What is your favorite Bible verse? Mine is "IF God be for us, who can be

[patricia92243]

against us". Romans

To me this says it all.

When I get discouraged or afraid, this verse really comforts me and gives me the courage I need to "keep on keeping on".

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. The meek shall inherit the earth.

And the modern version: The meek don't spend 40 million dollars on an inauguration when over 200,000 people have been wiped out by a tsunami and at least 100,000 more have died in a war of your own blunder.

[tuvor]

2. You're asking on DU, so I'm in a DU frame of mind right now.

Matthew 7: 21 - 23 fits bush and his "christian" buddies to a T:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’"

Yeah, I'm judgin'.:evilgrin:

[pk_du]

3. My favorite anti-Fundie verse is Matthew 25

(Matthew 25) "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'


Nothing about Gays or Gun-rights - just goods works for the downtrodden.

[NAO]

7. Mt 25-Jesus = welfare applicant - still want to 'cut off the freeloaders'?

Matthew 25:31-46 is also my favorite Bible passage.

Jesus says, quite plainly:

42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,
43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

Now the plain implication of this passage is that if you provide subsistence to someone in need, that is morally equivalent to providing assistance to Jesus himself. Conversely, refusing assistance to 'the least of these' is morally equivalent to refusing assistance to Jesus Christ himself.

So, when that single mother goes to DES to apply for welfare, it is, in effect, Jesus applying for the welfare.

Would these people on the religious right be so anxious to 'cut off welfare cheats and lazy freeloaders' if it were Jesus Christ himself, in person, applying for the assistance? Well, he has said that this is in fact the case.

[distantearlywarning]

17. This one is also my favorite.

To me, this passage captures the essential meaning of Christianity and being a Christian.

[quiet.american]

4. "By their fruits, ye shall know them."

Also, whenever I can't sleep, saying the Lord's Prayer always does the trick for some reason!

[Up2Late]

5. You, who is without sin, cast the first stone!

I think Jesus said it best, when talking "The Bible":hug:

[GOPBasher]

31. Yeah, that verse says it all! nt

[Burma Jones]

6. Matthew 23

1Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. 3So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

The rest of the Chapter describes the hypocrites in charge in those, and of course, in these days

[brown6004]

8. Here's mine.

1 Cor 15:58
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

[melnjones]

9. My favorite...

"They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. "Peace, peace," they say, when there is no peace. Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when they are punished, says the Lord."
Jeremiah 8:11-12

Doesn't that just sum it all up right there?

[Coastie for Truth]

10. Luke, second chapter

about Jesus' "Briss" (Ritual circumcision, Verse 21) and Bar Mitzvah, (Verses 42-50)

21. And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom;

43 and when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it,

44 but supposing him to be in the company they went a day's journey, and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances;

45 and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him.

46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions;

47 and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

48 And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously."

49 And he said to them, "How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"

50 And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them.

[tuvor]

11. Kick! Let's hear some more!

I'll bet none of these are familar to bush. Maybe we should collect a ton and send 'em his way.

[T_i_B]

12. Loads and Loads and Loads

The story of Balaam and the Donkey, 1 Corinthians 13 and the second chapter of the letter from James are all good but the following verse has had a great deal of effect on me

Matthew 17:20

20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

[Done]

13. The real reason Sodom and Gomorra were destroyed.

Eze 16:49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

I also like this one:

Mal 3:5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.

[trotsky]

14. Ezekiel 23:20

There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses.

The bible contains more pornography than most books the fundies want to ban.

[GreenPartyVoter]

15. "My Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. I do not give

as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid." John 14:27

------------------------------------
Would Jesus love a liberal? You bet!
http://timeforachange.bluelemur.com/

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

16. In the beginning was the Word....

and the Word was with God and the Word was God." (John 1:1)

Creation explained in one verse.

Hu Hu Hu

[More Than A Feeling]

18. Mark 8:36

"For what should it profit a man, if he should gain the whole world, and foreit his own soul?"

I hope to be an officeholder someday, and I pray that I will receive the strength to use this verse as my guide.

[shimmergal]

19. I Corinthians 13.

The whole chapter can be summed up in the last verse:
"And now abideth faith, hope, and love, these three, but the greatest of these is love."

[Cheswick2.0]

20. Romans 12 (Yes PAUL!)

17...Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”says the Lord. 20On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

[shawn703]

29. Revelation 19:11

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

[ktowntennesseedem]

21. From the Old Testament - Micah 6:8

"God has shown you what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."

[nemo137]

23. totally agree. that's a great verse. n/t

[patricia92243]

22. I've been away from DU and have not read the favorites. I was sort of

surprised that more favorite verses were not the "comforting" type of verses. That is my main thing that makes me love the Bible - that it offer hope and consolation to all of us.

