Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: jefff@locus.com (Jeff Fields) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: The Laws of the Old and New Covenants Message-ID: Date: 11 Mar 91 07:52:41 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Locus Computing Corp, Los Angeles Lines: 37 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu Reading the Book of Leviticus, one finds rules and ordinances of the old covenant that Yahweh made with the Israelites, His chosen people. Reading the Gospels, one finds that the New convenant was ordained with two commandments, that fulfill all the ancient Laws. The rules governing the New covenant are simply stated: Love God with all your heart, mind, and soul. Love your neighbor as yourself. To sin is to violate these rules. Rightiousness is to follow these rules, in one's heart, soul and mind. Christ gave us these two guidelines for living a good life. Although it is easy to grasp these guidelines in concept, in practice it is often hard to be loving of God our fellow humans, and ourselves. The pridefulness of our egos and the pain and suffering often afflicted upon us by others and the circumstances of life cause us to err and to sin. I hope that God's children, of whom Christians are just a part, will have the love in their hearts to embrace all of God's creation, fellow humans, animals, plants, earth, air, and water. Alas, I discern that many people, including us Christians, follow short in their embrace. We often condemn exhort others for what we believe to be sins. There has been some argument this newsgroup over what is sin. Some condemn the gays, others exhort those who engage in premarital sex, while even others warn others not to "unequally yoke" themselves with mates who are not Christians. If all these "sinners" are merely acting according to the love in their hearts, are we not sinning in their exhortation and condemnation? The "sins" that some claim that are so emphatically declared in the Bible must stand the ultimate yardstick of love. The Laws of the old covenant are many, and confusing to one who has been born of the new covenant. I believe we must cast out the old laws where they conflict with the new. Let us love eachother as we have been commanded to do. Peace, sisters and brothers. -Jeff