Updated 06/26-2022 We have had it up to here with the conservative Christian argument that "It's not the government's job to help the needy." Yes it is. It's everyone's job, individuals, churches, businesses, and governments. Christ's commands are universal. We lefties get that. Conservatives don't. We know every instruction in the Bible about the poor is directed at every individual AND every human institution, including governments. Conservatives refuse to accept this. Conservative Christians try to justify cutting off government assistance to the poor with this argument all the time and they're just wrong. So here's what we're going to do. We're going to establish a repository of scripture that contradicts their claim. Keep in mind, general scriptures about helping the poor don't work with conservatives. Unless they are faced with indisputable evidence they will always divert back to this memorized response: "That doesn't say anything about governments. It's speaking to individuals!" Their hearts have succumb to Objectivsm, which is the true "gospel" of The "Christian" Right. Here's what we have so far: "At the end of every third year you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in that year, and shall deposit it in your town. The Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance among you, and the alien, the orphan and the widow who are in your town, shall come and eat and be satisfied, in order that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do." -- Deuteronomy 14:28-29 "You shall not pervert justice due to the sojourner or to the fatherless, or take a widow's garment in pledge, but you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the Lord you God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this. When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back and get it. It shall be for the fatherless and the widow, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over them again, It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not strip it afterward. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this." -- Deuteronomy 24:17-24 “Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed [poor], that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.” -- Daniel 4:27 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.” -- Malachi 3:5 ESV “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.” -- Isaiah 10:1-2 “They have grown fat and sleek. They know no limits in deeds of wickedness; they do not judge with justice the cause of the orphan, to make it prosper, and they do not defend the rights of the needy. Shall I not punish them for these things?” -- Jeremiah 5:28-29 This is what the Lord says: “Go down to the palace of the king of Judah and proclaim this message there: 2 ‘Hear the word of the Lord to you, king of Judah, you who sit on David’s throne—you, your officials and your people who come through these gates. 3 This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place. 4 For if you are careful to carry out these commands, then kings who sit on David’s throne will come through the gates of this palace, riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by their officials and their people. 5 But if you do not obey these commands, declares the Lord, I swear by myself that this palace will become a ruin.’” -- Jeremiah 22: 1-6 “‘Do you become a king because you are competing in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink, and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him. He pled the cause of the afflicted and the needy; then it was well. Is that not what it means to know Me?’ declares the Lord.” -- Jeremiah 22:15-16 “A ruler who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.” -- Proverbs 28:3 “The LORD enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people: It is you who have ruined my vineyard; the plunder from the poor is in your houses.” -- Isaiah 3:13-14 “The wicked shall return to Sheol, all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.” -- Psalm 9:17-18 “Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.” -- Ezekiel 16:49 Psalm 72 1 Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. 2 May he judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice. 3 May the mountains bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness. 4 May he defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; may he crush the oppressor. … 11 May all kings bow down to him and all nations serve him. 12 For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. 13 He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. 14 He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight. Matthew 25 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Romans 13 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. 