2007-08-20 09:34:36 · 24 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I'll give credit where credit's due:
This question was inspired by the Squirrel and the Bog Nug.
2007-08-20 09:35:17 · update #1
Hi Dane. Good to see you(r avatar).
2007-08-20 09:45:00 · update #2
Hi Will,
That reminds me of a Mad magazine cartoon. Did you ever read that? In the margins they would have little, random drawings and one of them was a construction crew that built a needle that was huge. Then it showed rich guy flying a helicoptor with a camel hanging by a rope under it. I was pretty young when I read it, and didn't understand why it should be funny or even what it was referencing. Now I think it's funny;
2007-08-20 09:41:35 · answer #1 · answered by Senator John McClain 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
When the Bible speaks of the eye of a needle it is not referring the the needle that we know of today.
Back in those days small scape doors where created in a castle in case of an attack - these where called needles.
people could easily escape threw these needles, but it would be very hard for merchants to pass their camels through them.
It wasn't impossible, but it was hard for them.
so when Jesus sates "it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter to heaven"
This is what it is referring to.
2007-08-20 16:56:10 · answer #2 · answered by El Compadre 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
from what I heard the "needle " he was talking about is what they called the gateway to the city,
They would do it so no one could hide goods on the camels without paying tax for them.
they had to strip the camels down and make them crawl thru the "entrance" or "eye of the Needle" it was so tight they had to bow down and there sides brushed against the walls very tight fit.
That way the could not cheat the government out of the taxes...
puts a whole new spin on it Huh?
But My God could make a elephant fit into a tea cup if He wanted to.
2007-08-20 16:41:47 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
"The Eye of the Needle" was a city gate in the Holy Land. The camel would have to kneel and go through the gate on it's knees, thus being very difficult if it was carrying a heavy load.
The rest of the verse (which you so quaintly omitted) is that "it's as hard for a camel to go through the Eye of the Needle as it is for a rich man to get into heaven".
Meaning that a rich man's heart is usually where his treasure is. Where is YOUR treasure???
Read the Book before you make silly statements. *eye roll*
2007-08-20 16:40:52 · answer #4 · answered by Devoted1 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
The "eye of the needle" phrase was a metaphor that Jesus used to describe the difficulty for the "rich" to make it to Heaven. The "eye of the needle" was a common expression used for very narrow gate into Jerusalem. Very wealthy men sometimes had trouble getting through it, bc of all the belongings and supplies that may have had packed on to their mules and servants. Of course it was very possible for it happen, they just had to stop and rearrange their belongings to do it. In the same way, Jesus was not preaching against being rich, but he is warning that those who are very wealthy may need to re evaluate and resposition their belongings. ie, they may need to reposition some of those blessings to those that need them more.
2007-08-20 16:46:57 · answer #5 · answered by onegodwitness 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm going to say no, because I don't think anybody else will. Here's my reasoning.
If a "needle" was large enough so that a camel could fit through its eye, then that thing would no longer be a needle because it would be unusable by people on cloth.
I'm not actually sure I believe this, I just wanted to take the road less traveled.
2007-08-20 16:41:22 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
the eye of a needle does not refer to a sewing needle....
this refers to a needle to the city....it was a gate or barricade of sorts....it was low to the ground so one could not just ride the camel into the city....one would have to dismount...and the only way for a camel to go through would be to crawl through...which would be nearly impossible....
2007-08-20 16:48:29 · answer #7 · answered by G.C. 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If your referring to the eye of a needle in the Bible, it was a very small gateway through the wall of a city.
2007-08-20 16:42:12 · answer #8 · answered by firelight 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
There is a theory that this part of the Bible has been mis-translated, as the words for 'camel' and 'thick rope' are quite similar in Aramaic.
2007-08-20 16:49:30 · answer #9 · answered by Citizen Justin 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
And a camel so needed you could put an aisle through.
...or so the story goes.
2007-08-20 22:58:23 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