This is America and I don't dispute your right to believe that the Bible is allegory, or to call us “kooks.”
For those of us who believe we should read the Bible the same way we would read any other book — i.e., the plain and obvious meaning unless the context shows some other meaning is intended — be careful about where your logic goes.
I believe in things like resurrections from the dead and walking on water. It's pretty hard to argue that we must reject Genesis 1-3 as not being history because they are “unscientific” and still maintain that the miracles of Christ, the virgin birth, etc., are not also to be rejected because they are “unscientific.”
If Genesis 1-3 is allegory, you've also got a problem of what to do with original sin. Christianity collapses if original sin isn't real — that makes the Father a child abuser who sent His Son to die a horrible death on the cross for no good reason.
1 posted on Mon Oct 08 2012 18:44:58 GMT-0500 (Central Daylight Time) by markomalley: “Couldn't possibly be any connection between this ariticle and one from the comPost: ‘In Missouri, clergy in the fray of Akin race, seeing it as start of a ‘battle for the soul’ of GOP’ Nearly 400 Missouri pastors gathered at the podium of a hotel ballroom recently to pray over the kneeling figure of Rep. Todd Akin, a Senate candidate whose campaign had been pronounced dead by national Republican leaders weeks before. Akin’s political revival has become a cause celebre for this group of clerics and other conservatives, who have launched a carefully orchestrated effort to lift the GOP candidate back into contention for a seat that could help decide control of the Senate. ‘People are drawn to Akin’s cause because they see it as the opening battle for the soul of the Republican Party,’ said strategist David Lane, who has spent months in the state organizing pastors to fight for Akin, at times bucking the wishes of GOP leaders in Washington. Akin’s campaign, Lane said, represents the fight against establishment politicians, their consultants and ‘a morally flawed approach to politics.’ Nah, no connection whatsoever. Just a coincidence that both legs of the LAT-WP news service publish articles about crazy conservative religious wackos in flyover country.”
Mark, I believe you are absolutely right.
At first, I thought the attack on Akin was purely an effort to push a second-tier candidate out of the slot to avoid losing a seat and/or to avoid Missouri problems affecting candidates nationwide. Talking about "legitimate rape" was really, really stupid.
As matters developed, I no longer believe that. I believe there are powerful forces in the Republican Party which don't like the official GOP position opposing abortion even in cases of rape or incest and are embarrassed by Akin’s core views, not just a poorly worded statement of his views.
Secular conservatives are welcome to their views. But don't argue that we, as conservative Christians, can't hold our views.
The same American Constitution that gives you the right be wrong (if you are wrong) gives us the right to be wrong (if we're wrong).
I Think your conspiracy theory falls flat on its face if only because of the primary.
The most Conservative candidate would have won if Akin had not run BTW, and she'd be the candidate facing the evil McCaskill person.