Now, what was it I once heard on this subject... lemme check my Bible; I'm pretty sure I highlighted it... oh, yeah, there it is:
Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword (Matthew 26:52, King James Version)
HMMMM - who are those in that small but influential group?
Somebody’s morality is always enforced, it’s the difference in opinion as to whose it will be. We can see just that in the effect in turning sodomites loose in the military. They did not want merely “government out of their bedrooms”, they want government in every aspect of the lives of others enforcing not merely “tolerance” of their lifestyles but acceptance and even celebration.
Never a good sign when they label you as a "fundamentalist" right from the beginning.
Fundamentalist: A term created during the turn-of-the-20th-century Protestant church splits to define those who held to the “fundamentals” of Christianity—the inerrancy of the Bible, the virgin birth of Jesus and his literal resurrection from the dead. The term is now considered pejorative. (Wheaton College philosophy professor Alvin Plantinga famously observed, “The full meaning of the term...can be given by something like ‘stupid sumbitch whose theological opinions are considerably to the right of mine.’”)
-- from the thread New Kids In The Flock
IMHO: the proper role of an earthly government under God is pretty much limited to keeping basic order. It’s acknowledged as consisting largely of unbelievers — and to expect them, as such, to behave like a church is unrealistic and in fact invites the curse of “a form of religion, yet denying its power.” The essays of the church in embracing a government caused their gospel message to get debased from a message that spiritually sold itself in a plane that man cannot dominate, to something that could be coerced by the earthly sword. “Jesus saves you from getting shot or jailed by the government” is a weirded out gospel indeed. And if it implies an analogy to heaven as well as hell, that “heaven” becomes a nanny government. Not the way to go. Not at all.
That said, there’s nothing wrong with Christians offering wise, biblical advice or serving in government, short of expecting unbelievers to act like believers. And if they get flak for that they needn’t apologize at all. The order of earth serves, though not to save from sin, as an illustration of what God is about. So it remains a useful thing on this mortal coil.
the libertarians can have what’s left of the rep party. if it’s His will, so be it.
with God’s permission, then we’ll sooner have our own.
(as always, the true meaning of scripture is completely lost to them. they get stuck on their desired on interpretation.)
The libertarians called for homosexual equality in the military for both serving and marriage, and got it.
Do you think that America was wrong and too Christian in it’s first 233 years of laws regarding that issue and the military?
How many times does Limbaugh have to tell us that when he attends elite GOP cocktail parties they’re embarrassed by us and can’t wait to get rid of us?
There is nothing inconsistent with looking to one’s faith, and not the government, to instill moral beliefs and behavior.
Government is inhereantly liberal and anti-conservative religions, as has been shown by using the power of government to punish Christians, Jews, and others of moral beliefs (thinking Hobby Lobby, forcing people to provide services at gay weddings, etc.)
The way to protect the rights of the religious right is to defang and de-power the government.
What ever you do, be sure to divide conservatives up into tight little groups and pit them against each other! That will get us back into power! NOT!!!!!!!!
re: “”Like Ron Paul, who is very religious, they value the independence of their churches and want to keep government from promoting any ideology through the schools or its other programs.”
Here is the rub - it is impossible NOT to promote some kind of ideology. Everyone believes in something - THAT is your ideology.
The Declaration of Independence expresses a religious and political ideology - “endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”.
Conservative Christians believe in the right to life because it teaches that life was created by God - every life conceived has the right to have a chance to live. The Founders believe in that ‘right to life’.
Every law has some moral foundation to it. Every law is an expression of some moral precept.
Our nation was founded in Biblical precepts because most early Americans were Christian or Jewish. That doesn’t mean they were all theologically the same, or that all went to church, or that all even believed in God - but they all had a Judeo-Christian world view of right and wrong.
Much of our founding political ideology is based on a Western, Judeo-Christian world view. It’s an undeniable fact.
If we begin to eradicate that world view from our laws, then we eradicate the very foundation upon which our laws are established. We wind up destroying the idea that “all men are created equal and endowed by our Creator with . . . life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”.
Private property rights, murder, abortion, homosexuality all have moral issues connected with them.
If we say, “Ok, do whatever you want morally as long as you are not bothering me.” But, the truth is, the morality of one’s neighbors DOES eventually affect all of us.
The Founders were not libertarians. They believed that our government should protect our God-given rights, they also believed in a Judeo-Christian morality - that’s why homosexuality was not tolerated. Bestiality was not tolerated, polygamy was not tolerated, rape was not tolerated, etc.
Our laws should not violate God’s moral law. This protects our society from a host of problems.
Opposition to abortion, of course, and the support of traditional values is what libertarians see as the key issues that make the support of Christians so damaging to the GOP. Yet, in truth, abortion is increasingly out of favor with the public and gay marriage is widely opposed. It was not GOP opposition to abortion and gay marriage that doomed moderate-friendly Romney and McCain but that they were inept candidates with an inability to articulate a coherent governing philosophy.
Moreover, the political personalities that set GOP libertarian hearts aflutter tend to be flawed as candidates for the Presidency. Christie, for example, is a politically undisciplined blowhard who is fickle in his loyalty to the GOP as an organization. Christie's physical and political embrace of Obama and Corey Booker mark him as unserious as a potential national GOP Presidential candidate.
Is there room for libertarians in the GOP? Of course there is, but they seem unlikely to ever be numerous enough to command that the GOP cannot oppose abortion and otherwise support traditional values.
Perhaps I haven't been paying proper attention but what sectarian views are being coerced?
Pro-life?
Pro-marriage?
If these are the issues that secularists w/i the GOP want to hang their hat on the GOP is d e a d.
Belief in Jesus is the ultimate anti-authoritarian political act.
By defying the state’s intrinsic reliance on public killing as moral suasion, Christians are an inherent threat to the absolute authority of government.
Your post is here to keep Christians out and at bay so your preferences can rule the government with absolute authority.
You already lost— but I don’t imagine that will deter you.
If it goes against the word of GOD... then it is abhorrent to GOD and is of satan.
Nope.
Problem solved.
I think the best opposition to feel good anointed liberal control freaks is to focus on Gd given freedom and forget which religions or denominations each member comes from. However, the libs will just keep trying to put us down even for believing in Gd, although they can’t get far with that because many Dems do at least give lip service to their faiths.
Conservative Constitutionalism doesn’t need to be attached to any religion. The rights all come from the Almighty.
If they do, it is a dim one.