Alright, I was only curious because both of you do share similarities in the religion that you practice. And he's just an awesome guy in general.
I only discovered him very recently, and I fell in love with his character and TV show on first sight. ![:D :D](https://www.gangoffive.net/Smileys/gof/e7000984.gif)
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What is your least favorite LBT song?
Indeed, Mr. Rogers is Christian like myself. He went to Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, and was an ordained United Presbyterian Pastor. I have enjoyed Preysbeterian service, and have pastor friend who heades a Presybeterian Church I attended. I admire what Mr. Rogers did, he is calming voice in an age of fear ans d uncertainty. When I said not a huge fan, I meant its be a while since I watched him and I know there is a movie about him starring Tom Hanks I intend to see it.
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The word religon is an intriguing one. For a long time it meant your religious beliefs, but then religion became a urban word for controlling institutions (“religion is opressive”), then it became a word for mere tradition. That is why many Christians like myself startes saying, “I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ (John 17:3), instead of a religion (instiution of mere tradition),” Because the word religion has so many meanings and relationship is what Jesus wants with us (its why He came and died for our sins and rose from the dead, so we could be with Him and relate to Him here on this earth, and also forever in heaven and the new earth), not religious ceremonies and pomp. Although I still see value in the word religion if used in its original context; i.e. religious beliefs (John 3:16, John 6:40).
Interestingly, Jesus Christ my Lord rebuked the proud, cruel, and controlling religious leaders:
“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses.[a] 3 So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. 4 They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.
5 “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels.
6 And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. 7 They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’
8 “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi (religious teacher),’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters.9 And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your Father. 10 And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Christ (Jesus). 11 The greatest among you must be a servant. 12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
13 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.[e]
15 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are!
16 “Blind guides! What sorrow awaits you! For you say that it means nothing to swear ‘by God’s Temple,’ but that it is binding to swear ‘by the gold in the Temple.’ 17 Blind fools! Which is more important—the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 And you say that to swear ‘by the altar’ is not binding, but to swear ‘by the gifts on the altar’ is binding. 19 How blind! For which is more important—the gift on the altar or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 When you swear ‘by the altar,’ you are swearing by it and by everything on it. 21 And when you swear ‘by the Temple,’ you are swearing by it and by God, who lives in it. 22 And when you swear ‘by heaven,’ you are swearing by the throne of God and by God, who sits on the throne.
23 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. 24 Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel![h]
25 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! 26 You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish,and then the outside will become clean, too.
27 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. 28 Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets your ancestors killed, and you decorate the monuments of the godly people your ancestors destroyed. 30 Then you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would never have joined them in killing the prophets.’
31 “But in saying that, you testify against yourselves that you are indeed the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go ahead and finish what your ancestors started. 33 Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell?
34 “Therefore, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers of religious law. But you will kill some by crucifixion, and you will flog others with whips in your synagogues, chasing them from city to city. 35 As a result, you will be held responsible for the murder of all godly people of all time—from the murder of righteous Abel to the murder of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you killed in the Temple between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 I tell you the truth, this judgment will fall on this very generation.” (Matthew 23:1-34)
I share Matthew 23 with people hurt by cruel religious leaders to show them what Jesus had to say about abusive religious leaders and their hypocritical behavior. Christ calls Christians to serve which in the Greek is to be like attentive waiter tending to people’s needs with the utmost care, compassion, and attention to detail; hospitality.
I started preaching lol
XD
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My least favorite TLBT song is probably the Song of Yellowbellies. Can’t even remember it. XD
« Last Edit: March 13, 2020, 12:28:12 PM by Gentle Sharptooth »
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“The Past is Gone..” -Dream On, Aerosmith