Novus America wrote:Joohan wrote:
If only mental gymnastics were a sport, you'd be an olympian.
Jesus chased out the money lenders as a private citizen: You're right; he took extrajudicial action in order to violently drive legal merchants from a premises which they had been welcomed at by the owners.
And considering Jesus is the model of how a Christian should lead his life....
In contemporary liberal societies - seeking converts is absolutely frowned upon: bans on religious garb, calls to tear down or remove religious iconography in public areas, scandanavian protective services taking children away when their parents teach them about Christ. This is not an affect so much of the liberal system of governance itself - rather the society it inevitably creates.
Liberalism is wholly dependent upon mob mentality. Trends and fashions have been what have defined liberal states from their inception. Riding the tides of trendy popular social movements is exacetly how one attains position in politics - not enlightened virtue.
#freeBarnabas
In regards to what is the ideal system of government, it's about what most supports and influences society toward Christian living. Liberalism permits Christian living, but doesnt support it - fostering a culture which actually fetishes hedonism and sin, making Christian living much harder.
Liberalism is permissive of Christian living, but not at all supportive: its secularism, materialism, apathetic tolerance, rationalism all in stark contrast to Christianity.
Jesus was against religious institutions being corrupt. But again not for any actions against those outside the premises. Again Jesus did not pursue them after they left.
And actually went quite easy on them. Did not seem to seriously harm or imprison them.
I believe the lesson there is to drive the corrupt from the church.
Liberal states do not require unrestricted mob rule, most have limits on it.
French and Scandinavian laïcité (which I oppose) is very different than the US version of secular religious freedom. And Christianity thrived in the US up until the 80s.
Yes liberalism is permissive but not supportive. But that is all you need.
If you ideas can win in a permissive but not supportive environment that is the fault of you, not the environment.
What does it matter if Jesus's actions were in or outside the temple? He was still, as you say, a private citizen, who picked up a weapon to violently destroy private property and run people away from an establishment which they were welcomed at. I mean, here is the definition of terrorism:
the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.
Just strike the word political for religious, and what Jesus did in the Temple was straight up terrorism. but yall ain't ready for that conversation... joking...
The mob before Pilate didn't have any actual power either. Pilate, if he chosen to, could have sparred Jesus's life. Instead, he decided to acquiesce to public demand, despite knowing better personally... just like politicians do in a Liberal Republic.
The US isn't the only liberal country. We are much more tolerant of other religions than most of our European counterparts. They are liberal though nonetheless.
Christianity within modern liberal systems is much like the allegory made in the parable about seeds sewn among the rocks. Sure, they can grow, but they will be weak and sickly. Better then to sew them among black soil, so that they might grow healthy and strong.