Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site cbscc.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!cbosgd!cbscc!pmd
From: pmd@cbscc.UUCP (Paul Dubuc)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: Re: Absurdity Revisited ...
Message-ID: <3426@cbscc.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 13-Aug-84 15:04:31 EDT
Article-I.D.: cbscc.3426
Posted: Mon Aug 13 15:04:31 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 14-Aug-84 02:51:21 EDT
References: <295@ihu1e.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories , Columbus
Lines: 52

[from Jerry Nowlin:]
>Ken,
>     You're right about the scripture.  The New testament Matthew 7:6, in  the
>last chapter of the sermon on the mount, quotes Jesus as saying "Give not that
>which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls  before  swine,  lest
>they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you." I understand
>analogy.  I don't think you were calling anyone a pig.
>
>     The interesting part of this quote is that  the  beginning  5  verses  of
>Matthew  chapter  7  are all about not judging others.  Right afterwards Jesus
>apparently expects us to make some kind of  judgement  on  who  is  worthy  to
>receive  "that  which is holy" and who isn't.  I hear lots of complaints about
>taking sections of the bible out of context and making points  with  them.   I
>know  people  who  could  make it sound like Jesus advocated prostitution with
>just the right verses.  You were the one that  pointed  out  this  passage  of
>scripture.  I pointed out the contradiction.

Do you really think Jesus was teaching abstainance from all value judgements
in Matt. 7.1-5?  Rather, those verses seem to be a proscription against
hypocritical judgements of the actions or moral tenor of one's "brother".
Besides that I really wonder whether obedience to verse 6 really requires
"judging someone unworthy", rather than just an observation.  Swine make it
plain that they don't value pearls.  Some people make it plain that they
don't value Christian truth. (On an aesthetic basis, of course.  Give a pig
what satisfies his belly and he'll probably love you.  In the same way,
some people only want what satisfies their own desires and don't want to
be convinced of the value of other things). 

Ken seemed to think that the man he originally responded to fell into this
category.  I disagree.  I think that man was asking an honest question,
one that deserved a better answer than Ken gave.

>I just get  a
>little  bent  when  someone says there's not enough room on the water for both
>our craft.  (See I do understand analogy.)

I think we can all agree that there's plenty of room on the water.  The
only question in some people's minds is where are we going to go when
somebody pulls the plug. :-)

>If half the people I know who think
>they're going to heaven make it, I would be lots happier in hell.

I think it's save to say that not all who think they're going to
heaven, will... and not all who think they'll be happier in hell, will.
We won't *really* know until we get there.
-- 

Paul Dubuc 		{cbosgd,ihnp4}!cbscc!pmd

  The true light that enlightens every one was coming
  into the world...		(John 1:9)