“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” Mark 12:30,31 (ESV) I have studied this passage in multiple English translations. I have read it in the original Greek from the Alexandrian-type codex, the Byzantine Textus Receptus, and others. I cannot find footnotes, caveats, provisos, carve outs, or exceptions to the rule. We are supposed to love our neighbors whether they are black, white, gay, straight, transgendered, conservative, or progressive.
I like the way you get to the heart of the matter. We are called to love our neighbor which doesn’t mean roll over and play dead! A healthy discussion is worth the effort.
"But the left has cultural clout with the Fortune 500. The progressive social justice warriors leading a slow rolling cultural revolution have taken over the cultural institutions of Hollywood and corporate America. " You left out higher education.
And yes, I do agree with Erick; to disagree by pointing out why our opponents are wrong and why their policies are dangerous without stooping to the tawdry level they routinely occupy is far more persuasive in the long run. It’s also much easier on and better off for our souls.
“Should you wish to buy Adolph Hitler’s Mein Kampf, Amzon will gladly sell it to you.” That is why we should try whenever possible to find a source for our online purchases other than Amazon. For Amazon to sell the manifesto of the man directly responsible for a war which killed 70 MILLION people, 75% of whom were non-combatants, and refuse to sell a book about a potentially dangerous procedure shows how utterly idiotic the woke crowd often is.
P.S. I am not advocating banning selling Mein Kampf - or The Communist Manifesto, or Mao’s Little Red Book, or any such work, no matter how evil it may be, as banning inevitably leads to more, not less, attraction to them. I am saying that Amazon’s selective banning is anathema to a free society.
The greatest Communicator of all time--the very one whose life, death and resurrection established the pivot point of all human justice, mercy and history--He said love your enemies, turn the other cheek, and pray for those who despitefully use you.
In the mid-20th century, a certain group of social justice crusaders changed history when they followed the Master's prescription, turned the other cheek and accepted the painful consequences while walking across the Edmund Pettus bridge.
One can still be kind, love thy neighbor, but stand our conservative ground. To extend a hand means the other party must extend theirs as well. I don't see the Left making any such effort. "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. All that you do must be done in love" 1 Corinthians 16:13-14
Thank you for verbalizing publicly something I've been saying privately for years. I think we might be surprised by how NOT alone we are in actuality. " A gentle answer turns away wrath" . Sounds like wisdom to me.
Even MLK clearly stated hate cannot cast out had, darkness cannot overcome darkness. Only love defeats hate, only light overcomes darkness. Perhaps CPAC could embrace this. I dunno, why not “This is we go we are,” and then consistently state what we believe and want.
Not what we hate snd are against. “Bd prepared to give a reason for the hope within” us.
Is it better to knock the cup of poison from your neighbors hand, or smile and shake your head and say, you really shouldn't drink that? I would really like some understanding of what is permitted/commanded and how to work those out.
Donald Trump lost, not because the election was stolen, but because as you said, people were tired of his form of bombastic personal attacks. Let's be clear, I voted for him, because I could not vote for someone who sees no issue with killing unborn people, and can still look in the mirror and think, "I'm a Christian".
But until Mr. Trump fights on the principals and leaves out the name calling and demeaning characteristics, (Sleep Joe, Small Hands Rubio, etc etc) he will never have my respect. All those Christians that surround him need to talk to him about how demeaning others in the name of "winning" loses him the only race that matters. It's not how the American People vote, but whether he will get to hear those words every Christian longs for, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." It's not how good of a president he is (I heard him one time express his likelihood of getting into heaven based on that), but instead what has he done with Christ's "Love thy neighbor".
I am a senior manager in a business. I never take "joy" in saying "we need to let you go." His apparent glee at saying "Your Fired" may make good reality television (that I refuse to waste my asset of time on), seems to have spilled over into his idea of leadership.
Loyalty is real when a good friend/co-worker/employee points out a problem without needing to fear that they will be relegated to the corner or shown the door.
It is my sincere hope that either Mr. Trump changes, or that the republicans find someone who will fight for the principals while not hurling names and trying to demean those we do not agree with.
I separate the physical person from the policy. I dislike the Progressive/Fascist/Communist policies of the Democrats but I don't curse the person. I pray for their enlightenment.
Look at the curse in Psalm 109. They wish that on Trump so his memory will be just a myth.
It is, to a great extent, your Biblical perspective that caused me to subscribe to your site. And, as I am not a Biblical expert, I certainly do not dispute your position. However, I do have a question about the idea that loving ones neighbor means never standing against something that they are imposing on other people. And I mean really pushing back on them. I will not get angry at anyone for the race they are. I will not get angry at how any adult lives their life. But I will get, and am, very angry and downright hostile at those adults who are, in our public schools even, telling children that they can decide to be a different gender than God made them. And I don't see how this is in conflict with the idea that we are to "love ones neighbor". If someone or a multitude of someones are doing harm to the innocent of the world, I cannot see how it is wrong to fight them on the issue. Of all the things that the left is doing, this one is the worst. It is child abuse. On this issue, I want every single adult who cares about kids to be engaging in bloody warfare to stop it. This issue does not deserve "niceness".
I hear preachers say these words from time to time. Why doesn’t it resonate? Why don’t people take them to heart? How can they not see that anger towards others is contrary to God’s will?
Sweetness of the lips (words) increases learning Proverbs 16:21. Overcome evil with good.
I like the way you get to the heart of the matter. We are called to love our neighbor which doesn’t mean roll over and play dead! A healthy discussion is worth the effort.
"But the left has cultural clout with the Fortune 500. The progressive social justice warriors leading a slow rolling cultural revolution have taken over the cultural institutions of Hollywood and corporate America. " You left out higher education.
