Does a persons political stance determine

Massdak: Not at all, but I think they need to be watered down so they remain Christian in content and character. I think we should stick to debating issues and not get personal.

BTW, I did not mention any names or point any fingers. It may or may not have been your posts. I just know that we are losing some very good Christian posters over a bunch of silliness.


Sue

 

Why does this remind me of the Prodigal Son's Brother?

Haruo </font>[/QUOTE]I don't know since the story of the prodigal son is about repentance. It is not about the father continuing to facilitate his son's ungodly lifestyle and lack of industry. I don't think I know anyone other than perhaps liberal politicians that want to see poor people stay unemployed and poor- dependent on government aid. But economic laws are what they are- when a behavior is rewarded, you will get more of it. Most Republicans aren't the cruel, selfish "haves" like the left likes to portray them. In this case, it is simply a issue of recognizing human nature.

The US welfare system could not have contributed any more to the destruction of the family in poor (particularly poor black) communities if that had been an intended outcome. An intact family has much more impact on overcoming poverty than the availability of government programs.

 

Massdak, sorry that you should respond to what I said as you did. If you read again, personal criticism of yourself seems to be assumed by yourself for some reason which only you can account for. My statement should be something recognised by all who post here.

The thread is intended to indicate how our politics affects lour faith positively or negatively. Here is your best chance to prove your point.

The Good shepherd, did he say leave the sheep to its own devices, someone else let him out/he shouldnt have run off like that/lets concentrate on the 99 who play by my rules?

What was the politics of the good shepherd?????
I would rather know the one who cares about the individual one person than the politician who cares about the multitude who vote for them.

BTW, you too are like that one sheep, and you like anyone else is precious to him. Come back into the fold and help care for the sheep who may be hurting

yours, Jon.

 

Massdak ...... I may have poorly expressed things, but what I am trying to say is that no offence was intended to you, but in the event it is appropriate to say sorry to you and encourage you to know that there is no need to leave the thread hurt
yours, Jon.

 

Better to feed than not; better to clothe than not; better to provide shelter than to leave in the cold...Sort of like the good Samaritan.

I agree. What I don't agree about is the method of doing it. The Government should heavily encourage charity, but not force it. IE, in the US, when I donate money to the Red Cross, I'm allowed to deduct whatever I donated from my income tax. This is a form of encouraging, but not forcing. Now, some forms of welfare and public assistance must be forced, lest a person go without. But such programs generally have a limit. In California, you can't collect welfare forever. I think the cap is 2 years, but I'm not sure.

 

Better to feed than not; better to clothe than not; better to provide shelter than to leave in the cold...Sort of like the good Samaritan.

Johnv, you and I actually agree on something (for once ). A true Christian who is living for Christ, will feed, will clothe, will provide shelter, will visit & care for widows and orphans, will visit the sick & infirm, will visit those in jail, etc., all those things that Jesus taught us to do.

But for the government to tax me heavily on what I earn so that it can be handed out to some who will not work, but are physically & mentally able to, is just plain wrong. Ideally, it may seem like the right thing to do, for some, but in reality, it is socialism. And also in reality, there are many deserving who slip through the cracks and many undeserving who will get every handout they can get.

Jesus, Himself, said the poor will always be with us.

And massdak, I, too am appalled by the number of "liberal religionists" on this Baptist Board. The Baptists I have known in 53 years on the planet (numbered among thousands) are like-minded. They are pro-life, pro-traditional family & family values, pro-God, pro-country, pro-family, work hard, give to their churches, missions, and community charities, volunteer their time & money for church and community, believe in the Right to Bear Arms, are anti-socialism, pro-Military, moral in character & deed, pro-death penalty, pro-work ethic, and for protecting our borders, our sovreignty as a Nation, anti-UN, and English as the national language. And nearly all now are Republicans, because they are against the socialistic, pro-gay, pro-abortion platforms of Democrats.

I've never been in a Baptist church where it was taught from the pulpit or classes that abortion was not murder and homosexuality was okay and acceptable to God, among other things. Not just IFB, but SBC, GARB, too. If I ever did get caught by surprise that way, I would get up & walk out. Like I've been tempted to do on here sometimes.

 

jon maybe you are trying to fix something that is not broken, i was responding more so the snide snippets and of piling on from i am blessed 16 and sherrie.
i came to this board rather naive with the belief that i would see at least a majority of like minded Christians. dont get me wrong i believe many good posters here are Christian indeed, yet the number of liberal religionist on board baffle me. i will look for other posting boards if the moderators feel my input is not welcome </font>[/QUOTE]I am sorry, I have read this thread through a number of times to ensure I have not made a mistake. However, 2 things stand out:

1. Both the people you mentioned said they agreed with me. Therefore if you are happy with what I said then why not be happy with their comment?

2. Any additional comment they make does not accuse you personally of any wrong.

I do hope that clarifies things

yours, Jon.

 

I think we have the cart before the horse here. My Christian beliefs determine my political stance on everything. Some have a poloitical stance and then attempt to find scriptures that seem to confirm their political ideals and go with it. It is better to have the Bible as your standard (and occassionally be mistaken in your interpretation) than to have a political mindset that is constantly changing by the unstable minds of politicians.

 

Ditto ...
PJ

 

Jim, what does the Bible say about him that won't provide for his own family? He has denied the faith and is worse than an infidel.... Now, according to you, we should feed all those that don’t want to provide for themselves…. There is a bid difference in charity, and compassion, don’t you think?

 

Ditto ...
PJ </font>[/QUOTE]So how do I mesh my Christian beliefs with political views when I don't trust ANY of the politicians?