If Jesus said blessed are the peacemakers then why do more than 70% of the religious right support the war in Iraq and a potential war in Iran?
If Jesus warned that those who live by the sword shall die by the sword then why has Blackwater gotten rich serving a Christian president?
If the Bible prophesied swords shall be beat into plowshares then why does the religious right support huge military spending?
If Jesus taught to pray for your enemies and wish them well then why are we waging war to wipe them out?
If the Bible revealed that Jesus came so that there could be peace on earth then why do religious righters preach that anybody who wants peace on earth is working for the devil?
If Jesus admitted that not even he knew the day and hour of the end of days then why do so many religious righters make a career off predicting Armageddon?
If Jesus instructed that the mercy you show will be the mercy you are shown then why are conservative Christians so much in favor of the death penalty?
If Jesus proclaimed the new law is to turn the other cheek then why is the religious right so much in favor of the old eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth law?
If Jesus pleaded that it was doing unto him by comforting those in prison then why do so many religious righters say lock them up and throw away the key?
If Jesus admonished that let him without sin cast the first stone what animated Ted Haggard, Mark Foley and Larry Craig to cast away with abandon?
If Jesus gave notice that whoever does unto one of these little ones is doing in my name then why don’t all American children have health coverage?
If Jesus said blessed are the hungry for they will be feed but woe unto those who feast now for their hunger will be far greater then why do Americans waste $88 billion of food a year while someone in the world dies of starvation every 3.5 seconds?
If Jesus declared that we do not live by bread alone then why is 2/3 of Americans obese?
If Jesus advocated that the worth of one’s soul consists of more than mere material possessions than why do we value a person based on their net worth?
If Jesus counseled that when you pray don’t be like the heathens and pray for what you want then why are so many prosperity preachers storing up riches here on earth by selling people the belief that they are not richer simply because they do not know how to pray to God to get what they want?
If Jesus established that if you wanted to follow him then sell all you own and give the money to the poor then why are so many ministers living in pearly white mansions while so many homeless are sleeping under bridges?
B. 1952, GA, USA. D. To Be Determined. Beloved husband, father, grandfather, lover, confidant and friend of many from bikers to Zen masters; American writer and speaker, known for his criticism of Mammon's unholy trinity of big business, big government and big religion; served the least of them professionally as psychologist and voluntarily as activist for decades; loved to shoot basketball, billiards and the bull; lived free, died game. (memorial sketch by davidhewsonart.com)
America is not a Christian nation but many people in government are Christians. Religions are nothing but cults created by beliefs in mythical stories. The religious right and the right in general values wealth, power, and material possessions, whereas the left is secular, believes in spirituality, cares about the common good and the general welfare of the people and all life, and values individual liberty with personal responsibility for ones actions.
by
Ty (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 691 comments)
on Monday, November 26, 2007 at 12:01:45 PM
Being christian isn't a binary thing simply because people are people and there are as many versiions of personal Christianity as there are people. They run the gammut between the absurdly fundemental living like Jesus did 2007 years ago to the non believer and every shade in between. As is everyone's right as determined by Both the Secular State and God when he gave us freedom of choice.
I am disquieted by the underlying assumptions in your question. That people don't measure up to the standard you have set particularly when it involves such personal religious issues. It smacks of judgementalism or self assessed superiority. Doesn't the the bible say something about before removing the splinter in someone elses eye to first remove the mote in your own. I'm sure If we were to analyse your life we would find that you're not entirely Christian in all things......Human like the rest of us.
The question might have been couched as 'given we're such a rich nation why don't we do more?' The virtue is in the doing of good works not just to be good Christians that's up to your God to determine.
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Andris (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 532 comments)
on Monday, November 26, 2007 at 3:21:39 PM
I don't claim to be the heir of Jesus Christ carrying out of the will of God on earth. The religious right does. Personal interpretation? All I did was state quotes from Jesus and the Bible and asked how well are we following them? Do I live up to those lofty standards? By no means and I'll readily confess that I am far from being Christlike. Now, will the religious righters who insist that America is a Christian nation admit that they are not holier-than-us? And if it is being judgmental to say that people who advocate war in the name of the Prince of Peace are getting Jesus wrong, then by all means I am most judgmental. But then again, I guess by your reasoning, to call me judgmental is judgmental and reeks of snug superiority.