And yes, I do agree with Erick; to disagree by pointing out why our opponents are wrong and why their policies are dangerous without stooping to the tawdry level they routinely occupy is far more persuasive in the long run. It’s also much easier on and better off for our souls.
“Should you wish to buy Adolph Hitler’s Mein Kampf, Amzon will gladly sell it to you.” That is why we should try whenever possible to find a source for our online purchases other than Amazon. For Amazon to sell the manifesto of the man directly responsible for a war which killed 70 MILLION people, 75% of whom were non-combatants, and refuse to sell a book about a potentially dangerous procedure shows how utterly idiotic the woke crowd often is.
P.S. I am not advocating banning selling Mein Kampf - or The Communist Manifesto, or Mao’s Little Red Book, or any such work, no matter how evil it may be, as banning inevitably leads to more, not less, attraction to them. I am saying that Amazon’s selective banning is anathema to a free society.
The greatest Communicator of all time--the very one whose life, death and resurrection established the pivot point of all human justice, mercy and history--He said love your enemies, turn the other cheek, and pray for those who despitefully use you.
In the mid-20th century, a certain group of social justice crusaders changed history when they followed the Master's prescription, turned the other cheek and accepted the painful consequences while walking across the Edmund Pettus bridge.
One can still be kind, love thy neighbor, but stand our conservative ground. To extend a hand means the other party must extend theirs as well. I don't see the Left making any such effort. "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. All that you do must be done in love" 1 Corinthians 16:13-14
Thank you for verbalizing publicly something I've been saying privately for years. I think we might be surprised by how NOT alone we are in actuality. " A gentle answer turns away wrath" . Sounds like wisdom to me.
Even MLK clearly stated hate cannot cast out had, darkness cannot overcome darkness. Only love defeats hate, only light overcomes darkness. Perhaps CPAC could embrace this. I dunno, why not “This is we go we are,” and then consistently state what we believe and want.
Not what we hate snd are against. “Bd prepared to give a reason for the hope within” us.
Is it better to knock the cup of poison from your neighbors hand, or smile and shake your head and say, you really shouldn't drink that? I would really like some understanding of what is permitted/commanded and how to work those out.
Donald Trump lost, not because the election was stolen, but because as you said, people were tired of his form of bombastic personal attacks. Let's be clear, I voted for him, because I could not vote for someone who sees no issue with killing unborn people, and can still look in the mirror and think, "I'm a Christian".
But until Mr. Trump fights on the principals and leaves out the name calling and demeaning characteristics, (Sleep Joe, Small Hands Rubio, etc etc) he will never have my respect. All those Christians that surround him need to talk to him about how demeaning others in the name of "winning" loses him the only race that matters. It's not how the American People vote, but whether he will get to hear those words every Christian longs for, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." It's not how good of a president he is (I heard him one time express his likelihood of getting into heaven based on that), but instead what has he done with Christ's "Love thy neighbor".
I am a senior manager in a business. I never take "joy" in saying "we need to let you go." His apparent glee at saying "Your Fired" may make good reality television (that I refuse to waste my asset of time on), seems to have spilled over into his idea of leadership.
Loyalty is real when a good friend/co-worker/employee points out a problem without needing to fear that they will be relegated to the corner or shown the door.
It is my sincere hope that either Mr. Trump changes, or that the republicans find someone who will fight for the principals while not hurling names and trying to demean those we do not agree with.
In the wake of The Potato Head Scandal….
Look, your humor’s not that funny…
We’ve moved on…We’re OVER it!
Stifle that upcoming chuckle!
“Funny” now just doesn’t fit.
Did I see you crack a smile, sir?
Did I see you start to laugh?
We call that “micro-aggressing”…
An offensive, ugly gaffe.
Do you need to be retrained, sir,
In Big Brother’s Humor School?
Sir, your levity’s the problem.
Parody’s no longer cool.
So, we’ll monitor your giggles…
We’ll be regulating smiles.
We’re in charge of every punch line.
We don’t really like your style.
We’ve got spies, and we’ll be watching
Your comedic point of view.
In this designated “Safe Place”,
Funny man, …we’re watching YOU.
So, no joke, you’d better listen.
No more satire!…Close it down!
We’re the Humor Regulators…
We don’t want your kind around!
* * *
Another home run from Erick. Someone has to be the "bigger man" and do what's right. I feel like that's the conservative position.
I separate the physical person from the policy. I dislike the Progressive/Fascist/Communist policies of the Democrats but I don't curse the person. I pray for their enlightenment.
Look at the curse in Psalm 109. They wish that on Trump so his memory will be just a myth.
I agree completely. Perhaps we ought not refer to those on the left as "ghouls." Just a thought from a fan.
It is, to a great extent, your Biblical perspective that caused me to subscribe to your site. And, as I am not a Biblical expert, I certainly do not dispute your position. However, I do have a question about the idea that loving ones neighbor means never standing against something that they are imposing on other people. And I mean really pushing back on them. I will not get angry at anyone for the race they are. I will not get angry at how any adult lives their life. But I will get, and am, very angry and downright hostile at those adults who are, in our public schools even, telling children that they can decide to be a different gender than God made them. And I don't see how this is in conflict with the idea that we are to "love ones neighbor". If someone or a multitude of someones are doing harm to the innocent of the world, I cannot see how it is wrong to fight them on the issue. Of all the things that the left is doing, this one is the worst. It is child abuse. On this issue, I want every single adult who cares about kids to be engaging in bloody warfare to stop it. This issue does not deserve "niceness".
I hear preachers say these words from time to time. Why doesn’t it resonate? Why don’t people take them to heart? How can they not see that anger towards others is contrary to God’s will?