Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] God Hates Shrimp!

[Stephen Montgomery-Smith <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

Jonathan King wrote:
> On 5/3/06, Stephen Montgomery-Smith <EMAIL:PROTECTED> wrote:
>
> > Jonathan King wrote:
> > > On 5/3/06, Jerry Gamblin <EMAIL:PROTECTED> wrote:
> > >
> > >> http://www.godhatesshrimp.com/
> > >>
> > >> This has to be one of the funniest sites that have I came across in
> > >> along time, but I guess I cant eat popcorn shrimp for dinner now.
> > >
> > >
> > > I'm not sure I get the joke.  Why isn't this as serious a concern as
> > > some of Leviticus is to some people?
> >
> > Acts 15:
> >
> > http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=51&chapter=15&version=31&context=chapter 
>
>
> No, I understand that argument.  But it has always struck me as (dare
> I say it) a compromise reached in committee, and it's clear that some
> Christian sects require more than what is set out here, and they quote
> as a scriptural basis for these requirments not Acts 15 but the heart
> of the laws set out by Moses and later followers who apparently wrote
> most of Leviticus and Deuteronomy (and probably other things).  Now
> Jesus gave the greater commandments (Mark 12: 28-31) and did not (that
> I know of) say much at all about dietary restrictions or other aspects
> of the older law, so it has always puzzled me to see people get very
> selective about what parts of the Old Testament they consider
> absolutely binding.

Different Christians hold to different laws - that is true.  For 
example, many baptists hold that drinking alcohol is wrong, but this 
isn't forbidden anywhere, even in the New Testament.

But to describe the common ground - most Christians hold to the 
agreements made at the council of Nicea (even if they don't know this), 
and part of this council's purpose was to determine which books of the 
Bible were inspired scripture (which gives us our modern Bible) and 
which parts weren't (thus out went the Gnostic Gospels and things like 
the the Gospel of Judas, etc).

Part of these inspired scriptures include Galatians, Romans, Hebrews and 
such like, that distinguish between the law of Moses, and the law put 
into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.  These books make (IMO) a rather 
good case that true Judaism doesn't come from Moses, but comes from 
Abraham and the principles he followed - that is, true righteousness 
comes not by the law but by faith.  (Indeed this notion is even hinted 
at in parts of the Old Testament, which talk about how the old Mosaic 
covenent will be replaced by a new covenent.)

Nevertheless, there are certain activities that the Holy Spirit says are 
wrong, for example Galatians 5:19-21

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity 
and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits 
of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, 
orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live 
like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Thus the idea is to live by the Spirit and not by the law.  But if you 
think that the Holy Spirit is telling you to do all kinds of wicked 
things, then you are deceived - as 1 John 1:6 says:

If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie 
and do not live by the truth.

Stephen

--

Stephen Montgomery-Smith
EMAIL:PROTECTED
http://www.math.missouri.edu/~stephen

_______________________________________________
discussion mailing list
EMAIL:PROTECTED
http://mlug.missouri.edu/mailman/listinfo/discussion