6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. Thanks! We've been on the front lines of the struggle to take back the definition of our faith from what we classify as a cult since 2009. Right-wing ideology mixed with the Christian faith is misguided and toxic. Whether its adherents realize it or not, they are practicing Objectivism. Their ideology is no different from the 'law of the jungle,' where the strongest and smartest get their needs met, and the poorest, the weakest, and the sickest get what they deserve, which is nothing. On top of that they target and abuse groups that were already oppressed to begin with. They have all kinds of rationalizations to avoid cognitive dissonance. One of the favorite is, "It's not the government's job to take care of these people. That's the job of the church." The Bible doesn't support this notion in any way. In fact scripture is full of instances where God became very angry when leaders, nations, and citizens ignored their responsibility. "Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy." Ezekiel 16:49 We need you to participate in our effort financially. With the overturning of Roe the need has become dire. We participate in direct action. We go to hot-spots around the nation to let people know there are Christians who don't act like those who claim to represent us on the right. We partner with 'Vote Common Good' for a variety of direct action activities as well. It really is time for everyone to invest in what they care about. It doesn't do any good to sit back and get angry without doing anything. This is what we do. We will represent you on the front lines. We already do. Here's a link to make a contribution: https://donorbox.org/friends-of-tcl Our Love Thy Neighbor shirts are now available at a price everyone can afford and orders are now fulfilled by TeeSpring so you'll get yours in a timely manner. Coming from lifetime t-shirt aficionados we can tell you that no other t-shirt we've ever worn generates the attention this one does. You wear it out and people say "I like your shirt," all day long. They take pictures of it and ask where they can get one. We also made the most requested change over the years. We added "Thy White Neighbor." The shirts are available in Men's and Women's Cuts in a wide array of colors. They are also available in long sleeve. To Order Yours Click Here. By Benjamin L. Corey Many of us grow up hearing hell, fire, and brimstone messages in our churches from a very early age. In fact, many of us perhaps became Christians not so much out of a sincere desire to follow Christ, but out a fear of what he’d do to us if we didn’t. Hell is a powerful motivator—and Christians have been using it as a motivator for countless years. This traditional view of hell is better described as “eternal conscious torment” because it teaches that God is going to torture the lost for all of eternity and that they will never die, lose consciousness, or obtain any sort of relief in their suffering. While as kids we either didn’t think to question the doctrine of traditional hell, or perhaps were too afraid to, there are a growing number of Christians today—both liberal and conservative—who are questioning the traditional view of hell, and for good reason. First, our word for hell and all of the imagery that comes with it is a relatively new word in history, and certainly was not present in Old Testament times or the first century when the New Testament was written. In the Old Testament, there is only one word used when referring to the place of the dead, and this is the word sheol. The word simply means the “place of the dead” or the “grave” and is where Old Testament writers believed everyone went when they died—both the righteous and unrighteous. These ancient writers by and large did not share our modern concepts of heaven and hell—they believed that when people died, they died. However, over the course of time there did develop a hope among God’s people that one day the righteous would be resurrected—a hope still shared by nearly all Christians today. In the New Testament, we find a few different words that often get translated into English as hell. Koiné Greek was a more precise language than English, so a variety of words- each with their own meanings and nuance, often get translated simply as “hell” and therefore adopt our modern concepts of hell- importing these concepts into the text. One of the more common words we find is the word hades, which is perhaps a functional equivalent to sheol- it is the place of the dead where everyone goes when they die. At times hades is described as a place of paradise (Luke 23:43) and other times a place of punishment (Luke 16:23), so it is a flexible word. Second, we find the word tartarus used only one time in reference to rebellious angels, and has the nuance of a deep, dark pit where they await the judgment of God. Thirdly, we find a common word used by Jesus that is often translated as hell, and this is the word Gehenna. Gehenna is different than the other New Testament words for hell as it was an actual geographic place during the life of Jesus (the word actually means the Valley of the Son of Hinnom). Described by some as a garbage dump outside of Jerusalem, it was a place of historic weeping and gnashing of teeth because it is where children were previously sacrificed to Pagan gods. This was also a place where bodies were cremated, and where there was likely a fire continually burning. In many cases where Jesus uses this term, he is often referencing the coming destruction of Jerusalem (AD 70) and warning his generation as to how they could avoid having their bodies thrown