I’m posting my response on the page dealing with IGWT on coins (so as not to completely kill the discussion of Rangel, etc.).

Not a problem for me. Although I disagree with how you both approach the Bible, your counter agruments (especially the one regarding Mark in post 69) have been very good. His post #70 did little to counter your position in post 69. His attempt (i.e. your verse does nothing to “correct” his) belies a misunderstanding of the point you are attmepting to make, or ignores it altogether. It isn’t the pont of one verse correct another, but the context of those two verses within the parable themselves. This means all of the verses taken as a whole, and not singularly. I agree with the paraphrased assessment that you give:

The chapter is discussing a RULER who is asking Jesus “what shall I do to inheret eternal life.”Jesus asked him to sell everything and give it to the poor. The ruler went away “very sorrowful.”I do not believe Jesus is asking us to “give everything away.”He is telling us that money (the love of money) is not the path.

In this case, personally approving of “IGWT” on a coin in no way invokes a love of money or of following said path. That said, doing so or not doing so is has nothing to do with the matters of the spirit at all. If the case were as Solarc suggested, then anyone using money would be sinful, including the poor.

I just reread your post and wanted to add one more thing. It is a fool’s game to base your life on ONE VERSE out of the Bible. Most verses could be contradicted with other verses if you ONLY extrapolated meaning from the single verse. You must glean meaning from the whole chapter.

That is why I responded to your Luke 14:33 with 14:11. The meaning of the chapter is not to “give up all your possessions,”it is to be humble in all situations.

I implore you to read the chapter with an open mind.

I apologize to those of you who are irritated by how far from the topic this part of the thread is going.

I don’t know you and have only read a few of your posts on this thread. This is simply a case of two people reading the same thing and coming to different conclusions.

I know that you disagree and I at least suspect that both of you would self-identify as Christian. At least think about the substance of the words I’ve cited rather than dismissing them because you questionmy intentions. My ultimate intentions are immaterial. You can say that I’m unintelligent, a hemmoroid, probably an atheist, a liberal, a commie, whatever. The passages that I’ve cited are still there.

I’ve mentioned before that I support the GI Bill. It’s a reminder of how great government sponsored social programs can be.

1- I would prefer that if you are going to speak, that it be intelligently:roll:

2- Of course it works..you give, you get…it so much better than the welfare queen eating ring dings and ho hos.