Road-map for a Politically Active Christian: Doing the work that Jesus would have wanted.

Something for Politically Active Christians to think about:

Read the Bible and add up all the verses in which Jesus condemned Homosexual behavior.

Read the Bible and add up all the verses in which Jesus condemned Abortion.

Add the totals to get the number of verses in which Jesus condemned Homosexual behavior and Abortion.

Then reread the Bible and add up all the verses in which Jesus asked that the poor be helped.

Make a ratio of the number of verses in which Jesus asked that the poor be helped compared to the number of verses in which Jesus condemned Homosexual behavior and Abortion.

Use your time in that same ratio when petitioning your government to act on what you believed Jesus would want.

In other words, if Jesus condemned Homosexual behavior and Abortion in 15 verses and asked for the poor to be helped in 150 verses, then you should spend 10 times as much energy, time and effort on getting laws passes to help the poor as you spend on getting laws passed to outlaw abortion and gay marriage. If you have never counted the verses, how do you know you are really doing the work that Jesus would want you to be doing?

Thank you, Jack.

How I wish politically active Christians would ever be willing to actually do something that helps people instead of working to make laws that strip people of their basic civil rights...

The problem with many evangelical Christians around here is that they've never read the Bible. They have read verses chosen by the powers that be in the church, but never the actual Bible. I admit I'm no better. I started reading it several years ago but bogged down in Acts and never got back to it. So, to do what TOM wants, people would actually have to read the Bible, at least the New Testament. That would be grand. Then maybe people would have some idea of What Jesus Would Really Do.

Here we go again blaming the "Christians" for whatever comes up. I think that we as humans have no right to judge anyone else for their actions in the name of Jesus. We all should be living our lives the best way we can and learn to accept others even if they do things that we ourselves would not. All religions deserve respect and maybe we should all try and get the true meaning of the bible instead of trying to "gather" information to attack eachothers beliefs. Just a thought.

Here we go again blaming the "Christians" for whatever comes up. I think that we as humans have no right to judge anyone else for their actions in the name of Jesus. We all should be living our lives the best way we can and learn to accept others even if they do things that we ourselves would not. All religions deserve respect and maybe we should all try and get the true meaning of the bible instead of trying to "gather" information to attack eachothers beliefs. Just a thought.

So are you saying that no one should be bothered that many Christians are not interested in doing good works, but are instead focused solely on stripping people of their fundamental civil rights, like marriage?

Well, too bad, because that fact bothers me, alot.

Here we go again blaming the "Christians" for whatever comes up. I think that we as humans have no right to judge anyone else for their actions in the name of Jesus. We all should be living our lives the best way we can and learn to accept others even if they do things that we ourselves would not. All religions deserve respect and maybe we should all try and get the true meaning of the bible instead of trying to "gather" information to attack eachothers beliefs. Just a thought.

So you are saying that we should not judge people for not reading the entire text of the Bible, a sombre, often violent and contradictory book, and yet electing to use this same book in order to judge others? How very illogical.:help:

Here we go again blaming the "Christians" for whatever comes up. I think that we as humans have no right to judge anyone else for their actions in the name of Jesus. We all should be living our lives the best way we can and learn to accept others even if they do things that we ourselves would not. All religions deserve respect and maybe we should all try and get the true meaning of the bible instead of trying to "gather" information to attack eachothers beliefs. Just a thought.

If you read the opening piece, you will see that there was no blame placed on anyone or any group.

I offered a suggestion on how to do the Lord's work properly; By doing the Lord's work in proportion to the amount of time our Lord spent in the Bible discussing the things on his mind (in other words, his agenda).

If you feel that my last sentence: "If you have never counted the verses, how do you know you are really doing the work that Jesus would want you to be doing?" is blaming anyone, may I ask how anyone would know what the Lord wants if they have no DIRECT knowledge of what HE wants? Listening to sermons from a politically active preacher is no substitute for reading the words of our Savior.

Well, we could look at this logically as well.

As a Christian, I know there is a SMALL minority, yes SMALL, of loud, "unpleasing to the masses" anti-abortion, anti-homosexual Christians.

There are more "quiet, helping the poor" Christians out there.

Just take a look at the $$'s given to charity.

So, the people who are loud, (15%) are taking up work for the people who are quiet (85%)

Thank you,

signed,

One of the many Christians who are pro choice and dont care about homosexuality.

I'm really sorry that there are a few Christian-phobes here. I wish that the majority of good Christians could somehow warm your heart. We do give lots of money and time to helping the poor, OUR money and time. Some of us try to let you know that we do care, and some of us try to share our stories with you about why we believe. That's about all we can do.

Here we go again blaming the "Christians" for whatever comes up. I think that we as humans have no right to judge anyone else for their actions in the name of Jesus. We all should be living our lives the best way we can and learn to accept others even if they do things that we ourselves would not. All religions deserve respect and maybe we should all try and get the true meaning of the bible instead of trying to "gather" information to attack eachothers beliefs. Just a thought.

I agree to a point. That point is when anyone tries to make other people live by their beliefs. By pushing for laws that affect everyone, and base in on what their Holy Book says. Doing that opens you up, IMHO, to having others look at what you do.

