Clockwork Angels

[Yesspaz]

Originally Posted by zvinki

... it seems to more often polarize than unite creating an "us versus them" mentality. You can still live by the pure sentiment of religion, love and respect, without belonging to a religion.

The genius, and flaw, of this type argument is there's no response anyone can make that doesn't validate "us versus them." That being said, the pure sentiment of religion is not love and respect, it is sin and grace. In other words, it's an answer to the question "How does a holy God restore a fallen humanity?" All the world's religions differ as to the answer of that question, or even how to word it, but they all agree on its basic premise. But don't take my word for it:

“Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as harmless as doves. Because people will hand you over to the Sanhedrin and flog you in their synagogues, beware of them. You will even be brought before governors and kings because of Me, to bear witness to them and to the nations.

“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will even rise up against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of My name. But the one who endures to the end will be delivered. When they persecute you in one town, escape to another. For I assure you: You will not have covered the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

“Therefore, don’t be afraid of them, since there is nothing covered that won’t be uncovered and nothing hidden that won’t be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light. What you hear in a whisper, proclaim on the housetops. Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

“Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before My Father in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven. Don’t assume that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household."

- Jesus speaking to his disciples as recorded in Matthew 10.


And for the record, I'm very much looking forward to the new Rush album.