Liberal Christians Fight Back (Finally!!!)

Trancendental

CAGiversary!
Feedback
4 (100%)
I am fairly certain that when Paul Ryan first decided to publicly share his admiration of Ayn Rand, he could not have imagined it would lead to him speed-walking to his SUV to avoid a young Catholic trying to give him a Bible and telling him to pay more attention to the Gospel of Luke. But that’s what happened Friday morning in downtown Washington after Ryan spoke to the surprisingly smallish crowd gathered for Ralph Reed’s Faith & Freedom Conference.
These days, when people question a politician’s “morality,” they usually mean his or her personal behavior and choices. But an interesting thing is happening right now around the GOP budget proposal. A broad coalition of religious voices is criticizing the morality of the choices reflected in budget cuts and tax policy. And they’ve specifically targeted Ryan and his praise for Rand, the philosopher who once said she “promote[d] the ethic of selfishness.”

http://swampland.time.com/2011/06/03/paul-ryans-ayn-rand-problem/

One of the things I have admired about Christian theology is its commitment to help out the poor. All too sadly that is one of the most ignored aspects of modern American Christianity. But it makes me happy to see that some truly compassionate Christians are getting tired of the GOP's "anything for the rich" platform and demanding that their leaders grow a moral backbone.

Any true Christian would throw almost all of the GOP bums out on their collective asses in the next election.
 
I love it when unexpected stuff like this happens. Though there seem to be enough people in this country who don't even see Catholics as being Christian, so I don't know how much good it will do.
 
[quote name='perdition(troy']wait wut. I missed the part in my bible where it said I should support huge social programs.[/QUOTE]
Oh, it was between the parts that endorsed capitalism.
 
[quote name='perdition(troy']wait wut. I missed the part in my bible where it said I should support huge social programs.[/QUOTE]

[quote name='Jesus']"If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."[/QUOTE]

Doesn't sound like the kind of guy who would vote for more tax breaks for the rich.
 
I need to stop coming to vs mode, before I start raging and tearing 75% of your arguments up
I don't like me when I rage
 
JC only said that because he ran a consignment store and wanted more business.
[quote name='wune']I need to stop coming to vs mode, before I start raging and tearing 75% of your arguments up
I don't like me when I rage[/QUOTE]

Whose arguments exactly? Lack of quote and general identifiers were non existent.
 
[quote name='wune']I need to stop coming to vs mode, before I start raging and tearing 75% of your arguments up
I don't like me when I rage[/QUOTE]

We don't like you either.
 
16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” 17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 “Which ones?” he inquired. Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. 23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” 26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 27 Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.
 
[quote name='camoor']One of the things I have admired about Christian theology is its commitment to help out the poor. All too sadly that is one of the most ignored aspects of modern American Christianity.[/QUOTE]

I think it's mainly the overtly evangelical types that got co-opted into the GOP through abortion and gay marriage that really give y'all a bad name. Then again, there's a majority of "christians" who are not really all that christian. I saw a lady giving head in her car the other day with one of those stupid fish thingies on the bumper. That there be some pig touchin' young miss, you ought not be about such things!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I'm curious - Jesus told his followers to sell their belongings and give to the poor. If Jesus wanted to support huge government spending programs, why didn't he tell his followers to sell their belongings and give to the government?
 
[quote name='UncleBob']I'm curious - Jesus told his followers to sell their belongings and give to the poor. If Jesus wanted to support huge government spending programs, why didn't he tell his followers to sell their belongings and give to the government?[/QUOTE]
Well, he did say to pay your taxes. It's one of the more popular quotes in the bible, but one of the easiest to misconstrue and misunderstand.
 
[quote name='cindersphere']Well, he did say to pay your taxes. It's one of the more popular quotes in the bible, but one of the easiest to misconstrue and misunderstand.[/QUOTE]

And most people would agree that we should pay our taxes. It's the quantity of them that creates the problems.
 
[quote name='UncleBob']And most people would agree that we should pay our taxes. It's the quantity of them that creates the problems.[/QUOTE]

Jesus didn't care about taxes - he cared about the people who were so poor that they didn't have money for taxes (IE outcasts, lepers, the truly desititute)

Any politician who sells out to the rich at the expense of the most disenfranchised members of society is no Christian. Same with most of these televangelists, and don't get me started on prosperity Christianity.
 
[quote name='camoor']Jesus didn't care about taxes - he cared about the people who were so poor that they didn't have money for taxes (IE outcasts, lepers, the truly desititute)

Any politician who sells out to the rich at the expense of the most disenfranchised members of society is no Christian. Same with most of these televangelists, and don't get me started on prosperity Christianity.[/QUOTE]

17Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”
 
I'm just going to point out that all of this was written by men, with supposed knowledge of what Jesus said. So yeah, I'll just leave that there and go.
 
