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 have not read the thread. However, Christ did not preach about soup kitchens or welfare rolls His message was about salvation of the soul not these flesh bodies.
What the author claims for his party, defense of the poor, is no longer a platform of the DimoRAT party.
He also had a few words to say about caring for our neighbors (especially the poorer ones), and that includes in this world.
bookmark
pfft. I find it hard to believe that Jesus Christ would support any group who's objectives include destroying life for kicks.
"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 writer is misguided! The Democrats are the party of abortion, gay rights, tax and spend, and cut and run. The Democrats are leftist socialist revolutionaries and inventors of the culture of death, and supporters of gay marriage. What a misperception!
True we are to have charity = giving but that does not mean we are to make them wards of the state to gain power.
The caring was also about spiritual food as He said the poor would always be among us. He also said that to fear NOT them who can kill the body but He who could destroy both the soul and body in hell.
"Jesus would have been a Democrat"
I just don't see him as a baby-killing, corn-holing, athiest.
Right. Charity to those who actually NEED it. Government is horrible at "sorting the sheep from the goats" and end up just indiscriminately doling out money. Church-based organizations do a much better job.
This guy was handed his rump on a tray in the last election in which he ran, as I recall. HMMMMMMM---I certainly would agree with anyone who says that it's been a loss of poor protoplasm.
Sometimes charity is requiring one if able to work for what one is given them.... all to easy to be eaten alive by bleeding hearts.
We are told to spare the rod spoils the child and I am NOT talking about 'beating' the child, nor does the Bible, then what message is that folded into charity. Certainly does not represent what welfare became in this nation.
The Democrat party stands above all as the party that thinks that there is a govenment solution to everything. Jesus never once appealed to the Roman authorities to help the poor, care for the sick, or see to the elderly. This in spite of the fact that there was an existing large program to provide free bread to the poor in Rome. He neither asked for, nor demanded the same of the people of Judea. I doubt if he would therefore call himself a Democrat.
Jesus transcends parties or politics.
Prior to 1933 yet after the Civil War, most dems were still pretty sore about being on the losing side of the slavery issue. Can't really picture the Redeemer being into that.
Sick bastards.
Unlike many politicians, I stayed for the entire service including the sermon.
A little liberal white guilt here?
So everyone got to see how pious you are, congressman? You got your reward.
In reality, the only "help" the Democrats offer is help the poor to *stay* poor. They make it easy to be poor and to depend on government. But that isn't "helping" the poor. It is condeming them to slavery.
Meanwhile, anyone that really tries to help the poor by helping them to become independent and self-sufficient is called mean-spirited.
This is precisely the sort of arrogant statement that Democrats have eviscerated Republicans for making. Give me a break. As if Jesus Christ belongs to a party. No, if we are faithful and blessed, we belong to his.
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