The religious right's threat

The Philadelphia Inquirer ^ | October 2, 2007 | Dick Polman

[uncbob]

Yeah, we learned America survived, and supporting the republican party changed absolutely nothing social conservatives care about.

Some progress
Two Supreme Court Judges
Partial Birth Abortion ban

[srmorton]

How is it irrelevant?? Is that not what Dobson is doing when he implies that FDT is not a good Christian? The Bible allows us to judge standards of behavior as you say, but God is always the final judge.

In case anyone is wondering, I have been a Christian all of my life since my father was a minister. It just bothers me when I see other Christians criticizing other Christians when they may not have enough information to do so. For example, the comments I have seen about Joel Osteen on this board bear no resemblance to the Joel I watch on TV every week and the Joel that I went to hear in person in Raleigh, NC, in January 2006.

BTW, I do not agree that Matthew 7:1 is the most frequently misapplied scripture. I think the one about wives submitting yourselves to your husbands is because the husbands always forget to keep reading to find out that their obligation is to love their wives enough to die for her as Christ did for the church!

[joebuck]

"I don’t believe any Christian should presume to judge the heart of another. Only God can do that!"

Then how come just three verses after the "Judge not" verse you cited, Jesus says 'Do not give what is Holy to dogs and cast not pearls before swine..." Sounds like some discretion being called for. Jesus does say Judge Not but he also calls on us to be fruit inspectors.

[Little Ray]

Better question: Didn’t the ‘Pubbies learn anything from Perot?

We don’t owe the Republicans our support. They have to earn it each election for each candidate. If they want Rudy Guiliani or John McCain to lead the country, then they obviously don’t want my vote.

Remember, this is the PRIMARY season. Rudy’s gone as far to the right as he’s gonna go. If he gets the nomination, he’s gonna be scurrying left as quick as he can.

[N3WBI3]

"Dobson will vet only those GOP candidates whom he deems to be true believers. Political compromise is for the sinners."

What a crock this is not about the persons religious beliefs its about their stance on abortion. If you, by True Believer, mean someone who defends the unborn then yes. But the implication of the language is 'you must be an evangelical Christian' and most Christian voters don't feel that way.

I could vote for a person of any, or no faith so long as their poistions agreed with mine, no matter how they cam to them.

[N3WBI3]

Didn't we learn anything from Ross Perot? We had 8 years of President Bill Clinton because of him. I do not want 8 years of Hillary Clinton due to another 3rd party candidate.

Good question but here is the insanely funny answer. 1992 had nothing to do with the 'religious right' it had everything to do with NAFTA and the republicans pissing on another pillar of the party. The GOP might as well face the fact they are basically just a coalition party and try to pick someone that all members can be somewhat happy with and, that aint Rudy and its probably not Mitt.

[N3WBI3]

"IMO, James Dobson should remember Matthew 7:1 - “Judge not, lest you be judged.” I don’t believe any Christian should presume to judge the heart of another. Only God can do that!"

Ahhh taking a verse out of context, how nice..

1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. "

Not two versus later its pretty clear that 7:1 was not a prohibition on all judgments but a clarification of the weight through which judgment should be passed and the cost to the individuals passing it.

If we ignore this and look at verse 7:1 alone we get the liberal conclusion of *everything is ok with God so long as its ok with me*

[Sherman Logan]

OK.

Non-Christians most often misapply Matthew 7:1, using it as a club to keep Christians from trying to stand up for their values.

Christian (men) perhaps most often misapply the verse about wives submitting, although frankly I don’t recall a single sermon or discussion in which the obligations of both husband and wife were not discussed together. Speaking as a Christian husband, I am well aware of my obligations in this regard.

The command to love one’s wife is not a directive to feeel a certain way, which would be illogical. It is a command to maintain a certain attitude towards her.

My comment about irrelevancy was that Dobson would not be violating Christ’s command here unless he exempts himself from being held to the same high standard he applies to Rudy. As far as I am aware, this is not the case.

[Dumb_Ox]

What's noteworthy right now is that religious-right leaders are dividing into two camps: the purists and the pragmatists.

It's neither pragmatic nor principled to support a candidate or a party that doesn't advance one's most important issues.

[thepresidentsbestfriend]

I think it’s a safe bet the one thing in the entire universe a Christian will never be allowed to forget by non-christians is Matthew 7:1.

EXCELLENT!!!!

[Grunthor]

“We had 8 years of President Bill Clinton because...”

some of us read a mans “lips” and he friggin’ lied to us.

[Grunthor]

“and its probably not Mitt.”

To be fair, it might have been Mitt a couple years ago....or it could be him in a few more years....just depends on the issue and the office he’s running for....just what is it that you need him to “believe” and he’ll “believe” it.

[N3WBI3]

lol

[MEGoody]

Dobson, the prominent Christian conservative who believes that his religious brethren have the God-given right to vet Republican presidential candidates

Every voter 'vets' the candidates. What's new?

[MEGoody]

I think it's a safe bet the one thing in the entire universe a Christian will never be allowed to forget by non-christians is Matthew 7:1.

It's also a safe bet that they haven't read the context of the passage, nor have the read the remaining passages on judging (i.e. John 7:24 where we are told to judge rightly) so as to fully understand what Jesus was talking about.

[woollyone]

out
standing

well
said

[woollyone]

the only verse they ever memorize!

...except for “God helps those who helps themselves”.
Which, of course is not IN the Bible.
That quote actually originated from a jubuliant youthful Bill Clinton muttering that was overheard while visiting an Arkansas Serority party in the mid ‘60’s

[Kevmo]

push Duncan Hunter to the top of the heap
***That’s what I think he should do.

[srmorton]

I see what you are saying. I guess I was thinking especially about my husband who was raised in the church (in fact, my father was his pastor), but now he goes very infrequently. He says that the church is full of hypocrites. Of course, I point out that is the best place for them to be since they obviously need exposure to the word of God. He is always quoting Eph 5:22 without remembering what follows and that the husband, as the head of the household, should first be in submission to Christ.