Unnecessary Blasphemy
Scripture declares:
Ezekiel 3:18, When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
For this reason, do to the recent boast of using the name of God and Jesus Christ in vain on my blog, which I have not allowed to be posted, I have decided to post this warning to both the believer and non-believer.
The commandments of God are very clear in that one is, “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”
In the Old Testament law of Leviticus, “he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him”.
Today there is physical grace and mercy whereby a blasphemer is not put to death, and I am in no way saying that we should put into law that all blasphemers should be put on death row, I would much rather all people to repent and turn to Christ.
I am saying that although today blasphemers are not brought before the people and put to death, it does not mean that God does not still hold the person guilty, for it is written, “That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”
In my lifetime I have heard the taking of “the name of the LORD thy God in vain” by the following groups and ways.
1] By Christians and non-Christians that simply use the name God while playing sports or other things instead of “goodness”, “man”, and other words in a moment of exasperation or such.
2] By Christians that claim to believe in God and His Book, claim to love Him but may or may not act like it, and use His name alone or in conjunction as in cursing, but also sometimes in excitement but not necessarily over godly things.
3] By Atheists that claim they do not believe in God or Jesus Christ or that they actually exists or ever existed, but use their names alone or in conjunction as in cursing.
I ask why is the blasphemy of the name of God and the Lord Jesus Christ necessary. Is it done for the sake of trying to upset others; is it done because there is such a hatred for God and Christianity; or is it simply something that really just comes from within without the thought of what one is really saying?
Continue as you may, but please consider the warning.
Ezekiel 3:18, When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
For this reason, do to the recent boast of using the name of God and Jesus Christ in vain on my blog, which I have not allowed to be posted, I have decided to post this warning to both the believer and non-believer.
The commandments of God are very clear in that one is, “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”
In the Old Testament law of Leviticus, “he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him”.
Today there is physical grace and mercy whereby a blasphemer is not put to death, and I am in no way saying that we should put into law that all blasphemers should be put on death row, I would much rather all people to repent and turn to Christ.
I am saying that although today blasphemers are not brought before the people and put to death, it does not mean that God does not still hold the person guilty, for it is written, “That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”
In my lifetime I have heard the taking of “the name of the LORD thy God in vain” by the following groups and ways.
1] By Christians and non-Christians that simply use the name God while playing sports or other things instead of “goodness”, “man”, and other words in a moment of exasperation or such.
2] By Christians that claim to believe in God and His Book, claim to love Him but may or may not act like it, and use His name alone or in conjunction as in cursing, but also sometimes in excitement but not necessarily over godly things.
3] By Atheists that claim they do not believe in God or Jesus Christ or that they actually exists or ever existed, but use their names alone or in conjunction as in cursing.
I ask why is the blasphemy of the name of God and the Lord Jesus Christ necessary. Is it done for the sake of trying to upset others; is it done because there is such a hatred for God and Christianity; or is it simply something that really just comes from within without the thought of what one is really saying?
Continue as you may, but please consider the warning.
19 comments:
It is number 2 that really aggravates me. "Christians" speaking the name of Jesus in direct contrast to their way of living are sending a mixed message to the world. I appreciate your ministry and your integrity to post the Truth regardless of whose feathers it may ruffle.
Its just culture which causes us to say things. We repeat the world around us.
For example, a sneeze is nearly always accompanied by someone saying "God bless you". However, this did not originate with Christians. The Romans thought it up first, but instead used the phrase "Jupiter bless you".
Atheists and Christians are both products of our civilization.
But words that proceed forth from us, whether cultural or not, does not make it right or remove us from being guilty of sin. What we say comes from the heart. Whether believer or not, blasphemy will be judged according to the holiness of God.
Hehe
Words like violence
Break the silence
Come crashing in
Into my little world
Painful to me
Pierce right through me
Can't you understand
depeche mode - Enjoy The Silence
If blasphemy is a crime, I'd be the first to suffer God's wrath.
After all, I blaspheme to the tune of at least five times a day, which is a good way to relieve frustration.
Try it. You will not be disappointed.
Why does using the name of God and Jesus Christ in vain bring so much pleasure?
Why not use other names/words? Would they not be "a good way to relieve frustration"?
Why not use the names of people/things that you do believe in if you must?
The thing is this:
There are many christians, and these Christians are out there, everywhere, preaching, proselytizing, doing their evil deeds in churches, etc.
