Reply #49: Chances are she's quoting St. Paul.

[knitter4democracy]

It's very simple: ask them what the two greatest commandments are. They know them but ignore them.

Jesus was asked by the Pharisees what the greatest commandment was, and he said that the greatest was the Schma (Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your body, and all your strength). He followed that up with the second greatest commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself. He was asked who our neighbors are, and he followed that up the parable of the Good Samaritan. (Matthew 22 and Luke 10:25-37)

Ask them who the Samaritans were in that day and age. Answer: they were the most reviled people by the Jews as former Jews who had mixed another religion in with the worship of God. They were hated and reviled as less than human. Jesus said that the Samaritan was their neighbor.

If Jesus were alive today, he'd tell that story using a gay married couple that's HIV+ with a couple of kids.

If they start spouting other stuff, just ask them if that overrides the second greatest commandment. They won't be able to answer that well. Just keep pressing them on it and asking what they're doing to the least of these, for many are those who will say to God, "Lord, Lord," who won't enter into the kingdom of Heaven.

Oh, and asking them about the Seven Woes is usually good, too. (Matthew 23)