Anti-Semitism In France!

[Wheetsin 714]

So now, leaving the bible out of it - sin is defined by culture. This is why things that we find taboo other cultured find common place, and vice versa. There is no absolute when it comes to sin because it cannot be absolutely known or absolutely applied (as in without exception). Culture is conditioned, and in small societies rarely changes. Standalone societies as well as those integrated into larger ones. You aren't born with an inherent culture set (though some could argue that a culture with enough longevity could become ancestoral knowledge, but that's another thread), or an understanding of right and wrong. It's taught. The only thing separating any of us from any of the people who commit these taboos as commonplace is 1) our experiences and 2) our gentic capacity for the thought or action. This means that a child born into a culture where cannibalizing ones fallen enemy is a sign of heroism and manhood, is almost guaranteed to do the same as an adult, and teach the same to his children.

Sin as a relative factor doesn't have much impact.

I've often wondered - if the bible is divinely inspired, and god is perfect, why did god forget or neglect to cover this territory?

[Wheetsin 714]

On that basis, the most grevious acts would be sin, although they would not know the terminology, because in their conscience they know it is wrong.

Then let me ask you what you would consider the most grevious acts. Is cannibalism included? Because we have people on our earth today who engage in cannibalism and do not consider it wrong. Per their conscience, it is a demonstration of honor. And adultery is a demonstration of respect for one's brother, or as payment for debt. Their conscience is dictated by what they have been taught.

Whether they know the word "sin" or not is irrelevant.

[Wheetsin 714]

BTW, my comments aren't directed at any one person or response. They're just some of the things one could consider in this discussion, that aren't necessarily brought up as much as they should be.

[Ron Cusano 0]

I would guess that for us who are able to read the Bible it would not have any impact, since it could not apply to us. I am going to express an opinion that God reveals to us on a "need to know" basis!

Since the Bible does say that if we understand it to be sin, based upon what we know, including from the knowledge of scripture, then it is sin. Since we are inherit the sin nature and original sin from Adam, they regardless of the "sin acts" we commit, we are all in need of forgiveness.

So now, leaving the bible out of it - sin is defined by culture. This is why things that we find taboo other cultured find common place, and vice versa. There is no absolute when it comes to sin because it cannot be absolutely known or absolutely applied (as in without exception). Culture is conditioned, and in small societies rarely changes. Standalone societies as well as those integrated into larger ones. You aren't born with an inherent culture set (though some could argue that a culture with enough longevity could become ancestoral knowledge, but that's another thread), or an understanding of right and wrong. It's taught. The only thing separating any of us from any of the people who commit these taboos as commonplace is 1) our experiences and 2) our gentic capacity for the thought or action. This means that a child born into a culture where cannibalizing ones fallen enemy is a sign of heroism and manhood, is almost guaranteed to do the same as an adult, and teach the same to his children.

Sin as a relative factor doesn't have much impact.

I've often wondered - if the bible is divinely inspired, and god is perfect, why did god forget or neglect to cover this territory?

[Ron Cusano 0]

I can't give you a scriptural answer since it is not defined in scripture, except to say, as I have previously, it is a matter of conscience. Anything more would just be opinion which is meaningless in a discussion like this.

Then let me ask you what you would consider the most grevious acts. Is cannibalism included? Because we have people on our earth today who engage in cannibalism and do not consider it wrong. Per their conscience, it is a demonstration of honor. And adultery is a demonstration of respect for one's brother, or as payment for debt. Their conscience is dictated by what they have been taught.

Whether they know the word "sin" or not is irrelevant.

[Ron Cusano 0]

They are reasonable questions and commonly asked. As I said before, I believe God provided what information that He did on a "need to know" basis! I could make a long list of things that are not addressed in scripture but what is more relevant is what is addressed.

BTW, my comments aren't directed at any one person or response. They're just some of the things one could consider in this discussion, that aren't necessarily brought up as much as they should be.

[Ron Cusano 0]

I just addressed this same question with Wheetsin, and it is a valid question. If you have more questions I will try to answer them to the best of my ability. Please check out the posts.

This type of question always brings to mind similar issues, like what about all those people for the last two thousand years that never heard of Christ? Will they burn in hell for eternity? This type of argument in every religious environment is why I rejected organized religion when I was about 12 years old. Every religion says they are the only "right" way and everyone else shall burn. Everyone has their own little man-made document that they claim is the word of God, and of course that document tells them that everyone else is wrong.

When I try to contemplate the Universe I see something that is such a marvel I can't help but imagine that there must be some sort of design or purpose involved. I'm open to the possibility that there is some sort of larger guiding force in the Universe. But it also seems obvious that if such a guiding force does exist, such an entity would exist on a level far beyond anything a mere human could even begin to comprehend.

