The Pharisees hated Jesus. Why? He loved the wounded. He touched the unclean. He offered forgiveness to the worst of society. Just the opposite of the Pharisees. They had rules about rules on top of rules. They had all kinds of reasons why you might not be acceptable to God. It’s the same with atheists. The concept of God’s grace sends them into a fit of self-righteousness. The very thought that today’s nasty bastard might someday be forgiven angers atheists perhaps more than anything else.
One night Jesus had been invited to a Pharisee’s house for a meal. This Pharisee would have been one of the very men who had already barred Jesus from teaching in the temple. His invitation to Jesus had “set-up” written all over it. Even though sharing a meal in that culture was akin to a mini peace treaty, Jesus was NOT among friends. Not that evening. The point was proven when Jesus arrived. Even the most minimal courtesies were denied Jesus. No kiss on the cheek. No embrace. No offer of a servant to wash His feet. A lessor man may have been intimidated. Jesus went directly to His appointed place.
It was not unusual nor inappropriate for people from the community to wander into the courtyard and observe what the gathering was all about. A woman, a “bad” woman who had earlier received Jesus’ forgiveness was there. She had observed how Jesus had been mistreated by His host and it pained her deeply. Jesus was perhaps the first man who had ever shown her genuine love and acceptance. Acceptance is something the Pharisees would have never given to her. From them she’d only known rejection and judgement. It offended her to see how her Saviour had been snubbed. It broke her heart to see someone as gentle as Jesus be mistreated in such a manner. She reacted the only way she knew how. She reacted the only way a woman of the street could.
She let down her hair, a sure sign of her low morals.
She broke open an expensive jar of perfume, probably received from a wealthy lover.
Mixing the perfume with tears of genuine sorrow and gratitude, she washed Jesus feet.
The Pharisees who’d gathered were indignant. "Obviously," they mumbled, "Jesus wasn’t a real prophet or He would know what kind of woman she was. And if He knew what kind of a woman she was He would not so easily offer her forgiveness."
“Simon,” Jesus said to His host. “The one who has sinned much has asked for and has received forgiveness for much. But you, Simon. You have not asked for forgiveness for even the little you have sinned and so you have not receive ANY forgiveness.”
An atheist said to me yesterday, “[In Christianity]You can rape people, molest children, and do the most horrible, despicable deeds imaginable, but as long as you say, "I'm sorry, Jesus!" you're saved.”
This is what offends Pharisees. This is what offends atheists. Judgmental to the core. Self-righteous to the core. Both of them. Pharisees and atheists. Hard hearted. Longing to withhold mercy and kindness and forgiveness.
“Be careful,” said Jesus. “For with the manner you judge, so you too will be judged. With the measure you use, with that measure it will by used against you.”
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
*shrugs* so, when are christians expected to join this particular party?
The very thought that today’s nasty bastard might someday be forgiven angers atheists perhaps more than anything else.
It doesn't anger me ... I think the suggestion is hilarious and intellectually vacuous.
Wow, 600 words passing judgment on atheists for being judgmental.
Oh dear Uzza, I see you disagree with me. That makes you a judgmental person. Honestly sometimes it's hard to tell which atheist is a bigger clown than the next.
Oh dear Uzza, I see you disagree with me. That makes you a judgmental person.
By that measuring stick, your disagreement with uzza makes you a judgmental person, and thus a Pharisee. Better soak the scourge with vinegar and start on your back!
Before this descends any further into the ludicrous, what do you think about this Comrade? Is disagreeing with someone the same as judging them or the same as being judgmental?
Before this descends any further into the ludicrous
That would be impressive.
what do you think about this Comrade?
Are you addressing me? If so, it's Còmhradh, not Comrade. CAW-ragh.
Is disagreeing with someone the same as judging them or the same as being judgmental?
I think you've already answered that for yourself, at least:
Oh dear Uzza, I see you disagree with me. That makes you a judgmental person.
As for myself, I don't think one is judgmental for disagreeing with another person.
Now, let's examine the semantics of "judgmental" as it applies to this conversation. You're claiming that atheists, like the Pharisees from your story, are passing judgment erroneously, that the judgment itself is wrong or flawed. So, in this instance, you're using "judgmental" with a highly negative connotation - that atheists are passing an incorrect judgment on your viewpoint, which you view as absolute truth and therefore anyone who disagrees with you is trying to be dishonest.
The problem here is (as is almost always the case with your posts) that you are generalizing and making a case from the words of one person, or what you imagine what someone would hypothetically say. I know this because you almost always fail to cite a source, and when I can find the source, you've taken words out of context or misrepresented the root of the phrase that you're referencing.
Now, I can see that you are, for the most part, a decent speller and grammarian, you can string words together, and you have the ability to keep a thought going. I assume from this that you are an educated person. Therefore, I'm left with the conclusion that you are not simply ignorant and misinformed, you are actively pursing a campaign of slander to make your point. "All atheists believe X! (please ignore the fact that they don't)"
You have had a number of atheists and agnostics here to refute your points, and they are obviously not monolithic in the opinions that you accuse them of, yet you continue to spout these things as if they were truth. As they are obviously not truth, a fact that you must be aware of, that makes you a liar who passes judgment - I'm using judgment with that same negative connotation that you employed. So you are, in fact, the Pharisee here.
I don't consider myself "judgmental" in saying that - I'm just pointing out the obvious.
Judgmental to the core. Self-righteous to the core. Both of them. Pharisees and atheists. Hard hearted. Longing to withhold mercy and kindness and forgiveness.
So when you read the text do you think that what I'm saying is wrong? That the Pharisees were against her being forgiven?
When you read the atheist's comment (and it is far from an isolated idea in the atheist community) do you think that what I'm saying is wrong? That atheists react strongly at the thought of a horrendously evil person receiving forgiveness?
Neither the Pharisees nor the athesits are "wrong" in their accusations. The woman worked the streets. She got as little respect then as prostitutes get today.
Atheists are correct when they say that "all" that a person has to do is admit that forgiveness is required and do exactly that.
What neither group can stand is that forgiveness is given to someone whom THEY deem to be unworthy of forgiveness. In that context, I've never met more judgemental people than atheists. I think, uzza, that what you said is that by finding fault with atheists on this count does not make me a judgemental person. Whether I generalise or not is another issue.
.
Post a Comment