of men and women, not their destruction. Our enemy is not the atheist. The atheist is to be pitied and prayed for.
Our true enemy is unseen and powerful, and as long as he can distract us into being outraged over “hate speech” directed against our faith, he will succeed in producing hearts in us that are hardened toward the unsaved. Fighting for our civil or constitutional rights is only okay up to the point where we become more outraged over “hate speech” than we are over the lost going to hell. At that point it’s time to get reacquainted with Jesus and his mission, which is also ours.
How do you feel about billboards that criticize or insult Christ and Christianity? Did Jesus ever get upset when people insulted Him? How can we apply Christ's example of patience to the times in our lives when we feel like people are insulting our faith?
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- From: IfIOnlyKnewThen@xanga
- Name: Don
- About Me: I'm just trying to live a God-pleasing life... learning and growing and praising and thanking... Jesus is Lord!
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Comments (119)
I agree with you. By fighting hate with more hate, we're only proving them right.
The question isn't whether Jesus can stand to be insulted. The question is whether or not Christians are going to fight to save their civilization. The postmodern world stresses tolerance of all viewpoints and perspectives with the exception of one: Christianity.
When we look at a bigoted, anti-Christian sign like the one put up by atheists we are looking at the work of Satan.
Authentic Christianity leads to deep concern about such things.
Christianity at its core is the belief that is you telepathically accept a Jewish Zombie as your master and symbolically eat his flesh and drink his blood that he will allow you to live forever by removing an evil force from your soul put there because a talking snake told a ribless women to eat fruit from a magical tree.
Do you actually wonder why ANYONE who believes this crap is marginalized by the rest of society????@PrisonerxOfxLove@xanga - Nobody is afraid of your cartoon character "satan" and your idea of "civilization" is short sighted. I am presently in the city of Osaka Japan. This is the most polite - clean - advanced violence free civilization I have experienced and all done in the complete absence of so called "christianity". How do you explain that? This is the third country on my trip in the previous weeks having spent time in Beijing China and Hong Kong. I have YET to see ONE armed law enforcement officer and not ONE hint of violence. I submit to you that the lack of violence is a direct result of the lack of organized religion and what religion is instilled in children here is Buddhist and Shinto.
@Captric@xanga - The violent, racist, mass murdering fascist culture of Imperial Japan was bombed to carbon dust by Christian America back in the 1940s.
The culture you see in Japan is the handiwork of the legendary American General Douglas MacArthur who took carbon dust and created a masterpiece.
It's like Mitt Romney said at his convention speech, "When the world needs something big to be done, you need an American."
@Captric@xanga - China, where the value of human life is less than a cup of warm spit, is a police state.
Do you actually think that the bulk of the Chinese police actually wear uniforms?
A great many of the people who were around you were actually police. Hiding great numbers of informants and police agents among the population is a standard operating procedure in police states like China.
@PrisonerxOfxLove@xanga - Christianity is not tolerated? Tell me about it.
@markdohle - What if "black people" or "the witless, worthless elderly" or "the freeloading poor" or "homosexual sodomites" were substituted for the word, "Christian" in the sign?
Surely every self-righteous, sanctimonious blow hard Christian and his postmodern atheist counterpart would go ballistic.
But when it's only Christians being publicly demonized by hate mongering atheist bigots, why is it okay?
@Captric@xanga - with all due respect, Christianity is, at its core, the message that God, as all powerful Creator, is so madly in love with you, that He died in your place to take on Himself the demands of His own justice. He does not force you to follow Him because He could never be satisfied with the allegiance of robots. He will respect your right to go to hell (a Christ-less eternity) and love you all the way, if that is your wish. Amen.
Let's all read & REMEMBER: Revelation 22: 11...
I, for one, have been thoroughly refreshed by this author's writing style and message. Good content! I've witnessed firsthand the sweetness that comes about as a result of returning blessing for cursing, doing good to those that spitefully use you, and loving and praying for those who hate you. Many souls have been won to Christ thereby.
