quote: Teaching, in the way I'm using it, is a direct attempt to impart these things from the outside. It's saying "Be Responsible" and then rewarding or punishing based on this. This is exactly the attitude that considers allowing divorce as the reason why marriages fail.
Most things are, at least at first, imposed on children from the outside. There is a time and place for everything, and trying to explain to a 3 year old in the middle of a store WHY it is wrong to throw things at the person in front of you in line is either. At that point the most important thing is that they listen to you because you said so...not because they "want" to.
As a person gets older, they deserve better explanations, real reasons for their expected behaviors.
But without the discipline in the first place they won't ever "choose" to mature on their own until it is too late.
You start young, and you teach (and show them) respect for you and for themselves, and then hope it takes.
But it all starts from outside...without outside influences we are tabula rasa, and without role models who do as they say they will never learn the necessary lessons.
The reason Jesus' death is an example is because it is a sacrifice. It is because he gave a sacrifice truly and only because it was the Lord's will that he do it, and not because it would get him into heaven.
(edit, since Kwea posted) It's not so much obedience as sacrifice of will.
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pooka, I disagree as do most of other Christian sects for other reasons. The mainstream reading is that Jesus's sacrifice was a neccesary event for salvation. That is, by his sacrifice, he made salvation a possibility.
My reading is that Jesus was providing an example for all those who would follow, without any salvation requirements at all. My reading of Christ's message is that actually living it calls for sacrifices pretty much in line with willingly being crucified. Certainly Christ tells you that not only can you not hate your enemies, but you actually have to help them. When he said, do this in memory of me, I think he was talking about what was to come. He was calling everyone who would follow him to truely follow him, to willingly accept the cross and even crucifixion if necessary.
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