Q: In Matthew 10:21, Jesus predicts that The brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. I thought Jesus supported family values, but this statement plainly shows that the promotion of His teachings will lead to the division of families! It just doesnt seem right.
A: Of course it is not right that a brother betrays his brother, and that a father betrays his children, and that children betray their parents. But the objection misidentifies the motivational catalyst that is at work in such situations. If all brothers adhered to Christianity, they would not betray each other. If all parents adhered to Christianity, they would not betray their children. If all children adhered to Christianity, they would not hand their parents over to executioners. Its /anti-Christianity/ that Jesus is saying will motivate a brother to betray his brother. This objection is like blaming the sheep for the violence caused by wolves.
Suppose that some proponent of humanism told people, "You will be persecuted when you teach people the precepts of secular humanism. Your families will disown you. In some countries your freedom of speech will be denied and you will be jailed." Now suppose that someone then said, "See? See?! Secular humanism divides families and leads to human-rights abuses!" That objection and this objection are brothers.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
A: Of course it is not right that a brother betrays his brother, and that a father betrays his children, and that children betray their parents. But the objection misidentifies the motivational catalyst that is at work in such situations. If all brothers adhered to Christianity, they would not betray each other. If all parents adhered to Christianity, they would not betray their children. If all children adhered to Christianity, they would not hand their parents over to executioners. Its /anti-Christianity/ that Jesus is saying will motivate a brother to betray his brother. This objection is like blaming the sheep for the violence caused by wolves.
Suppose that some proponent of humanism told people, "You will be persecuted when you teach people the precepts of secular humanism. Your families will disown you. In some countries your freedom of speech will be denied and you will be jailed." Now suppose that someone then said, "See? See?! Secular humanism divides families and leads to human-rights abuses!" That objection and this objection are brothers.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
