Top 5 precepts of Christianity?
And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart.Acts 2: 44-46
I've read the Biblical accounts of Jesus of Nazareth and his earliest followers several times over the years, and have thus gained an admittedly subjective impression of what Christianity meant in the minds of those people.
From my reading, and after paring down to the bare basics, I conclude that Christianity's Top 5 precepts (not in any particular order) are:
* Believe in and obey a male supreme deity, (YHWH, or Jehovah, the God of the Jews);
* Love other people, even your enemies, as you love yourself;
* Eschew revenge: if someone hits you, turn the other cheek so they may hit you again;
* Sell all your property and possessions and give the proceeds to the poor;
* Live communally ("have all things in common").
Even as an atheist, I pretty much go along with four out of five (I live like a hermit but have lived communally and intend to again; I find it hard to love my enemies or even the general public, but I would prefer to). However, I must say that I can't figure out the response of today's Christianity to at least three of these precepts. Am I wrong here? Could the Church please explain, to make it easier for such a dummy?
Tagged: christianity, jesus, jesus+christ, bible, religion, church, catholicism, protestantism, religious+right, christian+right
Pip Wilson posted item above at 11:55 AM | Permalink
6 Comments:
Actually the top 2 are:
1. Love God with your whole heart, whole mind & whole strength;
2. Love your neighbour as yourself;
The second implies also : Love yourself.
About your 5:
*God is neither male nor female; "he" is spirit.
*True
* A spirit of forgiveness is required, but justice is anterior to forgiveness; we are not obliged to forgive every debt in every circumstance, but we should forgive wrongs since we need to be forgiven our own.
* selling your stuff and giving the money to the poor is a counsel of perfection; it is not enjoined on everyone, only those who are called to the highest path of service.
*holding all things in common is just not required, but again it is admirable for a few. For most it is impossible. Private property is perfectly just, but mercy and beneficence go further than justice.
I don't claim to speak for the church.
Thanks for your comment, braingasm. It seems pretty certain to me that if we are to believe the written record, poverty was practised and taught by Jesus and practised by *all* the early Christians ("all those who had believed", Acts 2), I guess because he told them to, or they did it in emulation of him. As for God being male, it seems to me the Bible is consistent in this more than most things. I don't believe he exists, but I do believe the Book always says he's a he. I won't quote chapter and verse but a look through the Bible will show that. But good to hear from you.
"selling your stuff and giving the money to the poor is a counsel of perfection; it is not enjoined on everyone, only those who are called to the highest path of service"
braingasm, do you think that the Pope has been "called to the highest path of service"?
I think you're right about living in personal poverty (in the sense that we Christians shouldn't be enjoying such luxurious lives when so many billions are suffering). We don't live in poverty simply because it's too damn hard - just like being kind to everyone is too damn hard, but we still have to try.
However, I reject the idea that churches should be giving up their wealth. After all, anyone who worships in a high church (with lots of decoration and gold and icons etc) will know that the experience is very different from that of a low church (the Hillsong type that have no decoration etc); a lot of people find themselves much closer to God in a special environment. It's worth remembering that any church beyond a very informal network will also require the organisational and hierarchical tools that require the possession of wealth.
Also, capitalism is a great way of expanding the "pie" so everyone can have a bigger slice. When you think that over the last two decades literally hundreds of millions of people have been lifted from poverty, it seems immoral to prevent such a progression simply because the intermediary act - capital accumulation and profit maximisation - can conflict with Christian beliefs in certain circumstances.
"After all, anyone who worships in a high church (with lots of decoration and gold and icons etc) will know that the experience is very different from that of a low church (the Hillsong type that have no decoration etc); a lot of people find themselves much closer to God in a special environment"
They may think they do.
I was impressed as a child by the incense, stained glass windows, and gold embroidered robes. It certainly gave a theatrical atmosphere.
If I believed in the god of Jesus I'd be more likely now to feel close to "it" on a beach, a mountain, or a desert. Jesus did not preach the need for palaces in which to worship his "god".
Thanks for your comments, Jenepher, and I offer my condolences.
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