One particular challenge for me personally is when so called Christians (whether or not they are really saved is not mine to judge) come against me, in ways that are not loving or Christ-like. Or if I see them living in ways that are misleading toward others, stirring up strife and controversy, using their freedom for a cloak of malice, and/or drawing attention to themselves by overt worldly and provocative behavior... Even then, our stance should be always with an eye toward reconciliation.
Does anyone else have experience with this in Christian community? My natural tendency is to cut them off from my friends list and love, and pray for, them from afar, if they are not open to counsel about their indiscretions. HMJ!
That's a rather poorly designed billboard. Here's one that makes more sense I can agree with. Φ ≡
@Captric@xanga -
I submit to you that the lack of violence is a direct result of the lack of organized religion and what religion is instilled in children here is Buddhist and Shinto.I think you're completely forgetting about the things they did in World War II-like kidnapping girls as sex slaves, etc...and also, Japan has a very high suicide rate, the orphanages are at 100% capacity, and it's the country that produced the video game about rape. I'm sure there are a lot more problems in Japan than you see...
@cute_sushi@xanga - I think you are looking at Japan through your racist lenses and trying to apply isolated incidences from a World War that took place seventy years ago. I think YOU are forgetting the current events that are much more applicable to Christianity today - the rape and torture of women in Afganistan and Iraq not to mention the rape of women and children on Okinawa which caused an international incident and forced the US to withdraw most of its marines form the island and return the land to Japan. The torture of men in custody by the CIA and military intelligence. And since you like to point to your revisionist history - dont forget we are the BIGGEST terrorist in the World heretofore. Keeping that proud Christian heritage alive by lighting off not one but two nuclear devices in the middle of two medium sized cities in Japan incinerating and causing birth defects in innocent women and children in an attempt to gain an unconditional surrender rather than sue for peace. Congratulations you blood thirst illiterate Christian - I am sure that is a proud moment for people of your ilk.
@dw817@xanga - well said!
@ahmd1432@ireallylikefood - Dude ... what ?
This is not our world!! It's not where we belong!! So why should we be surprised and act like we own it? I'm not saying the American Athiest group took the kindest or most accurate approach, but take your hate elsewhere where good can be done with it!
I have no problem with the attack on Christianity. I do wonder why it would be acceptable to place this on a bill board, but it would not be just as acceptable to say the same things about ISLAM and Muhammed ? And if there is a difference in treatment, then it should be made to be equal, as things are supposed to be in our country.
wow... I think it is sad how atheists and Mormons have toadvertise their religions and in such a way...pointing you to websites and such....
@Captric@xanga -
I think you are looking at Japan through your racist lenses and trying to apply isolated incidences from a World War that took place seventy years ago.Aren't you doing the same thing with Americans and Christianity? How do you know the people who did those things are actually Christians? Jesus said to love people, and there are plenty of Christians actually following him and doing that. You can tell who is a Christian or not by their fruits. Not everyone who calls themselves "Christian" actually are.
Well said, my friend! My pastor gave a wonderful sermon about this same idea this week.
You DO realise the billboard is correct, yes? Ever read the Bible?
@jeebojams@xanga - If your God is all-powerful, as your own religion suggests, he therefore cannot be killed. If such is the case, how is it possible that He 'died' for your sins? He cannot be killed. Most puzzling. Did not Jesus die, then come back to life? If Jesus KNEW he would come back to life, then there was no sacrifice. The entire exercise was pointless, and deceitful.
@cute_sushi@xanga - I absolutely can prove that Eisenhower PRAYED to the Christian version og God for guidance before lighting off two nuclear weapons on innocent women and children. Just the same as Osama Bin Laden and his co conspirators prayed to their version of god for success on 9/11 and other less dramatic instances of terrorism.
If everyone gets to decide individually what the definition of a christian is then there IS no definition. Your violent religion is no more valid than Sun Moon's moonies - or the Snake Handlers in Arkansas. Your prayer to your god is no more effective than the Buddhist claims of a cure all by walking around a Temple in Nepal or taking a special stone and holding it to their stomachs. It is ALL fraudulent and like it is said - there is a SUCKER born EVERY MINUTE!