Posted on 05/25/2005 12:11:24 PM PDT by thorace
(This article reads better if you go to Page 21 of the pdf version: http://ee.dcexaminer.com/dc/?haspdf=1 )
"With increasing regularity, leaders of the Democratic Party are seeking support for big-government ideology in, of all places, the Bible.
"Failed presidential candidate John Kerry, for example, persists in appealing to the New Testament's book of James. 'Faith without works is dead,' Kerry intones, suggesting that "works" here includes the works of lawmakers as they spend other people's money.
"In a similar fashion, Nancy Pelosi, the House minority leader, is wont to quote the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus teaches that '[i]nasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.' Pelosi says doing unto the least means raising more taxes for entitlement programs.
"Even DNC Chairman Howard Dean, who kicked off Bush's second term with 'I hate Republicans,' recently accused the ones he hates of violating the biblical command to 'love thy neighbor as thyself' . . . ."
(Excerpt) Read more at dcexaminer.com ...
Politicians on both sides of the isle have "hijacked" Christianity.
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True. I meant liberal (theology) Christians, I was not referring to political parties.
"The Enemy quoted scripture, too"
The Devil twisted Scripture so he actually did not quote it.
So Pelosi is using one of the popular pro-life quotes? Or is does she mean all brethren except unborn brethren; Unborn brethren being lesser than the least of brethren?
Thats the problem, Jesus was not "God Man" he was a man period and those who teach Jesus was not a flesh and blood man with the same passions as the rest of us are not teaching sound doctrine.
That being said, Christianity as its taught by almost all denominations, teaches, get saved and then get under the ten commandments, be good, and you will get to heaven.
They should be casting out devils, healing the sick, raising the dead. Those are works of God. Thats who God is and what he does. Thats why Jesus did those things and rebuked the priests and lawyers, because he had the Father in him. If through faith in Jesus, that he took our sin, sickness and poverty on the cross, took our penalty of death and hell and was raised again, Christians should rule on earth without sickness poverty or sin. Instead Christians teach touch not, taste not, handle not and those go directly against the teachings of Jesus.
I disagree. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." - John 8:58
You are right in observing that the church does little in terms of: "casting out devils, healing the sick, raising the dead". How are you doing in this area?
The Dems efforts to 'hijack' scripture for their own purposes isn't going to change anyone's mind. Those who voted against the Dems for moral reasons in 2004 aren't going to suddenly say "Wow, that Dem referred to the scriptures. Guess I better vote Dem next time."
Maybe at your church.
That's probably true, but I've seen far more of it on the left. Perhaps if I explain what I view as 'hijacking,' it will help to clarify where I'm coming from.
I don't view it as 'hijacking' to live your faith - making decisions based on that faith. The mention of scripture, the Lord, etc is just an outgrowth of a living faith.
I do view it as 'hijacking' to invoke scripture out of context for purposes of political gain, but not as a result of living out one's faith. (When a politician has never done it before, but suddenly starts doing it because the other party won an election, you can kind of figure that individual is trying to 'hijack' the faith.)
That's probably true, but I've seen far more of it on the left. Perhaps if I explain what I view as 'hijacking,' it will help to clarify where I'm coming from.
I don't view it as 'hijacking' to live your faith - making decisions based on that faith. The mention of scripture, the Lord, etc is just an outgrowth of a living faith.
I do view it as 'hijacking' to invoke scripture out of context for purposes of political gain, but not as a result of living out one's faith. (When a politician has never done it before, but suddenly starts doing it because the other party won an election, you can kind of figure that individual is trying to 'hijack' the faith.)
It was not my statement to defend but I agree with the person who stated it.
If Jesus were a God-man then he would have used his power to perform miracles. He said himself that he could nothing, he even said he was not good. That the Father performed the miracles and the Father is the only one that is good. Thats because he was flesh and blood man, like you and I, and flesh and blood is never good.
As far as casting out devils and so on, the Power of God has healed me and certain of my family, the power of God has cast out devils in myself (everyone has 'em) and the power of God, through faith, has had people just give me money (many times it is small amounts but once it was 1000 and once it was 4000). That makes me nothing, its faith in the Gospel of Jesus and the power of God that performs these miracles and it will happen to anyone who humbles themselves to believe.
One problem seems to be, when leaders of the Church get a revelation from God, they sell it in book form. When God heals someone in their ministry, they get puffed up as if their self righteousness caused it.
Very good. I appreciate the thought and effort you put into this post. I'm going to read this more carefully after I come back from church.
if the US government had hired former grand wizards of the KKK to run the "Great Society" programs,
but I thought that was exactly what they did ...
And we know the the Evil One has tried over and over to do just that and of course failed time and again. Amen.
This needs to be remembered when the Congresscritters and power grabbers start again using Scripture inappropriately.
Quote from recent speech made by John Kerry reported by http://www.newsmax.com today:
"'I went back and reread the whole New Testament the other day. Nowhere in the three-year ministry of Jesus Christ did I find a suggestion at all, ever, anywhere, in any way whatsover, that you ought to take the money from the poor, the opportunities from the poor and give them to the rich people,' Kerry said."
And...??? Ergo...?
Kerry "...reread the whole New Testament the other day..." and *deduced* that Jesus didn't advocate "taking money" from the poor to give to the rich? John Kerry's cognition has no ignition.
Kerry's convoluted thinking process, as exposed by his idioticly pretentious rhetoric, cannot even dissemble his firmly-set Maoist implantation when discussing Jesus. At least other "liberals" are taking crash-courses in Biblical quotes so they can better pander and patronize.
"Nowhere...at all, ever, anywhere, in any way whatsover... that you ought..." Kerry proving the impossible - a negative!
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