Did Christ crave worship?

[marco]

Jesus comes to us beautifully gift wrapped, especially at Christmas. His biographers have written wonderful eulogies to the extent that many think he had to be a god.


He told his friends not to say anything about his miracles or his identity. (Matthew 8, Matthew9 and Matthew 16) But of course his purpose was to display his divine gift so he wanted publicity.

When he asked: "What are people saying about me?" was he just seeking flattery?

And when he demanded that people love him more than their own children was he encouraging idolatry, like pop stars today?


Did Jesus crave worship?

[1213]

[marco]

[1213]

[marco]

[1213]

No, we both know the meaning. We have a different view of what is good and what is bad. I think telling someone to hate his children is bad.

Please explain why you think it is bad?

The above is confused. You start with the correct definition of hate and so the sentence: "You must hate your children" is very clear. You then alter the meaning of hate so that the instruction is now, "You must continue to love your children but you must love me more so that you choose me instead of them. That is the interpretation you at first rejected. It is not what Christ said…

In Bible love and hate are not opposites.

[marco]

No, we both know the meaning. We have a different view of what is good and what is bad. I think telling someone to hate his children is bad.

Please explain why you think it is bad?

I shouldn't need to. In English the instruction "Hate your children" is bad. I have no idea what possible syntactical problems there might be in understanding this instruction.

In Bible love and hate are not opposites.

We are reading neither Greek nor Aramaic, but an English sentence whose meaning I know. In English love is an antonym of hate. In any other language I know love and hate are contrary. I have no idea how you conclude that biblically hate is not the opposite of love.

[1213]

[marco]

[1213]

… We are dealing with the statement: "Hate your parents, hate your children." This is something you have completely ignored. ...

Sorry, I think I have not ignored it. But, if you think it is wrong, please explain why do you think it is wrong? What do you think it means in practice? If you can’t explain, why should we think it is something wrong and bad?

[marco]

… We are dealing with the statement: "Hate your parents, hate your children." This is something you have completely ignored. ...

Sorry, I think I have not ignored it. But, if you think it is wrong, please explain why do you think it is wrong? What do you think it means in practice? If you can’t explain, why should we think it is something wrong and bad?

I am going to assume that somehow the English words, rendered into Finnish, lose most of their meaning. That you should ask me what is wrong with the advice: "Hate your children" is a puzzle I cannot resolve.

If somebody has just beheaded a child, let us say, would anyone want to ask what was wrong with that act?

If someone knocks on your door and tells you to hate your parents and your children and then hang around with them, can you not detect just a shadow of nastiness in that demand?

That Jesus is the person making the demand does not change a thing about what is demanded. Once can have fanciful ideas about Jesus or Yahweh but BAD remains BAD.


Anyway since you keep asking what's wrong with hating your children I don't see me making much progress. Your views have reassured me that I made the right decision in moving from Christ's flock of sheep. He's not a good shepherd if he requires hatred, no matter how many times he used the word love.