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New Book Says Religious Right is Wrong About Christian Values (Jesus would have been a democrat)
FoxNews.com ^ | Monday, October 02, 2006 | By Martin Frost

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 ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: religiousleft
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To: raybbr

Wow, I wish I hadn't read that... what a load. I didn't know one could pack so many strawmen and bad ideology into such a short article.


41 posted on 10/06/2006 4:24:35 PM PDT by JWinNC (www.anailinhisplace.net)
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To: mware
God don't notice the color of a persons skin just what is in their heart.

I know i found i very strange for him to have to tell us that, does he want a cookie? was it some sort of white guilt that made him walk into black churches? strange.

42 posted on 10/06/2006 4:24:46 PM PDT by Echo Talon
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To: raybbr
"My kingdom is not of this world."
43 posted on 10/06/2006 4:24:46 PM PDT by Oratam
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To: Echo Talon

-they go to different black churches each Sunday looking for votes. rme


44 posted on 10/06/2006 4:24:51 PM PDT by tioga
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To: raybbr
Eager to see where someone can point out that Christians are supposed to confiscate their neighbors property through government taxes, in order to redistribute it to the poor.
45 posted on 10/06/2006 4:25:39 PM PDT by unspun (What do you think? Please think, before you answer.)
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To: raybbr
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.

This, coming from the party that is obsessed with abortion, gay rights, and embryonic stem cell research.

46 posted on 10/06/2006 4:26:32 PM PDT by marron
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To: raybbr
Doubt it. However, I do sense that democrats would be glad to sacrifice all of us on the cross of PC in order to be in power.
47 posted on 10/06/2006 4:27:18 PM PDT by DejaJude (Admiral Clark said, "Our mantra today is life, liberty and the pursuit of those who threaten it!")
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To: raybbr

They lose every argument at abortion. It wouldn't matter if everything else they say is logical and true. You cannot convince any true Christian that Jesus is "Abortion, yea!" It's absurd. How dare the religious right object to killing unborn children. Everyone knows Jesus is all about the partial birth abortion.

As long as we're making claims for Him, I'd say Jesus would probably hit up a few white, hispanic, and asian churches, too, but maybe that's just me.

"He doesn’t understand why people of faith (Christian, Jewish, Muslim) don’t all rally around the concept of saving the planet God created for future generations."

Hahaha. Because a lot of them are too busy trying to kill us, Bob. That's why.


48 posted on 10/06/2006 4:27:40 PM PDT by Jessica24 (The problem with reality is the lack of background music.)
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To: raybbr
That's the problem with idiots, they "project" idiocy to all those around them.

LBT
-=-=-
49 posted on 10/06/2006 4:28:04 PM PDT by LiberalBassTurds (Al Qaeda needs to know we are fluent in the "dialogue of bullets.")
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To: tioga
-they go to different black churches each Sunday looking for votes. rme

HAHAHA!

50 posted on 10/06/2006 4:28:32 PM PDT by Echo Talon
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To: raybbr

Too bad Congressman Frost, while he was in Congress and staying in the District of Columbia, didn't go and visit the many failing minority schools to bear witness to the cycle of failure that those (government and union-shop)school systems are responsible for. And did he ever pay attention to the pathology of the ghetto and of the welfare system that breeds generation upon generation of dependents? Those wasted lives are a disgrace and the blackest of marks on the social engineers responsible for those results, yet they continue to spawn new generations in their wake. Somehow, I doubt Jesus would have endorsed those policies and that kind of victomology.


51 posted on 10/06/2006 4:28:42 PM PDT by ReleaseTheHounds
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To: raybbr

"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."

Romans 1: 26-32


52 posted on 10/06/2006 4:29:29 PM PDT by ScottfromNJ
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To: cripplecreek
He might not chose a party, but I seriously doubt he'd express much sympathy toward those who argue that we can all improve our lives by slaughtering the innocent.

Something about that idea just doesn't mesh with Christianity you know.

