In the wake of John McCain’s loss and the continuing furor and speculation regarding the future prospects of Sarah Palin, it is natural that virtually every reporter on earth is asking her the same question: Does she plan to run in 2012? Palin’s response has been pretty much what you would expect from any person with more than a passing familiarity with the notion of faith in God: I don’t know what the future holds for me, so we’ll have to see what doors God opens and shuts in my path.
Get a load of how the media interprets this eminently common sentiment from a person of faith.
AFP: Palin wants God to show her way to White House.
Ladies and gentlemen, yet more evidence that the average member of the mainstream media has never actually been to church (apart from maybe Christmas or the odd Easter) in their lives. It is not that they are merely irreligious, it is further that they have no understanding whatsoever of how religious people think and believe. This same kind of “those religious people might be aliens” thinking led the media to wildly misreport the significance of Palin’s prayer for the troops at her church in Wasilla as some sort of bizarre belief that the troops were on a modern day version of the Crusades.
So here’s a free tip for the media that will aid their understanding in a way that’s much easier than actually going to church somewhere and trying to understand the bizarre things going on around you: when someone prays that God will show them the way, or that God will bless what they are doing, they are not in fact expressing a belief that God has already decided to bless a particular course of action, or that God whispered in their ear to tell them what to do next. In fact, they are more or less doing the exact opposite. I know this is counterintuitive to your way of thinking, but people who walk around thinking the cartoonish beliefs you’re trying to pin on Sarah Palin don’t feel the need to pray for God to open doors for them. Chew it over for a little and see how it tastes.
Until then, by all means keep reporting on common statements of faith and humility as if they were bizarre expressions of hubris. It makes your lack of seriousness and understanding easier to spot.
Dan McLaughlin
Moe Lane
Neil Stevens
Steve Maley
Christians in the Mist
E Pluribus Unum (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 11:23AM EST (link)They’ve sent explorers in there before. Same results. ‘We don’t get it’.
Kill the Terrorists
Protect the Borders
Punch the Hippies h/t IMAO
Actually, they do get it.
Jaguilar Tuesday, November 11th at 11:30AM EST (link)We’re just uneducated.
Semper Ubi Sub Ubi
you're right, the USA has many cultures, all very different from each other
Fotones_de_Akba Tuesday, November 11th at 11:36AM EST (link)It would be great if two people like Obama and Palin could sit opposite each other and just talk for an hour about their personal experiences, ranging from the religious to the secular.
But it’s never going to happen in this day and age since media sound bites would distort everything they said.
As a result, we all know only half-truths about each other — and mistrust and then paranoia creeps in. It’s unfortunate.
yep
EastCoastObserver Tuesday, November 11th at 11:53AM EST (link)true. The paranoid ends of each party like to always take the worst case scenario in regards to the motives of the other side. Just watch Countdown and Hannity’s America back to back.
I pray God will open doors for Sara Palin
Janice Cantore Tuesday, November 11th at 12:06PM EST (link)It’s always been obvious the media does not get religion, remember when Bill Clinton cheerfully edited Bible verses to suit himself and they all ooed and awed. And more recently, that whole bit of nonsense that went on for a month about Palin the Governor and Obama the community organizer (Pilate and Jesus) was to me a spotlight on the media’s religious ignorance, and that of all the left celebutards.
I watched the Palin interview and was impressed. But when she mentioned praying for God to open doors, I knew the religious bigots would be out in force. But God Bless her for being forthright, honest, and unafraid.
Janice Cantore
I guess "values voters" don't exist anymore.
scottbomb (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 12:17PM EST (link)They were notably absent on Nov. 4.
Hopefully between Obama’s ignoring them and the press ridiculing them, maybe they’ll wake up in time of 2010 and 2012.
www.HowObamaGotElected.com
“The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism. But, under the name of ‘liberalism’, they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened.” – Norman Thomas, U.S. Socialist Party presidential candidate 1940, 1944 and 1948
Oh please (nt)
Neil Stevens (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 12:18PM EST (link)RS contributing editor, technical administrator, and “a hardy variety of crabgrass.”
Read the RedState Posting Rules
Unlikely Voter: Poll Analysis, Election Projection.
“I rejoice that America has resisted.” – William Pitt, the Elder
And it's funny that the folks promoting...
