On Thu, 4 Dec 2003, Derrill 'Kisc' Guilbert wrote: > > I can't see a marketplace in a Christian monastery or heaven, and I > > don't see a lot of wiggle-room in If thou wilt be perfect, go sell > > what thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in > > Heaven and come follow Me. > The problem with that statement is, everyone sees wiggle-room in > everything. Maybe Christ meant only this guy had to sell everything, > because that was his one remaining weakness. Maybe He was telling all of > us to find our biggest weakness and drive it from us (a la if thine eye > offend thee, cut it out). Pointing out specific scriptural references to > support an issue isn't very productive either. Everyone has their own > understanding of Just What That Passage Means, believe you me. Yes, that's precisely what I was arguing - people have their viewpoints, and cut their religion to fit. I don't have an opinion about Christ, if he existed in anything like the form the Gospels present, except to say that he seems very eloquent (up there with Rabbi Hillel, from the same time period I believe - "If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?") and he seems to indicate that a society where poor people die in gutters is unacceptable.