Some people really hate religion and they'll abuse their position to attack it.

submitted by calmbluejay from dailycaller.com

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[–]Questionable 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (4 children)

This isn't about religion, this is about the communities that their religion supports, and silencing them. As an person that does not support organized religion myself, I encourage all those who are members of any congregation to openly oppose this suppression of your beliefs. The suppression of your right to organize, and your freedom of speech. To get together, and have open dialog of both the lock downs, and the privately financed riots.

[–]calmbluejay[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

So do I. The problem is that we've been taught by our church leaders that we're supposed to do whatever the government says and if there's a problem Jesus will take care of it for us.

[–][deleted] 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Refer them to this. In the article below, the professor is talking about the government of the Philippines, which murders people very willingly. The point still stands I think.

ON ROMANS 13 AND OF PASTORS WHO SUPPORT OPPRESSIVE REGIMES BY TWISTING THE MEANING OF SCRIPTURES TO ENCOURAGE BLIND AND FANATICAL SUBSERVIENCE TO GOVERNMENTS.

Pastors who are apologists of this regime keep on harping Romans 13 as basis in their fanatical and unrelenting support of this regime. But if one really pays close reading to the whole chapter of Romans 13, the scriptural text DID NOT say "support authorities" to mean unconditional support of oppressive regimes that trample on the rights of its citizens. By "authority" it meant good & just government. I must repeat: Romans 13 DID NOT tell us to support a cruel, fascist or abusive government. Pastors must read Romans 13 in proper context and see that the text is saying that we ought to support a government that acts justly, a government that doesn't arbitrarily persecute citizens just for power tripping or for perpetuating cruelty and culture of death (Romans 13:1-3). Romans 13 is not a chapter to support cruel tyrants or evil regimes but it encourages conditional support of a government whom we can accept and support the government in good conscience and for as long as our good conscience allows us to support such a government (See Romans 13:5).

I would like to encourage those who utilized Romans 13 as a blanket authority text to support any government no matter such a government is corrupt, murderous and tyrannical to please read the whole Romans 13 carefully and reflectively, by taking into consideration clear context of the whole chapter; and see that St. Paul is clearly implying that the government that he encouraged us to support in this chapter is one that punishes wrong doers by the government’s just, fair and righteous judgment and not punishing arbitrarily the helpless just by power tripping or simply to perpetuate its cruelty and hunger for power (See Romans 13:4-5). Romans 13:5 asks us to conditionally support a government that dispenses justice rightly & we support such a government for as long as our conscience tells us to: that means such a government is doing just actions and not trampling on the God-given rights of citizens. This is the government we ought to support, if one reads carefully and not carelessly Romans 13 in context and by plain common sense.

If we support bad tyrannical and murderous government that kills its own people, remove from its citizens their freedoms and their rights, then that would be sin against God because the Scriptures say: "It is better to obey God rather than human structures of power” (See Acts 5:29). If we read the Old Testament then we will see that all prophets of God like Samuel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Micah, Hosea, Malachi and all other holy prophets criticize the abuses and the excesses of the various kings of Israel who were incumbent during their time of prophethood. God commanded these prophets to call the attention of these abusive kings that God was not pleased with their injustice, corruption and penchant for murder or killings.

Therefore in line with the principle of the harmony of the Old Testament and New Testament scriptures we should realize that what Romans 13 means when it says that we should support the government is herein understood through proper context to refer to righteous government and not to abusive government because the prophets of God criticized all bad and evil governments of Israel during the respective prophets' ministry. And if we read the Old Testament, God Himself approved of and commended the prophets' criticisms against their bad government. And in numerous times, it is God Himself who commanded his holy prophets to criticize and warn these murderous and evil kings of Israel. It is high time now that pastors really study the Sacred Scriptures in context and in plain common sense so that they will not become spokesperson for a fascist regime that persecutes and oppresses its own people. It is really sad and scandalizing to see how so-called Christian shepherds of the flock becoming unwitting enablers of oppression in their midst by using twisted interpretations of the Scriptures to support an evil, murderous and idiotic regime that makes life hard and difficult for its citizens. These pastors should make sincere repentance to God and to their fellow humans for becoming supporters of a fascist regime that glorifies murder, oppression and wanton disregard for basic human rights of its very own citizens! (Written by Dr. Henry Francis B. Espiritu on May 18, 2020 at 8:11 PM.)

[–]Jesus 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Keep in mind, Paul said these things. Paul's words sometimes contradicted Yeshua. Paul as a man, fallible, but Godly, we must then look to see what Yeshua preached. Paul makes the assumption that God appointed the authorities for Good and that they do terror unto the bad. Paul believes that all the empires are appointed by god.

But Yeshua was tempted by the devil as to acquire all the empires and land, to lord it over their subjects. Yeshua stood firm on God.

This event alone illustrates that those who rule in empires are not of God!!!

Yeshua says give back to cesars what is his. If that coin has his face on it, or signature, then it is his. Renounce these things and work and walk in faith as a brotherhood and money is then not needed!

Renouncment is not denouncement or an attack. Surely, it could be falsey reasonsed that it is, and Yeshua was attacked for this reason. As a tevolutionary preacher of Love and walking in faith.

Yeshua was anti-Usury. He said give back to others what they pretend not to want but need. Do not ask for it back. He had plenty of qualms with usury and lawyers who "took the key of knowledge away from man."

This alone illustrates that giving our idolatrous support to a machine hellbent on war and destruction is the antithesis of Christianity. But to follow it accordingly, means to renounce all material things and pleasures.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Keep in mind, Paul said these things.

Of course, that is something I always pay attention to when reading Romans. How could you not? In the case of Paul, he is important to me because of the way he opened up monotheism to gentiles. That aspect of his legacy is incredibly remarkable.