Bill S (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 12:24PM EST (link)“moderate-ness” don’t seem to get that.
You’re right – hopefully the alarm clock goes off in the next 18 months or so.
“It’s such a fine line between stupid, and clever.” – David St. Hubbins
wait a minute - you're one of *them*, aren't you?
E Pluribus Unum (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 12:27PM EST (link);o)
Kill the Terrorists
Protect the Borders
Punch the Hippies h/t IMAO
The value voters didn't have representation on the top of the ticket...
Attack Mode (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 12:31PM EST (link)McCain didn’t convince them that he too held certain values as infinites truths not to be compromised.
Palin got a lot of them to suck it up and pull the lever for McCain but it just wasn’t enough. McCain can only blame his own duplicitous nature as a Bipartisan Senator for his failure to be elected the 44th president of the United States.
“Land of the Free and Home of da Whopper” Peter Griffin…Family Guy
conform and celebrate diversity….or else!!!
Steel-Belted Radial Right Winger
“I’ll create 5 million jobs from out of unicorn farts and pixie dust” Justatron paraphrasing Obamessiah…yes I love it that much.
Next it'll be assult forces
Erick Brockway (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 1:25PM EST (link)Reporters rappelling down the steeple, Andrea Mitchell in a flak vest and Kevlar.
“Did God tell you you would lose? How does that make you feel?”
And they wonder why we not only don’t trust the media…
Note to lefties;
“Don’t be afraid to see what you see.” -Ronald Reagan
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Obama and Sarah in a room together?
janis (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 1:35PM EST (link)There are only two scenarios I can agree to here:
Steel cage death match. Two go in, Sarah comes out.
The day that President-elect Palin shows up at the Oval Office to start the transition from and Obama Administration to hers.
File This One In Classic Headlines
Skanderbeg (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 1:53PM EST (link)“Palin wants God to show her way to White House.”
That will be in the silly headline files, along with:
“Fog in Channel – Continent Cut Off”
and
“Eighth Army Push Bottles Up Germans”
Probably the same guy writing all of them….
Very funny, you're right, Sarah Palin would probably win
Fotones_de_Akba Tuesday, November 11th at 1:56PM EST (link)But on a serious note, don’t you think that there is too much angry debate and not enough casual dialogue between Democrats + Republicans ?
[By nature I am a peaceful person and it frustrates me to see anger disguise itself as politics and entertainment -- and I'm talking about pop culture in general, from (some) rap musicians to (some) evangelicals.]
Cage wrestling is a different story. That’s anger as a high art form. ^^
Anyone catch how they added the Google map
Michael Dugas (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 2:00PM EST (link)Anyone catch how they added the Google map
showing Washington D.C. So either they don’t need God to show them the way because they have Google or…..well I think they just don’t need God. At least
not until they are facing death and they reach out for him like a drowning man for a rope.
Intro to Federalist Papers; section 5;
paragraph 4.
“…dangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious mask of zeal for the rights of the people than under the zeal for a firm and efficient government.”
Remember: A Citizen on the dole is a Liberal Vote at the Polls.
END ENTITLEMENTS!
Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum !
It's funny but predictable
Hermes (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 2:03PM EST (link)The NY Times article that you linked to pretty much explains the attitude of the MSM for the next four years. If you oppose Obama, you must be racist, inbred, bible-beating crackers. Of course his actual policies have nothing to do with opposition to him. Perish the thought.
Additionally, the author has obviously never been to Lamar County, Mississippi, which is described as a “border county.” It is not a border county; rather, it is quite centrally located with the major city, Hattiesburg, almost in the dead middle of south central mississippi. For those thinking of retiring to the South in the near future, you may want to look at Hattiesburg. It’s a quiet college town with cost of living well below the national average and a thriving retiree population. Sorry for the shameless plug.
I would say their is not enough angry debate...
Attack Mode (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 2:09PM EST (link)After all if the debate is cordial then no one is really taking it seriously, or the don’t have principles and are just compromising for the sake of comity. I say screw that, you don’t effect change by exchanging pleasantries.
“Land of the Free and Home of da Whopper” Peter Griffin…Family Guy
conform and celebrate diversity….or else!!!
Steel-Belted Radial Right Winger
“I’ll create 5 million jobs from out of unicorn farts and pixie dust” Justatron paraphrasing Obamessiah…yes I love it that much.
