John Adams, who became the nation's second president once, wrote: "Suppose a nation in some distant region should take the Bible for their only law book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited! Every member would be obliged in conscience, to temperance, frugality, and industry; to justice, kindness, and charity towards his fellow men; and to piety, love, and reverence toward Almighty God...What a Utopia, what a Paradise would this region be."I suppose Christians would still call themselves Christians as they picked and chose from the Bible for whatever pleased them and condemned "that mean old God who actually had the nerve to kill people in the Old Testament" ...completely ignoring that He IS God and they can't have a clue what He's up to...
But what a better world.........where people didn't hurt others, where children looked up to parents who actually deserved their respect, where people gave from their hearts when someone was sick or otherwise needy, where conscience and true wisdom helped us make better, healthier choices in our lives.......funny, those things were the 'rule' not that many years ago, weren't they. Something's happened to us only very recently on such a wide scale basis in our very progressive, intellectual hopes of dissing anything Christian or embracing Christianity without embracing, and even insulting, the ONLY (I mean only) way Christians are informed...the Bible. ("prey, what other way?" as Adams might have asked).
"He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble." Proverbs 3:34
Have a beautiful Sunday.......think of John Adams' words........"obliged to conscience" again in America, humbled by the Word of God. Imagine?
z
28 comments:
I'm not sure that Nathaniel Hawthorne would have agreed with those words from John Adams.
Anyway, people are way too selfish nowadays. I'm not sure when selfishness became our societal norm, but I know that it is that way now.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 New International Version (NIV) 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Until man overcomes the temptations of greed, envy and sloth, he will not long be able to govern himself.
Well AOW, you still have to do some serious contortions to square the Sermon with kapitalism.
Much easier to square the Pentateuch with sharia. That's a natural.
Even the Bible teaches us that there will always be poor, there will always be strife, wars, famines, floods, storms ... Until Christ returns, and only then will there be a perfect earth. We can only do our best to follow God's Word, the Bible, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, share our faith with others and have faith that while it may not look like it -- God is still in control of HIStory.
Debbie
Right Truth
http://www.righttruth.typepad.com
Right Debbie. duhkkkys a one trick pony with the Sermon on the Mount
Do tell duhkkky, who uses the Sermon on the Mount to justify capitalism? Links please.
Elbro, it is no trick to revere a globally discredited ideology; it merely diagnoses the significance of duhky's madness.
Hey duhkkky, from the Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 5:18-19 NASB
18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Great post! Those who insist Christian morality is passe' have not told us what should replace it. Selfish nihilism seems to be the favorite...
AOW, I'm not sure anybody'd agree with Adams, but I sure did, and we know plenty of other Founders did, too.
Selfishness is a key to America's slide, you're right. It's selfishness that was kept in bay with folks who went to church, believed in why they went, wouldn't dream of putting themselves first and...it looked bad if they did. Today, few recognize that nor do they care.
Elbro......Timothy's verses are the perfect scripture for Adams' words, and how I feel! Thanks.
Until one comes to believe that Scripture is God-breathed, there can really be no discussion, can there. But, when one does, what a fabulous time for learning and so much more.
Conservativesonfire...absolutely.
Ducky...you have the wildest impressions of the Bible...you've supposedly studied it, according to you..who did you study it with, Jeremiah Wright?
Debbie..."there will always be poor"...but Many Christians feel God is a nasty old guy because people died in the O.T. in terrible ways; ignoring the fact that He IS God and only He knows what He's working out for His Kingdom.
A problem today is what some call Cafeteria Christians, who LOVE the joy and goodness of Jesus and the N.T., but God forbid they've read and really understood the O.T., ....which is the whole key to the N.T..
Following Deepok Chopra makes more sense than doing that, doesn't it. He's ALL LOVE...tralee tralala..."God wants nothing from us...be yourself...just be HAPPY!" :-)
Salvation not mentioned. And eternity is a very, very long time.
