Posted on 01/05/2020 8:28:22 AM PST by SeekAndFind
The entire notion of a political leader saying “God is on our side,” tends to rub me the wrong way. I grew up at a Southern Baptist high school where the notion of God and politics crossed paths regularly. It sort of made sense, as much as it could to a rather protected teenager who was taught the idea of “separation of church and state” was some godless plot to turn the country into Sodom and Gomorrah. Republicans were the ones saving the country from a dire fate, while Democrats were heathens who wouldn’t know Jesus Christ if He suddenly showed up in all His glory in the Heavens.
Imagine my surprise to learn in my 20s there were Christians who were Democrats and legitimately believed the government was the best method to ensure the poor, hungry, down-trodden, etc. were taken care of because of the failure of the Church (used to describe all of Christendom, not just a singular denomination). A noble goal, as the Church (again, all of Christendom, including myself) deserves plenty of criticism for failing to follow the standards set by Christ during his time on Earth. We are all fallen, so perhaps it’s too be expected and where grace comes into play.
Another group believes the Church’s attempt to ingratiate itself with the government is folly due to the latter’s ability to completely corrupt instead of purification via religion. It doesn’t matter whether the government is run by Christians or Jews or Muslims or pagans or Flying Spaghetti Monster believers or Satanists. It will end up corrupting via its power. One only has to look at the Holy Roman Empire, the wars between Protestant and Catholic-backed governments in Europe, or the Taliban as examples of what happens when government and religion get too cozy with each other. It’s something we should probably avoid more than embrace, given history’s violent past.
So, when I hear a political leader cry out, “God is on our side,” it immediately makes me question the veracity of the statement. Is he or she speaking from the theory that God (Allah, Yahweh, God the Father) or the gods (pick your favorite pantheon) write history as some sort of novelist and we are just characters who have zero say in our choices? This could be quite depressing to know humans don’t have the freedom to choose their actions, relationships, careers, or lives, in general. There are certainly examples in religious texts where higher powers appeared to be on one side or the other, but the deities either appear to be quite human or the entire book leads to one singular point where death and resurrection of someone fully God and fully man rips up an old covenant and replaces it with a new one.
The more important questions are what kind of agenda is said politician attempting to push through or what voting bloc is he or she attempting to placate? Perhaps I am too cynical when it comes to politicians, but I’ve learned everything they say should be taken with a grain of salt. Those who tend to wrap themselves around in some sort of religious-political ideology also cause me consternation. Even if I admit to not understanding the mind of God and doubt I ever will.
There’s no doubt religion and politics will cross paths in one way, shape, or form while we’re on this Earth. No one should take my hesitation to believe every politician who utters, “God is on our side,” as an endorsement of some sort of ban on religious faith. Far from it. However, we should be willing to question those who declare the backing of a deity until there’s actual proof. While also remembering the actual good stuff may be what comes in the next life and world, and not in this life. If that’s what we choose to believe.
Meh. This author rubs me the wrong way.
RE: Meh. This author rubs me the wrong way.
Please elaborate.
Try Allah then, wimpy.
RE: God wants us ALL on “His” side.
I agree with you. But how do we know if a specific policy or decision made by the powers that be is “On His Side”? *THAT* is the challenging question.
A little more on the "seperation of church and state".
The wording:
Article [I] (Amendment 1 - Freedom of expression and religion) 13 "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
People who were not part of the "New Awakening" religious movement, mostly in Connecticut, had just endured decades of financial ruin due to that religion.
The church and the state were pretty much the same.
You had to pay taxes to the church.
Church members would not do business with you.
Some "heathens" escaped by buying land with dubious title from NH governor Wentworth in Vermont, also claimed by NY.
Others did so in northeastern PA from Indians that was also claimed by CT and PA.
This led to massacres in PA and the formation of the Green Mountain Boys in VT.
The victims of this mess wanted to ensure this never happened again.
Taylor Millard doesn’t seem to realize that ALL Dem attempts to take out Donald Trump were thwarted by Divine Providence.