What do you think about Obama going to the Saddleback Forum?
leftylurker (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 2:11PM EST (link)I thought that was courageous.
I went to a seriously fundamentalist christian school as a kid, and it took me a decade to find my faith again after that experience.
I think that however you express your faith is your business, but I also understand that some people may find certain aspects of spiritual warfare and pentacostalism a little hard to relate to.
Depends on which Dems you are talking about, Fotones.
janis (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 2:13PM EST (link)We had some great conversations with the Dems who supported Hillary and later switched to McCain. As to the really liberal ones who are just hunky-dory with the plans that Obama has for this country, there is no such thing as casual conversation. Our beliefs are in such direct opposition with theirs that there is no mutual ground for agreement.
What do you propose casual talking points to be between the two parties?
I don't think it was courageous, I think it was just his
janis (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 2:27PM EST (link)absolute arrogance about his abilities that led him there. His performance was abysmal.
Courageous....
From ME to You (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 2:29PM EST (link)is what the guys landing on the beaches of Normandy were on D-Day.
Lying through his teeth while at Saddleback, is just normal for BHO.
“leftylurker” your definition of courage is woefully inadequate. At no time did ‘The One™’ ever put his life in danger to protect or defend someone else’s. The only butt he’ll ever try to save is his own.
It’s unfortunate that the country will have to suffer so much destruction to learn of the mistake the voters made in electing him.
Confused, or are you being disingenous here?
civil truth (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 2:40PM EST (link)1) Obama going to a political forum at Saddleback hardly qualifies as an act of courage for a candidate who professes a Christian faith. Rick Warren tends to be more associated with the Evangelical left that the right, especially with regards to social justice and environmental issues. He’s not a polemicist.
If courage means going to a session hosted by a pro-life pastor and flubbing your position because you weren’t prepared, then you’re reading from a very different dictionary than mine.
2) Sarah left the Assemblies of God church several years ago and is now a member in good standing at Wasilla Bible Church. To hang around her neck the teachings of her former church is rather dishonest, especially if you’re going to try to argue that it’s off-limits to connect with Obama the theology and practices of Rev. Wright’s church – where Obama is still a member in good standing and has been for 20 years.
3) I’m sorry that you had a bad experience with your church in your childhood, but part of being an adult is to stop replaying those childhood tapes again and again. Whether or not you choose to embrace the Christian faith, you at least need to take an adult look at what mainstream Evangelicalism is proclaiming and not just reduce it to caricature rooted in childhood stereotypes.
The greatest evil…is conceived and ordered (moved, seconded, carried, and minuted) in clean, carpeted, warmed, and well-lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voice. Hence, naturally enough, my symbol for Hell is something like the bureaucracy of a police state or the offices of a thoroughly nasty business concern. -C.S. Lewis
http://www.gmsplace.com/
Merely going there was courageous?
Jeff Weimer (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 2:49PM EST (link)Hmm, maybe. But let’s not define courage down – especially in contrast to his opponent at that time. It was by no means a hostile forum, the reverend designed it to be as informal and relaxed as possible. It also wasn’t going into enemy territory – he’s professed Protestant through Church of Christ and Trinity United for at least 20 years. Saddleback is Southern Baptist, another Protestant sect, as is Pentecostalism. they all have varying degrees of fundamentalism, or literal interpretation of the Bible. But the questions were non-denominational.
Didn’t make his answers any better to the questions, which were direct and plain. This by far was Obama’s worst performance in a debate or debate-like format. The numbers began to converge immediately after that when we saw his intellectual weaknesses (i.e. “above my paygrade”). They only returned after the bailout crisis.
After all, he was interviewing to represent everyone and these concerns as expressed in the questions are quite valid for more than just the “religious right”. They speak to fundamental philosophy and not policy positions – which can change, and sadly already HAVE withing a week of his election.
And please don’t throw Pentecostalism under the bus. I’m Catholic married to a Pentecostal and they are, in the main, rather conventional (if more literal in their Bible interpretation than I) Protestant about their worship. Not all “speak in tongues”. They’re members of the Church of God and Assemblies of God, for instance. You’ll find them everywhere and they’re not controversial in the least.
Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices.
-Voltaire
I want to be very clear
leftylurker (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 2:56PM EST (link)That I in absolutely no way want to throw anyone’s religion under the bus, because I think that’s an intensely personal choice.
