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From: cng@burdvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: Religious Intolerance
Message-ID: <990@burdvax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 15-Aug-83 13:50:25 EDT
Article-I.D.: burdvax.990
Posted: Mon Aug 15 13:50:25 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 16-Aug-83 14:55:50 EDT
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to: H. Reza Taheri
	...!ihnp4!ihuxb!reza

re: Religious Intolerance.

It's unfortunate that a few misguided individuals who appear on television
give the wrong impression of Christianity.  Jimmy Swaggart, et al, 
would lead us to believe that one of the marks of a "true" Christian is
absolute support for the Jews (a.k.a. the nation of Israel).  I believe
this concept grows out of a misunderstanding of a key Bible principle.
Christ told us to love our neighbors.  When questioned about the meaning of
neighbor, he gave the parable of the Good Samaritan.  We should all learn a
very important lesson from this story, namely, any belief that one
race is "superior" to another is racism, pure and simple.

The notion that national Israel is "God's chosen people" is completely false.
This idea is a mild form of heresy known as Dispensationalism.  It's most
notable theme is that God will, one day soon, begin to deal again with the
nation of Israel.  Associated with this is the idea that there will be a
future thousand year reign of Christ upon the earth.  Any future thousand year
period is a complete misunderstanding of Revelation 20.
A proper reading of the Bible will lead to the conclusion that "God's chosen
people" include all those that believe in Christ for their salvation.
This includes people from every nation on the face of the earth.
The Jimmy Swaggarts and Bob Jones of this world don't have a leg to stand on
when they espouse the ideas of race separation or one nation being "better"     than another.

Now I don't believe that Muslims and Christians worship the same God.
Christians worship Jesus Christ as one member of the Godhead.  The concept
of the Trinity is unique among monotheistic religions.  Even more important
is the belief that God cared so much for fallen mankind that He sent His
son into the world.  Christ paid for the sins of His people and redeemed them
that they may glorify Him.

Christ said, "By their fruit you shall know them."  If people uses the
word "Christian" to describe themselves, they better show some evidence!

	Tom Albrecht
	..{presby|psuvax}!burdvax!cng