into Gahenna. Out of all these words, none of them have the exact same nuance that our English word hell tends to convey. Our modern concept of hell did not exist in ancient Judaism and is often more flavored by Dante’s Inferno than what actually occurs in the biblical text. Neither the ancient Jews nor the early Christians believed in our modern version of hell, as we see in the book of Acts (the story of the early church) the concept of hell is completely absent. This is not to say they were universalists; the early Christians believed that every human who ever lived would one day be judged and that we must be reconciled to God through Christ—but they did not use fear of hell to convey that message. As a result of the nuance in the biblical text, there are three positions on hell, which are all considered part of orthodox Christianity: Eternal Conscious Torment, Annihilationism, and Christian Universalism. Here is a brief description of these positions and why they are all considered part of the orthodox Christian faith: Eternal Conscious Torment (ECT) ECT is perhaps the position most of us know well, because it is the dominant position of our day. This position teaches that the human soul is immortal and does not/cannot die. As such, the soul will exist eternally either with God or being tortured in hell for all of eternity. This position uses the following texts in support of their position (this is not an exhaustive list): Matthew 25:41, 46; Mark 9:42–48; 2 Thessalonians 1:5–10; Revelation 14:9– 11; and Revelation 20:10, 14–15. This position was not the dominant position of the early church but has been the dominant position of the church since the post-Constantine era. Annihilationism (also called Conditionalism) The second orthodox position is Annihilationism/Conditionalism. This position disagrees with ECT in that it rejects the concept that human souls are immortal, arguing that God alone is immortal, as stated in 1 Timothy 6:16. Further, this position believes that souls can die as Jesus stated in Matthew 10:28. As such, Annihilationist believe that the “wages of sin is death,” meaning those who refuse to be reconciled to God are destined for eternal death (their soul ceases to exists), but that “the gift of God is eternal life” in that those who are reconciled to God are given the gift of immortality of the soul—eternal life. In short, those who fall into this category believe terms like the “wicked will be destroyed” are to be taken literally, whereas the ECT believes the terms “die” and “destroyed” are simply metaphoric for “will live forever in torture.” This position uses the following verses to support their claim (not an exhaustive list): Psalm 1:6, Psalm 37:20, Psalm 69:28, Psalm 34:16, 21, Psalm 92:7, Proverbs 24:20, Dan 2:35, Isaiah 1:28, 30-13, Obadiah 1:16, Mal 4:1, Matthew 10:28, John 3:16, Matthew 7:13, 13:40, John 15:6, Phil 3:19, 2 Thess 1:9, 1 Cor 3:17, 2 Cor 2:15-16, Romans 6:23, Hebrews 10:39, James 4:12, 2 Peter 2:3, Revelation 20:14. The position of annihilationism was the predominant position of the early church but has since become a minority view. However, this movement is gaining ground with both liberal Christians and conservatives. Christian Universalism (Universal Redemption) The third and final position on hell included under the umbrella of orthodox Christian positions is Christian universalism. This position is not the same as Unitarian Universalism, which would claim that “all flights go to Rome” or “every trail leads to the top of the mountain.” Christian Universalism, or the Universal Redemption Theory, remains an orthodox Christian view as it claims that Jesus Christ is the only way to be reconciled to God. Where it differs from the other orthodox views however is that it views the “fire” seen in scripture as being for the purpose of refinement instead of punishment. Under the Universal Redemption model it is believed that Christ will either refine everyone in the fires of his love- thus making them fit for heaven, or that Christ will continue to invite sinners to repent and be reconciled to God even from hell (postmortem repentance). This view still leaves room for a purgatorial hell of some sort, but argues hell will ultimately (one day) be empty, as all will ultimately choose to be reconciled to God through Christ. This position uses the following passages to support their position (not an exhaustive list): John 12:32, John 3:17, Luke 3:6, Romans 5:18, Romans 11:32, 1 John 2:2, 1 Tim 4:10, Col 1:20, 1 Cor 15:22, Phil 2:11, 1 Cor 5:19, 1 Peter 4:6. This position was held by some in the early church, but like annihilationism, fell out of favor—but is now gaining ground along side annihilationism. Far too many of us grow up with a singular concept of hell—often one that seems to paint God as one who delights in torturing people. Thankfully, there are other options one can hold while still keeping one’s feet firmly planted in the historic, orthodox Christian faith. Benjamin L. Corey Benjamin L. Corey is an author and speaker with a passion for dissecting the overlap between faith and culture, and exploring the mission of the Church. His articles are read by millions each year between his personal blog at