Sam..'discredited'? Socialism? naaaa "it just hasn't been done RIGHT yet, and liberal AMerica will do that" :-)
Good morning, SF!
Yes, they have, however...apparently, it's socialism :-)
Duhkkky Jesus was exhorting His followers to follow what was already found in Scriptures. What books of the NT had already been written at the time of the Sermon on the Mount? Understand why your cherry picking and ignoring the OT makes no sense in light of Christ's encouragement to His disciples? Do you know what book of the OT has the Law in it?
Exodus is one of them
http://mobile.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/IVP-NT/Matt/Christians-Must-Obey-Gods-Law
Elbro, I was fascinated to read that the Dead Sea Scrolls have parts of Deuteronomy and Exodus...
and that there are hieroglyphics of the story in caves somewhere...
very interesting stuff.
Z,
I've got Nathaniel Hawthorne on the brain because The Scarlet Letter is scheduled as the first read in the coming term.
So encouraging Z...its the evidence of things unseen
The OT is God redeeming His people over and over again until in the NT He does it once and for all
DKY said, "you still have to do some serious contortions to square the Sermon with kapitalism."
The Bible has nothing to say about capitalism or any other economic model. Indeed, the model in Christ's time was pretty brutal, and Christ admonished others to give unto Caesar that which was Caesar's, meaning that if you allowed yourself to be put under a totalitarian government, you have to pay that price.
Try as you may, there is no justification for a socialistic type of government that sucks the livelihood out of people, and makes them into slaves. We are the most free when we can make our own decisions.
Z:
I think a theocracy is the wrong way to go. Adams was speaking ideologically. We are better off under a Republic form of government, and being able to worship the way we wish. Every group believes things differently. Think Puritans, Catholics, Baptists, and Evangelicals.
Ideas of how to run the country would get real different, real quick.
Hmmm. Don't lie, Don't covet, Don't steal, Obey your folks, Take a day off, Don't murder, Don't have false Gods, etc.
How controversial.
That whole faith, love and hope thing throws them off Ed.
Bob, I think Ed's point is my point.....we'd all be better off for it. It does no harm. Jews also believe everything Adams advocated there...actually, I believe most religions do..
BELIEVE ME, I'm not advocating any theocracy here, but I can dreeeeeeeeeeeam :-)
Things have changed for the worst in every way, in my opinion, since being a person of faith became being a person who doesn't think... Can anybody show me otherwise? I HOPE SO :-)
Elbro, great comments, thanks.
Elmers Brother said...
That whole faith, love and hope thing throws them off Ed.
You know, Elbro, I think that really says it all....for this comments page and the excellent one going on at SF's right now. It really does throw them off. Faith is such a hard thing, yet secularists think it's the easy way out. They preach as if we haven't doubted, which ALWAYS blows my mind.
Maybe it's fear that some of us get pulled back stronger and stronger to God after doubt and others unravel. I'd be fearful over that, too, honestly.
I was at church today, about 120 of us, docs, lawyers, businessmen, amazing women; what secularists are suggesting is that everyone there is a stupid nonthinker. I'm not sure I ever felt such admiration and strong affection for a crowd as I did this morning after having read SF's comments thread and then being at church with amazing, bright, faithful people..all of whom have suffered, all of whom are better people than they were.....
wonderful stuff.
That's our Jesus Z! Changing people one life at a time
Elbro, right. And we want to do BIG THINGS for him and tough MANY PEOPLE, but we can't.......and he's good with that.
My Sunday Faith Blog is a real honor for me to do.
Thanks for being here. :-)
Your Sunday post is one of the highlights of my week. I rarely comment any more or anywhere else...mostly lurk...but this one post gives me a place to comment, even if I am a bit verbose.
Elbro, thanks so much!! I really appreciate that......
I don't mind you being verbose at ALL because it's all YOU, it's worth reading, and you never hog the place! And you ARE my blog partner, to boot!
Z - Good Sunday Faith Blog.
And God Bless John Adams.
Hope you had a good Sunday - Z.
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