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Evangelicals least likely to support politicians & policies that reflect Jesus' msg.

righteousdude2

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
He's Baaaaaack!

Geologists said that the recent earthquake in Japan shifted our earth's magnetic poles by a few degrees, which I thought was the core reason behind your disappearance.

However, I guess the quake didn't shift things enough, because now you're back posting from your favorite source of reading material.
Actually, thanks for the post, as it has brought out a ton of great comments. :thumbsup:

In all seriousness, welcome back. I missed your sardonic wit, and invasive personality. :thumbs:

Shalom,

Pastor Paul
 

JohnDeereFan

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
billwald said:
Question demonstrates ignorance of the Constitution.

Funny, since I taught American Government at both the high school and college levels for several years.

It is mostly (except for maybe post office, navy, and roads) written as negative statements about what the government CAN'T do. So where does the Constitution deny a governmental interest in health care?

OK. There's a phrase you're going to learn when you go to big boy school called "enumerated powers". Maybe your mom and dad will help you Google it.

What enumerated powers means is that the government can only do those things the Constitution tells it that it can do. The government doesn't have to be prohibited (that's a big word that means somebody is trying to stop them) from doing something because simply the fact that they aren't given permission to do something means they can't do it.

Also, ask your mom and dad to look at Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution with you and help you pick out the "negative" words about "what government can't do". Then come back and tell us which words you found that make it "negative".
 

JohnDeereFan

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Exactly. To be clear, it is the Federal government that is denied an interest in health care. The states may implement policy if they choose.

Right. There's that concept of enumerated powers that little Billy doesn't understand. If it's not listed in I/8, then it's the responsibility of the states.

That's why it was legal (albeit a disaster) for Massachusetts to pass a socialized healthcare law, but not legal for the federal government to do it.
 

rbell

Active Member
Inthelight...name one government program--just one--that cost less performed better than advertised.

*crickets*
 

InTheLight

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Inthelight...name one government program--just one--that cost less performed better than advertised.

*crickets*

The construction of the MetroDome in downtown Minneapolis.

More recently several projects in Obama's Economic Recovery Act are coming in under budget.

Here is something you don't read about too often: federal projects coming in under budget. A lot under.

Of the $5.5 billion worth of Recovery Act projects that the General Services Administration has managed, it estimates it will deliver them at $565 million under their projected costs.

The chief reason is the down economy. As demand for construction plummeted in the last three years, companies are bidding more aggressively and at lower prices to secure work.

http://www.federaltimes.com/article/20110123/FACILITIES02/101230306/1001
 
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JohnDeereFan

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
The construction of the MetroDome in downtown Minneapolis.

More recently several projects in Obama's Economic Recovery Act are coming in under budget.

Here is something you don't read about too often: federal projects coming in under budget. A lot under.

Of the $5.5 billion worth of Recovery Act projects that the General Services Administration has managed, it estimates it will deliver them at $565 million under their projected costs.


Seriously???

That's like your wife coming to you and saying, "Honey, I stole $100 out of your wallet to buy a new dress, but when I got to the store, it was marked down to $75!...Oh, and by the way, I'm keeping the $25 I saved."

The chief reason is the down economy. As demand for construction plummeted in the last three years, companies are bidding more aggressively and at lower prices to secure work.
[/quote]

So then, you're talking about private contractors, not the government. Hence, your claims are invalid.
 

Sonjeo

New Member
What we have here are a number of people veering from the topic of the thread into subjects about majority rule, demonization, republic vs democracy, you name it but it is no surprise when the alternative is to face up to the positions outlined in the thread article meaning facing up to the immorality of those ideological positions vs God's love for people. They have chosen evasion but that is understandable. Let's check the heart of the article again:

"Jesus unambiguously preached mercy and forgiveness. These are supposed to be cardinal virtues of the Christian faith. And yet Evangelicals are the most supportive of the death penalty, draconian sentencing, punitive punishment over rehabilitation, and the governmental use of torture. Jesus exhorted humans to be loving, peaceful, and non-violent. And yet Evangelicals are the group of Americans most supportive of easy-access weaponry, little-to-no regulation of handgun and semi-automatic gun ownership, not to mention the violent military invasion of various countries around the world. Jesus was very clear that the pursuit of wealth was inimical to the Kingdom of God, that the rich are to be condemned, and that to be a follower of Him means to give one's money to the poor. And yet Evangelicals are the most supportive of corporate greed and capitalistic excess, and they are the most opposed to institutional help for the nation's poor -- especially poor children. They despise food stamp programs, subsidies for schools, hospitals, job training -- anything that might dare to help out those in need. Even though helping out those in need was exactly what Jesus urged humans to do. In short, Evangelicals are that segment of America which is the most pro-militaristic, pro-gun, and pro-corporate, while simultaneously claiming to be most ardent lovers of the Prince of Peace."

Yes the fact these words from this article can be articulated as they are is clearly a shame and a detriment to the witness of Christianity and a slap in the face of the character of Jesus's teachings. And yes, it is also a disgrace before the kingdom of God that those calling themselves Christians would, in the name of their political ideology, so virulantly oppose desperate needed healthcare help for American families. And brothers and sisters, in the one nation with the most checks and balances the world has ever seen.

Surely if a way can be found for Obamacare to be accepted constitutionally, Christians above all people, should be pushing for that constitutionality, not straining at a knat to oppose it just as the pharisees strained at a knat to catch Jesus in violation of sabbath and other laws when he tried to help people. If court precedent can be found to make a way for the extention of God's love into the life of this land then shouldn't it be embraced? However some here want to adhere to strict interpretation of the law of this land as if it was God's infallible word and that speaks volumes itself.

This repulsion to the the new healthcare law is just more evidence that some Christians are under bondage to a fearful and false anti-government political ideology. It is such a strong bondage that even when seeing many families losing their homes, their quality and dignity of life and then even their lives because of lack of healthcare these Christians still will not relent from the cult-like power of the false ideology, an ideology that has been elevated to the level of God where the pursuit of money has been inshrined with the pursuit of God where there can be no question of fallability.

This excerpt from the article is most telling:

"In the 1950s, the anti-Social Gospel message piggybacked the rhetoric of anti-communism, which slashed and burned its way through the Old South and onward through the Sunbelt, turning liberal churches into vacant lots along the way. It was here that the spirit and the body collided, leaving us with a prototypical Christian nationalist, hell-bent on prosperity. Charity was thus rebranded as collectivism and self-denial gave way to the gospel of accumulation."

Boy did self-denial give way. Now we have far too much of the church of me,me,bless me lord and how can i make more money. We need a lot more of denying our selves to bless God and giving our lives in honor and worship to Him.

I do not know the motives of the author of this article but frankly I view the article as, not a condemnation of Christians, but an admonition and opportunity to call Christians to come out of their fear and ignorance. A call to Christians to return to their courageous stands on issues, against the rich and powerful, that they stood on for over 1950 years until fear of communism,socialism, nazism or whatever mutated our theology for us and sandblasted many of us into the capitalistic ideology of the rich. Christianity should always stand for, as it always did, support for the poor and criticism of the rich, in this society, in other nations or in nations of the future.

All i got to say is let's get over it and get on with the way Christianity is supposed to be. The way we were before all the paranoia hit. The truth is more important than the way you have been or what you may be afraid of. Salvation is kind of like that. We need to return to the clarity of those first things, first of all, the priority of God's love.
 
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