53 posted on 10/06/2006 4:29:34 PM PDT by muawiyah
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To: raybbr

Some truth and a lot of nonsense here. Jesus loved and was forgiving, but he did not condone sinful behavior-he said "go and sin no more". He did not avoid conflict as this claims, in fact he had a righteous fit towards those who abused the temple. Jesus was probably the first male to actually acknowledge that women are of value & I'm sure he would acknowledge the same about the helpless unborn.

Would he be partisan, no. Righteous,yes.


54 posted on 10/06/2006 4:29:49 PM PDT by millerph
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To: raybbr
a wonderful new book by former Congressman Bob Edgar

IMO the Leno and Letterman shows are little more than infomercials ... one 'celebrity' after another plugging a book, movie, or TV show. Unfortunately we get some of this on FR too.

55 posted on 10/06/2006 4:31:29 PM PDT by layman (Card Carrying Infidel)
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To: Sister_T
>>BOTH parties would be yelling "Crucify Him!"<<

Party names change but people never change do they? During Christ's lifetime people had to walk on the broad and wide road to destruction. Nowadays that road is paved and people have GPS in their vehicles to help them travel it.

56 posted on 10/06/2006 4:32:23 PM PDT by Muleteam1
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To: don-o

http://sequentialrationality.blogspot.com/2004/12/p-j-orourke.html

 

Monday, December 13, 2004

 

P J O'Rourke

 

With the holiday season approaching I got to thinking about one of P J O'Rourke's books, Parliament of Whores. In the introduction to that book Mr. O'Rourke pontificates on Why God is a Republican and Santa Clause is a Democrat. Bearing in mind that I am not a Republican, I would still like to share it for the Holidays.

 

"I have only one firm belief about the American political system, and that is this: God is a Republican and Santa Claus is a Democrat. God is an elderly or, at any rate, middle aged male, a stern fellow, patriarchal rather than paternal and a great believer in rules and regulations. He holds men accountable for their actions. He has little apparent concern for the material well being of the disadvantaged. He is politically connected, socially powerful and holds the mortgage on literally everything in the world. God is difficult. God is unsentimental. It is very hard to get into God's heavenly country club.

 

Santa Claus is another matter. He's cute. He's nonthreatening. He's always cheerful. And he loves animals. He may know who's been naughty and who's been nice, but he never does anything about it. He gives everyone everything they want without the thought of quid pro quo. He works hard for charities, and he's famously generous to the poor. Santa Claus is preferable to God in every way but one: There is no such thing as Santa Claus."

 

 

For those interested...here are a few more P.J. quotes:

 

Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

 

America wasn't founded so that we could all be better. America was founded so we could all be anything we damned well pleased.

 

Every government is a parliament of whores. The trouble is, in a democracy, the whores are us.

 

I like to think of my behavior in the sixties as a "learning experience." Then again, I like to think of anything stupid I've done as a "learning experience." It makes me feel less stupid.

 

And now for my personal favorite:

 

There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences.

 

 


57 posted on 10/06/2006 4:32:35 PM PDT by saveliberty (I'm a Bushbot and a Snowflake :-)
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To: Ole Okie
Yet it was provided unto me by the providence of God. So I vote. I tend to believe it is a Christian duty.

I agree with you. In a government of/by/for the people, we the people will be judged as rulers, not subjects. Now our obligation is diluted and shared equally with all citizens, but it is of the ruling caliber. Our responsibility is great.

58 posted on 10/06/2006 4:34:27 PM PDT by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light..... Isaiah 5:20)
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To: raybbr
Difference is that Democrats are all talk.

Christ was a doer, He talked the talk and walked the walk.


59 posted on 10/06/2006 4:38:25 PM PDT by darkwing104 (Let's get dangerous)
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To: raybbr
The media has its orders to hype up this "religious left" thing far in advance of the '08 DNC convention, where libs are gonna "raise the roof" for the camera like never before.

Let's call their bluff on it, EARLY.

60 posted on 10/06/2006 4:39:32 PM PDT by right-wingin_It
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