If christianity is a religion of peace and tolerance then please try to explain these passages?

Question

Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

-Luke 12:51-53


10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. (10:34-36)
I came not to send peace, but a sword. ... A man's foes shall be they of his own household."

10:35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
10:36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth s

If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

-Luke 14:26

Answer 1

If christianity was a religion of peace and tolerance, then someone should explain me in which way the crusades were peaceful and tolerant...

Answer 2

*** Update ***

Funny how the ones that explain the verses gets a thumbs down. I guess to get a thumbs up you have to say, gee, you're right! Burn the christians!!! hahahaha!!!

Then it is not a question but a soapbox on which you are standing and preaching from.

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OK - first, you got to read more than 1 verse. Anyone can take a verse and make it sound like something they want...

Here, you are trying to say Christ is not tolerant nor peaceful. He is. He is preparing people for the persecution to come once they become his followers. The christian has to be prepared to be ostricized by his own family. People, things, and even self takes a back seat to christ. Jesus wants people to know what they are getting into before they follow him. He is telling it like is.

What he is not saying is to not be peaceful or not show love to your neighbor.

His sword is that of truth. A division between the righteous and the unrighteous. There will be no peace until he returns.

He is not saying to go make war, hate your neighbor, etc. He is saying he comes first.

I love the things of the world more than him then you are not a follower.

There is a difference...

Lets say your dad is a non-believer and you are. Jesus is saying, if they hinder your relationship with him, that is detestable. Hate in this case simply means detest.

He is not saying to go and kill your dad, mock him, or anything like that.

Luke 14:26
"If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.

You have to be willing to give things up for the cause of Christ if they hinder you. Even if they are your family or even your life.


Luke
12:51
"Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division;
12:52
for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three.
12:53
"They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."

That is, there will be believers and non-believers. This is evident in the world. If a person believes and lives with non-believers, there will be division.

Answer 3

What Jesus is saying in these scriptures is that being a 'true' Christian will cause divisions, not because the true Christians want it to, but because everyone else follows in the footsteps of the Pharisees by persecuting them. Look around at all the Christian religions in the world, then weed them out to find out which group is following Christ closely by adhereing to Bible standards in all aspects of their lives even in the face of persecution. This group will also be showing love among all of its members regardless of race, social and national boundaries. It won't be a large group (Matt. 7:14 says "few are the ones finding it"). And they will be fulfilling the prophecy at Matthew 24:14 which says: "And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come."

Know any such groups? (Hint - their God is Jehovah and they witness about his kingdom)

Answer 4

None of these scriptures are to be taken in the physical text.They are to be ministered to in the spiritual.Jesus said : be wise as serpents , yet harmless as doves.How much physical damage can a Dove do ? Yet the serpent did much spiritual damage to man when it deceived Adam and Eve.Jesus uses the Serpent here to help them to understand the necessity and seriousness of their ministry.The Sword is the Word of God , and not a sword of iron."For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;"2 Corinthians 10:4.As for hating a our family members , we don't hate them yet we may abhor that which they are doing.We love them because they are , are flesh and blood.Flesh and blood have no place in the kingdom of God and never will be.This is what we are to hate , the sinful acts of the flesh that family members may exhibit.For this cause we need to love Jesus more than we do our family.

Answer 5

Are all those passages from Luke? Seems like you're repeating yourself over and over again. I think you missed the point of the passage. Seems to me that he knew that his coming was going to divide things. He was creating a whole new religion. For many, many years the Jews were worshiping God through Judaism. Jesus was telling them to do something completely different and seemingly off the wall. If you went to your family and told them that you were leaving the faith that your family has been in for generations for another brand new faith that goes against certain important teachings in the faith, do you think they would be very supportive of you. Jesus was asking these people at that time to turn against the old ways and put their faith in this new way of thinking. Believe me. If anything is going to cause a split in families it's either going to be politics or religion.

Answer 6

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This verse warns that professing belief in Jesus will get them shunned by their contemporaries - even amongst family. Some will accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, some will not. In situations like these, one must hold fast to one's faith in Jesus. When you have members of your own immediate family against you, holding fast to one's faith is not easy.


<<10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. (10:34-36) I came not to send peace, but a sword. ... A man's foes shall be they of his own household.">>

Jesus is not naive. He knows there will be conflict of all sorts between those who accept Him as Lord and Savior, and those who do not. The reference to the 'sword' may very well have been elluding to pursecutions, and even martyrdom.


<<10:35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 10:36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.>>

As I explained above, there will be families who are split over their religious beliefs. Some will accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, some will not. We see this today with Jewish/Christian couples. One spouse believes Jesus is the Christ, and it awaiting His Second Coming, the other is still waiting for the Messiah.


<<10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth s>>

If one accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior, but then rejects Him because of whatever discord the choice has caused in one's household, the beliver is charged with holding fast to his/her faith.


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This passage is a warning against any number of contingencies. You can't serve two masters.

As far as the Bible's use of the term "hate" goes, this is a literary device called hyperbole. Stop micro-analyzing the Bible and look at the bigger picture. The verses you have quoted above teach one very somber lesson, and here it is: Professing belief in Jesus is serious business. It can and will cost you on some level.

Granted, that cost is merely in earthly terms but your reward will be great in heaven.

Answer 7

This concept is best explained in the term "following the leader." Families create, teach and perpetuate tradition, which has nothing to do with serving God. But are more actions that edify the families beliefs and lineage. This concept is stifled by division of the members. This example of complete devotion to God is seen in the example of Abraham, and for his obedience we still recall him thousands of years later (attesting to his greatness as promised by God.)

Also from the Islamic "submission to God" being the first rule of Islam. The first duty of man.

It's not as complicated as you are attempting to make it sound.

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Answer 8

A couple of scriptures out the holy book..can be taken any way you want them..

these scriptures are talking about the rapture...and, what the times would be like when the rapture does take place...afterall, we do not know the hour, we can only go by events that take place as a sign.

Answer 9

All of those passages simply mean that acceptance of Jesus' message of love, mercy, and forgiveness will earn you the opprobrium and persecution of the world, including members of your own family. It means that by openly proclaiming his message, he was establishing a situation where the powers of evil would wage war against it. And they have. Unfortunately those powers of evil have often been ensconced in the institutional Church.

Answer 10

Not everyone will come to believe in the Lord ( the prince of peace) thus the divisions of hearts among the world.

Answer 11

I'm tired of those who post Bible passages and have not studied the Bible. I could take hte book the Davinci Code and post it like the director is all evil. You can never be qualified to judge God. For any who have real questions about the Bible, I will answer the best of my ability. I also want to say to those who do not believe in the Bible, there are many of you here who ask very thought provoking and excellent questions. This is a prime example to me of someone who is truly in a lonely place.