Nick_A wrote: ↑June 11th, 2021, 11:58 pm
Sy Borg
Christianity cares even less about the inner person than the average physicist does. All they care about today is that Christians like you follow and promote the "correct" political dogma. This was once once the side of conservatism, but now it's reverted to radical authoritarianism. Hey ho.
Is this the "correct political dogma" expressed in the following biblical passage? Is there a difference between giving to God and giving to Caesar?
Mark 12:17
Then Jesus said to them, "Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him.
Whatever Jesus, who may or may not have existed, may have said or not is irrelevant. Evangelist religions do not care what Jesus said, or they would not subscribe to that monstrous concept - the "prosperity gospel". Based on Pentecostal logic, a person born into a rich family is righteous while a person born into poverty is being punished for wickedness.
As I say, Christianity as it is practiced today cares NOTHING for the inner person. Just pass on your tithe, don't be gay and don't ever question your religious leaders and you are a model member of the flock. To be fair, coercing people with threats to do, say and think what you demand does show interest in their inner lives. Orwell's Big Brother cared about the inner person in much the same way as religions do.
The only difference between evangelical Christianity and Caesar is that "Caesar" can be voted out. Religion is routinely used as a means of control that works in tandem with governments to achieve shared, desired outcomes. Give to the Church and you give to Caesar. Oh, and may we have your tithe now please? The more you pay, the closer you come to gaining a passage to Heaven! Just as Paula White.