Patheos and contributions for TIME, Sojourners, Red Letter Christians, Evangelicals for Social Action, Mennonite World Review, and The Good Men Project. He has also been featured as a guest on HuffPost Live, the Drew Marshall Show, Up For Debate, and is a regular guest on Tell Me Everything with John Fugelsang. Ben is also a syndicated author with MennoNerds, a collective of some of the top Anabaptist/Mennonite voices today. He holds a Master of Arts in Theology from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, a Master of Arts in World Missions (Cum Laude), also from Gordon-Conwell, and is a member of the Phi Alpha Chi Honors Society. Ben is currently completing his doctorate at Fuller Seminary in the field of missiology– an area of theology that explores the mission of the Church in the context of various cultures. His dissertation research is on the application of a theology of shalom applied to human trafficking aftercare. He currently lives in Auburn, Maine with his wife Tracy and has two teenage daughters (Julissa 16, Johanna 13) who they adopted from Peru. His first book, Undiluted: Rediscovering the Radical Message of Jesus, is available wherever books are sold. Undiluted takes a hard look at the ways American culture has caused us to miss out on the most important aspect of Christian faith: Jesus. Undiluted invites you into his personal story, and into a journey of your own, to rediscover the Jesus of the New Testament– one who looks a lot more radical than the one we often grew up with. Although he is know as an Anabaptist who teaches radical enemy love, Benjamin is a retired Professional Military Education Instructor with the United States Air Force. Benjamin is also frequent speaker on a variety of topics and is available for both domestic and international speaking engagements. You can follow him on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. If you're weird like us you tend to spot Biblical truths in the strangest places, like Rush songs. Neil Peart describes what he was thinking when he wrote "Time Stand Still." "All through the '70s our lives were flying by; we spent so much time on the road that it became like a dark tunnel. You start to think about the people you're neglecting, friends and family. So the song is about stopping to enjoy that; with a warning against too much looking back. Instead of getting nostalgic about the past, it's more a plea for the present." Source: Milano, Breit, November 19, 1987. "The Down-To-Earth RUSH,". Boston Globe Let's take a look at those lyrics: "Time Stand Still" I turn my back to the wind To catch my breath Before I start off again. Driven on without a moment to spend To pass an evening with a drink and a friend I let my skin get too thin I'd like to pause No matter what I pretend Like some pilgrim Who learns to transcend Learns to live as if each step was the end (Time stand still) I'm not looking back But I want to look around me now (Time stand still) See more of the people and the places that surround me now Freeze this moment a little bit longer Make each sensation a little bit stronger Experience slips away Experience slips away I turn my face to the sun Close my eyes Let my defenses down All those wounds that I can't get unwound I let my past go too fast No time to pause If I could slow it all down Like some captain, whose ship runs aground I can wait until the tide comes around (Time stand still) I'm not looking back But I want to look around me now (Time stand still) See more of the people and the places that surround me now Freeze this moment a little bit longer Make each impression a little bit stronger Freeze this motion a little bit longer The innocence slips away The innocence slips away... Summer's going fast, nights growing colder Children growing up, old friends growing older Freeze this moment a little bit longer Make each sensation a little bit stronger Experience slips away Experience slips away... The innocence slips away Copyright: Ole Core Music Publishing, Core Music Publishing Now let's take a look at what Jesus said about staying in the present. Matthew 6:25-34 New International Version (NIV) Do Not Worry 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Jesus is literally telling us to "See more of the people and the places that surround us now." He's telling us to look up at the birds in the air. He's telling us to notice the flowers in the field and how beautiful they are. He's telling us to stay in today, stop worrying and enjoy our surroundings. Learning to appreciate being present is learning a universal truth. The present is all we ever have. "The future" here on Earth isn't guaranteed to any of us. So look around you now See more of the people and the places that surround you now Freeze this moment a little bit longer Make each impression a little bit stronger It will all soon slip away Make every day count, and count the blessings around you every day. By Charles Toy We all have to open our eyes. We have to open our eyes now. There is very little time to waste before untold human suffering will unfold sooner than later. Consider this: On July 1st, 2015, Bernie Sanders, told a crown in Madison, Wisconsin that "The top one-tenth of 1 percent" of