Well, we could look at this logically as well.

As a Christian, I know there is a SMALL minority, yes SMALL, of loud, "unpleasing to the masses" anti-abortion, anti-homosexual Christians.

There are more "quiet, helping the poor" Christians out there.

Just take a look at the $$'s given to charity.

So, the people who are loud, (15%) are taking up work for the people who are quiet (85%)

Thank you,

signed,

One of the many Christians who are pro choice and dont care about homosexuality.

I struggle with this one. I too am pro-choice, and am in favor of gay marriage/unions. I try to focus on my own behavior first and formost, try to live as I think Jesus commands. Which includes not usually telling people that's what I'm doing.

But by just being quiet, we are letting the louder ones seem to speak for us all.

YOU ROCK MY WORLD.

I LOVE THIS.

THANK YOU!!!

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Here we go again blaming the "Christians" for whatever comes up.quote]

Most people I know who get really, really angry at Christians emphasizing the wrong things are Christians themselves! So yes, if a group of which I am part is doing something which goes against the teachings of our leader, I will speak out. Many (not all) conservative Christians forget about helping the poor, loving your neighbor, being peaceful, etc. But they'll spend tons of time and money on those two issues-abortion and homosexuality.

I'm also a former conservative Christian who one day decided to think for myself and figure out what I think is important about what Jesus said.

If I hadn't been raised a Christian, I would be wary of getting into it because of all the wrong done by those few but vocal attention whores of Christianity. One problem is that the majority of Christians are quietly living their lives as best they can in Jesus' path and are not vocal. We don't feel it is our job to wear our religion on our sleeve and posture. Perhaps that's something we mainline/liberal Christians need to work on but I'm not sure it's in our nature.

I'm also a former conservative Christian who one day decided to think for myself and figure out what I think is important about what Jesus said.

If I hadn't been raised a Christian, I would be wary of getting into it because of all the wrong done by those few but vocal attention whores of Christianity. One problem is that the majority of Christians are quietly living their lives as best they can in Jesus' path and are not vocal. We don't feel it is our job to wear our religion on our sleeve and posture. Perhaps that's something we mainline/liberal Christians need to work on but I'm not sure it's in our nature.

Finally! A voice of reason! Thank goodness there are people out there like you. Maybe a way you can work on being more vocal is to get your viewpoint out there more often. I like hearing from people with your viewpoint. It gives me hope that not all Christians are (what I view as) evil.

I'm also a former conservative Christian who one day decided to think for myself and figure out what I think is important about what Jesus said.

If I hadn't been raised a Christian, I would be wary of getting into it because of all the wrong done by those few but vocal attention whores of Christianity. One problem is that the majority of Christians are quietly living their lives as best they can in Jesus' path and are not vocal. We don't feel it is our job to wear our religion on our sleeve and posture. Perhaps that's something we mainline/liberal Christians need to work on but I'm not sure it's in our nature.

Finally! A voice of reason! Thank goodness there are people out there like you. Maybe a way you can work on being more vocal is to get your viewpoint out there more often. I like hearing from people with your viewpoint. It gives me hope that not all Christians are (what I view as) evil.[/quote]

Are you serious? It's a shame that there is so much prejudice in the world. You know what there are tons of Christians out here that believes the same as she does.

Why is it that the people I chose to associate myself around are not these Christians that some of you speak of. It is truly ignorant that people don't want to take the time to get to know people.

I don't sit around thinking all Muslims are bad b/c some "Muslims" decided to knock down the twin towers. I chose not to stereotype or prejudice a whole group. Instead I took a class called Topics in Islam and educated myself. Why remain ignorant if you don't have too?

I don't judge all white men based off of George Bush or all black women based off of Condolezza Rice. Did you know all black people can't dance and all asians don't know martial arts? Everytime Americans take a few steps up, so fool knocks us back more.

Too many people when they use the word "Christians" actually mean the Christian Right Political Movement and those that blindly (or knowingly) follow their agenda, or sometimes referred to sarcastically as "True Believers".

I AM GUILTY OF THE ABOVE :faint:

But let me say this clearly: I am a Christian and I know many Christians that are very nice people who try to follow the teachings of Christ, but who do not force their ideas onto other people.

I have known Christians that love all people as if they were their brothers and sisters.

I have known Christians that use the bible to prove that slavery first and then Jim Crow laws are Christian.

I have read speeches of Adolph Hitler using Christianity as his excuse for what he did in Germany in the 1930's and 40's.

I have seen neo-Nazis and White Power militias using Christianity as their excuse for what they do.

I know Christians who profess to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and then violate all his precepts while they say, "I am a sinner. I am not perfect", but who never try to improve.

We need to separate the Christians who use the name, but not the message of Christ to further their agenda nor to open up their small mindedness, from those that try to emulate Christ.

My sarcastic nickname for the Christian Right Political Movement is the (Un)Christian (Never)Right Political Movement.

I am sorry if I use the word Christian when I mean the (Un)Christian (Never)Right Political Movement and its followers.