As for the comment regarding my childhood experiences, well, it’s a good point, and one i’ve been talking with God about a lot. I have my walk to walk…
Fair points on courage, the word could have been better chosen. But I would still say that Obama has shown a lot more willingness than a lot of Democratic leaders to engage people of faith. I may disagree with his, but I do respect him for trying.
Casual does not mean unprincipled.
Fotones_de_Akba Tuesday, November 11th at 3:01PM EST (link)And dialogue does not mean that there will be agreement. To me it means an exchange of ideas, and even more importantly, a spontaneous expression of all the psychological nuances that are behind the ideas.
Sorry, I’m a novelist. To me the small “anecodotal” details about characters are often as important as the “big” ideas.
Also I’m now over 50 (and am a parent of teenagers) so I know that there can be sharp political and temperamental differences even within families.
In fact, you can be a Moslem family where cousins don’t get along because one is a “Palin” (strict interpretation of the Koran) and another is an “Obama” (liberal Westernizing ideals).
Anyway, no battle is won in a single conversation. And sometimes if a conversation is both relaxed and substantive, everybody can emerge wiser and friendlier.
I’m glad to have had this chance to put forward a few of my ideas. I guess I see politics in a democracy as one long conversation. And that’s how the U.S. Constitution evolved. It wasn’t writ by God.
See ya, got to run lots of errands and cook dinner now.
C'mon, leftylurker, he knew that he would have
janis (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 3:05PM EST (link)to tackle this subject if he was going to get enough moderate to conservative Dems to support him. I don’t think many of us believe that he is a devout Christian after hearing some of the sermons that were preached in Trinity by the likes of Jeremiah Wright.
His use of religion is purely for political gain, nothing more.
"Spiritual warfare and pentecostalism"
Leon H. Wolf (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 3:05PM EST (link)I would like for you to illuminate me on how Palin’s comments had anything to do with either of these concepts.
————
We can’t stop here. This is bat country.
I'm not saying that they did or did not
leftylurker (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 3:14PM EST (link)I am saying that there is a narrative in the media, which may be false, that associates her with them.
Again, I’m not making a value judgment here, I’m just saying that it’s different from a lot of people’s experiences.
Fair point about engagement
Jeff Weimer (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 3:17PM EST (link)But he could hardly have refused without possibly WORSE backlash.
Good luck to you with your faith. I look at it this way – A lot of it is a matter of semantics, and that includes (to a point) Muslims and Jews. We believe in the same God (but not necessarily the Savior or Prophet), read the same Bible (where we differ with Jews some and Muslims largely), and believe the same Larger Truths (at a very basic level). We just go about it differently and that, frankly, is all in the margins. Don’t let the semantics get in the way of a Loving God.
Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices.
-Voltaire
Who hires the journalist?
mom2oneson (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 3:19PM EST (link)Like where do they find them? Most people I know even if they aren’t church goers at least have some church experience growing up and wouldn’t think twice about a statement like that, nevermind try to paint it like she is psychotic. It’s only the real haters who could possibly twist something like that.
talking points
Fotones_de_Akba Tuesday, November 11th at 3:20PM EST (link)Sorry Janis, I didn’t answer your question.
A relaxed Palin/Obama conversation is obviously just a total fantasy on my part.
I imagine them 5 years ago at a kid’s hockey or soccer game, talking like unfamous parents do — about how they grew up, their kids’ schools, the war in Iraq, which church they go to or don’t go to, whatever.
Unfortunately, politicians in 2008 have to be verbal robots. If you are not, you don’t get elected.
Your theology is completely messed up! n/t
Vaughn Harold (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 3:22PM EST (link)Any person that proposes policies that are anti-Christ is not a Christian! n/t
Vaughn Harold (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 3:24PM EST (link)interesting info about Palin switching churches
Fotones_de_Akba Tuesday, November 11th at 3:25PM EST (link)thank you
LeftyLurker...here is my problem with people like you...
Attack Mode (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 3:26PM EST (link)You are gutless!! You have no firm foundation in anything other than multiplicity. And you call you dissent courageous. Courage is taking a principled stand and sticking to it no matter the popularity.
Heck you don’t even realize that the foundation provided to you in your childhood was precisely what drew you back to your faith. People like you don’t look beyond yourselves long enough to see the truth and then run around telling everyone how selfish they are.
