Job 29-31

[wolfpurplemoon]

Job has decided that he deserves his punishment, and his rather gruesome afflictions, because he may have at some point not been quite nice enough to someone he was superior to.

And this is the best thing I've heard so far in Job: "The words of Job are ended." Does that mean something will actually happen now?

Comments

[jaronsjournal.livejournal.com]

I've haven't seen a Bible verse that would ask a Christian parent to disown their child for homosexuality. In my opinion, we should be firm as to the sinfulness of homosexual acts, but act with Christian love towards gays like Jesus acted towards the prostitute. He spared her from the punishment of stoning that the law called for, but told her to sin no more.

You seem to talk about homosexuality as if it's been proven to be genetic in nature, something one was born with. You talk as if treating homosexuality as a sin is condemning a person for something he cannot help. I am not convinced any such thing has been proven. As long as it hasn't been proven, I don't think gays have any business bullying people around and intimidating them for opposing parts of the gay agenda (as in the CA Miss America incident.) Are we supposed to believe people are born gay just because that's what gays want us to believe? Or should there be scientific evidence?

False religion, or even Christianity twisted and used in a way that Christ never intended, may cause people do do bad things. But following Christ the way he intended us to follow him will never cause us to do anything bad.

[bill_sheehan.livejournal.com]

Say what? What does this have to do with Job? Or anything? I haven't said anything pro or con about homosexuality - that's your issue, not mine.

You must be having a bad day, or come fresh from an argument with someone else, because you must know your Bible, your own religious traditions, and the society in which you live better than this.

As a guest in someone else's blog, I'm going to stick to the topic at hand. I'll be happy to talk about the following areas of exegesis, Biblical history, and theology:

- The story itself. Where it came from, what it means, who wrote it, traditional interpretations, textual criticism, higher criticism, appreciation of its poetic form, etc.

- The problem the Book of Job addresses: Why do bad things happen to good people? The problem of evil.

- Theodicy and theology. What does Job tell us about the way the ancient Hebrews saw God? Does the Book of Job influence how believers and non-believers think of God today, or is this just an old folk-tale?

Abortion, homosexuality, marital relations (save Job's strained relationship with his nagging wife), and other hot-button issues that have nothing to do with the subject at hand, I leave to another place and time.

[jaronsjournal.livejournal.com]

You are the one who said it could be argued that religion might cause one to disown their child for being gay. I was responding to you. I disagree that a follower of Christ would treat a gay person hatefully, though he/she would be firm about the sinfulness of homosexuality.

I don't think I get off subject unless I'm responding to a subject someone else brought up.

[bill_sheehan.livejournal.com]

You've wandered off the path while chasing a hobbyhorse. Here's the original question again: You seem to be making the point that people who aren't members of your religion do bad things. Are you arguing that therefore your religion is true, or are you arguing that your religion is highly desirable whether true or not?

This is a bit tangential to Job, which is about why bad things happen to good people, but relates to the testimony of his friends. Are good people religious, or does religion make people good?

[bill_sheehan.livejournal.com]

You are too kind. I don't have much of an education, but I did start down the path towards ordination once upon a time, and have done a bit of reading along the way. There are a whole bunch of smarter people than me around here.

[funkybomb.livejournal.com]

Don't put yourself down! You seem plenty educated to me.

[funkybomb.livejournal.com]

Gays aren't the ones bullying; they're the ones being fired for being gay, beaten for being gay, having their families disown and kick them out for being gay, having people with no medical background demonize them as "unhealthy", and yes--being killed for being gay.

You have very strange ideas about what constitutes bullying.