Posted on 04/30/2014 7:57:57 PM PDT by OneVike
Most people would agree that politics and religion are the two most likely topics that divide even the best of friends. Websters dictionary says that politics is the political opinions or sympathies of a person, while it says that religion is a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith. I don’t see the difference between the two.
When I watch elected officials on the floor of the US Senate or House, I am reminded of an old friend of mine who pastors a church in Columbus, Georgia. He will flail his arms all around as he preaches his views on the Holy Scriptures. If your in agreement with their opinion, you could easily get engrossed as you listen to them share their deep-seated and fervent beliefs in such an animated way.
During the election season, we watch with anticipation as our chosen candidates addresses the issues. Like a congregation sitting in the pews of a church, the crowds long to hear something that will touch the part of their soul that yearned for truth. These yearnings differ...
//I vote pro-life above all,//
Did you vote for Romney?
http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/history/item/4758-resurrecting-the-black-regiment
According to historian/educator Reverend Wayne Sedlak, in his article “The Black Regiment Led the Fight in Our War for Independence”:
It was British sympathizer Peter Oliver, who actually first used the name “Black Regiment.” He complained that such clergymen were invariably at the heart of the revolutionary disturbances. He tied their influence to such colonial leaders as Samuel Adams, James Otis and others of prominence in the cause. He quotes colonial leadership in its quest to gain the voice of the clergy. In one instance, he disparagingly cites a public plea of James Otis who sought the help of the clergy in a particular manner.....
So influential were the patriot-pulpits of Colonial America that it was said by Prime Minister Horace Walpole in the British Parliament, “Cousin America has run off with a Presbyterian parson.” In fact, America’s War for Independence was often referenced in Parliament as “the Presbyterian Revolt.” And during the Revolutionary War, British troops often made colonial churches military targets. Churches were torched, ransacked, and pillaged.
Religion “IS” Politics..
I’ll take the Hillary Clinton defense on that.
Even if one is of the opinion that the two are utterly separate (a popular notion), a line must then be drawn between them. Unless there is 100% agreement on where that line is located, the two are mixed. I’m amazed that’s even controversial. How can they not be mixed? If government is pushing against my religious beliefs, then political issues are religious issues.
Thanks for posting the CS Lewis quote reaganaut. I wish I had come across it when I was writing the piece. It would have bolstered my conclusion.
As much as I care about politics, my politics is controlled by my faith in God through Christ. Whereas my faith in God is never affected by my belief in any political philosophy.
That being said, my faith tells me that I must support Godly men to be leaders so the people will not be led astray.
A nation sways in the wind, and depending upon the way the leader at the head sways, so to does the nation.
Like 99& of FReepers, I too am pro-life, but I know Romney was pro-choice.
Should the Republican party ever drop the pro-life stance I will cease to support it any longer. That being said, I am close to stopping now. Close, not ready.
Current leader speaks volumes of my point.
Thanks Alamo-Girl, for weighing in.
The pastor of my congregation has quite enough to do without presuming to advise me on matters political. That is no part of his professional functions or obligations. He can, and should relate the precepts and teachings of religious doctrines and teachings to public policy issues, but never presume to instruct me or my fellow parishioners on how or for whom to vote. He is no better equipped for that role than am I and my fellow laymen.
Another great story,
http://www.aproundtable.org/tps2.cfm?ID=944&issuecode=history
Later, in the Battle of Springfield, Pastor Caldwell etched his name in the history books for his battlefield heroics. He discovered that Patriot troops were out of wadding for their muskets. He rushed to a nearby church, gathered up the hymnbooks, and brought them to the battle front.
As the Patriot soldiers tore through the hymnals to stuff the paper down their muskets, Caldwell noted that many of the hymns in the book were written by Isaac Watts. With that, Parson Caldwell rallied the Patriots with his now famous battle cry, “Now put Watts into them, boys!”
BUMP. There are some sectarian matters that tend to garble things, but in matters of civility, even agreement on the Decalogue is a good thing.
Decalogue, dialogue. Unghhh.
Yes I read about it before.
In Mel Gibson’s movie, “The Patriot” many tried to claim he added the church scene for effect, but the truth is it happened.
I remember watching it with my wife at the movie, and when that scene came up, I said “Waco” loud enough for everyone to hear. Say what you want about Koresh and his religion, but they burned a church down with the children they claimed to care about inside.
Makes two of us, in spades.
Post Christian America, with its post Christian majority and post Christian government does not make America the same country some of us grew up in. Our government reflects us, who are now broadly too stupid to reverse at least 50 years of Godless neglect.
>>> Your comment seems to lead more away from participating?... I mean i agree about where our true kingdom is, but you never quite stated your stance.
On the contrary...
The birth of this nation is the perfect example of why men of God should be directly involved with governments (politics).
It is evil men who turned our government into the cesspool it is now, and it’s the apathy of christians today which allows it to continue.
Let us not forget God’s admonishment of US... the christians:
2Ch 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Point being, we can’t blame the liberals for the mess we are in.. only ourselves for not standing up for God.
Hell yes we should be participating.
This nation is doomed because we have not.
We are in agreement. I blame Christians for failing to keep wary of the wolves who have been eating the sheep.
God tells us to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Well I read that to mean that we need to be as understanding of the ways of the world as the evil ones are so we can head them off at the pass and thus raise our children to know how to identify the lies.
Nothing irritates me more than to watch Christians feed their children to the world unprepared for the wolves who will eat them alive and spit them out as good little atheist socialists.
They say that in polite company that we should never discuss religion or politics. My response for many years has been that they are the only two subjects worth talking about, because one will determine our eternal destiny, and the other will determine the earthly destiny of our posterity. What other subjects could come anywhere close in terms of importance?
Life is all political and can never be removed from “Faith”. To remove “faith” from a human being is impossible. The State is always promoting a “Faith”; it used to be only the Christian “Faith” until 1950s when we allowed our government to only ban the Christian Faith from the public square and public schools.
They now promote Satanism, paganism, occultism and atheism using curricula, as they demean and belittle anything to do with Christianity. They do it in TV and movies and promote dysfunction and evil 24/7—to condition the worldview of the future. A “Christian” worldview will be impossible.
Christianity had to be erased from the minds of children so the Christian worldview would not exist: the idea that individual Rights come from God and predate the Constitution; that ALL human life has dignity and worth—and can never be used as a “Means” to an End.
Collectives have to erase individuality—the concept of uniqueness of humans-—reducing man to just godless animal who can be interchangeable-—all uniqueness, even sexual identity is removed to destroy the Natural Family and the emotional health of children.
Then the children grow up without morals and will agree to the herding, and culling of the masses. There is no outcry to killing the old and young and useless eaters. Collectives have to have masters and the slaves are to have no morality, just useful idiots who do as they are told.
Christianity created the Age of Reason, etc....they use Logic and Reason because Natural Law is embedded into the Theology by the early Catholics. Only the Christian Worldview was capable of forming the US Constitution. NO others. Erase Christian Worldview, you erase the Constitution and the Christian understanding of “Justice” and “Rights”.
Good summation.
a careful reading of the Bible assures me that our Lord was very well versed in politics.
a careful reading of our founding documents assures me that our Founders were well versed in our Lord’s teaching of limited governance and human nature.
conclusion: America was founded explicitly as a Christian nation. “separation of church and state” is a leftist canard.
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