Seriously…get a clue.
“Land of the Free and Home of da Whopper” Peter Griffin…Family Guy
conform and celebrate diversity….or else!!!
Steel-Belted Radial Right Winger
“I’ll create 5 million jobs from out of unicorn farts and pixie dust” Justatron paraphrasing Obamessiah…yes I love it that much.
I'll through all religions under the bus, including Christian religion.
Vaughn Harold (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 3:31PM EST (link)Real Christianity is not a religion; it is a relationship with our Creator through His Son Jesus Christ.
Granted there are those who wish to make Christianity into a religion, but Paul, the apostle, had great disdain and pronounced a curse upon such individuals that would lead others in such a way. Christ did not die to start another religion; he died to reconcile God with sinful man.
Aaron, you know so little about me, yet you judge so fast
leftylurker (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 3:31PM EST (link)The only truth I know is my own, and I stand for it. Whether it’s popular or not is not the issue.
I’m willing to learn though, and I’m willing to have my mind changed.
It’s not courageous to die on the ramparts for the wrong idea. It’s just stupid.
And as for my faith, the thing that was most lacking from my Christian education was love. And forgiveness.
I think a lot Christians should spend some time reading and praying on Matthew 5.
Lefty...I know you by what you write...
Attack Mode (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 3:39PM EST (link)or to say it another way, I know you by your fruit.
Regardless of whether your teachers showed you love or not they planted the seed of your faith which could be seen as one of the most loving acts anyone can do. Maybe you should read about forgiveness and stop blaming them.
“Land of the Free and Home of da Whopper” Peter Griffin…Family Guy
conform and celebrate diversity….or else!!!
Steel-Belted Radial Right Winger
“I’ll create 5 million jobs from out of unicorn farts and pixie dust” Justatron paraphrasing Obamessiah…yes I love it that much.
Again, a willingness to learn is no weakness
leftylurker (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 3:44PM EST (link)I learned a dead and empty faith.
I called out to God many years later and I found a living and powerful one.
I forgive the people who taught me for what they did to me. But I do not forgive them for what they continue to do to others.
People who use Jesus’ name to teach hate and intolerance are tombs: whitewashed on the outside and filled with rot within.
Lefty
Attack Mode (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 3:49PM EST (link)People who spout “media narratives” that they know to be incorrect are purposefully bearing false witness on their brethren.
Don’t preach to me while that beam is glaring at me coming out of your eye.
“Land of the Free and Home of da Whopper” Peter Griffin…Family Guy
conform and celebrate diversity….or else!!!
Steel-Belted Radial Right Winger
“I’ll create 5 million jobs from out of unicorn farts and pixie dust” Justatron paraphrasing Obamessiah…yes I love it that much.
Could you be more specific about this:
Vaughn Harold (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 3:52PM EST (link)“teach hate and intolerance”?
If I apologize for that misunderstanding
leftylurker (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 3:57PM EST (link)Will you address the points I intended to convey?
Because I do apologize if I was seen to be perpetrating falsehood against Governor Palin.
I intended to say that a lot of people don’t understand certain aspects of Christianity. And that causes problems for both sides.
I stand by the point that a lot of Christians, particularly political Christians, have done themselves no credit by changing their focus from the love, forgiveness, hope, and redemption in the New Testament to a focus on worldly affairs.
What Lefty said would describe Reverand Wright pretty accurately.
nogyro35 (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 4:03PM EST (link)That was just what popped into my mind when he was describing a Church of “hate and intolerance”.
Lefty, if you believe what you wrote in response to Aaron, then how can you possibly
janis (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 4:04PM EST (link)believe that Obama sat in that hate-filled church in Chicago for TWENTY YEARS listening to the most vile and hateful ranting in Jesus’ name and was untouched by it?
In your own words, Jeremiah Wright is one of those tombs and Obama is his student–so what does that make Obama? Seriously stupid, at least partially deaf, or just plain lying when he said he didn’t hear Wright’s profane ranting?
Obama also said that he believed that there were many paths to heaven, that Jesus was not the only way. That is not any Christian belief that I ever heard, it is just multi-culti feel good nonsense.
