I have been very frustrated by the fact that Christians on the right who support Bush and the Republicans seem to have either forgotten Jesus' message or didn't know it to begin with.

Jesus wanted to help the poor and heal the sick. He talked of the the rich being able to get into the Kingdom about as easy as a camel walking through the eye of a needle. He talked of love and of bringing good news "to the poor".

For example, Ann Coulter talks constantly about her book sales. She is very wealthy and yet claims to be a Christian. And what about love. She is so filled with anger and hate and "judgment". Remember Jesus said: "A new commandment I give to you, That you will love one another: even as I have loved you... By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another". She's not really about love. Jesus was though. Another passage: "Be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you". How about it Ann, maybe a little tenderheartedness.

And don't forget Luke 6:24
"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.... Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the most high because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as you Father is merciful".

The reason many Christians don't follow these messages is simple, they are afraid of death. If one lives with these ideas one may not live too long. The lesson for me from Jesus is that life is how you live it, not how "long" you live it. It's not a longevity contest.

Any true Christians here.

Teft

Democrats commenting on the bible.

Thats like Hitler commenting on Democracy.

Neither party has no clue what they are talking about.

Yes, I have noticed that many Christians do not focus on Jesus' messages of love and kindness. They rather focus on the idea of Jesus as savior, and ignore his examples of how to treat fellow human beings. This makes them worse people, in my opinion, but doesn't necessarily make them any less Christian.

And the point about it being hard for wealthy folks to get into the Kingdom of God...I really don't think the message referred to all rich folks. I think it was referring to the rich folks who value their wealth more than they value God/Jesus and/or Jesus' principles.

There haven't been any "true" Christians anywhere since the first century C.E.
Jesus wasn't even a Christian.

Of course, bringing the "good news" to the poor wasn't that He had opened a soup kitchen down the street. The Good News was the message of salvation by grace, and transformation by the Holy Spirit -ie the kingdom of heaven.

And yeah, it is difficult for a rich man to enter into that kingdom because the rich man has so much to let go of. When he said that, it was in response to the rich ruler who refused to give everything he had to the poor and come follow Jesus. The irony of the kingdom Jesus preached was that if you tried to hoard wealth you'd wind up with nothing, and if you let go of the things in this world for God, you'd gain everything.

Exactly. Ann, and any "Christian" who puts politics over the message of God is misguided. Christianity literally has nothing to do with politics when it comes right down to it.

Oh, in America right now, rarely is someone killed for following Christ, (despite conspiracy theorists to the contrary) but in the rest of the world, sure. I think Christians don't follow these messages because they get wrapped up in meaningless arguments, and stereotype people just as they themselves are often stereotyped. Our culture has made conservative Christianity a political stance, but it never was. Abortion pro or con is a moral issue, not a Republican or Democratic issue. Homosexuality is the same. It's an issue that should have nothing to do with budget deficits or foreign policy.

Unfortunately, when the political parties took stances one way or the other in an effort to curry voters, many Christians began to look at the opposing party as an enemy and our religion as tied to politics.

We should be standing for what we believe is true on all issues, not just a couple cherry-picked issues. In other words, it's fine to stand up for what you believe God says about homosexuality... but you're being a hypocrite if you also don't stand up for what God says about taking care of the poor.

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Thanks for the clarification. But it's interesting that he said "the poor" and not "all men" or "everyone"; he said "the poor". Interesting.

Teft

What is so good about the "good news"? Turn the other cheek while Democrats destroy you? Take up the cross, and let Democrats murder you?

Whats so good about that?

[quote]Why, once you're dead you get to fly straight to the arms of your loving deity as a martyr!

Don't get me wrong, God seems to have a special place in his heart for the people the rest of the world ignores. You can really see it by what Jesus did, and who he spent time with.

He went into homes the religious rulers would never enter because the people were "sinners.' He spoke with a Samaritan woman and shared his message with her while typically Israelites despised the Samaritans. One of his most devout followers had been in prostitution. The disciples weren't formally educated. He even taught parables about a master going to the highways and ditches to find the poor and bring them to his feast.

Bible itself says if you give to the poor, it's the same as giving to God.

So while I did make the point Jesus was mainly referring to a spiritual kingdom, he DID bring that kingdom to people the world had left behind, and I believe he LOVES it when people remember and help the poor and ignored.

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www.theradioprogram.com

What's so good about the Good News is even democrats & republicans can find forgiveness and eternal life.

It sure would suck if this world and all it's poltics was all there was.

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www.theradioprogram.com