Shining "the Gospel" Outside the Bushel

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What a refreshing solution it is for the world's problems, to be able to blame other people for them! Especially people who voted for the other political party!

[look at me wide eyed]

As I was thanking God the other day for this blessing, I happened to open up my Bible - something I must warn listeners to be very careful about - and my eyes accidentally fell on something very troubling. The verse said I am supposed to correct those who create problems.

[Aren't we?]

Well, I looked up the original word translated "correct" because I just knew the original word must mean "blame". We are supposed to blame those who create problems. And do you know what I found? Why, there was a mistake in the Hebrew dictionary too!

[Moan, while hitting head with hand. ]

That mistake made the verse say we are supposed to “rebuke” them: talk to them – reason with them. And the next verse is worse: it says we can't correct other people in a spirit of contempt or arrogance, but in love; we can't be any harder on them than on ourselves. We have to love him as much as we love ourselves. And it is not “love” to leave a neighbor’s sin unchallenged any more than to leave our own sins uncorrected.

Leviticus 19:17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. [“so that he may be stopped from doing evil”, it says in the Bible in Basic English ]

[That's a good verse. ]

Now look at that uncomfortable next verse:

Leviticus 19:18  Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

Not bear a grudge? Not avenge? What kind of God IS this?

[Start writing with a marker on paper. Hold up sign for camera during next sentence: "I don't know him", with arrow.]

Anxious to shake myself free of this error, I looked at the little print by the verse. The little print is "cross references", to other verses which, I hoped, would straighten out this verse. So that led me to Ezekiel 3:18-20. Wrong move! That verse is even worse:

Ezekiel 3:18 CEV  When I tell wicked people they will die because of their sins, you must warn them to turn from their sinful ways so they won't be punished. If you refuse, you are responsible for their death.

[Well that's right.]

This mistake creates a serious theological problem. Because it creates a contradiction with other Scriptures. Like for example, in the book of 1st Controversies, I think it's in chapter 14, it says:

["Controversies"? That's not a Bible book!]

1 Controversies 14:29 Thou shalt not reason with those who disagree. Thou shalt hate them, dehumanize them, and dismiss them with something like “it’s no use talking to you. You are never going to change your mind anyway.”

["Controversies" is not a Bible book!]

Well, those obvious mistakes really had me depressed for awhile, until it finally hit me what I was doing wrong. That's right, It wasn't a mistake in the Bible, it was MY mistake. And what a DUMB mistake! How could I have missed it?

[Small wonder!]

I had been reading in the Old Testament! Christians aren't supposed to read the OLD Testament! Jesus did that all away! He got rid of it! [Stand up, stare, arms akimbo, mouth wide open]

Now we have a NEW Testament. And Christians don't even have to read THAT! [Where do you get...]

All we have to do is say "I believe Jesus died to take away my sins" and we will go to Heaven! We don't have to do a bunch of reading!

[YOU probably shouldn't. It could make your brain catch fire.]

Still, sometimes reading can be kind of fun. A nice break from playing video games on my phone all day. And I had bought this new shiny Bible to carry into church and impress the pastor, so every once in a while it's probably OK to crack this shiny binding and see what it says inside. Although again I warn, be careful if you do.

But this time I had tape over the Old Testament, sealing it off so when I opened the Bible I would read in the New Testament.

I have mixed feelings about whether I should tell you what I found there one day.

[I have a bad feeling that you are going to tell me anyway.]

It said we should be “always ready” to reason with people who challenge what we believe.

[Shouldn't we?]

This time I didn't look up the Greek words in the Greek dictionary, because I have learned not to trust it.

[to camera: "It's time, I think, to cover our ears."]

Again, this contradicts other Bible passages, like

2 Denominations 12:3 ["Denominations" isn't a Bible book!] "if some pagan challenges your faith, just lob conversation killers at him. A good strategy is personal attacks; ignore his reasoning about your faith and instead remark about the wart on his nose or any other personal defect. That will excuse you from taking his arguments or questions seriously."

["Denominations" is NOT a Bible book!]

A Pew Research Center pollsaid about 30% of Americans say it would be harder to get along with a new neighbor who votes for the other party. 41% of Democrats especially have a problem “getting along with” Republicans who own guns, and 43% of Republicans especially have a problem “getting along with” a Democrat who doesn’t believe in God.

Ha ha! You know what a Christian told me the other day? He said "Shouldn’t one who doesn’t believe in God be the very person with whom Christians should be the most anxious to communicate?" Ha ha!

[Why is THAT funny? He was right!]

Fortunately our churches bless us Christians with strong reasons for NOT going out into "the world" and telling people what God says about their sins. Especially sins so bad that even government supports them. Like protecting your constitutional right to murder your baby, or making girls take showers with men. Churches tell us the only thing important enough to talk about in church is “The Gospel”, which fortunately doesn't include verses about our responsibility to confront sin or to shine light in darkness. [Well, but...]

Like Matthew 5:13-16. In fact, gospel tracts don't say ANYTHING about reasoning with our neighbors – or even our own fellow church members – about the sins we support with our lifestyle sand votes . [But that's because....]