Okay Harold
Jeff Weimer (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 4:05PM EST (link)My explanation was rather disjointed. It more specifically describes my view on all sects of Christianity, including Catholicism. It is a matter of semantics – Catholics call it the Eucharist, many Protestants call it the Lord’s Supper. Catholics have a Homily, Protestants a sermon. Not all Protestants mind you – I went to an Anglican Service and was hard pressed to see where it differed from a Catholic service, for example. But it is a matter of how rather than what. It in no way changes our relationship with the Creator.
I include somewhat Jewish and Muslims because we trace our faiths from Abraham. Our faith descended through Judaism, and we believe as they do that Abraham was to sacrifice Issac, and the Muslims believe Isaac was “unbound” and Ishmael put in his place. If all three monotheistic religions trace themselves back to Abraham, then it stands to reason we believe in the same God of Abraham. Alternately, we believe the Savior has come, while Jewish and Muslim don’t. Jews are still waiting, and Muslims don’t seem to care(we’ll talk about Sunni and Shi’ite later). I’m also not apologizing for the horrendous treatment Muslims give “kafirs”, despite us being “of the book”.
I, as a Catholic, take a less strictly fundamentalist view of the bible, although we do have a hierarchy that tells us how to interpret it. For instance, I don’t think Evolution and Genesis are mutually exclusive. The first tells us how we came to be and the second tells us why. Or look at it this way, there is fact and there is truth.
Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices.
-Voltaire
Lefty
Attack Mode (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 4:09PM EST (link)I understand what you are saying on those points but something that you need to remember is that we cannot re-create heaven on earth either. Christ did not abolish the law he fulfilled the law.
Here on earth we must try to still follow the law, especially when it comes to politics because we cannot redeem anyone. If we try to apply the concepts that Jesus taught to our government what we end up doing is creating a false savior and a false salvation.
This is precisely what happened with Pres Wilson and FDR’s New Deal and LBJ’s great society, and all of those were complete failures and led to more freedoms lost rather than more freedom gained.
“Land of the Free and Home of da Whopper” Peter Griffin…Family Guy
conform and celebrate diversity….or else!!!
Steel-Belted Radial Right Winger
“I’ll create 5 million jobs from out of unicorn farts and pixie dust” Justatron paraphrasing Obamessiah…yes I love it that much.
Thanks for the clarification, but since Christ
Vaughn Harold (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 4:22PM EST (link)has come we no longer believe in the same God. The personal rejection of Christ(God in the flesh) is a personal rejection of the God of Abraham. This is the sad state of affairs for Jews & Muslims who choose to reject Christ as the promised seed of Abraham.
Christ should have briefed his brother a little better on this point.
Leon H. Wolf (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 5:20PM EST (link)He allowed the poor man to make a fool of himself in James 1:27.
I also was apparently confused about the meaning of Ephesians 5:22-33, but thanks for clearing up the fact that Paul was apparently cursing those who try to get people to follow any sort of religion, church-y thing instead of just having a personal relationship with Christ. It seemed, at first glance, that he was saying more or less the exact opposite, but I’m glad you were around to disabuse me of the notion.
————
We can’t stop here. This is bat country.
Maybe, maybe not.
itsonlywords (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 5:40PM EST (link)Where I live, conservatives are so outnumbered that I think I know and understand liberals quite well. Many of my friends are liberal, often flamingly so. It would be difficult to go through a day without encountering liberals, liberal media, liberal bias, liberal everything. On the other hand, liberals can probably go weeks without encountering a conservative.
Tu ne cede malis sed contra audientor ito. ~Virgil
Do not give in to evil, but proceed evermore boldly against it.
True
Jeff Weimer (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 5:46PM EST (link)but we must not reject them, as we are all still the children of God – God did not change, our relationship to him did. We must embrace them and show them the way.
Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices.
-Voltaire
not at all coincidental...
JLenardDetroit (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 5:53PM EST (link)… that is how our enemies wish to spin any US action anywhere. What does Al-Qaeda need Al-Jazeera for? It has the US MSM.
Regards from NoMoTown (the MOTORlessCITY)
“Liberals, looking to do for? America what they’ve done for? Detroit! which is DESTROY IT!”
“I think, therefore I am Conservative”
“Conservative by choice, Republican by necessity”
“You can lead a Liberal to the Truth/Facts, but you cannot make them THINK!”
“Romney [No, not my first choice] does NOT have a MORMON problem. He has a, far too many Americans; these days; are MORONS problem!”
