As far as I know. We only ever read the NT in RE lessons at school, mostly the Gospels. That's Catholics though, if you get into fundie Protestant territory the OT would be held in higher regard.
Did you ever come across these verses Cheetah? Jesus doesn't seem very loving after all!
Matthew 11:20-25
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2011:20-25;&version=NIV;20Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 21"Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths.[d] If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."
25At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.To me, if Jesus is indeed full of love then he should have prayed for them rather than praised his Father for their blindness. But another way to view this is that Jesus has already passed his judgement regarding them... maybe he saw in them so much arrogance and disbelief he knew that his Father has already judged them and blinded them from seeing the truth? It seems that the test was over for them already even before their death (for their sins were great enough for a judgement to pass before the end of the test period--marked by their death).
Anyway, keep reading:
Mark 4:10-12
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%204:10-12;&version=NIV;10When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12so that, " 'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'[a]"
Why does he speak in parables? So that the codified message reaches the intended audience?... it really doesn't seem that Jesus is all about love and compassion after all.
Topic: Verses from the Bible: different book, same BS