Blasphemy helps to ward off these fools, and at the same time keep them on their toes. By blasphemizing their Gods, its a statement from the nonreligious, saying:"Watch your backs, you Jesus folks, we infidels are out there. Don't even think about turning our democracies into theocracies."
Of course, we use other words, or things, such as bitch, fuck, etc. But sometimes infidels get creative. We mix these words with Jesus, Holy Spirit, etc, so as to drive home a point.
Blasphemy is a good thing. It keeps the religious virus in check.
People are people and people do wrong things (sin) whether they are Christian, Muslim, Atheist, etc.
So do you also curse the names of Allah when Muslims do wrong or use the name Dawkins or Science terminology in vain when your Atheists brothers and sisters do wrong?
Blasphemy is not a good thing nor does it keep religion in check. In fact most of the times Christians dismiss the blasphemy of people and do not even take notice or comment to it.
It appears that indeed some blasphemy is simply due to the individual’s dislike to Christianity and the God we serve and the Savior we have, for indeed there are many other cursing that could be substituted in place of the name of God and Jesus Christ.
I realize that you do not wish to believe in God, and in turn do not wish to believe that you will be held accountable for that which you speak. That is your choice. Just remember in a world of no absolutes, that your denial of God is not a guarantee that He does not exist, but a choice not to believe in that which Science has failed to give you adequate proof too exist; therefore the possibility that you are wrong and will face the very God you blaspheme whereby His Word which you reject and has warned you of your actions will be upheld and righteous judgment given is equally likely in your own view of Science: a lack of proof (whether in all or only your opinion) does not guarantee the non-existence of God, but only the current lack of means (or desire) by Science to display such results.
"Don't even think about turning our democracies into theocracies."
You guys are so scared that you can't even notice that most Christians (or any other group) don't even know the difference between the two and care less about setting up the latter.
On the one hand, you believe that we will kill of be killed in order to please our sky god and on the other you think we'll cower in fear when you blaspheme.
Do you honestly think that Christians are afraid of you?
Christians outnumber atheists in all places except large cities and it would probably take all of two days to invade and wipe you guys off the face of the earth IF we had any desire to.
We do not desire to.
Instead, the average Christian who pays his tithes to an undeserving preacher works hard everyday to help those around him. We even love atheists who would rather spit in our faces.
As for blaspheming Jesus: please continue, even bad advertise is better than none.
Sean,
I would agree with most of what you have said, but would have to disagree with "As for blaspheming Jesus: please continue, even bad advertise is better than none."
I don't believe we should be telling or encouraging someone to blaspheme. If one blasphemes it is on their own head, but if you encourage one to then it could also put to your account.
Splinter:
There is much to dislike about Christianity, that is for sure.
Pages upon pages of violent-spewed scripture, depictions of a nasty and terrible deity, and chapters of bigotry rife with abuse.....there is much about the bible that atheists dislike, and theologians feel uncomfortable about.
Sean:
"On the one hand, you believe that we will kill of be killed in order to please our sky god and on the other you think we'll cower in fear when you blaspheme.
Do you honestly think that Christians are afraid of you?"
The first part I agree, the second I don't because Christians do not fear atheists because atheists are basically a non-violent lot, despite claims that Dawkins and Hitchens are "militant".
Basically, there is nothing wrong with blasphemy. Writers such as Stephen King have used so called blasphemous words in their novels, and generally speaking even christians commit blasphemy when they "take the lord's name in vain", eg cursing "Jesus Christ!" in a soccer match.
In an era where secular humanity has taken hold on the human conscience, no one can be adjudged to have committed a crime simply by cursing in the name of Gods, unless you are talking about countries like Iran.
As far as I am concerned, I commit blasphemy all the time, and I encourage my friends to do it, Christian, Muslim or otherwise. Its a beautiful demonstration of free speech, and a statement made to theologians and fundies that no religion is immune to abuse, hence keeping religious hegemony in check.
Oh, one more thing, there is an internet movement whereby atheists are encouraged to renounce the holy spirit.
I intend to do it on my blog, although right now i don't have a video camera.
Maybe I will just write it down or record it via MP3. I think this is a good thing, that enlightened folks are no longer cowed by stupid religious beliefs and doctrines of ghosts and all that nonsense.
Your logic is tantamount to saying that we should insult gays (insert group of choice here) because we don't want them to become too powerful and is based on the assumption that Christians desire to turn every country into their own little piece of heaven.
