Was Shylock really the Bad Guy?

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. ~ Colossians 1.13-14

I really love those verses. This post isn’t really connected to them but wanted to share… God is so good. The most awesome feeling in the world is to be in prayer, in the Spirit, even in song… To praise His name and know that He is awesome above all, and to see(k) his glory in and through all creation. Hallelujah! Prayer that isn’t “heaping up empty phrases” but truly being in God’s presence, knowing he loves, forgives, sanctifies, prepares… so the words I’m saying in prayer aren’t as important as the heart he gives me… and when the desires I express aren’t a result of deep thought but impulsive love. Just an earnest cry to be redeemed, and infinite joy at being loved… by the Maker of every promise that counts…

So as you know I have been sick. But I am better now, almost fully well. Thank you all very much for praying and loving and emailing and caring and smsing etc.

At school, classes have begun already, for the 4th semester. For English class we’re working on a play by Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”. I skimmed through the script of the play yesterday and am focussing on an in-depth reading of Act IV right now… when I read it a few years ago, in my pre-christian mind, it seemed to me a story about love and wordplay, with Portia the heroine and the rest her sidekicks. Now it just seems like a beautiful, heart-breaking depiction of the psychological state of man’s mind in a majority vs. minority situation. Shylock is the new hero in my mind, he is a character I sympathize with, one my heart goes out to, one I believe was most unfairly treated by those professing the Christian faith. Antonio through the court of Law imposed upon Shylock the “penalty” of conversion to Christianity. I want to study this in much more detail and write a long post sometime God willing.

The Gospel of Matthew = Good Book.

Thinking about these verses. Any thoughts?

I love Jesus, then why do I sin?

Non-Christian, learn what is false:

1. Christians think they’re better than everyone because they believe in Jesus
2. Christians believe in the Bible cos it’s convenient to
3. God is the same in every religion, just expressed differently
4. Jesus didn’t tell his followers to be fundamentalists
5. Believing in Jesus doesnt make you a better person, good deeds/karma does

I assert the falsehood of all those points. Objections & arguments welcome, by comment or by email (RED.wpblog@gmail.com) abusive comments not welcome because I’m not speaking against anyone I’m just saying what Christianity does NOT believe (but people seem to believe it believes).

Non-Christian, learn what is true:

1. Christians believe every human being is a sinner, and if Christians were not sinners fully aware of their sin, they would not be Christian. Believing in Jesus means being so fully aware of our sins that we fully realise the need for a Saviour, and are “crucified with him” so that we can seek his righteousness. So Christians are not better than everyone else, but God alone is perfect. Jesus is the only perfect man to have lived on earth.
2. Christians believe in the Bible because it opens our eyes to the truth that God is more beautiful and desirable than ANYTHING the world can offer.
3. God is One and different religions contradict each other about God. You can’t have one God who is the same in every religion. ACCEPT THAT.
4. Jesus told his followers to love God with everything they have, and to hold fast to him like nothing else. That sounds fundamentalistic to me and its perfectly beautiful because God is the Most High, the point where all perfection and goodness meets at its highest, there is no goal higher than God and if Christians are true fundamentalists, that is GOOD for everybody.
5. Everybody is a sinner. Believing in Jesus doesnt make you instantly stop being a sinner. It makes you hate sin. When you KNOW that God is true, and that God hates your sin, you want it to go away. But our flesh likes worldly lusts more than it likes God because it doesn’t understand God. Temptations come and deceive. The HOLY SPIRIT makes us not sin. So believing in Jesus makes us want to desire him above our fleshly lusts. We receive the Holy Spirit so that our hearts are opened and we see for ourselves that Jesus is truly more beautiful than sin. So there are two steps to it. First, believe in Jesus- know that you don’t want to sin- then receive the Holy Spirit which testifies about Jesus, and shows our hearts that Jesus IS more desirable, and the Holy Spirit frees us from our desire to sin. So believing in Jesus LEADS TO receiving the Holy Spirit which LEADS TO freedom from sin. Without the Holy Spirit, we are the same as before, our eyes see the same and our hearts feel the same, and what we desired before, we will not miraculously stop desiring now. The SPIRIT gives wisdom and understanding, without the Spirit I am dead in my sins.

I hate myself when I sin. Loving Jesus means honouring his word. I can’t honour his word if I’m not led by the Spirit. I desire the Holy Spirit to fill me completely so I can be free from sin. Sin is horrible.

I know most religions apart from Christianity teach about salvation based on good works. I am curious to know how do these good works come? What’s the standard by which one calls him or herself good? What can cause a loathing for sin if not the Holy Spirit of God alone?