Here we are, living out our lives on a tiny speck of land, circling a sun that is light years from the closest other sun, in a universe filled with more suns than the human mind can comprehend, where distances between things are also far behond anything that we humans can comprehend. Our minds are incapable of imaninging how it started, we are similarly unable to imagine its boundaries, and we can't imagine when it will end, if it will end, or even what it would mean if it did end.

Yet we are somehow able to convince ourselves that God has singled out a small group of us here on this tiny planet, and offered us a way to go to heaven (whatever that is), but has excluded all the other perfectly good human beings and sentenced them to damnation (even if they are without fault because they never even heard of the one "true" religion). And of course, this is the same thing that is believed by every other group of humans, who also thinks they have been singled out, has the only "right" way, leaving all other groups to damnation.

I just don't get it, folks. In a sense I wish I did because it seems to bring comfort to a lot of people. But I cannot take seriously a planet full of little tribes, each of which is convinced that its religion is the only "right" one, and that everyone else will burn. I understand that most of us were taught to believe this type of thing. But does there ever come a time when we, as thinking entities, just take a step back and think this through for ourselves?

[Wheetsin 714]

Anything more would just be opinion which is meaningless in a discussion like this.

I'm not necessarily looking for a scriptural answer. And I guess I disagree, because I think opinions are extremely valuable in discussions like this. "Proof" is for trying to prove people right or wrong. "Opinion" is for critical thinking and rationalizing, and great conversation.

[Tired_Old_Man 1]

Wheetsin - that is a very fair question My beleif and the way I understand it to be is that judgement is not passed on those who have not reached the age of accountabilty. For some, that means a certain age. For me, I beleive that to mean when you reach an age that you have the capacity to comprehend and either accept or reject Jesus. It would also apply to those with mental handicaps that don't allow then to comprehend. Hope that helps.

Petscans of the human brain have shown that most children do not reach the "age of accountability" until their early to mid 20's. Until then, the brain is not developed enough for control.

[Tired_Old_Man 1]

All sin is sin before God and seperates us from Him. But homosexuality is called an abomination by God and is aalso a sin against nature. It also defiles the marriage covenant which is something that is very precious to God. So precious that he describes his relationship to His church as a marriage.

Eating pork is also an abomination and eating a ham and cheese sandwich would be a double abomination.

[Tired_Old_Man 1]

I am not sure I have the answer to that but my feeling is that at one point, most of the laws were based upon a biblical foundation, but as liberalism has changed the American political landscape, laws contrary to scriptural principals have been voted in. I also think that the gay marriage issue is a hot button with non-liberal Christians, and even some liberal Christians so it is in the forefront. I am not a politicial so these are stictly my opinion.

Laws like minimum wages and vacation time?

[Ron Cusano 0]

Fair enough! Opinion! Based upon what I know of the heart and mind of God from the scriptures, I must assume that whatever the answer, it would be just and righeous, because God can't go against His own nature.

Let's consider what we do know . . . we all are tainted with sin, weather original or from commission - and therefore are not fit to be in the presence of a just and holy God unless the sin problem is dealt with. This applies to all mankind.

In the sitution you described my opinion is that God has a solution to the sin problem of those who have not been privy to the hearing of the Gospel. I believe it is based upon conscience and the recoginition of God through creation. As I speculated earlier, I think God gives us what we need to know, and this is something we just have to trust Him on. That is my opinion.

I'm not necessarily looking for a scriptural answer. And I guess I disagree, because I think opinions are extremely valuable in discussions like this. "Proof" is for trying to prove people right or wrong. "Opinion" is for critical thinking and rationalizing, and great conversation.

[Ron Cusano 0]

Still waiting for you post what you believe and why before I pay any attention to your other posts. If you want to criticize you should be willing to be honest about your own views, otherwise, like I said, it just sounds like so much hot air to me.

Laws like minimum wages and vacation time?

[Ron Cusano 0]

Still waiting for you post what you believe and why before I pay any attention to your other posts. If you want to criticize you should be willing to be honest about your own views, otherwise, like I said, it just sounds like so much hot air to me.

Eating pork is also an abomination and eating a ham and cheese sandwich would be a double abomination.

[Ron Cusano 0]

Still waiting for you post what you believe and why before I pay any attention to your other posts. If you want to criticize you should be willing to be honest about your own views, otherwise, like I said, it just sounds like so much hot air to me.

Petscans of the human brain have shown that most children do not reach the "age of accountability" until their early to mid 20's. Until then, the brain is not developed enough for control.