The major problem with most, if not all, religious extremists/fundamentalists is.....they have not really studied the passages they quote in relation to the linguistic,cultural and historic context of those passages. They interpret in a way that suits their subjective aims.
In the Koran, for example, 2:256 "Let there be no compulsion in religion". This seems very contrary to the modern understanding of Islam and is certainly at odds with a jihadistic cry to kill non-believers.
But, before we in the west get on our high moral ground, sitting atop our trusty steed of self-righteousness, I would like to challenge the 'fundamentalist christians' with a couple of points:
1. A basic 'original' doctrine of Hebraic based faiths is that God is everywhere and that you cannot hide from God.
2. That, if (1.) is correct, there is something of an insurmountable contradiction in the penultimate words of Christ upon the cross. You recall, He said 'My God,My God, why have you forsaken me?" (why have you left me? Why aren't you here anymore?)
3. This is further confused when you remember that Christ said "I and the Father are one" and imputes the lie that somehow Christ's faith/commitment was destroyed at the end.
Of course, this scenario - 'Christ was cast out of God's presence to atone for your sins' - is an interesting construct but fails in any attempt to reconcile itself with the basic doctrine of God's omnipresence.
It's also an interesting construct for propagating the myth of man's sin and the need to surrender to some sort of man-made control mechanism posing as divine.
So, do you remember the opening paragraph of this article?
Points to remember in interpreting/understanding what Christ said and why there is no conflict with the Doctrines of Omnipresence and Omnipotence.
4. Jesus was seen and understood to be a Rabbi, so learned in scripture that He was instructing the elders in the Synogogue when he was...12?
5. It was the habit of Rabbi's (since most of the population could neither read nor write) to quote the opening verse of a scripture passage the Rabbi could be certain most folks had memorised.
6. Check it out; "My God,My God why hast thou forsaken me". You will find it to be the opening line of a Psalm of David - you remember David, the greatest king Israel ever had, the hero warrior, the man of faith. The king whose words most every normal Jew at the time of Christ would know.
7. so read/analyse the rest of the Psalm. You will find it is not a cry of defeat but a celebration of the victory that is sure to come.
Now, this may come as a linguistic,cultural,historical shock to some...but when Christ spoke those penultimate words on the cross, perhaps He was simply telling us...victory is sure,Love will win!
Perhaps Jesus, even in His toughest time, wanted mankind to know that unconditional love will triumph. All the rest of the rule based, sin bashing, guilt enforcing ritualised man-made control mechanisms are simply and undeniably that - man-made control mechanisms. In the face of a truer and fuller understanding of the words and their meaning at the time, these man-made mechanisms crumble into disrepute. It doesn't really matter which 'disguise of religion' they wear.
gg.
