10 Ways To Determine If Your Christianity Has Been “Americanized”

[Crabtownboy]

That is a good point, CTB. I wonder how that chart would look if it included a population and inflation graph for the same time period. The issue is, as you pointed out, complex. Technology (to include the cost of technology) also complicates things.

Yes, there are so many factors involved. I believe if the minimum wage were increased some sectors would suffer, others would benefit. Kind of like life, there is good, there is bad and often the unintended consequences slip up on us.

My own economic philosophy also comes into play (capitalism vs. socialism). I believe that historically, neither are completely sustainable in their purest forms in and of themselves.

I agree. Unbridled Capitalism results in very bad things happening to the workers; i.e. the Robber Baron era here in the States.

Pure socialism does not work well as it leaves no incentive for the worker to do better.

Communism is a disaster as central planning has been a disaster everywhere it has been tired.

There needs to be a healthy mix. I am not sure what that mix would look like.

 

[JohnDeereFan]

Looks like little Crabtownboy is still too much of a coward to answer my questions.

 

[OldRegular]

Believe I answered that. I guess you do not want any responsibility for helping those in need, the sick, the elderly, etc.

Nothing should be more important to you than following Jesus' teachings on how we are to treat others. That will show you have truly accepted and follow him. Do that and get all churches to do that and there will be no need for governmental programs.

Agree?

How do you treat the unborn child Mr. Crab?

 

[OldRegular]

Looks like little Crabtownboy is still too much of a coward to answer my questions.

Please! Don't hold your breath.

 

[JohnDeereFan]

Please! Don't hold your breath.

I'm not. I'm used to him running away when I call his bluff.

That's why you should never send a Crabtownboy to do a Crabtownman's job.

 

[OldRegular]

Rev. there you go again, misdirecting the subject of the OP. You are very good at this. How about examining the OP and determining if your beliefs have been Americanized.

Which do you value more, the teaching of Christ or your patriotic feelings?

Are you more concerned with killing Muslims or bringing the love of Christ to them?

Your beliefs have apparently been americanized since you rabidly support the "party of death", the leftist democrat party that celebrates the slaughter of the unborn child.

Every thread you start supports that "party of death"!

 

[OldRegular]

You paint with a broad brush and never approach the real topic. Which is more important to you, Christ or patriotism?

Which is more important to you, Christ or the "party of death"?

 

[OldRegular]

If all of us really took what Jesus said seriously about how we are to treat others, preached it and we all lived it there would be no need for government social programs. So, yes, we should be very focused on the gospel of Jesus and his teachings. If we all took his teachings seriously and lived them we were not be so worried about wealth and material things. There would be no need for such self-interested concerns.

And the leftist democrats give less to charity than Republicans and Conservatives. Then there is "good ole Joe":

Biden gave average of $369 to charity a year
WASHINGTON
By Matt Kelley, USA TODAY

Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden and his wife gave an average of $369 a year to charity during the past decade, his tax records show.

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's campaign today released 10 years' worth of tax returns for Biden, a senator from Delaware, and his wife Jill, a community college instructor. The Bidens reported earning $319,853 last year, including $71,000 in royalties for his memoir, Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics.

The Bidens reported giving $995 in charitable donations last year — about 0.3% of their income and the highest amount in the past decade. The low was $120 in 1999, about 0.1% of yearly income.

Over the decade, the Bidens reported a total of $3,690 in charitable donations, or 0.2% of their income.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=5791846&page=1

 

[JonC]

CTB, I also have to add that I am a manager in a service industry. Speaking of factors that influence how these things work, it dawned on me that we were speaking past each other to a degree when dealing with increased production. When we speak of increased labor costs I automatically equate it to an increased cost that has to be passed on. For a service company (which makes up, BTW, the majority of small businesses) increased production is not a factor. It takes an X amount of time to perform the service and an X amount of time to go to the next job. I don't know if you consider the difference significant, but I believe it is.

Thank you, BTW, for an interesting conversation. I typically avoid political/economic discussions but I've genuinely enjoyed this one (and learning your viewpoint).

 

[InTheLight]

Thanks for posting this Crabtownboy. It caused me serious introspection. I agree with almost all of it.

Amazing that your detractors have turned this thread into a debate on the minimum wage. I guess they couldn't handle addressing any other points in the article.

 

[JonC]

Thanks for posting this Crabtownboy. It caused me serious introspection. I agree with almost all of it.



Amazing that your detractors have turned this thread into a debate on the minimum wage. I guess they couldn't handle addressing any other points in the article.

Well, here is another point we can discuss. Contrary to the OP, the early church did not reject ownership of property.


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[InTheLight]

Well, here is another point we can discuss. Contrary to the OP, the early church did not reject ownership of property.


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True, true, but they did redistribute their wealth.

 

[Revmitchell]

True, true, but they did redistribute their wealth.

Uh no they did not. What they did do:

and they sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all, according as any man had need.

1. This only occurred with the church in Jerusalem. The reason it happened here and no where else is that these new Christians were not from Jerusalem. The were sojourners but had residence elsewhere so they put their funds together.

2. They did not demand that everyone submit to excessive taxes, collected by the government, in order to care for the poor all over Israel.

3. These funds were only used for other Christians who were part of their specific group. They were not used for:

A. Other Christians outside of their group.

B. Other people who were lost.

C. Anyone at all who were not part of those Christians who were saved at that time, place, and day.


People need to actually study their Bibles instead of looking for verses to support their political agenda. Anyway Dr. Youssef debunked the entire thing.

 

[InTheLight]

1. This only occurred with the church in Jerusalem.

We don't know that for sure.

3. These funds were only used for other Christians who were part of their specific group. They were not used for:

A. Other Christians outside of their group.

B. Other people who were lost.

C. Anyone at all who were not part of those Christians who were saved at that time, place, and day.

We don't know this either. The Bible says:

Acts 4:29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.
33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all
34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales
35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.

They went out and spoke of the resurrection and did signs. Were they talking ONLY to believers? Of course not.

 

[Revmitchell]

We don't know that for sure.

Ok well you left off the rest of that which makes the case so yea we do know.

We don't know this either. The Bible says:

Acts 4:29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.
33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all
34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales
35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.

Ok now you are talking about two different groups of people and two different instances. There is no indication these are related or connected.

They went out and spoke of the resurrection and did signs. Were they talking ONLY to believers? Of course not.

Comparing apples and refrigerators here. The gospel was intended to go out to all. The personal funds of those sojourning believers were not.

 

[InTheLight]

Comparing apples and refrigerators here. The gospel was intended to go out to all. The personal funds of those sojourning believers were not.

Where do you suppose they got the funding to "go out and preach the gospel to all people?"

 

[Revmitchell]

Where do you suppose they got the funding to "go out and preach the gospel to all people?"

I'm sorry how is that relevant?

 

[InTheLight]

I'm sorry how is that relevant?

Previously, on Baptist Board:

3. These funds were only used for other Christians who were part of their specific group. They were not used for:

B. Other people who were lost.

 

[Revmitchell]

Previously, on Baptist Board:

OK? Still not seeing the relevance.

 

[OldRegular]

Where do you suppose they got the funding to "go out and preach the gospel to all people?"

Paul made tents!