Americans "own almost as much wealth as the bottom 90 percent." PolitiFact rated his statement as "Mostly True." It doesn't take a rocket scientists to see that this trajectory can't be sustained. Here's the bottom line for almost everything we do here. Whenever society passes laws to pick on or target the weak or the vulnerable, it is targeting the wrong people. They aren't the ones destroying this country, not even close. They're just easy targets. They have no voice. Sure, certain organizations do a great job of trying to advocate for them but it doesn't even put a dent in the overall problem. They are still scapegoated and blamed for most of society's problems. After all, "They're just lazy freeloaders who refuse to work!" It's easy for conservatives and right-wing "Christians" to sideline, marginalize, scapegoat and demonize the vulnerable (poor, gay, sick, immigrant, etc.) because the vulnerable don't have paid lobbies, legal representation, political representation, or spokespeople. They can't defend and position themselves like the super rich. Nothing like picking on the little guys, or as Jesus would put it, the least of these. Meanwhile it's the super rich who drain the economy dry, move their money to offshore tax havens and laugh all the way to the country club. Conservatives have Americans angry at the wrong people and it's a travesty of justice purchased with lies and brainwashing via the media they own. Follow the money folks, you'll figure out who's causing all the problems for Americans and it isn't the people you've been led to believe who have no voice. Why do you think we never hear about any of this in the media? It's because there are only a handful of media companies left in the world. They've all been bought up and consolidated by bigger media companies. Contrary to the propaganda conservatives repeat hundreds of times daily, the national media isn't "The Liberal Media." It's Corporate Media. Think about it. Are these massive media corporations who spend billions going to put out a liberal message? They report exactly they want you to hear, a positive spin on the corporate agenda. So what is the ordinary person to do? Corporate media isn't going to tell the truth. We have to take it upon ourselves to discern truth from lies and fluff. There are plenty of good sources out there, Chris Hedges is one of them. He writes for Truthdig.com. Google him. "Chris Hedges, whose column is published weekly on Truthdig, has written twelve books, including the New York Times best seller “Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt” (2012), which he co-authored with the cartoonist Joe Sacco. Some of his other books include “Death of the Liberal Class” (2010), “Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle” (2009), “I Don’t Believe in Atheists” (2008) and the best selling “American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America” (2008). His book “War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning” (2003) was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction. By Michael Dominic Tell me that these right wing christopaths are not terrorists. Don't they insist on arming in order to be able to overthrow the government, or secede? Don't they insist on the right to impose their religious beliefs as law? Hasn't there been dozens of assassinations of leaders and civil rights workers in the past half century- all the work of "lone nuts" who were also right wing "christians" Does anyone remember the Murrah building in Oklahoma blown up by right wing "christians"? What of the killings of abortion doctors and bombing of abortion clinics? From John Wilkes Boothe to Terry Nichols the right wing has been well represented in American Terrorism. ISIS still cant hold a candle to the torture and death inflicted upon fellow Americans by the right wing christian extremists calling themselves the Ku Klux Klan. I see right wing republican christopaths as the biggest threat this nation has EVER had...and yet these politicians, like corrupt Islamic warlords in some countries, turn a blind eye and assist quietly, just as their forbears did with the Ku Klux Klan...and still do. We continue to hear from a cabal of preachers and politicians- all conveniently Republicans, conservatives, and "Christians"- that the government is persecuting them. They also are the same people trying to impose extreme right wing christopath religious law on the rest of us who aren't right wing christopaths. Christian Sharia. I keep using that word- christopath. Pardon me for not defining terms earlier. I am a christian, an orthodox christian. I have nothing in common with Pat Robertson, Louie Gohmert, Ted Cruz or any of these other nuts. A christopath is someone who is using Christianity as a cover, a clever pretense to push right wing political aims. They are as christian as Benjamin Netanyahu... and oddly, aligned with him as well. One could call them Christian Taliban, but they aren't Christians but in name only. I resent them using the name of Christianity in this bogus attempt to further shore up a police state here while building empire overseas; and see them as sick, pathologically demented, suffering from the grandiose delusion of