Meaning of Matthew 18-6

My good friend over at For the people Tom grover had this to say

End the suffering for the FLDS kids

From the Tribune:

Dallas attorney Polly R. O’Toole said she visited two facilities on Monday: Boysville Inc., which has 17 FLDS children; and Baptist Children’s Residential Emergency Shelter, which has 71. Staff at the facilities are “generous, caring and concerned” but also complained about the lack of information and direction from CPS, she said.
She also said that, contrary to a courtroom pledge by CPS, sibling groups have been split up. Eight children from one monogamous family have been sent to five different shelters, she said. Another little girl is in a shelter an hour away from the group home where her sisters are, O’Toole said.
Azar acknowledged the state had broken up sibling groups but said officials were working to reunite at least some of them. He said making placements was difficult given that the “children don’t even want to answer you what their name is and where they feel everyone is their brother and sister.”

These kids are being abused by the State of Texas. And no one cares because of the indignation that comes with accusations of sex crimes. No one is watching out for their individual rights. They are guilty of having weird parents, which in Texas, is apparently a crime punished by incompetent administration of custody by Texas CPS.

Come on, Texas.

If there have been sex crimes, figure out who is responsible and prosecute them.

And liberate the rest of the children and send them home. They are suffering being away from their siblings, parents and community.

This is wrong, cruel and un-American.

1. 1. Matt. 18: 6

      6 But whoso shall ^aoffend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

-Tom

Comments

Comment from Kara
Time: April 30, 2008, 12:33 pm

Your use of the Bible to support your point confuses me. Matthew 18:6 is talking about “offending” in the sense that if a person causes a little one to fall away (from their saving faith in Jesus), they should be cast out of the kingdom of heaven. I don’t see the connection you’re stretching to make between the state of Texas and you saying they should be cast from heaven. That’s too much of an inaccurate use of the Bible. Perhaps a closer examination of scripture is needed.

Comment from Tom Grover
Time: April 30, 2008, 2:11 pm

Kara,

Everyone interprets the Bible differently (which is why Christianity is fragmented). I interpret it as Jesus has little patience and an abundance of vengence for those who harm children.

Comment from Kara
Time: April 30, 2008, 4:23 pm

Tom,

If you are going to interpret the Bible, you you should be interpreting it according to the context the verse is in, not according to what you think or want it to say to support your viewpoints. If you look at the context of Matthew 18- you will see Jesus is talking about entering the kingdom of heaven and what needs to be done to enter it, not about the treatment of children on earth.

Comment from Tom Grover
Time: April 30, 2008, 5:00 pm

If that’s how you read the Bible, I totally support you in your interpretation.

Comment from Kara
Time: April 30, 2008, 9:48 pm

I’m by no means looking for support on Biblical interpretation from you, Tom. I’m simply encouraging you to make sure your facts (in this case Bible interpretation) are accurate before you go posting them on your site. Your posting would have still been if you had left the scripture verse out of it.

Comment from James
Time: May 1, 2008, 4:57 pm

Heads-Up people,
Texas did exactly the right thing to step in and put a stop to child & women abuse, rape and polygamy in the FLDS and their sympathizers from spreading. As Sen. Harry Reid suggests, it is shameful that the State Attorney Generals of Utah, Nevada, Colorado, etc., continue to tolerate the unlawful treatment of children by these rape/pedophile acts in their own communities and bury their heads in the sand. People need to write and urge their own States to take similar action and investigate, prosecute and jail the organized LDS criminals, as the Texans intend to do. Thanks Texas for taking legal action to stop the rampant LDS pedophiles and their accomplices in this twisted faith.
Logan, UT

Comment from Tom Grover
Time: May 1, 2008, 5:04 pm

James, if there has been abuse, where is the evidence?

Comment from Aaron Orgill
Time: May 1, 2008, 5:36 pm

Kara, who died and made you Pope, or Supreme Pastor?

Comment from plowking
Time: May 1, 2008, 8:16 pm

Kara, Let me start with i found your comments very interesting in the fact that i would love to go back into the marines as a Non-denominational chaplain, In such i have studied many diffrent religions, and i have always heard Christian pastors and other chaplains use this verse similar to what tom is saying. I have heard many say that we are all God are Fathers little ones and so by offending a believer, you are offending one of are Fathers little ones ver. 7 if this is what you are refering to ok. But i would say tom is dead on. God is a God of justices as well and justices must be served. And if the abuse charges of these men are true they best be looking for a milestone and the deapest part of the ocean they can find when his judgements are being handed out and that goes for the texas officals as well in there treatment of these kids as cattle. They are not just another herd taken off a ranch i am realy suprised they havnt followed Hitlers lead and branded these kids with a number to keep track of them maybe then they would know how to count we have seen there lack of education in numbers

As you can see Kara's comments got me thinking and i would realy like to hear everybodys comments and thoughts on this i am plowking and also i tried posting this but it didnt come up

Further more matthew 18 you are right Christ is talking about what it takes to enter his kingdom and the subject of forgiving are trespassers there trespasses. This rule is to be followed in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. then Christ goes on to say about his little ones, Which as i said before can be interpreted as us all. But if Christ the forgiver of all has a hard time forgiving such actions against his little ones that should say something to the offenses against the completely innocent. As with all of Christs teachings it is a parable and can be dove into deeper and deeper with every line but i think there is a reason that in ver. 2 Jesus called the little child to come befor them and stay in there midst while he tought the parrible.

Sorry tom for turning your blog into a religious descusion but i gess us crazy theocons do that Kara please share more of your interpritations with me thow as i said i would love to hear a new point. if you want continue on my blog http://thenationstavern.blogspot.com/