Those of us raised in the Christian tradition need to choose to either see God in Jesus or to continue to let the Bible define God. Our tradition says that Jesus is God. Maybe we should act as if we think he is instead of worshipping a book. Maybe we should be brave enough to admit that we are compelled to either become blinded ideologues or we need to forthrightly pick and choose what we follow in the Bible. Most Christians do that anyway, many just don’t admit it.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of personal belief in Jesus over strict adherence to biblical texts.
In this quote, Frank Schaeffer argues that individuals raised in the Christian faith should choose to perceive Jesus as the embodiment of God rather than solely relying on the written scriptures. He suggests that many Christians selectively interpret the Bible according to their beliefs, and encourages a more authentic relationship with God through Jesus, rather than just worshipping the text itself.
In practice
During a church discussion about faith, this quote can be used to encourage open dialogue on personal beliefs.
I hold that there is a mysterious connection between the fate of this country and that of Mexico; so much so that her independence and capability of sustaining herself are almost as essential to our prosperity and the maintenance of our institutions as they are to hers.
We dont know anything about racism. Weve never experienced it. If words can make a difference in your life for seven minutes, how would it affect you if you heard this every day of your life?
I see at intervals the glance of a curious sort of bird through the close set bars of a cage: a vivid, restless, resolute captive is there; were it but free, it would soar cloud-high.
The megalomaniac differs from the narcissist by the fact that he wishes to be powerful rather than charming, and seeks to be feared rather than loved. To this type belong many lunatics and most of the great men of history.
If psychedelics are exopheromones that dissolve the dominant ego, then they are also enzymes that synergize the human imagination and empower language. They cause us to connect and reconnect the contents of the collective mind in ever more implausible, beautiful, and self-fulfilling ways.
Democratic institutions form a system of quarantine for tyrannical desires.
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