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Richard Mathis (127 articles, 103 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 121 comments)
on Monday, November 26, 2007 at 5:48:59 PM
Dear Mr mathis: You are so right too many of these people are false prophets. But you forgot one in particular that God gave man the free will to choose or not to choose their own moral decisions. Why dont they allow people to choose their own personal private affairs. And dont they know that Jesus found those who took away your freedom were evil. I guess they missed that scripture also.
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chip90043 (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 60 comments)
on Monday, November 26, 2007 at 9:54:48 PM
You have totally misconstrued what he is saying. I realize that people process things differently than others. What we have going on here are those who are hypocrites in sheep clothing. either you worship christianity or you dont. Know one is saying that you have to be perfect. But these guys act like they are holier than thou. They do proclaim to hold the corner on morality. But there is nothing that they have done come close to his teaching. I for one would like you to explain what kind of theology that Jesus preached and how does it stand with the religious right views on conservatism. HInt: Liberation. why do you think that they say the prince of preace was the greatest liberal that ever lived.
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chip90043 (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 60 comments)
on Monday, November 26, 2007 at 9:59:08 PM
That's the trouble with to many people that claim to be Christian, they think the bible sets no standard but it does.
Just in the 4th and 5th chapter of Ephesians this is some of the standards it puts forth:
Verses 17-24 says, "This, therefore, I say and bear witness to in [the] Lord, that YOU no longer go on walking just as the nations also walk in the unprofitableness of their minds, while they are in darkness mentally, and alienated from the life that belongs to God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the insensibility of their hearts. Having come to be past all moral sense, they gave themselves over to loose conduct to work uncleanness of every sort with greediness.
But YOU did not learn the Christ to be so, provided, indeed, that YOU heard him and were taught by means of him, just as truth is in Jesus, that YOU should put away the old personality which conforms to YOUR former course of conduct and which is being corrupted according to his deceptive desires; but that YOU should be made new in the force actuating YOUR mind, and should put on the new personality which was created according to God’s will in true righteousness and loyalty."
To many people, asTitus1:16 says, claim they serve God but disown Him by their works. Jesus, indeed set standard for those that wanted to be his followers.
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Dennis Moore (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 4 comments)
on Monday, November 26, 2007 at 4:01:45 PM
if he's mad and he'll probably say that he's not he may say you are though. Descartes concluded from his deliberation between reality and dream "I Think so I am". As one experiences (believes) so is reality.
I understood God to claim both vengeance and ultimate judgment for himself....Give to Caesar that which is Caesar's Give to God what is God's" ergo vengeances and judgment of people. Because I'm imperfect I am less inclined to judge others (the mote reference).
One thing I am sure of about the various 'Christians' is that they all have different paths to what they understand as Godliness (Some Quote Daniel some the new testament so on and some see the bible as an important book for general guidance.)
Christianity was originally a Jewish sect that has morphed over time usually as support for earthly realms. We need to be cautious with using it as a self referential text. Those of the fundamentalist ilk can claim that the Old Testament at least has greater provenance. Because of the various contradictions in both Testaments the reasons why the Old Testament was originally written, later updated and how it was setup as a guide for iron aged desert dwellers the argument that it is a guide has substance. I’ll forgo the obsolete ideas included in both Testaments.
My point is that everyone’s view of Christianity and what it means comes down to Faith of the individual.
It all comes down to TOLERANCE if not Acceptance of the beliefs of others.
Clearly the Bible is a literal issue with you and that is your belief but to quote it to criticize others is, I’m sure, not why it was written. If others are on the path to ‘hell’ that’s a matter between them and their maker.
No version of Christianity is inherently better than anyone else’s. You can argue almost any position using the Bible and its interpretations. A wise devout man one said to me “if you need to prove your faith you will ultimately find that you have neither.”
