Didn't reactionaries flip it that he was actually referring to a gate or some shit to cover up the fact that they ain't getting into heaven.
this post was submitted on 26 Mar 2024
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the gates of the city or something yeah
endless cope from the cult of mammon
Yeah, it's a gate that any camel can get through by kneeling, because it's small but not too small.
Why ancient cities reliant on camel based trade would make camel travel a huge pain in the ass I have no idea. Why they would ever call their weird gate "the eye of a needle" is also beyond me. Why someone doing a translation wouldn't translate it as "a small gate, but not, you know, too small" is also beyond me.
But the wild thing, is that theoretically you have to humble yourself at least, and these evangelical a Mammonites could never in a thousand years. Sure they'll claim to be humble before God at least, but he specifically told you to be nice to poor people, and "the only individual better than me is literally God" is in fact an unbelievably arrogant statement.
If there is a hell, these people are definitely going there.
Afaik the gate thing is made up and he literally meant a sewing needle.
That passage would be so funny if it meant "it's kinda difficult but not particularly" like why even include it
Oh 100%, the gate thing is complete self serving nonsense, "The entirety of the bourgeoisie is inherently hellbound" is just such a hard sell to right wing American Christians.
the full story is 1. somehow even more anti-rich than the usually quoted line and 2. rly funny
16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
18 “Which ones?” he inquired. Jesus replied, “ ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony,
19 honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.
24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
"If you want to be perfect sell everything you own, give the money to the poor, and follow me" is my favorite line in the bible right now.
bible has lotsa misses, but what it gets right it gets rly right
I'm personally partial to some of the laws
21 “Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.
22 “Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless.
23 If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry.
24 My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless.
25 “If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no interest.
26 If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, return it by sunset,
27 because that cloak is the only covering your neighbor has. What else can they sleep in? When they cry out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.
(tho the books of laws are full of some of the most horrible parts of the book too 
)
Why ancient cities reliant on camel based trade would make camel travel a huge pain in the ass I have no idea
A pedestrian gate specifically designed to be too small to admit livestock has both general traffic and military applications.
But I've also heard "camel" meant "camel hair rope" and a few other variants. The core message remains "obnoxiously difficult" and anyone suggesting otherwise is lying
I think it's so funny that they interpret it as this Trump-esque diatribe where Jesus just sort of pointlessly rambles about a gate he knows.
I don't even remember if they had actually looked that up or something
Yes. I was literally taught that in school lol. There is a gate in Jerusalem called "The eye of the needle" but it's in the wall that was built way after Jesus times and there's no evidence it existed at the time
Matthew 19:23 is even more explicit:
23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.
I'm still completely baffled by reactionaries who profess Christianity; like why go through all the extra mental work to justify ur reactionaryness??? Weirdos
early "christian" (at this time they did not self identify as christians, only much later did it become a term they used for themselves) communities organized together in house churches, pooled money/resources together in a communal fashion, and ate vegetarian meals after church service in the morning. i wonder what the first christians would think of modern day christians.
Honestly, it's a bit of a confusing verse