Posted on 10/06/2006 4:04:08 PM PDT by raybbr
During my 26 years in Congress, I made a practice of attending services at a different black church each Sunday I was back in my Congressional District in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area.
Unlike many politicians, I stayed for the entire service including the sermon.
Some of the preachers were quite inspiring; others were very ordinary.
As a practicing member of the Jewish faith, I don’t pretend to be an authority on the New Testament. My late wife, Kathy, a lifelong member of the First United Methodist Church in Latta, S.C., accompanied me to most of these services during our eights years of marriage and we would often discuss the minister’s message after the service. She knew her New Testament.
Kathy would often point out to me that a careful reading of the New Testament made it clear to her that Jesus would have been a Democrat had he been alive today. After all, he preached about helping the poor and the peaceful resolution of disputes. In her view, Jesus had little in common with the current day religious right with its preoccupation with abortion, gay rights and stem cell research.
And now along comes a wonderful new book by former Congressman Bob Edgar, which makes much the same point in great detail with ample citations to scripture. His book, “Middle Church – Reclaiming the Moral Values of the Faithful Majority from the Religious Right,” is a must read for all people of faith.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
I can't say what party Jesus would support (I think he would be disappointed with both of them), but I am pretty sure that Karl Marx would be a democrat.
"Kathy, a lifelong member of the First United Methodist Church"
The Methodist church in general has turned very liberal. Not only in their politics but also in their understanding of the Word
I am an ordained UM elder and currently pastoring a church.
It is true that the UM leans liberal, but that happened long ago.
If it is turning in any direction, it is turning orthodox to moderate. The past 4 or 5 general church meetings prove this.
However, that doesn't change the fact that this UM wife is a biblical illiterate, as are many others, as you have CORRECTLY pointed out.
Good post. Thanks. Pray for those of us fighting for change.
Are you familiar with the book "Living By The Book" by Howard Hendricks?
No. Can you give a summary?
It feels good knowing the Amish vote Republican!
http://www.helpmewithbiblestudy.org/5p/living_by_the_bookFP.htm
Our Pastor teaches a course at Moody called 'How to study the Bible' and this is one of the tools he uses. His course is required for ordination I think. By the end of the course students are able to write expository sermons. I just went through a fast track course with the Pastor on this topic. I can now see how I had misinterpreted many passages just because I failed to realize the basic principles of studying the Scriptures.
I feel most of the liberal swing we have today in our churchs is due to these misinterpretations of the Word. We 'want' the text to say what we already 'believe' it says. Reminds me of 'itching ears' reference.
I highly recommend the book. You can find used copies for dirt cheap or new copies on Amazon or Ebay. I've been a Christian for 20 years now and I feel like the Bible is a fresh new book waiting to be decoded. It has helped revive my relationship with Christ.
Thank you, UTL.
I have posted the link to my bible favorites list.
More Rev. Walis propaganda.
This is just democrats trying to speak red state.
The environment which coddled homosexuals is brought to you by the democrat party. Christ would be more "sin no more" rather than "moral relativism".
What whoul Christ have done with the knowledge of the IMs? I doubt very much he would have held them like Pelosi so he could win an election in Novmber.
I suspect he would have booted Foley immediatly.
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