However, this type of mocking has been going on since Christianity's inception. I doubt that it will any more effect than The Enlightenment has had these last 200 years.
"Your logic is tantamount to saying that we should insult gays (insert group of choice here) because we don't want them to become too powerful and is based on the assumption that Christians desire to turn every country into their own little piece of heaven."
Frankly, I don't give a damn as to what gays, christians or anyone else would do to make themselves powerful.
If the Christians are powerful, so be it. But please do not influence politics, schools and government institutions to carry out activities that are detrimental to the health of the government.
Christians can believe in 6 day Creations, but please do not teach that in schools and call it science. They can object to abortion and contraception, but they can't be allowed to bomb abortion clinics and deny after morning pills to rape victims.
The Enlightenment Age was a great period of learning: Instead of believing that God is the centre of man's alterego,philosophers of this great age question the dastardly acts of religion, and in the process help humanize society from witchhunts, persecution of atheists, and just about every form of cruelty inflicted in the name of religion.
Take a look at the Bell Curve by Richard J. Herrnstein and Charles Murray. Most people of any age are incapable of grasping the even the most rudimentary aspects of evolutionary biology. In other words, we are having enough trouble teaching them to read and write. Trying to teach them evolution is just asking them to have faith in something else.
As another put it "It's like worrying about what the cattle are being taught at the local meat-packing factory. Kids who can't read or do math aren't going to be doing much evolutionary biology or theology either."
"Frankly, I don't give a damn as to what gays, christians or anyone else would do to make themselves powerful."
You then spent the next two paragraphs contradicting yourself.
Saying that you don't care how they become powerful is saying that you don't care if they blow up abortion clinics or voting homosexuals in the highest offices of power.
Either you care or you don't.
"...and just about every form of cruelty inflicted in the name of religion."
And technology has given us the means to destroy all life, including ourselves. If I had to choose...
Funny thing you say that, Sean. As a teenager, I had a very liberal biology teacher (Who incidentally was Catholic) and she had little trouble making her class understand evolution (Could it be that Americans are dumber). It is quite a simple and logical concept, and the level of difficulty science curriculum can teach at high school levels should be determined by schools, not religion.
Anyway arere you saying that since high school standards are too elementary for teaching Mohr's stress and strain circle, that we avoid teaching Physics and Mechanics altogether?
Sean, I think you have a comprehension problem. My concern here is not how powerful the Christian or any movement is. If they need to spread their agenda, so be it. But please do not attempt to convert everyone into their beliefs, and also subvert the govt in the process.This kind of abuse is what i am concerned about, not how powerful they are.
Please read my comments before you put words in my mouth. Otherwise I might have to choose to abuse you. I have zero tolerance for stupidity.
"This kind of abuse is what i am concerned about, not how powerful they are."
You talk about power without defining it so that it becomes a vague concept that you change at your leisure.
First you worry that Christians are attempting to set up a theocracy (political power). Then you worry that they are going to convert people (peer power). Then you say that don't don't care what means they undertake in order to achieve power just as long as they don't use such and such method.
"that we avoid teaching Physics and Mechanics altogether"
I'm not sure how long you've been out of the states, but the schools can barely teach reading and writing much less higher mathematics or biology.
Abuse away, but do try and show where my logic fails.
"If they need to spread their agenda, so be it. But please do not attempt to convert everyone into their beliefs, and also subvert the govt in the process."
Explain how this is not a contradiction. People are converted by the spreading of the Christian agenda. Subverting the government is an anathema to Christians as they take Rom 13 to mean all authority including that of government. However, a democracy allows them to participate in the process and define the terms of their subservience.
Sean:
Power in a sense, can be nonthreatening.
A powerful jet plane need not be a weapon of mass destruction.
A powerful organization need not be detrimental to society's needs. For example, the Red Cross uses its vast resources to assist countries or areas in need. That is a form of using power in a useful way/
"I'm not sure how long you've been out of the states, but the schools can barely teach reading and writing much less higher mathematics or biology."
I am not an American, although I have a sneaky suspicion that Americans are not as smart as I thought.
This goes to show that too much religion and too little science goes a long way in making a nation's young stupid.
I am very certain that within 2 decades China and India will catch up and overtake America in all areas of science and technology.
By that time, you will have the likes of Falwell and Ken Ham's Creationist Museum to blame.
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