Atheist, are you one??

[Roubignol]

@Howerd,

I'm opened to discuss the sermon on the mount sentence by sentence with you or other members and I'll admit without any problem if something is stupid or not.
I just need to mention that I speak French and read it in French.

I'm used to quote the sermon on the mount when I intellectually fight French speaking nationalists referring to King Clovis and telling that Europe is Christian and we have to close the doors to immigrants.
They all stop to argue, because they have to admit that they are first of all selfish people judging and blaming other people without knowing them.

Originally Posted by howerd

"Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself." Jesus Christ's sermon on the mount (Matthew 6:34) - Hardly good advice in the 21st century with the impending disaster of climate change & species collapse on our doorstep due to man made climate change is it now?

Edit:

In fact (Matthew 6:34) has one sentence more than you wrote. All the package was written in many many ways.

New International Version
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

New Living Translation
“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

English Standard Version
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Berean Study Bible
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.

Berean Literal Bible
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Sufficient to the day is its own trouble.

New American Standard Bible
"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

King James Bible
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Christian Standard Bible
Therefore don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Contemporary English Version
Don't worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. You have enough to worry about today.

Good News Translation
So do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Therefore don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

International Standard Version
So never worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

NET Bible
So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.

New Heart English Bible
Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Therefore you shall not be concerned about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be concerned for itself. A day's own trouble is sufficient for it.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"So don't ever worry about tomorrow. After all, tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Stop Judging-

New American Standard 1977
“Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Jubilee Bible 2000
Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the affliction thereof.

King James 2000 Bible
Take therefore no thought for tomorrow: for tomorrow shall take thought of the things for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

American King James Version
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient to the day is the evil thereof.

American Standard Version
Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Be not therefore solicitous for to morrow; for the morrow will be solicitous for itself. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof.

Darby Bible Translation
Be not careful therefore for the morrow, for the morrow shall be careful about itself. Sufficient to the day [is] its own evil.

English Revised Version
Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore be not anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be solicitous for the things of itself. Sufficient to the day is its own evil.

Weymouth New Testament
Do not be over-anxious, therefore, about to-morrow, for to-morrow will bring its own cares. Enough for each day are its own troubles.

World English Bible
Therefore don't be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day's own evil is sufficient.

Young's Literal Translation
Be not therefore anxious for the morrow, for the morrow shall be anxious for its own things; sufficient for the day is the evil of it.

[howerd]

It's still bad advice. We need to be very concerned about the 'morrow!

[scoundrel]

Originally Posted by howerd

It's still bad advice. We need to be very concerned about the 'morrow!

As always, scripture can be taken to have more than one meaning. The Man said:

for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.

I take this to mean that some things are outside our control and we should not spend our time and energy on things we do not control; rather we should deal with the things we do control:

Sufficient unto each day is the evil thereof.

That isn't such bad advice.

[howerd]

Originally Posted by scoundrel

As always, scripture can be taken to have more than one meaning. The Man said:

I couldn't agree more Scoundrel & that's precisely the problem with faith: Advice can be taken any which way a man or woman of faith decides to interpret it & no amount of praying can separate one conclusion as being what scripture means than any other conclusion. So why bother with it at all seeing as faith isn't a reliable path to truth?

Originally Posted by scoundrel

I take this to mean that some things are outside our control and we should not spend our time and energy on things we do not control; rather we should deal with the things we do control:
That isn't such bad advice.

Sure... however a man of faith could put his faith in scripture being interpreted otherwise seeing as it's an ambiguous assertion. That's the problem with faith - it can be employed to justify absolutely anything you can decide it could mean based on nothing better than baseless opinion & therefore needs no justification beyond that. This is not an insignificant short coming of employing faith rather than going by reason & evidence instead.

[Sir Honkers]

Originally Posted by TioMegamanX

I am, I was raised catholic and went through a lot of phases while searching for something "mystically reliable" so to speak, but then I just put things into perspective and just became an atheist.

I think perhaps a fair number of us might have done the same and also arrived at that destination. If there is a greater reality of some kind, what's it matter if it's forever unknowable.

[Paddy Bog]

Well Howerd, I have to say that I do believe in Santa Clause and all his helpers, too. As to Jesus' "bad advice" remember that he lived 2,000 years ago and climate change wasn't on the list of worries. (Roman rule was probably the big concern.) His point was that people should focus on what today brings and worry about their spiritual future. Me thinks Howerd that you are more angry at religion than the concept of God. I can understand that.

[howerd]

Originally Posted by Paddy Bog

Well Howerd, I have to say that I do believe in Santa Clause and all his helpers, too. As to Jesus' "bad advice" remember that he lived 2,000 years ago and climate change wasn't on the list of worries.

Well why not if he's God incarnate? I mean if he warned humanity about the dangers of melting the ice caps 2000 years ago he'd immediately have my full attention if he had said anything as interesting & prescient as that but he never ever did did he? He never said anything even close to a clearly prescient statement if the Bible id to be believed.

Originally Posted by Paddy Bog

(Roman rule was probably the big concern.)

Maybe, so...?

Originally Posted by Paddy Bog

His point was that people should focus on what today brings and worry about their spiritual future.

Well he doesn't say 'spiritual future' does he now? Maybe you are right & maybe you are wrong but that's the problem with faith... any interpretation is just as supportable as any other interpretation where faith is concerned because it's free of all all reason & evidence so anything goes. That makes the Bible (& all other so called 'holy' texts too!) 'The Great Big Book Of Multiple Choice'.

Originally Posted by Paddy Bog

Me thinks Howerd that you are more angry at religion than the concept of God. I can understand that.

You can't get 'angry' at religion in & of itself. That would be as silly as getting angry with the AIDS virus or any other sort of virus that spreads through humanity. I'm simply dismayed that anyone tries to defend that sort of stuff. Once we had astrology now we have Astronomy. Once we had alchemy now we have Chemistry. Once we had religion now we have Philosophy.

[Roubignol]

Originally Posted by howerd

It's still bad advice. We need to be very concerned about the 'morrow!

If we are today in the state we are, it's maybe because humanity was since 2000 years too much concerned by the morrow.

[howerd]

Originally Posted by Roubignol

If we are today in the state we are, it's maybe because humanity was since 2000 years too much concerned by the morrow.

On the contrary my dear Watson. It's our devil may care about the consequences of our actions today which will be our undoing tomorrow. If you think things are bad now just you wait & see just how bad things can get tomorrow by taking Jesus' advice & paying no mind to the 'morrow. Mark my words! If we carry on going the way we're going at the moment by what's already on our doorstep the only way forward will be down. Of course people don't like to acknowledge unpalatable facts because it's far far easier to believe that they are exaggerated scare mongering but here's what they are missing: The Most Terrifying Video You Will Ever See >

[Sir Honkers]

Originally Posted by Roubignol

If we are today in the state we are, it's maybe because humanity was since 2000 years too much concerned by the morrow.

Never put off until tomorrow what you can worry about today. Sound advice Ruby.