I think I will start breaking out some of my questions so that the thread doesn't go in too many directions at once and I can have a chance to advance some thoughts without them being buried too deeply in an exhausted and distracted thread...
Jesus taught...the measure of judgment you use on others will be used on you. You have failings much more significant than you can perceive in others. Do not give sacredness to dogs, pearls to pigs.
My question is this:
- Do the metaphors about dogs, pearls and pigs relate to jugding others? Or is this properly a separate topic?
I'm not sure what you are going for here. The mention of Pink Floyd's Animals album, one of my favorite PF albums, may be throwing me off.
Walking through the valley of shadow and all of that stuff. I think they are talking about two different things. The Bible says not to cast pearls before swine. Because swine have no use of pearls and so it's a waste of time.
PF's pigs are the common people struggling in the mud, digging for grub.
The Bible uses dogs in a couple different ways. Dogs are scavengers, unclean to the Jews. They didn't have dogs as pets or work. A dog will eat, puke and then eat the puke. The Bible says like a dog to it's own vomit so are the ones repeating wrongdoing.
PF's dogs are the stab you in the back to advance themselves forward in the business world. Like a pack of wild dogs fighting over scraps.
The Bible uses sheep as the timid and humble followers of God. He protects his herd like a shepherd. They need to stay together for their own protection of the wolf, who sometimes appears as one of them. In, so to speak, sheep's clothing.
PF's sheep are a negative sort of parody of those. Doing what they are told, without individuality.
People have to judge. We judge who should be our leaders, in and/or out of the congregation. We judge who may be trying deceive us, or who is a potential threat. The Bible indicates that one who isn't willing to forgive others isn't likely to be forgiven themselves. One who judges harshly will be judged harshly, or one who judges another for a matter in which it is not their position to judge will be judged accordingly, judge for being self righteous.
Of course, as with anything all of this can fan out in all sorts of directions for consideration. Religious people tend to think, incorrectly IMO, that Judgement day is a day when we stand before God and are judged. But that isn't very accurate.
We judge ourselves through our actions in the present, if we have an accurate knowledge. We decide whether or not we want to live according to the spirit rather than the flesh, in as much as it is possible to do so.
If we reject God, either directly or through our actions, we have judged ourselves and there is no need for a "Judgement Day." The same applies for those who accept God, directly or through their actions.