Just one example of a verse that we don't have to pay attention to because it isn't in any gospel tracts: ["Gospel" means "good news". Tracts don't report ALL the good news!]

Matthew 5:13 "You are like salt for the whole human race. But if salt loses its saltiness, there is no way to make it salty again. It has become worthless, so it is thrown out and people trample on it. 14 "You are like light for the whole world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl; instead it is put on the lampstand, where it gives light for everyone in the house. 16 In the same way your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.

You see, all those sins are what we call "the world", and Jesus' Kingdom is "not of this world", which means, at least TO ME, that I can't allow my light to shine in darkness because that would make my light dirty.

[What? How can light get dirty?]

We are "ambassadors for Christ", we read in 2 Corinthians 5:20 and John 20:21.

John 20:21  Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 

Some people get confused by that. They think "ambassador" means somebody who leaves his own country to go to another country, even an enemy country, to represent his own country. [That IS what the word MEANS.]

But we know from church that all we have to do is go to church and give money and believe the right doctrines. We don't have to talk to anybody outside - that simply doesn't appear in gospel tracts, so it isn't part of the Gospel.

[But "The Gospel" is the whole Bible!]

Now some people DO choose to go outside and do all that stuff anyway, but it is certainly not required. In fact if you want to remain pure you will stay right in church, and hopefully you will choose a church with 5 services a week, each of which lasts 5 hours. [Excuse me, how much did you say you are paying me to sit and listen to this horse radish?]

But the idea of talking to anyone outside, and especially about the sins all around the church, and especially about the darkest sins that government supports, why, no church should even allow any reasoning, debating, or strategizing on church property about how to shine their Light, together, outside their Matthew 5 “bushel”. [Finally, something that makes sense.]

Any "worldly" information, like how to talk to lawmakers about protecting babies or young girls or stopping satanic rituals at the state capitol, is "getting involved in politics" which Jesus didn't do - interaction with Pilate, Herod, and the Sanhedrin doesn't count - [wait a minute] and must be strictly prohibited in church. Anything that shows voters how to support laws that follow the principles of Heaven over the principles of Hell must be strictly prohibited in church. [Well....] Blocking political information might leave members ignorant of how Satan uses government to sneak evil into church members' lives, but that is just the price of remaining pure. [Yes it is. I think.]

We can't allow information about sin into church because then visitors who support these sins with their votes and lifestyles would be “offended”, and would not come to church where they would hear (what’s left of) “the Gospel”. [That's true enough. They wouldn't come.]

So you can see how important it is to keep up our Noninvolvement Theologies. “The Gospel” excludes any church-associated corporate response to the darkest evils. [(repeat slowly) "Church-associated corporate response to the darkest evils. I think you mean church members helping each other shine light on abominations outside the church. So you're right. I don't see THAT in the Bible."

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(Static interrupts video screen; then picture resumes)

(Sniffs air) Something smells bad. Has my twin brother been here?

He just left. Just when he was starting to make sense. I've been thinking about it. He was explaining why you can't mix politics and religion.

Because religion is where you blame other people for being wicked, quoting Bible verses against them. But not outside church where wicked people might hear the Bible and be offended and not come to church.

And politics is where you blame other people for committing crimes, and pass laws against them. But you can't quote Bible verses in politics. It's against the Constitution. It might influence what voters think is a crime. That's wrong for the same reason the Supreme Court took the 10 Commandments out of schools: the Court was concerned that posting them might influence impressionable children to want to obey them.

So you're saying Christian churches should say nothing about the abominations dragging America towards Hell, and politics should have no help from the Bible to identify what actions are abominations, leaving politics to stagger like a drunk on ice?

Separation of Church and State.

So Christians should censor God in those forums where voters decide whether to conform our laws to the principles of Heaven or of Hell?

You're confusing me. [From here on, no more green script; just respond naturally without sarcasm or acting.]

Seriously, there really is a very strong Noninvolvement Theology in scripture. But not in the Scripture of Christians and Jews - not in the Bible. It's in the holy book of Hindus, the B'hagavad Gita. I want to read you a passage, but first let me introduce it, and beg any Hindu who believes this, to correct me if I misunderstand this. But what I see in this passage is a Religion of Apathy. A religion of having no goals, no desires, caring about nothing, not preferring wisdom over stupidity, health over pain.

I see in this religion the motive of suicide: determination to simply leave life behind, with all its responsibilities, challenges, pressures, seemingly impossible demands. Brain death is the goal of this religion. The goal of meditation is to drive every thought, every bit of intelligence, out of one's mind. This is the same goal of drunks and druggies: oblivion. A "high" that numbs you to anything that matters.

“The American Dream” is to succeed in great things, following great goals. Our constitution and laws protect our freedom to work hard and succeed. That is a big draw for immigrants from all over the world. It is a value unique to the Bible. Only the Bible calls us to set goals as high as mountains and then promises success. Matthew 21:21-22.