It'd be nice if that God guy could take a break from giving idiots ideas for new reality shows, helping meathead jocks win the big game, and spending inordinate amounts of time watching people fuck and solve some of these problems himself.
 
Yeah I've always thought it was stupid that anyone thinks god would give a fuck about their damn football game. You think a being with limitless power would have better things to do then decide the outcome of a game, especially considering both teams are praying to win.
 
[quote name='wune']I need to stop coming to vs mode, before I start raging and tearing 75% of your arguments up
I don't like me when I rage[/QUOTE]

Sounds like a lulz fest. Go for it!
 
[quote name='perdition(troy']17Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”[/QUOTE]

I think you accidentally posted in the wrong thread - "Random Bible Quotes" is one thread down.
 
[quote name='Clak']I'm just going to point out that all of this was written by men, with supposed knowledge of what Jesus said. So yeah, I'll just leave that there and go.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, the issue is, if you believe this, then you have to take this into account when you bring up the "Jesus helped the poor" line as well.

For all we know, Jesus said "**** the poor", kicked them in the face, then blew up oil tankers in the ocean with rocket launchers. And that's even assuming he existed.
 
[quote name='perdition(troy']Camoor, that verse was the verse in which Jesus said to pay your taxes, fyi.[/QUOTE]

OK I see what you are aiming at now.

When I said that Jesus didn't care about taxes I didn't mean that he advocated not paying taxes - I meant that the question meant little to him either way. I believe Jesus and his Jewish followers did not consider themselves to be true subjects of the Roman empire, and I believe he was essentially saying give worldly payment to our conquerers, but save your soul for the Christian god.

I think Jesus answers the way he does because money didn't mean much to Jesus (shocking, right?). Sincerity, charity, compassion - all of this meant more to Jesus then cold hard silver.

Also remember that those jealous Jewish religious leaders who asked him the question about taxes were trying to trip Jesus up and get him in hot water, and Jesus had to play lawyer to successfully manuever his way out.

I would submit that the Jesus of the Bible was a walking breathing social program. He didn't tell the poor that they were lazy dirty hippies that should get a job, he magiced up some fishes and loaves to stave off their hunger. Jesus healed lepers and attended to the poor and the sick. He also took digs at the rich whenever he could, instead of kissing their feet and calling them the saviors of mankind. Why is it so hard to understand that social programs for the poor and the sick are the epitome of moral Christian philosophy?
 
[quote name='camoor']OK I see what you are aiming at now.

When I said that Jesus didn't care about taxes I didn't mean that he advocated not paying taxes - I meant that the question meant little to him either way. I believe Jesus and his Jewish followers did not consider themselves to be true subjects of the Roman empire, and I believe he was essentially saying give worldly payment to our conquerers, but save your soul for the Christian god.

I think Jesus answers the way he does because money didn't mean much to Jesus (shocking, right?). Sincerity, charity, compassion - all of this meant more to Jesus then cold hard silver.

Also remember that those jealous Jewish religious leaders who asked him the question about taxes were trying to trip Jesus up and get him in hot water, and Jesus had to play lawyer to successfully manuever his way out.

I would submit that the Jesus of the Bible was a walking breathing social program. He didn't tell the poor that they were lazy dirty hippies that should get a job, he magiced up some fishes and loaves to stave off their hunger. Jesus healed lepers and attended to the poor and the sick. He also took digs at the rich whenever he could, instead of kissing their feet and calling them the saviors of mankind. Why is it so hard to understand that social programs for the poor and the sick are the epitome of moral Christian philosophy?[/QUOTE]
Because it's more about this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just-world_hypothesis
 
[quote name='camoor']I would submit that the Jesus of the Bible was a walking breathing social program. He didn't tell the poor that they were lazy dirty hippies that should get a job, he magiced up some fishes and loaves to stave off their hunger. Jesus healed lepers and attended to the poor and the sick.[/QUOTE]

...and all he asked for in return was your eternal devotion and your immortal soul.

What, exactly, is Washington wanting for their part of the bargain?
 
I am Andrew Ryan, and I'm here to ask you a question. Is a man not entitled to the sweat of his brow? 'No!' says the man in Washington, 'It belongs to the poor.' 'No!' says the man in the Vatican, 'It belongs to God.' 'No!' says the man in Moscow, 'It belongs to everyone.' I rejected those answers; instead, I chose something different. I chose the impossible. I chose... Rapture, a city where the artist would not fear the censor, where the scientist would not be bound by petty morality, Where the great would not be constrained by the small! And with the sweat of your brow, Rapture can become your city as well.
 
bread's done
Back
Top