Posted on 08/19/2004 6:36:22 AM PDT by boris
Group says Jesus Christ would vote Democrat
By Associated Press
AUSTIN, Texas -- Just a few miles from George W. Bush's former office at the state Capitol, a panel of religious experts weighed a question with relevance to many people of faith: How would Jesus vote?
It's a complex topic that can't be boiled down to simple political terms, said religious leaders who attended a Texas Faith Network conference in Austin on Tuesday.
James C. Moore, renowned anti-Bush co-author of "Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George Bush Presidential," drew laughter and applause when he offered his view to the moderate to liberal crowd of about 250 clergy and lay leaders.
"If ever there were a bleeding-heart liberal, it was Jesus Christ," Moore said at Congregation Agudas Achim synagogue. "I think the carpenter from Galilee was the original Democrat."
Many at the conference voiced concerns that the religious right dominates discussions of faith and morality in politics. They complained that issues such as abortion and gay marriage seem to take priority over hunger, corporate crime and even the war in Iraq.
Some research has found that white Christians who attend worship services at least once a week are far more likely to vote Republican, while less frequent worshippers and those who are not religious tend to lean Democratic. Many analysts have criticized Democrats for failing to more effectively reach religious voters.
"The sound bites and the headlines have co-opted people of faith," said the Rev. Tom Heger, pastor of St. John's Presbyterian Church in Manchaca, south of Austin. "It would be a surprise to a lot of folks to discover that there are some very faithful, regular church attendees who aren't going to vote for Bush."
Conservative pastors such as Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson "would have us believe that morality is all about where you stand on abortion, how you treat homosexuals. I think that is simply wrong," said John D. Moyers, senior fellow at the Washington-based Center for American Progress.
The title should have read,
"Democrat Group says Jesus Christ would vote Democrat".
If Jesus were a Democrat, the Ten Commandments would go:
1. Thou shalt worship any God or false idol you wish to worship.
2. Thou shalt not kill... unless the victim is under 9 months of age.
3. Thou shalt envy thy neighbor's property if he is richer than you are, and try to raise his taxes to pay for your laziness.
4. Thou shalt not envy thy neighbor for his wife, end the envy by stealing her husband by luring him into homosexuality.
Etc...
Anyone who would use Jesus as political cannon fodder is not a Christian.
I am sure Jesus loves babies being murdered.
Boris, I wonder how this played at the synagogue? Because I hear from Jews that one of the big reasons for voting Democratic is the strong Christian identity of many Republicans, specifically GW Bush (not that they'd like him any better as a "secularist" I'm sure). If Jesus was a socialist, would he get a pass from secularist Jews?
Bingo
What makes those guys religious experts?
Jesus was addressing temple officials (mostly Sadducees) who owed their positions to the Roman authorities. He was asking, so who was/is "god" anyway? He turned away the wrath they'd intended by setting them up in return. I don't think he was endorsing human government at all.
A question that suggests a complete ignorance of the Bible. Jesus made it clear that He was not of the world.
The left often makes this argument during election time. They base it on the view that Jesus was a man of peace. The left is thus confusing worldly peace with eternal peace.
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