kriz@skat.usc.edu (Dennis Kriz) (07/08/90)
In article <Jul.5.15.46.42.1990.10039@presto.ig.com> mcb@presto.ig.com (Michael C. Berch) writes: Regarding a discussion on alt.activism/soc.rights.human on whether a Christian is bound by his/her profession of faith to help the disfortunate. The example that brought the discussion on, was whether the Christian was bound to help even the victims of the recent earthquake in Iran. >> >> If indeed we are going to go into a heavy discussion of the Bible, >> let's begin by doing it right. > >Yes, by moving the discussion to talk.religion.misc or >soc.religion.christian. Please. This Bible stuff has no relevance >to alt.activism, soc.culture.misc, or soc.rights.human, and you are >merely annoying (and alienating) readers such as myself who have no >interest in Christian religious issues. > >Michael C. Berch While posting a response on alt.activism and soc.rights.human, that the Christian is indeed *bound* to take interest in/comfort the suffering and imprisoned [Matthew 25:36-37], as well as the persecuted [Matthew 5:10] and thus the subject *is* relavent to those groups ... clearly a mention of the discussion should be made here on s.r.c. The main "issue" that was brought up in opposition was that the Bible could be interpreted "anyway one desires" ... the conclusion being that once again we're all just a bunch of loonies ... who deserve to be ridiculed and dispised. Most painfully, the words in Leviticus "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth" were presented as being equal to Christ's words "You have heard ... but now I say to you..." (where Christ explicitely called on his followers to reject the "eye for an eye" code of morality) For those who need the texts: Old Testament [Leviticus 24:20] "If he breaks a bone, one of his bones shall be broken; if he puts out an eye, one of his eyes shall be put out; if he knocks out a tooth, one of his teeth shall be knocked out. Whatever injury he causes another person shall be done to him." New Testament [Matthew 5:38-40] "You have heard, 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth' but I now say to you: do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, let him slap your left cheek too. And if someone takes you to court to sue you for your shirt, let him have your coat as well..." I would think that the Christian with even the most minimal of religious instruction would understand that Christ's Gospel supercedes the Old Testament Law. That indeed is the point. Forget even the case above, before the NT, God's promise was for the Israelites, with Christ, the promise was extended to all people. The point is, we're being trivialized. And many of our detractors force us to "defend" positions that our faith does not hold. To this end, and returning to the original subject of this post ... concerning compassion toward those who are persecuted and suffering: We can argue till doomsday that Christians are *called* to be compassionate, to be peacemakers, healers, to indeed be the "Light to the World." But it is to no point unless we *really* do so. I am certain that I am not reminding anyone sincerely Christian of anything he/she does not already know ... but I simply wish to *underscore* just how desperately *important* it is for us to remember to be compassionate when we come across someone in need. When we give even the "quarter" to the beggar ... we *are* witnessing. Even the smallest of gestures brings forth the Kingdom of God. We have to live in such a way that it is *self-evident* that we are a compassionate, *loving* people ... that this is *not* an aberation, that we REALLY MEAN IT, and that indeed THIS IS PART OF OUR CALL. As the old Protestant Hymn goes: "They will know we are Christians by our Love" [John 13:35] Our smallest gestures in LA, Topeka, Tokyo, or Chicago ... reflect on *all* of us. When one of us does something good ... it helps all of us. When we fall short ... our whole body suffers for it. And as we realize this imperative ... only then will we hope to bring to an end the type of trivialization by those who'd despise us ... that today we all endure. Thanks for your *patience*, and running streight for the confessional ... :-) :-) dennis kriz@skat.usc.edu