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Heil “O” Hell No Obamao is NOT MY PRESIDENT! “No U won’t”
I want “O” to FAIL (here, here, & whole Diary (Ofail) here, is why)
“The first Liberal was Satan” – a Rush caller (other Quotes)
pretty convenient
streiff (Diary) Tuesday, November 11th at 7:50PM EST (link)but if you think the Beatitudes are somehow more important than the other stuff in there about obey the Decalogue, etc. you’re not in a religion you’re in a self-help program.
“What keeps me here is the reek of beer, the ladies and the craic”
Religion is a system of works and is dead apart from a living faith.
Vaughn Harold (Diary) Wednesday, November 12th at 8:02AM EST (link)Living faith is only developed through a personal relationship with Christ (the way), the Word of God (the truth), and the Holy Spirit (the life). James & Paul both point this out emphatically.
To many Christians are doing the Christian church-thingy, and I would add not keeping themselves unspotted from the world, apart from a real relationship with Christ, and it is destroying our testimony to the world.
Living faith leads to a seperated holy life that serves others for the glory of God.
If you mean that our relationship to him is one
Vaughn Harold (Diary) Wednesday, November 12th at 8:12AM EST (link)of enmity apart from accepting Christ alone, no other way, as ones personal savior, then I agree.
Wow! I sent this to one of my non church-going Christian friends
QueenOfCups (Diary) Wednesday, November 12th at 8:45AM EST (link)And his response was “good, they need to keep this up, maybe those churchy types will re-examine their faith” I was a bit taken aback by his response, but I understood what he meant. I am not a church goer, but I don’t want to pass judgment on people who do feel comfortable with it. Does anyone ever wonder why there is such a swing against Christianity? For a long time, I did not want to say I was a Christian, and it wasn’t because of Christ, but because of the behavior of some of my fellow church Christians.
There’s a very interesting website called Letters from Leavers started by two seminary students wanting to know why people leave their church. They were interested to know if they went on to another church, home churched, gave up Christianity, or what.
I read all of the letters and the vast majority of them simply developed a deeper relationship with God, and chose not to go back.
I am one of those who searched relentlessly for a church and then I realized I cannot go to church, I am the church.
I thought this thread was about the Lansing incident
QueenOfCups (Diary) Wednesday, November 12th at 8:54AM EST (link)I apologize for the confusion.
I saw a comment on the side column that caught my eye and was looking to respond to that one without seeing the topic of the diary.
My bad.
I appreciated your comment, and think that it
Vaughn Harold (Diary) Wednesday, November 12th at 9:06AM EST (link)was perfect within the context of this thread. The writer of the diary hasn’t expressed any concerns over the specific discussion in this thread.
I go to a church that is practically dead, but I am more motivated now more than ever to get myself right & to help this local church to get moving in the right direction.
The original church was much like you an your friend. Just fellow believers getting together to talk about what the Lord has done, and what He has taught them in His word.
Harold - you cannot breeathe life into the dead
QueenOfCups (Diary) Wednesday, November 12th at 9:14AM EST (link)People can only walk in the light they are given. And one cannot live on a borrowed revelation. You will end up getting stoned like all the other prophets before you!
God is calling some people out of Babylon and into the wilderness to live on the manna he provides.
Some people need the church system, but there is no doubt in my mind that God is breaking it, because it is spiritual Babylon – some more so than others. I am not judging it, I just know that I am not to partake of it.
You really should go and read the letters from people on Letters from Leavers.
You are correct I can't, but the Holy Spirit can.
Vaughn Harold (Diary) Wednesday, November 12th at 9:28AM EST (link)Faith can move mountains, and this is a mountain I believe can be taken back. There are some really good people who just need an injection of real life to flow through their veins once again. If I fealt it was hopeless, trust me, I would move on for the sake of my children.
I definately will go to your link and read some of the letters they sound encouraging.
Absolutely, BUT remember faith is a gift from God
QueenOfCups (Diary) Wednesday, November 12th at 12:41PM EST (link)Not a do it yourself project.
You do not conjure your own faith – God gives it to you for His purpose. As Christians, we think we know what His purpose is, instead of waiting for it to be revealed.
That is the mess Christianity finds itself in today. Many of our works are works of the flesh and not of the spirit.