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Andris (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 532 comments)
on Monday, November 26, 2007 at 11:30:07 PM
If no version of Christianity is better than any other than I guess the Rev. Fred Phelps and his anti-gay crusaders who angrily picket military funerals thanking God for dead soldiers are ever as much as saints as Mother Teresa. And I guess any woman being burned at the stake for being a witch is judgmental and intolerant for telling her inquisitors that they are not acting very Christlike. She should be more tolerant and accepting of those who are intolerant and unaccepting and for her to take a moral stand is uppity and snug. What she needs to do is be a "good" girl and avoid any confrontation and always be sweet and cheerful. Makes perfect sense to me. Not.
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Richard Mathis (127 articles, 103 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 121 comments)
on Tuesday, November 27, 2007 at 7:30:34 AM
pat robertson just endorsed rudy for president. but pat claimed after 9-11 that it was cause by our country's tolerance of gay rights and abortion. but rudy has always backed gay rights and the right to abortion. pat is backing the guy he thinks will win. wich only proves what twoface liars SOME of these people are. And this is because its the ones in power. Just rember power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutly. And people in power never want to give it up. See the leaders of israel did to the son of god.
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mike (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 89 comments)
on Monday, November 26, 2007 at 5:03:52 PM
What you say about Conservative Christians seems to have a whole lot of truth in it, but there are exceptions such as Hukebee. He genially insisted that his church accept Black members, and as Governor let Louisiana flood victims seek shelter in his state while he worked to see that every child got food and health care.
One thing that stuck me is that Obama is supposed to be a very progressive Christian and Hukebee very Conservative, but somehow they seem to both have the same attitude about bin Laden and about Iran.
This is Hukebee's statement. I can't now find Obama's which is very similar.
"The administration has quite properly said that it will not take the military option for Iran off the table. Neither would I. But if we don't put some other options on the table, eventually the military option becomes the only viable one. Right now, we're proceeding down only one track with Iran: armed confrontation. Nothing would make Osama bin Laden happier. He would welcome war between the United States and Iran, his two biggest enemies. I'd try to do anything that would avoid brightening bin Laden's day... The difference in America's mission is that al Qaeda must be destroyed as a movement, while Iran just has to be contained as a nation."
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RichardKane (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 9 diaries, 29 comments)
on Tuesday, November 27, 2007 at 5:37:23 AM
Exceellent point. Nor am I trying to claim that all conservative Christians/religious righters are evil. What I was simply trying to say is that if America is truly a Christian nation then why doesn't America act more in accordance with the teachings of Jesus? There are some ways in which conservatives do, such as the southern Baptists providing food and relief to those who need it. What I have a major problem with is how the religious right as a whole is determined to impose its brand of Christianity on the rest of us and how they act so holier-than-thou in doing so.
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Richard Mathis (127 articles, 103 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 121 comments)
on Tuesday, November 27, 2007 at 7:36:14 AM
There was no Criticism of anyone in my post, it only points out that Jesus did indeed set standards for those who whould be true followers. Jesus on several occations pointed out that many would claim to be his followrs when indeed they were not. Matt 7:21-22
If someone is stealing, I don't have to judge him as wrong, Jesus already has done so. So if I say it is wrong for you to steal, I am not passing judgment on you, mearly pointing out that if you claim to be a Christian, you should stop your stealing and people might take you more serious.
How can anyone take America serious as a Christian nation if the majority of the people don't practice what Jesus taught? It's hypocrisy to say one thing and practice another, which unfortunatly to many people do.
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Dennis Moore (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 4 comments)
on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 at 7:50:59 AM
Brilliantly said. If you claim to play basketball for the UNC Tarheels but are wearing Duke blue is it judgmentalism to say, hey, I thought you guys were supposed to wear light and not dark blue? There's a myth that I'm going to explore more at some point that seems to reside among some liberal Christians. Namely, they seem to believe that Jesus was the embodiment of Mr. Nice and Sweetness, no matter what. They seem to believe that by being non-confrontative and accepting of everything, no matter how outrageous, that others will follow their lead and everything will turn beautiful and peaceful. Maybe that is the case. I don't know. But it sure contradicts Jesus overturning the tables of the money lenders and his sharp barbs about religious hypocrites.
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Richard Mathis (127 articles, 103 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 121 comments)
on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 at 8:03:33 AM