American Exceptionalism. Hence the term " christopath." These same lying thieving pirates have the blood of millions on their hands from the invasions and killings of people worldwide in a stupid "war on terror" that they themselves created. So how can they call themselves Christian? Would Jesus approve torture, invasions, murder, pillage, starving the poor at home, depriving children of education and food while enriching oil barons and billionaires? So lets tear off their masks and call them what they are: terrorists. Someone stopped by the page this week-end and said, “I don’t like the behavior and ideology of The Christian Right either, but I can’t support you because your doctrine isn’t correct.” Here’s what we have to say to that. In Acts 10:34-35, when meeting with the gentile centurion Cornelius, the apostle Peter explained what God had revealed to him: “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that fears (respects) him, and works righteousness, is accepted with him.” In Romans 2:9-11, Paul explained, “There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on sinning—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.” Did the thief on the cross have a “correct doctrine?” Of course he didn’t. He had not studied the sacred texts and formed the correct conclusions. He knew nothing of what was said in the sacred texts. And yet Jesus promised that he would be in Heaven with him that very day. Why? Because he had a kind and gentle heart and a merciful spirit and he defended a man he didn’t ever know while he suffered in agony himself. He called Jesus Lord and asked that he remember him when he entered his Kingdom, but not having been exposed to “correct Doctrine” he was speaking from his heart, nothing else. Furthermore, he had not been baptized. Did Jesus make a special exception for the thief on the cross? No. That would contradict the many passages in the Bible where it states that God is no respecter of persons and he does not show favoritism. We can just about guarantee that the man who said we didn’t have “correct doctrine” was referring to two things. Can you guess what they are? Of course you can: Abortion and Gay Marriage. It’s sad and unfortunate that almost every member of The “Christian” Right has turned these two issues into idols. They obsess about them day and night. They are the all import litmus tests to salvation, more important to them than all other things. They have missed the entire point of the Gospel. We must pray for those who have made “correct doctrine” their idol. They miss the spirit and meaning of what scripture says and instead worship the Bible itself. They are unable to see what God is saying between the lines of ink. It's very important to read the Bible often for one reason, and one reason only: To get to know God. When we're done reading, mediating and praying there comes a time to put the Bible down until next time and go out and practice what it says, always asking the Spirit to open our eyes and guide us. Jesus chastised the Pharisees in Matthew 23 saying: "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness." When people tell other people that disagreement with their doctrine on abortion and gay marriage for instance means that they aren't Christians and they never can be unless they change their minds (and they often do tell people this very thing) they are putting up two idols in front of God (blocking people from God) that are MORE important than God. That is idolatry pure and simple. Jesus warned about this tactic as well in Matthew 23: "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to." Read Matthew 23 and you'll see what Jesus thinks of people who obsess on doctrine but have not internalized the Spirit of what it's saying in its totality. One theme permeates the totality of the Bible: Leviticus 19:18 proclaims: Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. Proverbs 10:12 says: Hatred stirs up strife: but love covers all sins. 1 Peter 4:8 says: Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 1 Corinthians 13:2 says: If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:13 says: And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. Jesus says in Luke 6:35: But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward in heaven will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. On a similar note Jesus explains in Matthew 22:37-40: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. And a second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets. Galatians 5:14 states: For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” James 2:8 echoes a the core theme once again: If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. The entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 13 explains exactly what “love” is and how a person showing love behaves. It doesn’t say a single thing about so-called “tough love,” or insist that loving someone means making sure they believe “correct doctrine.” It's interesting to note that no two Christians or for that matter no two of the hundreds of Christian denominations view "doctrine" exactly the same way. Many denominations insist that if you don't agree with their interpretation of a particular doctrine