My Problem with Christianism

Time.com ^ | Sunday, May 7, 2006 | Andrew Sullivan

[joebuck]

"There are very orthodox believers who nonetheless respect the freedom and conscience of others as part of their core understanding of what being a Christian is. They have no problem living next to an atheist or a gay couple or a single mother or people whose views on the meaning of life are utterly alien to them--and respecting their neighbors' choices."

Those last five words tell you everything you need to know about where Andrew is coming from. He wants us to love the sinner AND the sin. Sorry Andrew, I have no right to judge you because I am a sinner also BUT I have a duty NOT to "respect my neighbors choices" when those choices involve living a life of sin. The Christ of my Bible tells me I must reject sinful choices with my heart and soul. Jesus will always help you out of your sin but he will never help you in your sin.

[jpl]

Personally I think it's dishonest of him to describe himself as a Christian.

Sullivan is one of the most thoroughly dishonest guys you'll find in the blogosphere. He tries to pass himself off as a conservative, but he shilled hard for Kerry in '04.

I tend to doubt that the guy has ever voted for a major Republican candidate.

[the OlLine Rebel]

"Someone should do a movie on the ACTUAL history of our Christian heritage. It's WHY we have been a blessed country."


Do you know that the 1st Archbishop of the US, John Carroll (yes, Catholic), dedicated the (new) country to St. Mary, Mother of Christ?

[bondjamesbond]

So Christ is a conservative Republican?

Maybe he was more like this radical Republican

"Let my people go" and all that... But that was Moses, huh?

[redgolum]

This is Andrew Sullivan's problem, not mine. Let's just get that put away from the very start.

Very soon it will be every Christians problem. In much of Europe, after the revolutions of the late 19th and early 20th century, Christianity was regulated to "only behind closed doors". Europe was very deliberately de Christianized.

[Blzbba]

Jesus never spoke of democracy and advocated paying taxes ('give to Caesar...').


Not sure what that makes Him.

[Lunatic Fringe]

Christians are such hypocrites about religion and politics. The Dead Hippie they worship would NOT be invited to speak at the GOP convention... unless he was contributing a buttload of cash.

[FastCoyote]

"If Jesus were alive today, 99.99% of FReepers would label him a "liberal". He spoke of equality, love, compassion, tolerance, and peace."

That's baloney, you imply conservatives believe in inequality, hate, uncompassion, intolerance and war!

I don't see any evidence Jesus preach for equality in a communist sense. Since conservatives are more fecund and charitable, I don't see a shortage of love on our side. As far as compassion goes, welfare is NOT a compassionate system, it strips humans of humanity. As far as intolerance, there is no evidence Jesus was tolerant of sinners, though he was forgiving. And I don't think Jesus would believe in leaving Saddam Hussein in power.

So, all in all, you stand refuted.

[Lunatic Fringe]

Paul, you know, the author of the vast majority of the NT after the gospels, also says that if anyone will not work, then neither should he eat. (2 Thess. 3) Yet, liberalism takes the opposite view. Food for all regardless of how lazy or unwilling to work they may be.

Actually, Jewish law in biblical times allowed people to eat their fill out of any person's field. Pocketing food and walking away was considered stealing, but eating was not.

Jesus supported this idea as well:

"Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" -Matthew 6:26

[jackv]

I didn't know that. That is interesting. There is a ton of history tho, like that, that people should hear about. The naming of many of our first cities, the prayer in the capital, the reverance!! It's being plucked away, bit by bit.
No wonder this country is in such trouble!! The ACLU (communists) planned it this way, and they have done a masterful job at deceiving the masses.

[Lunatic Fringe]

there is no evidence Jesus was tolerant of sinners

Except for the fact he was surrounded by sinners. But yeah, other than that there is no evidence....

[pgyanke]

See my tagline, Lunatic.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Another sample of Jesus' "judgement" was His wrecking of the sellers at the Temple.

And for that "punishment", He didn't even follow up with a "go and sin no more"! He showed just anger.

[the OlLine Rebel]

He didn't say he WANTED taxes - He meant Rome's taxes were not of his affair!

There is nothing in His statements saying "taxes are good!"

[the OlLine Rebel]

"welfare is NOT a compassionate system, it strips humans of humanity."


Basically stated, it treats all as perpetual little children.

[lucysmom]

His command wasn't for people to steal everyone's money and give it to others. But, for the liberal Christian, the end (the poor get taken care of) justifies the means.

Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's.

[bondjamesbond]

Going the extra mile to be offensive, I see.

The "Dead Hippie" is alive, you know.

And it is the Democrats who are completely beholden to megabux donors, not the Republicans.

[the OlLine Rebel]

"'Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.'"


Huh? HOW does this condone taking other people's things? It's JUST about *God* PROVIDING!

[the OlLine Rebel]

BTW, IOW, that means the patron saint of the US is St. Mary - the greatest of all saints!

[pgyanke]

There is a FReeper with a tagline that reads:

God isn't a Republican but Satan is definitely a Democrat.

You keep equating Christians and Republicans... that's not a correct thing to do. Many Christians, myself included, are Republican only because the platform is closer to our values than the alternative. The problem is that most of the politicians don't follow the platform.