I also love DU :)

[Stunster]

24. "Kill and eat"

It's in 'Acts of the Apostles' somewhere.

I always think of it whenever I experience a temptation to become a vegetarian.

Like tonight, when I ate milk-fed veal in Peppone's, in Brentwood, after having had the most mind-blowingly incredible mostaccioli with meatballs (made from filet mignon).

Fucking sinful.

[RUDUing2]

25. James 2: 26 (M

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

but really I like a collection of verses that lead up to the above verse

James 2:14-26

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe; and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

I also like: Hebrews 11:1: Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen

[Bush on crack]

26. my fave

One of my favorite bible verses comes from the gospel of Luke "For Whomsoever Much is Given, Of them Shall be much required."

I love Jesus, he lifted me up when I was afraid and alone.

You know Christianity is really true. I doubted for a long time because I hated those right wing fascist bible thumping Christians. One day I started going to church and I knew that salvation and the resurrection was true. Don't be down on the cross because of the fascists.

[GOPBasher]

30. Hi Bush on crack!

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[distantearlywarning]

32. I feel the same way.

I resisted for a long time because I didn't want to be one of those hateful people, and I thought that that was what Christianity was all about. I think I was travelling towards the destination of faith despite all the fundies' best efforts, but what really helped me reconcile my own ethics with God was this man:

www.reallivepreacher.com

This guy rocks - if you haven't read his stuff yet, please do, even if you're not a Christian or even religious! (Not trying to convert anybody or anything - this guy is just a really cool human being and a great modern philosopher.) I read all his stories over the space of a few days, and started to feel kind of warm and happy inside, and then it just sort of hit me: There is another way than what the Christian Right claim - why am I still believing that they have the sole claim on the interpretation and worship of God? And: Who says I have to go to some hateful church with hateful people and go against what my heart tells me is right and wrong to call myself a Christian or have faith? Why am I blaming God for the actions of some deluded selfish humans? It's not his fault they don't listen to what he says! :-)

And I really started thinking about my life and what I believed. It was no lightning bolt from heaven or anything, but I actually consider that period in my life (although I don't think I'm through it yet) a fairly life-changing experience. I am a better person now, and for the first time in my life, I feel a connection with something else out there.

The fundies can say I'm evil all they want to, but it sure doesn't feel evil to believe what I do (even if it doesn't match their hatemongering). That's the best I can do, and I feel good.

[Dufaeth]

27. Numbers 31

After conquering Midian:

15 And Moses said unto them: 'Have ye saved all the women alive?

17 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.

18 But all the women children, that have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.

[trotsky]

28. To the victor go the virgins.

Biblical values!

[Rabrrrrrr]

33. I have a few, including Psalm 88

I love from, I think it's Joshua, "As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD"

And I love the Micah one that someone else mentioned - 6:8 "He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

The I Corinthians 13 stuff about love - beautiful.

And from the Gospels, I love the story of the woman with the uncontrollable bleeding who touches Jesus' robe. That's one of the most important stories to me.

And, as mentioned, the never heard but utterly amazing Psalm 88, which is never used in the lectionary, nor anywhere else, ever, for the most part, except by a few of us who have learned how wonderful it is in chaplaincy. This is the most angry Psalm there is - and of all the angry Psalms there are, this is the only one that has not a ray of hope in it at all. All the others at least make passing reference to "But my hope is in the Lord" or "But I serve you, O Lord" or "Yet I praise your name, O Lord". Not this one - it starts angry and in despair, and ends that way. It's so wonderfully honest. I love it!!

88:1 O LORD, the God who saves me, day and night I cry out before you.
2 May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry.
3 For my soul is full of trouble and my life draws near the grave.
4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am like a man without strength.
5 I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care.
6 You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths.
7 Your wrath lies heavily upon me; you have overwhelmed me with all your waves. Selah
8 You have taken from me my closest friends and have made me repulsive to them. I am confined and cannot escape;
9 my eyes are dim with grief. I call to you, O LORD, every day; I spread out my hands to you.
10 Do you show your wonders to the dead? Do those who are dead rise up and praise you? Selah
11 Is your love declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Destruction ?
12 Are your wonders known in the place of darkness, or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?
13 But I cry to you for help, O LORD; in the morning my prayer comes before you.
14 Why, O LORD, do you reject me and hide your face from me?
15 From my youth I have been afflicted and close to death; I have suffered your terrors and am in despair.
16 Your wrath has swept over me; your terrors have destroyed me.
17 All day long they surround me like a flood; they have completely engulfed me.
18 You have taken my companions and loved ones from me; the darkness is my closest friend.

(NIV translation; sadly, the NRSV, which is otherwise a much better translation, doesn't translate this Psalm as well as the NIV)



Ain't that great? Yeah, it is.