Hardest "Christian" thing to do?

[Nylo]

What is the number one teaching of Christianity that is the hardest for youto follow? I believe heavily in the teachings of Christ, but like every other human being in the world I "walk the line" like a drunk with a blindfold on. Atheists and agnostics please post your opinions, too; what do you think is the most demanding and spritually testing? Do you think the world would be a better place if more people followed it, or about the same?

For me, personally: Love thy enemy.

Nylo Reviewed by Nylo on 11-12-2006. Hardest "Christian" thing to do? What is the number one teaching of Christianity that is the hardest for youto follow? I believe heavily in the teachings of Christ, but like every other human being in the world I "walk the line" like a drunk with a blindfold on. Atheists and agnostics please post your opinions, too; what do you think is the most demanding and spritually testing? Do you think the world would be a better place if more people followed it, or about the same? For me, personally: Love thy enemy. Rating: 5

[Cyclonite]

I would say giving away my hard earned $$ to rich and powerful religious organizations.

[renovator4]

we all wear our own yoke, even non believers of course theirs are lighter, you are the only one liable for your own faith. stay true to your beliefs an live up to what you know is right

[JunkYard]

My guess would be a few things...I have a small list of common Christian strongholds.

1) Getting over intolerance --> Not a Christian value
2) Getting rid of fear --> Not a true Christian value
3) Loving ourselves --> Is this even in the Bible?
4) Loving others --> easier than loving self
5) Loving our enemies --> #1 Hardest Christian teaching to follow, imo
6) Forgiving others and self --> Can be really hard
7) Having faith in what God made us --> Almost non-existant among Christian Faiths

I think these are all important things when dealing with life as we know it, and something most of us have problem with. Including non-Christians, imo.

We're all basicly the same as far as I can see. We just believe, and value different things...

My morning bake got me --> :stoned: <-- I feel very good right now

[Pass That Shit]

"And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might."

[JunkYard]

Is that the hardest for you, PTS?

I find it really easy to Love my creator...

Peace,

[psychocat]

Turn the other cheek.
You hurt me , I hurt you more.
Vengeance is mine ,,, fuck the lord.

[Oneironaut]

Yeah, I've always found loving your enemies and turning the other cheek to be pretty stupid rules. If Jesus were in charge, he would have just allowed Hitler and Mussolini and Hirohito to take over the world. Like it or not, violence is sometimes necessary for self-defense.

But that's not the worst of it. If we take Jesus at his word, he demands we do things so grossly unethical that not even the most fundamentalist Bible-thumper would dare consider doing them. Here's an example from the celebrated Sermon on the Mount.

Near the beginning of his speech, Jesus makes clear his relation to the previous prophets in the Bible (specifically Moses):

Matthew 5:17-20: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."

Okay, so the laws of Moses are perfect and immutable (and you have to be as righteous as the prophets to get into heaven, but let's ignore that part for now).

He later goes on to say, in Matthew 5:27-28:

Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

This is obviously a reference to one of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:14).

But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

All right, so looking at a woman lustfully counts as adultery. So, that means that pretty much every man is guilty of adultery, since we have these innate sex drives that we can't possibly control that cause us to look at women lustfully.

And what does the perfect and immutable law of the prophets, the law that Jesus came not to destroy but to fulfil, the law from which one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass till heaven and earth pass, have to say about adulterers?

Well, in Leviticus 20:10, the Lord gives the following commandment to Moses:

And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

So, if looking at a woman lustfully counts as adultery, and adultery is bad because the prophets told us not to commit adultery, and the prophets also told us to kill adulterers, then shouldn't we logically kill every man who has looked lustfully at a woman? I think that would be a pretty hard Christian thing to do.

[JunkYard]

Oneironaut, I look at woman with lust at times. BUT, I'm not a married man, so its not adultery, right? Sure, Jesus didn't specify, but I'm certain those hearing his words knew the definition of adultery. Do you really think, that Jesus would imply that a single man, not yet married, would be sinning if he thought about sex? That's just crazy, imo! Btw, stoning was an ancient practice, but certainly wasn't Gods law. I don't recall anywhere in the Bible where 'God' demanded adulterers to be stoned...wasn't that Moses? Certainly NOT in the ten commandments.

Love your enemy is a good rule of thumb if you ask me. It helps us erase the intolorant attitude we all possess. BUT, if I get struck a third time we're gonna roll!

Also, Jesus didn't say you had to be as righteous as the prophets. He said scribes and Pharisees. I think he refered to the pharisees as vipers:

Matthew 3:7

7. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

He also said that whosoever broke the least of the commandents, would be the least in the kindgdom. I assume that kingdom would be the 'kingdom of heaven', so what's your point?

I don't understand...

[Oneironaut]

Oneironaut, I look at woman with lust at times. BUT, I'm not a married man, so its not adultery, right? Sure, Jesus didn't specify, but I'm certain those hearing his words knew the definition of adultery. Do you really think, that Jesus would imply that a single man, not yet married, would be sinning if he thought about sex? That's just crazy, imo! Btw, stoning was an ancient practice, but certainly wasn't Gods law.

Even if that were true, God certainly doesn't have any problem with stoning. I don't recall any commandment "Thou shalt not stone". It's like the whole slavery thing. God could just come out and say "THAT'S BARBARIC!" but he doesn't. Funny how God's morality is malleable to the social milieu and the traditional customs of primitive nomadic tribes of desert warriors.

I don't recall anywhere in the Bible where 'God' demanded adulterers to be stoned...wasn't that Moses?

God demands adulterers to be executed in Leviticus 20:10. I never said anything about stoning.

Certainly NOT in the ten commandments.

What makes Exodus 20 God's true and eternal law but Leviticus 20 a barbaric ancient practice that is irrelevant in our modern culture? As far as I can tell from my reading of the Pentateuch, they have equal validity as God's immutable and perfect law to the prophet Moses. Jesus himself said not one jot or tittle would change from those laws until heaven and earth passed; that means Leviticus 20 must still apply, no?

Also, Jesus didn't say you had to be as righteous as the prophets. He said scribes and Pharisees. I think he refered to the pharisees as vipers:

You're right, my bad.