Hinduism’s Gita honors the opposite: we are supposed to “abandon all fruitive undertakings”. We are not supposed to do anything with the goal of being successful. We are not supposed to accomplish anything. We are not supposed to have any goals:

B’hagavad Gita, 14:21 Arjuna [the military commander] inquired: O my Lord, by what symptoms is one known who is transcendental to those modes? What is his behavior? And how does he transcend the modes of nature? 25 The Blessed Lord said: He who does not hate illumination, attachment and delusion when they are present, nor longs for them when they disappear; [ie. doesn’t prefer wisdom or intelligence over stupidity or insanity] who is seated like one unconcerned, being situated beyond these material reactions of the modes of nature, who remains firm, knowing that the modes alone are active; who regards alike pleasure and pain, and looks on a clod, a stone and a piece of gold with an equal eye; who is wise and holds praise and blame to be the same; who is unchanged in honor and dishonor, who treats friend and foe alike, who has abandoned all fruitive undertakings [actions designed to “bear fruit”, that is, actions with goals; efforts to accomplish things]--such a man is said to have transcended the modes of nature. 26 One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.

We are supposed to not care whether we become wise or foolish. We are to care no more for gold than a clod of dirt. Contrast that with:

Proverbs 3:13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. 14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. 15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. 16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. 17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.

I perceive Noninvolvement Theology as not just contrary to the Bible but as spiritual suicide. By that I mean that spiritual death is not just its effect, but is its conscious goal. To embrace Noninvolvement Theology is to want to spiritually die; and Noninvolvement Theology is the dagger by which Christians spiritually kill themselves, deliberately.

---

It's much easier to con someone than to convince them that they've been conned.

Validating ignorance is easier and more immediately successful than articulating truth that persuades, dispels, displaces, heals ignorance.

Hopium.

Here is a song by John Lennon, inspired by the Hindu quest for absolute apathy, or spiritual death. In order to rescue it from being quite so stupid, I have put alternate phrases in brackets:

Imagine 1975 John Lennon Explicit Imagine there's no Heaven It's easy if you try [You're stupid if you try] No Hell below us Above us only sky [d'you want to spiritually die?] Imagine all the people livin' for today Ah, ah, ah-ah [for which they'll pay]

Imagine there's no countries It isn't hard to do [that's one thing dumb people do] Nothin' to kill or die for [nothing to live or die for] And no religion, too [no right or wrong to restrain you] Imagine all the people livin' life in peace [living without goals] Yoo, hoo, oo-oo [dead souls]

You may say I'm a dreamer [I am certifiably crazy] But I'm not the only one [and I'm not the only one] I hope some day you'll join us And the world will be one [and the whole world will be dumb]

Imagine no possessions I wonder if you can [big brother has it all] No need for greed or hunger [Don't think about complaining] A brotherhood of man ['cause that would be your downfall] Imagine all the people sharin' all the world [equal slaves of Antichrist] Yoo, hoo, oo-oo

You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope some day you'll join us And the world will live as one

Christians should not grow spiritually by applying their theology where it is needed, and politicians should not allow their policies to be influenced by morality?

Conservative Republicans find comfort in blaming various people and groups. Like George Soros, Hillary, Obama, “The Establishment”, Michael Moore, “international bankers”, the Supreme Court, Bill Gates, Trump, etc. But haven’t these Noninvolvement Theologies censored more Light than any evil any of these liberals have ever attempted? Do you really think any of these people could hurt anyone – do you really think America would be in any danger – if God’s Light were not suppressed by these theologies?

Christian activists know how few informed, awakened voters it takes to heal government. Several national movements have struggled over the decades to achieve that awakening: groups like the Moral Majority, Dr. D. James Kennedy, Christian Coalition, Wallbuilders, American Renewal Project, and Focus on the Family.

The evil of these Noninvolvement Theologies dwarfs anything any liberal, Communist, or Moslem has ever attempted.

Yet shall we say pastors and church boards deceived by them are going to Hell?

We just can't. That would be crazy. This deception has embedded itself in otherwise very godly saints. The reality is that deception is part of being human, and we have much work to do to save those we love from tragedy.

We are not superior to those we attempt to rescue from deception. And not just because we have our own sins, although we, too, being human, surely have our own slices of deception from which we need rescuing by others. But the real reason we are not superior to those we help is because there is real greatness in them too. There is real silver under the tarnish.

It is easy to look at an evil slice of someone's life and conclude he must be bound for Hell. But the very best of people tragically have such slices in their hearts.

1 Corinthians 4:5 actually says God will judge our intentions – we need to wait, before we judge others, until God reveals everyone's intentions to each other – and when that happens, God will actually find something to praise in everyone!

Meanwhile the tragedy continues to unfold. Jesus counsels us to pray for the laborers to join us in the harvest.

Matthew 9:37 Then he said to his disciples, There is much grain but not enough men to get it in. 38 Make prayer, then, to the Lord of the grain-fields, [KJV: Lord of the Harvest] that he may send out workers to get in his grain. (BBE)

Dave Leach R-IA Bible Lover-musician-grandpa (talk) 17:53, 6 July 2016 (EDT) Also published at ipatriot and CafeConLecheRepublicans. Edited April 1, 2025.