My problem with the Christian Right is

And they pick and choose what they believe, whatever suits their mind set.

And they want to run the country! Good grief.

They get their authority from the same book every other Christian does.

Period.

They do not nor try to honor the commandments Christ gave as a new covenant.

They do not do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
They do not love their enemies.
They do not care for the poor and widows.
They do not make alms in private
They do not love "one another"
They are always casting stones (with sin)
They do not forgive as they have been forgiven
They do not...

All that's needed to legitimately call oneself a christian is to believe that Jesus was the son of god and died for the benefit of mankind on a cross somewhere in Iudea province.

The President has said he is a Christian, and believes in the death and resurrection of Christ. They still say he is a secret muslim. Turnabout is fair play. Time to challenge their Christianity.John 4:24 "God is a spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth" .

That's Jesus saying he must be worshiped in spirit and in truth. Not in lies and deceptions like many in the christian right do.

I'm going to find out how Jesus charged as copay before he healed the sick and if he drug tested the multitude before he passed out the loaves and fishes.

If you really want a hoot, go to one of those entrepreneurial mega-churches and listen to the crap the Flim-Flam at the pulpit is spouting...

Nope, not even a flicker.

Since I am not Christian, and won't ever convert.

Might just have to try it myself

Jesus should be the core of what these people are teaching and living. As another DUer(Jewish) acerbically and accurately pointed out, "Christians shouldn't mess with the Old Testament. It wasn't good enough for them before, so why should it be now?"

The fact that I left, and they're following me via Congress and Executive Branch is not what I was hoping for.

They--or someone they have chosen to believe--decide what's right and what's wrong and that's the end of it. Black-and-white simplicity. "If it's wrong for me then it's wrong for everybody and that's final!" So they're constantly trying to impose their personal beliefs on everybody else, which is inherently undemocratic.

If abortion is legal and safe then you are still free not to have one if that conflicts with your personal beliefs.

Right up there with "giant shrimp" and "republican intelligence".

I love me some oxymorons.

Too young to remember the MORAL MAJORITY?

I remember that bumper sticker that read:

THE MORAL MAJORITY IS NEITHER

And I'll even go a step further and say that they're closer to following what would be the teachings of the Devil than of Christ. Think about it--most conservative "Christians" are intolerant of other religions, gays, and allowing others to lead the sex lives that they want. They want to control what women can do with their own bodies. And they demonize socialism and any type of federal assistance, out of feelings of distrust that people will "mooch off my hard-earned tax dollars."

but I bet their pastors never go within a 100 feet of this right here.

James 5:1 Go now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
5:2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments ate motheaten.
5:3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
5:4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who you have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sab" a-oth.


Even if they happen to go anywhere near it. They probably just try to spin it to mean something totally different then what it actually says.

Then suddenly it isn't socialism--for them and their get.

However, as a philosophy, Christianity is a fine one if you take away all the woo and leave the compassionate, socialistic looking after the least of us stuff. Cuz Jesus probably did exist. I see him as a restless dude who walked over the desert to India, checked out an ashram or two, and fused Othodox Judaism with some eastern influences. Christians are basically Jew-Bu-Hindus.

But the most important factor in pure Christianity is the constant questioning of tenets--the exact opposite of the church nowadays. Religion is all about giving up your critical thinking, taking someone else's word for it, and in exchange you're promised safety and the end of fear.

It's amazing what the human mind can adapt to if the reward is not being afraid anymore.

I don't recall anything about him having a group of men put together a book, telling people to read it and follow what it says without question. Yet that is precisely how the Christian bible is treated. It takes the very personal, very internal experience of the ultimate authority out of the religious experience and turns that authority over to someone or something else external, like a church, or a priest, or some fast-talking, manipulative inspirational speaker.

So hell yes, it's very much in the teachings of Jesus to question things and to use critical thinking skills. That's just not very convenient for people wanting to control others and collect their tithes.

The MM was just one of the iterations of the "Christian Right".

I had just come out of a seven year drunk and was staring up at my future...

Got back on my feet, went back to school and reconfigured my life...

Glad it brought back such a life changing positive memory! I can relate - had my own epiphany with alcohol & reconfiguring my life....

f a i l

Always one of my favorite bumper stickers.

That they do not behave like Christians, but I disagree that they accept everything up until Jesus. There are many passages in the Old Testament that say they should help the poor, and not oppress foreigners and so on, but they ignore those too. They simply pick and choose.

They carry out the mission and the policy. They go to their congregations and tell them not to think, but rather, to follow the RNC off a cliff if necessary. To get fellow believers on board. To get the families of fellow believers on board. To register and to vote for republicans. To run and get elected onto local government boards like education, ward leaders, etc. The people at the top of the RNC, the Koch Brothers, etc. would be less ahead without their foot soldiers.

politics was emanating from the staging area.

There was a lot of overt messaging that suggested those who practice zero sum capitalism were morally correct with Jesus...

Jesus loves his day traders, his Wall Street Warriors and if you prey on the people just get down on your needs, give the church some money and pray, you will be rewarded, Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamen....

They can't be reasoned with - that's what is so scary to me. They do not listen to facts.

They claim they support freedom. Yeah, freedom as long as long as you fit into and agree with their social mold. Otherwise they will pass laws to force you to follow their ways. That is their idea of freedom.

I know... "No true Scottsman" and all that.

who claims Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God, and worships him on that basis?

most of the time they treat it as some synonym for "good"however they define good), which is, in itself, highly offensive and bigoted to non-Christians.