The Trump Derangement Syndrome opposition to Trump is evil, vile , full of killers of babies, drug addicted demon spawn and Sodomites.Their cities are demon zones of killers, full of unclean mentally ill who roam the streets carrying disease, shitting in public, pissing in public, shooting up hard main line drugs with needles and jerking each other off, spilling their seed to the devil, creating city replicas of Sodom and Gomorrah.In short: Hell on Earth.
And the light of Divine Providence shall shine throughout America once again. We will clean out these city dens of sanctuary for the damned.And the Divine will allow us to do the impossible, under the influence of God in President Trumps Divine hand. The human hand of President Trump will remain righteous because he is supported by the righteous.
Its too bad that Taylor Millard has chosen to aid the damned , to try and forward the agenda of the demon spawn who seek to destroy America. He now is among the damned.May The Good Lord have Mercy on his everlasting soul.
REPENT Taylor Millard, REPENT...........
Hospitaler:
“...By the word religion I have seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination be called the will of god. I have seen too much religion in the eyes of too many murderers. Holiness is in right action, and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves, and goodness. ...”
Whenever anyone says G-d is on their side, run the other way.
To paraphrase The Avett Brothers, Be good to each other, tell the truth to yourself, and the rest will fall in place.
I’d much rather have a leader say “We’re on God’s side”, than the other way around.
I am reminded that the Third Reich soldiers had “Gott mit uns” (”God with us”) on their belt buckles.
Not accusing Trump of this...just sayin’.
Considering that they fighting the Stalin’s godless Russians, it might have made at least a little sense.
Instead of asking if God is on your side ....
Ask instead if you are on God’s side.
Taylor Millard is full of it. Nobody has ever in a southern baptist area, been taught in public school, that separation of church and state is a plot to turn America into a heathen godless place.
She’s just another of these writers who say something false, so they can prove it wrong and show how virtuous they are. She lied.
She found a schtik, “I’m from Texas and look how awful it was”.
” I grew up at a Southern Baptist high school where the notion of God and politics crossed paths regularly. It sort of made sense, as much as it could to a rather protected teenager who was taught the idea of “separation of church and state” was some godless plot to turn the country into Sodom and Gomorrah.”
Liar. I call bullshit. Prove it. What high school. What teacher? What did they say?
Lying bit@h
So simple: Love God. Love each other. Simple but not easy.
The religious chain of authority has been set since Jesus appointed Simon bar Jonah as PETER, the rock, on whom HE built HIS Church.
The "buck" stops with the Papacy who is the final authority on the subject of morals/ethics. The Pope is ELECTED by the sitting Cardinals. They CHOSE the pope so if the pope is bad...those Cardinals had themselves to blame for electing a man they might have KNOWN wasn't a good choice.
There have been bad popes. You can look that up. Jesus had to appoint human beings and that insured that there WOULD be some bad apples. It's that ole "free will" problem.
There was even a bad Apostle, appointed by Jesus: JUDAS ISCARIOT. Jesus knew what he would do.
God made the angels. LUCIFER was one of God's favorites, as LUCIFER means "Light Bearer." God KNEW that LUCIFER was a bad apple but He made him anyway.
.
.
God's plans were/are/always bill be His own. I don't question them but I DO have a question for our good Lord when I die and meet Him. I hope to hear good news.
Anyway, the question: Lord, why did you make the human knee so fragile? All the other joints of the body experience some 18 different problems but the KNEE has the capacity to experience 50 different problems?
Just wondering, Lord. Thank you for all Your blessings.
You run, I’ll analyze and assess, and then act according to my final determination. 8>)
Lol. BINGO!
You hit the proverbial nail on the head--DEAD square!
You know for a fact that he is lying? How?
Nothing wrong with Trump saying “God is on our side” when the other side murders babies, cuts them up and sells the parts in violation of the law, runs pedophile cults, teaches 6 year olds to cut off their penises, take it right up the azz, use dope, watch porn, teaches 12 year old kids school kids about anal sex in mixed classes, constantly mocks every common virtue, undermines the family, and works relentlessly to glorify islam.
So yeah, it’s safe to say God is on our side.
The important question is this... when an American or Germsn leader says the equivalent of “Gott min uns”, by what criteria do we determine that it is true or false.
I can say that the Germans are blaspheming God because God condemns the murder of innocents.
Which is to say, I judge based on what Scripture teaches.
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