you're not a Christian and you are likely going to hell. If you encounter one of these groups, run. Run far away, fast. They are toxic. Incidentally, our Theology is pretty simple, and it’s based on simple language stated in the Gospels. Still, it isn’t ironclad in the sense that those who never had a chance to hear it (i.e., Native Americans living in North and South America in antiquity, or anyone else never exposed to it) will still be accepted by God if they respected God and worked righteousness. Did you catch what Peter said in the second paragraph of this blog post? “… but in every nation he that fears (respects) him, and works righteousness, is accepted with him.” Every nation? That’s correct, and every nation means every nation. Here is a link to our very simple and very Biblical Theology: Postscript:
This blog is linked in the article above but the links aren't obvious regarding the topic. It's an excellent followup to the above article: The Big Four - Agree With Us Or You're Not A Christian On a final note we want to emphasize that no human being is even close to perfect at loving. When we choose to follow Jesus it's a lifelong journey and a daily pursuit to stretch ourselves to love the way he wants us to love. It takes daily practice and we fail frequently. All he asks is that we keep our eyes on him and keep attempting to learn his ways and put them into action. Here's a link to the article.
Here is the response in the comments of the article by one of our admins. Apologies for the fact that this hasn't been reviewed by a copy editor for typical typos and errors. It's all been done on the fly this morning. Wow. Just wow. The level to which you've been brainwashed is utterly astounding. You just can't get off the two issues you have made your idols. You are obsessed with these two issues. You have made them you religion discarded being a follower of Jesus. Jesus said these two things over, and over, and over, and over again. Matthew 22:37-40 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. And a second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets. John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. He didn't harp on abortion and homosexuality, ever. In fact he said nothing about either one. Not once. Yes, he said marriage was intended to be between one man and one woman, but he also said in the same sentence, "Not everyone can follow this command, only those to whom it has been given. If you can follow it, you should. Then he mentioned eunuchs who were born that way. Do some historical research written by serious scholars about born eunuchs during the time of Jesus. Not some cookie cutter research regurgitated by students who graduated from conservative seminary degree mills who are forced to sign contracts demanding that they check their brains at the door. Not a single one of the 5 or 6 verses referring to homosexuality in the Bible are talking about sexual orientation and committed same sex relationships. The Bible is silent about this because it's not a sin. If you're truely serious about the Bible I challenge you to Goggle the article, "Clobbering 'Biblical' Gay Bashing," by Rev. Mark Sandlin and read the whole thing. There is a whole host of related scholarship out there about the same topic as well. Matthew Vines devoted two years of his life studying this topic and then wrote the book, "God and the Gay Christian," which covers every single verse in detail as well, from every historical and cultural angle. As for abortion you are being misled by Satan pure and simple, to get you to adopt an un-Godly political platform. Right wing politics and the teachings of Jesus could not be more contradictory in nature. They are completely opposite philosophies. Did you know that a 1968 a symposium sponsored by the Christian Medical Society and Christianity Today, the flagship magazine of evangelicalism, refused to characterize abortion as sinful, citing 'individual health, family welfare, and social responsibility' as justifications for ending a pregnancy? In 1973, Wallie Amos ‘W. A.’ Criswell, President of the Southern Baptist Convention from 1968 to 1970, had this to say: “I have always felt that it was only after a child was born and had a life separate from its mother that it became an individual person, and it has always, therefore, seemed to me that what is best for the mother and for the future should be allowed." Enter con-man Paul Weyrich, the late religious conservative political activist, co-founder of the Heritage Foundation, and Godfather of The “Christian” Right, who literally shopped various issues trying to galvanize a conservative “Christian” movement. His hypothetical “moral majority” needed a catalyst—a standard around which to rally. For nearly two decades, Weyrich, by his own account, had been trying out different issues, hoping one might pique evangelical interest: pornography, prayer in schools, the proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution, even abortion. “I was trying to get these people interested in those issues and I utterly failed,” Weyrich recalled at a conference in 1990. Google the Politico article called, "The Real Origins of the Religious Right." It is an extremely