The Social Gospel?

I would. I would prevent the guy from harming my family, but I would not seek to do the same as he intended to me.

I do not understand how your interpret "turn the other cheek" to mean "don't protect your family".

I don't interpret the passage that way. So we will disagree.


And protecting those in my responsibility does not mean becoming "of the World". If there was a case where the only way to protect my family was to become the World then I wouldn't. God is in control.


This is the key, BTW. The ONLY reason a Christian would become "the World", support a political party that is set against God, is a lack of faith in God.

That is what I see when I see professing Christians supporting a platform that vows to keep abortion on demand abortion choice for the people (the GOP), and that is what I see when we see professing Christians supporting a platform that views abortion as a right.

They do not have the faith to put on the armor of God and stand, so they toss aside that armor and pick up worldy political weapons, supporting evil to obtain whatever agenda they desire.

And they call this evil "good".

 

I disagree. Those are the same reason.

The Jews were expecting a messiah to lead a movement against a corrupt government and to establish a godly nation.

You have to remember Jesus was born not long after the Hasmonean period. The Jews sought a messiah along the lines of Yehudah HaMakabi. Their focus was an earthly kingdom to address the political powers of their age.

The concern was that this would cause the government to retaliate.

This would, as you point out, have the effect of stripping the Sadducees of power.

 

Oh....I'd be at peace. He'd be squirming on the ground, waiting for the cops, but I'd be at peace.

 

Yes, they do. Although you may interpret one differently, the remainder does.

We are commanded to avoid evil. We are commanded to not be "of the World". We are told we are to be a people separated from the World.

How do you justify supporting evil to achieve your political goals???

You have not provided even one verse to support being a part of secular politics. You claimed Jesus and His disciples resisted evil through politics, but you have yet to provide a passage.

God does work out everything for the good. That does not mean we should support evil - something you claimed Jesus did - for a greater good.


And no, it is not easy to try and be Christlike. It was MUCH easier when all I had to do was support a worldly power to do the work.


You have never justified supporting evil to accomplish economic and immigration agendas.

In principle, you have not even justified supporting evil at all, although you claim not to do so is also evil.


So you tell me - how do you justify compromising Christianity to support evil in order to get the things you want???

 

@Silverhair -

Better yet....which platform do you believe a Christian can support. Let's look at what we would be supporting first, so we know exactly how much our desired outcome will cost in terms of our faith.

Most professing Christians here would say the GOP (Trump this go round).

That would be supporting:

1. Same sex marriage (since 2016)
2. A dedication to representing LGBT conservatives and their interests (Trump's platform for a "more modern Republican Party"
3. Trump's vow to keep abortion on demand abortion choice for the people.


I believe those parts of Trump's platform are evil. Abortion is killing a baby. As Christians we should not represent LGBT interests, even if they are conservative.

Would you be willing to accept supporting those evils if the compromise gave you the economic and immigration policies you value?

Why or why not?

 

I agree. When we compromise our faith to change the world it is us, not the world, that changes.

I don't know the answer to your last question.

The problem is politics IS compromise. It has to be in the US because we have a government of the people.

Would it be right to legislate Christian values on a nation that is a Christian minority? That is what we are ultimately talking about.

And holding office means that you have to make compromises to get less of what you want.

The GOP did that with SSM. They realized that they needed the LGBT conservatives vote. They did that with abortion.

Politics is give and take, so you have to be willing to give (often on moral issues) to get some of what you want.

And you are a part of a party that supports evil.

So my answer is I couldn't hold office because that'd be too great a compromise.

But each of us will be held accountable for our actions and voice. So each of us have to make our own decision.

I can't support:

1. Same sex marriage
2. A dedication to representing LGBT conservatives and their interests
3. Trump's vow to keep abortion on demand abortion choice for the people.

So I will not vote. There is nothing good in the platform that woukd make me support those evils.

@Van has no problem supporting those evils for the possibility of the government partially funding private schools.

We each have to look at what we support and make up their own minds.

 

I didn't.

Do you not have political parties in Canada?

If you were to support a political party in Canada, which one?

If you were a US citizen, who'd get your support?

 

The charge of self-righteousness is often thrown at Christians who seek to resist sin in their lives and live a holy life. I fail at that goal, but you are correct that it is my goal. I don't mind if you view an aversion to sin as me being self-righteous. You'd certainly believe the same of Jesus' disciples.

I have not missed what Jesus did. You simply made up claims about Jesus and the Disciples and are trying to hide that fact. You provide mo passages that show Jesus even condemning the immorality of the government, much less trying to change it (and failing at the attempt).

It is not strange that I disagree with Chriatians alienating themselves from Christ to play God. I'd say the same of Christians entering a Muslim community and killing every man, woman, and child (something God commanded of Israel against a people).

God works out all things for the good. We don't. God does. And God doesn't do this by supporting evil, or be coming a part of that evil.


Your insistence that I should support abortion in order to use a political platform to work out for the good is not something I can entertain because I am not God and I have been commanded by God in Scripture to abstain from evil.

You prove my point by insisting we have the ability to raise up and tear down governments. This is an utter lack of faith in God. You resist obedience due to not trusting that God is in control of political powers.