What a cruel god you worship. There is a HUGE DIFFERENCE between committing actual murder of another human being, and hating people who do evil. The Almighty expects humans to know and understand that distinction, what a shame that you don't.
Sociopaths like the murderer Susan Atkins, will play you like a Georgia fiddler, just in order to make you think they have "repented" and "found Jesus." If this woman truly repented and had remorse, she would be so sickened and disgusted by her crimes that she would beg to be put to death, because she couldn't live with herself, with the knowledge of the awful things she did.
You think someone who is “truly repentant” would beg to be killed, if they were sincere about their crimes — if their faith was “real”? That is your test?
It isn’t at all what God says. No one is playing any fiddle here, my friend. It’s ok that you don’t understand about faith and repentance. And the God I worship isn’t capable of cruelty, the way you are defining it. He has compassion on the victims AND the offenders the same. He didn’t send His only Son to suffer a cruel and unusual crucifixion death on a Cross just for lies and hatred and stealing cars. His shed blood cleanses even the most evil of action or heart. It reflects the depth of the power and the love and mercy and grace of God. It is available to anyone who believes, and thank God, He knows His own by name.
That is the mystery of the message. I am so grateful that both Susan Atkins and myself can experience the same kind of freedom that faith in Christ offers us both — and offers to the world.
Jesus was saying that the heart of a murderer is dark and evil. And that other people’s hearts are also dark and evil....their hearts are the same as the person who acts on his hatred; but really the two are the same, inside. It is the hate and the evil that is the catalyst for the murder. Get rid of the hate and the evil, and there will be no murder.
Jesus was not excusing all murderers and calling for their release from charges, but rather, calling His followers to give up their sinful minds to His regenerating power, so that murders would not happen!
Using this man’s reasoning, and outlook on what Jesus wanted, and I am a follower of Jesus Christ, we should dismantle our justice system altogether. No one can be arrested, or punished, because we are all guilty!
Hardly the way God wants the world, is it? He is a God of Justice and laws. I would remind Mr. 4Christ, that Christians believe that Jesus is part of God..the same God who wrote the laws of the old Testament. You know, while Jesus walked the streets of Jerusalem, there were people hung on the cross every single day. He didn’t try to stop their punishment. Shoot, He didn’t even try to stop the adulteress from being stoned. He said, “go ahead”...
Those who show mercy, will be given mercy. I believe that Ms Atkins has been shown a large amount of mercy. She should “count it all joy” and suffer her sentence as a follower of Jesus Christ.
And as a Christian known to you. I am siding with you my Jewish friend.
The logic espoused by these handful of good works Christians here is simply the soft version.
Not what a lot of us believe.
The meek may inherit the earth and all that but for now the rest of us have to deal with the realities.
God can have mercy on me for being a vengeful hardass when it's all said and done.
I cannot believe any of that. Note how they make a connection between being saved and redemption from worldly authority. As a Christian I can attest that Christ was pretty clear on that which is that we are still beholden to earthly law.
And if salvation is so obvious down the road for these maniacs, then what the heck difference is it how they die anyhow?
Man...I tell ya...so many Christians have jumped ship about personal responsibility and firmness of thought and shame. Now it's all about being nice and building Habitat Houses.
That's an illusion.
Happy Fourth dear....I really appreciate how you elucidated this. Well done.