That, if I remember correctly, is in the OT, the NT has/is nothing about dietary laws.

The NT is was true Christianity is about. You have to look at the OT as the lessons of what once WAS. The NT is about forgiveness and understanding.

The majority of the folks out there slam the OT & NT together and believe (inappropriately) they should be followed together...yet there are way too many paradoxes if one chooses to follow the Bible that literally.

The moment Jesus died on the Cross, the Great Curtain in the Temple "was torn assunder" and that act itself symbolized the point in time where the people were no longer seperated from God by the Priests and Rabbis...they could come to God directly and be acknowledged directly...no more middleman.

The caveat to the whole thing, to become a Christian, was to believe that Jesus gave his life, on that Cross, for payment of your sins. He, literally, became what used to be in the OT writings, the "sacrificial lamb" on the "alter"...the "alter," this time, being the Cross.

Do you see any Christian requirement of sacrifices of animals on alters in the NT? References are made in regard to OT teachings, but that's all.

And that's the point in being able to simply read the Bible, as apposed to understanding what the Bible is trying to get across to the reader him/herself.

One part (OT) is teaching the origin and history of God and what was suppose to be coming...

The other part (NT) was/is showing the reader what has to be done to continue to be a Christian. It uses parables to teach Christian concepts and ways to be better Christians. It teaches lessons on how to be better in the Christians' presentation of ones' self to others.

No where in the NT does it promote an "eye for an eye" or to label others and chastise them because they are different from you.

It teaches the true Christian to "love the sinner but tolerate not the sin" and that all (including the Christian himself) are truly sinners in need of repentance.

Even the Christian, after he's accepted the gift of eternal life, is still a sinner. His mission, from henceforth is to work on himself and minimize the sin in his/her life.

But the key here is that the true Christian knows that he's already been forgiven for the sins he's already committed. Now, here's where it gets a little dicey...and, he'll also be forgiven for those sins he's not yet committed.

Keep in mind, Peter denied knowing Jesus three times when confronted with the challenge. A sin x's three. Lying. I'm sure that Peter isn't in Hell for that. And I'm sure most would agree that Peter was, by definition, a pretty good starter-Christian (Jesus hadn't died on the Cross quite yet at this point...).

All Christians still lie. All still steal...they still contine to sin. We all try to justify it in some way or another. As it's been said, "No one is perfect."

But what makes the true Christian different from other folks is/should be the level to what one does to turn away from sin and turn towards making one Christ-like.

And, it doesn't involve bragging about to, boasting about to, accusing or chastising others not Christian, or Christian-like.

Period.

Anyone claiming they are Christ? Look closely to what they are doing and what they are saying...if it isn't perfect, they're NOT the Christ.

Only Christ can be Christ. All others fall WAY SHORT of being Christ-like. All we can hope for is to obtain some level of being like Christ. Again, perfection will always be out of our grasp. But, it doesn't mean we can't try to get there.

Some of us still have a...L O N G...W A Y...T O...G O...though...

...

__________________

M. G. Burg
'10 - Dakota SXT - Daily Ride / ≈ 172.5K
.'76 - 450SLC - 107.024.12 / < .89.20 K
..'77 - 280E - 123.033.12 / > 128.20 K
...'67 - El Camino - 283ci / > 207.00 K
....'75 - Yamaha - 650XS / < 21.00 K
.....'87 - G20 Sportvan / > 206.00 K
......'85 - 4WINNS 160 I.O. / 140hp
.......'74 - Honda CT70 / Real 125
.
“I didn’t really say everything I said.”
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ Yogi Berra ~

Ah, the "new deal". What about Saul's conversion to Paul? Create a crisis and solve it with your new insurance plan. Brilliant.

__________________
01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

Old habits die hard? What can I say...I may need to read up on that one again...

If I remember correctly, God wacked him down and he converted. Some people are like that...they need a little LCM (Life Changing Moment) to "see the light" or so...

Sorta' like the drunk in the gutter or the gambler in the parking lot with the busted fingers after he loses his job/family and gets caught cheating...provided they survive what put them in the predicament they're in...

__________________

M. G. Burg
'10 - Dakota SXT - Daily Ride / ≈ 172.5K
.'76 - 450SLC - 107.024.12 / < .89.20 K
..'77 - 280E - 123.033.12 / > 128.20 K
...'67 - El Camino - 283ci / > 207.00 K
....'75 - Yamaha - 650XS / < 21.00 K
.....'87 - G20 Sportvan / > 206.00 K
......'85 - 4WINNS 160 I.O. / 140hp
.......'74 - Honda CT70 / Real 125
.
“I didn’t really say everything I said.”
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ Yogi Berra ~

Also sorta like the mafia that "talks you round into seeing things their way"? So the deity created a crisis and fixed it. Well, nothing like drummin up a little business is there? Like if I owned a body shop in a small town I go scratch up your car so you need my services?

__________________
01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

Not really the "mafia" so much as it is the Devil. Remember the OT? When God kicked the rebellious angels out of Heaven, he did give them dominion over the sky and earth below. The Devil is in the details of our lives. It's US that decide whether God is going to replace the Devil or not.

Henceforth, the sin in our lives is always there...we just have to turn from it.

Some are better at it than others.

Some of those "others" make the news. Way too much.

And, good news doesn't sell papers and make ratings.

And I work, .... where? I'm part of the problem...

__________________

M. G. Burg
'10 - Dakota SXT - Daily Ride / ≈ 172.5K
.'76 - 450SLC - 107.024.12 / < .89.20 K
..'77 - 280E - 123.033.12 / > 128.20 K
...'67 - El Camino - 283ci / > 207.00 K
....'75 - Yamaha - 650XS / < 21.00 K
.....'87 - G20 Sportvan / > 206.00 K
......'85 - 4WINNS 160 I.O. / 140hp
.......'74 - Honda CT70 / Real 125
.
“I didn’t really say everything I said.”
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ Yogi Berra ~

If the bible is right, didn't he create the problem by blinding him first and then "fix" it by sending that other guy? How is that different from a doctor breaking your leg first then offering his services to fix it? Would you agree with your doctor doing that? If so, why is it god can get a pass?

__________________
01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

Why the old and new testament? Not to be sarcastic but why could it not be done all at once?

__________________
Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

God makes the rules...we only get to play the game I guess.

And I believe, God, at that time, may have been protecting his own...after all, Saul did have the "winning hand" during that time...God, maybe, saw it as a simple "trump card" that needed playing and it seemed to have done the trick.

If God REALLY wanted to make things rough for Saul, he could have just turned Saul into a pile of dust like he did the poor guy who pulled out of his wife/concubine and spilled his "seed" - I believe God toasted that loser's buns for him...but that was OT, not NT.

But, in this case, he wanted to put Saul in a difficult position and leave him there for a bit to think about what was really wrong in what he was doing.

Apparently, God took the right approach. Saul changed his life and name the and rest is history as we know it.

With some people, you need a bit more than a stick to get their attention.

__________________

M. G. Burg
'10 - Dakota SXT - Daily Ride / ≈ 172.5K
.'76 - 450SLC - 107.024.12 / < .89.20 K
..'77 - 280E - 123.033.12 / > 128.20 K
...'67 - El Camino - 283ci / > 207.00 K
....'75 - Yamaha - 650XS / < 21.00 K
.....'87 - G20 Sportvan / > 206.00 K
......'85 - 4WINNS 160 I.O. / 140hp
.......'74 - Honda CT70 / Real 125
.
“I didn’t really say everything I said.”
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ Yogi Berra ~