Dead corn, I am not sure if my question is what you are answering, I will add or ask it differently. Do I vote according to what I would desire or what I see as a Christ like view of the subject? Do I stop acting like Christ because it is just politics? (p.s. I am not saying I do act like Christ all the time, but sure want to be like Him.)
Debunk my christian walk doesnt end when politics begin but jesus never shoved our religion down peoples throats and neither will i. Christianity isnt a militant religion in which people are forced to believe in it or they will be prosecuted or killed. This is exactly what jesus was against when he went against the roman empire. Our religion is spread through kind acts and how we treat our fellow human beings. Even jesus said there are samaritans that were better than most christians and they were non believers correct? I have friends from all religions(yikes i made a sin ) and also people who doesnt believe and i have always had the best of intentions and prayers for them. Sorry but i wont pronounce judgments on world leaders ala pat robertson when we should worry about what our own leaders are doing.
Funny how alot of people are talking about iran. If you really wanna know how iran turned to muslim extremism go to this thread about mohammad mossadegh and read about how our government along with the british government helped bring down democracy in iran http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=207964
debunked... I think Kalvin kind'a touched on the answer already. The laws of the land that we are graced to live in do not in and of themselves defy Christian beliefs. I mean I don't see how we are forced, in this great nation, to vote contrary to our Christian principles. But, as Kalvin noted, we are not voting on those things which were most important to Christ. For instance there has never been a referendum, say, mandating that we all love our neighbors. Were there, we would probably be in the soup.
This premise totally ignores the fact, while at the same time confirming the fact, that Muslim extremism already existed without any external influence. They "turned" to it... America did not create it, it was already there. Unless, ping, you contend that the authors of the Constitution were also the authors of the koran.
Jesus was not coy with His Words. He never once contended that HE was anything but our Lord, that we were all sinners that needed saving. He was as in your face as anyone the world has ever seen. He did not go out to conquer and shove His Words down anyones throat, that is true... but He did not mince His Words either. IF you asked, and even if you didn't ask... He let you have it. Just ask the pharisees.
I would almost laugh, but that is also where we (Christians) all need to be careful not to be like the pharisees while we grow in knowledge we should also grow in love. But you are so right there Deadcorn.
A very good observation. As many of the quotes I referenced earlier showed, our founding fathers really understood that in order to protect their own beliefs this was of paramount importance. When government endorses or otherwise proscribes a state sponsored religion, it invariably leads to the corruption of the religion AND persecution of people who are followers of non-favored religions and/or denominations. Also not all conservatives (in the American political sense) are Christians. Well actually this is why we have courts and in particular the U.S. Supreme Court to invalidate laws that violate the Constitution. With that said, your observations about the voting booth are spot on, our government is a representative government and people should vote for people who best represent their values and/or concerns. I think I referenced it earlier. In the papers and debates related to the ratification of the Constitution and First Amendment, there was a comment that basically said any religious test (e.g. requiring the use of a Bible while taking an oath) makes hypocrites out of half the population and idiots out of the rest. Basically such a requirement would make a mockery of the Bible and the oath because many would not take either seriously. In addition to the constitutional reasons, this is a very good reason why regardless of individual beliefs about what Islam and the Koran are about, we shouldn't speak out against a Muslim congressman taking his oath on a Koran. It does us no harm and what better way to show the tolerance and peaceful nature of Christianity than to not interfere with one expressing their different religious beliefs. As they say, you can attract more flies with honey than with vinegar. It is always better to attract people to one's religion on their own free will than forcing people to follow one's beliefs because they may follow, but they won't believe. I also have had many friends from all sorts of religious beliefs and backgrounds (including Atheists, etc.).
This is often why I, as a Christian and an American, vote against laws that would impose Christian morality, or one version of it, on non-Christians. Our government is one of the people, by the people, and for the people. It's authority is secular, not religious in nature. And I know this may sound like a little cliche, but I don't want my church running my government any more than I want my government running my church.
^_^ Glad you like it. Unfortunately I can't take credit for having come up with it. I think I'm paraphrasing it from someplace.
This post was spot on. Whether your last sentence was original or paraphrasing someone else, it is still a good quote.
Gtech... with all the apologists out there... I can honestly say I would rather see no public displays of Christ, and yet have Him inside me everyday and in everyway, than see one koran hanging over a courthouse. I believe in the separation of church and state. I do not want my children exposed to this bullshit.
Why endoctrine your children, surely everbody has a right to free thought, a right to believe what they want and how they want. They should have a free choice.
To me the not exposing children to "bullshit" as you call it extends to all who would try and foist their narrow religious beliefs on others. Just like you don't want your children indoctrinated in Islam, a Muslim doesn't want their child indoctrinated in Christianity or Buddhism. Our founding fathers understood this very well and it is why there is a "separation of Church and State" as Thomas Jefferson called it. At the same time the founding fathers recognized that in a free society each religious group has the right to express their religious beliefs. Thus some rouge court Justice can not roll in a marble monument to the Ten Commandments into the lobby in his courthouse, and a public school principle can not lead his/her school in prayer. At the same time a Congressman can express his religious convictions by taking his or her oath on the holy scriptures of their religion.
Drudge has a link to an article saying that this congressman will use Thomas Jefferson's translation of the Koran for the swearing in....isn't that against muslim beliefs? I thought the Koran was only pure in the Arabic.