well researched article about how Weyrich turned the made up issue of abortion (never even mentioned in the Bible) in to the litmus test to judge whether or not someone is a Christian. That's Blasphemy folks. Blasphemy. Ever since the above described shift began pseudo-religious, political operatives like Tony Perkins and "The Family Research Council" have conducted a multiple decade propaganda / brainwashing campaign that would make Joseph Goebbels proud! Wouldn't you know it? The motto of the Family Research Council is "Pro Marriage & Pro Life." Those two terms are dog whistles for "Anti LGBT Equality & Anti Choice." They've cherry-picked a few scriptures and twisted them to mean something they don't. Let's look at some of those scriptures. Analysis below from "The Bible is Pro-Choice," by Joyce Arthur. The first such passage is found in Psalm 139:13-16: "For Thou didst form my inward parts; thou didst weave me together in my mother's womb. I praise thee, for thou art fearful and wonderful. Wonderful are thy works! Thou knowest me right well; my frame was not hidden from thee, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth. Thy eyes beheld my unformed substance; in thy book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them." All this passage states is that God is directly involved in the creation of a fetus and knows its future. This is useless for the anti-choice position, since God creates all living things, including trees and bugs. Plus, just because God is supposedly omniscient doesn't give fetuses any special status—it simply means God already knows whether they will live or die. It is dishonest to conclude from this verse that a fetus is a human being deserving of more protection than women. The passage is poetic prose that anti-choicers have twisted and trivialized by giving it a literal, objective meaning where there is none. The second passage used by anti-choicers is similar: "Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you'..." (Jeremiah 1:4-5) Unfortunately, anti-choicers usually stop right there, and forget the rest of Verse 5, which negates their preferred meaning: "...'and I appointed you a prophet to the nations.'" This passage is specific to one, very special person—Jeremiah the prophet, whom God has called to provide miraculous powers and authority to the world. Since we are not all destined to be divine prophets, this verse cannot be construed as applying to any fetus except the unborn Jeremiah. Again, anti-choicers are being dishonest by pulling this verse totally out of its context. The third passage quoted by anti-choicers tells the story of Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, and Mary the mother of Jesus, while both were pregnant: "In those days, Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit." (Luke 1:39-41) This passage simply records a fetus kicking in the womb. We can only wonder in befuddlement why anti-choicers think this would help them. Besides, John the Baptist is yet another divine fetal prophet ordained by God. Since very few of us are chosen by God before birth to herald the arrival of the Messiah on earth, we cannot claim that this passage venerates all fetuses. It is you who have hijacked and twisted the simple and beautiful Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and turned it into a messy and ugly justification for a political platform based on greed, selfishness and objectivism. It is you who needs to look deep in your heart and repent. Read Matthew 25. It is the NATIONS who will stand before God and answer for how they treated "the least of these." God didn't command us to set up a winner takes all, dog eat dog, the strong will rise to the top society. Quite the opposite and that should be obvious to you if you knew Jesus. I admonish you to start over and truly get to know him. You are being used as a pawn to push off an evil system and a "Gospel" that is anti-Christ. Isaiah 10 1 Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, 2 to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. 3 What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Jeremiah 22 Judgment Against Wicked Kings, is another good place to start. https://www.biblegateway.com/p... I'll be praying that your eyes are opened. The great apostasy began about 35 years ago and it has taken over most of the modern church. Our new website is up today! The most important part of the conversion is the completely retooled back end. We are now updated to the newest edition of Joomla, which is a content management system. This edition of Joomla will be supported through 2019. We've incorporated a great new "Hot Topics" section at the top of the site as well. We're looking at new templates right now. Templates are easy to change and they add an entirely new look and feel to a website. Click here to check out our new site and enjoy! |
About TCL BlogWe’re not about Dogma here. We’re just Christians who think the political and Christian right-wing have their priorities wrong. Featured BloggersCharles Toy is the founding member of The Christian Left. We're sure you will enjoy his passion as well as his wit. Guest bloggers featured often.
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