In Politics, who's side is God on?

[Sparrowhawk]

The Revelation of John Kerry


The Lord has a way of revealing those of us who really know him, and those that don't!



I'm beginning to wonder who's side God is on?



John Kerry gave a big speech last week about how his faith is so "important" to him.

In this attempt to convince the American people that we should consider him for president, he announced that his favorite Bible verse is John 16:3.


Of course the speech writer meant John 3:16, but nobody in the Kerry camp was familiar enough with scripture to catch the error.

And do you know what John 16:3 says? John 16:3 says;


"They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me."

[thedrifter]

The light will shine upon those who speak the truth.....


Ellie

[eddief]

I don't think God is on any political side. Jesus stayed away from the politics of His day between the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Sanhedrin.

[HardJedi]

what does Jesus have to do with god?

[CMyr]

God is all-powerful --- would seem that a typo would be an easy one for Him. :)

[eddief]

HardJedi
I believe that Jesus Christ is part of the holy trinity that is God- God the father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. That is my own personal understanding of who God is. So of course Jesus Christ would factor into this discussion because of what I personally believe about Him.

[GunnyL]

Let me see? Liberal Democrats have done and are doing everything in their power to eradicate God from every facet of American Life!
It's a clear fact that Republicans are more likely to Believe in God and attend Church, even Democratic polsters will tell you that.
I don't think it's about who's side is God on, I think it's more about who's on God's side! And that wouldn't be the Democrat's.

My two cents!

[HardJedi]

well, lets see, I am a registered Republican, and I sure don't believe in any mythological figures

[hrscowboy]

jedi i am calling your momma on that one buddy your arse is grass now..........

[hrscowboy]

I had a drill instructor tell us thats there was only 3 things in this world that was acceptable and that was.

1. God

2. Country

3. Marine Corps

[snipowsky]

Amen to that hrscowboy!

GOD, COUNTRY, CORPS!

Talk negatively about any of these three and I get highly offended!

P.S. God blessed Ellie with her great words of wisdom! I love it! ;) And Sparrowhawk, thanks for the laughter! That is to funny, and scary at the same time.

[HardJedi]

Well, I sure don't mean to offend anyone. Specially not you, Snipowsky, or you Cowboy.

The whole god, Corps, Country thing, I do believe in. I just happen to define god, much differently than the rest of you I suppose.

( and yes, I INTENTIONALLY do NOT capatilize the word god)

[hrscowboy]

hardjedi I guess i am gonna have to come across the state line and help your momma get you straightened out there son.

[hrscowboy]

Better yet hardjedi junk on the bunk inspection 0400 hrs your house and have your dress blues on too.

[Sparrowhawk]

Why just this morning I was talking to the Lord, mostly repenting of my evil ways, and I said to him

How about this guy... HardJedi..

and there was a long pause, then He said;

HardJedi who?

[hrscowboy]

sparrowhawk i asked the man up stairs the same thing and he never gave me an answer for a long time then he looked at me and said i cant find him in the book....

[yellowwing]

http://www.ywg-web.com/images/hardjedi.gif
HardJedi on Sunday

But wait there's more:


http://www.ywg-web.com/images/sparrowhawk.jpg
Sparrowhawk Discovers that Santa is a Liberal!

Thank you Norman Rockwell

[HardJedi]

LOL, good golly, you guy's are too much ;)

That line about god saying, " hardjedi who...?" that was pretty funny. LOL

Look, guy's, I will try to explain, although I really shouldn't HAVE to.

I do believe in god. I just don't follow any particular religion. I have read, researched, and studied every religious text I could find in my life. I have discussed theology with everyone from a freind of mine with a Phd in archeology from Harvard, Chaplains, priests, rabbi's, a bishop, and even the head of a witch's coven. The holy books that exist in most REVEALED religions are so full of holes that I just can't believe that THEY are the word of god.

I have always said, God hates me for not believing in him. ( if you can understand that statement, you will understand that it is a joke, and how I feel about the whole thing)

If you CAN'T understand it, just ask me, and I'll explain it.

and by the way, how did a political/religious thread get turned into something about ME? LOL

[Sparrowhawk]

Good one Yellowwing


Is Santa Liberal or Conservative?


I have always had my suspicions about him. I mean, he bears a striking resemblance to Jerry Garcia. Those long locks and hippie beard could be a dead giveaway. And his generosity to others seems to know no bound. Anyone that sneaks into our homes under the pretense of doing us good has got to be, up to no good.

He gives the toys away and we have to pay for them and he’s always dressed in a colorful bright red suit so that everyone would notice who he is and of the good he is doing. And he does it all just before the end of the year so he gets full tax-credit. Yep. I was beginning to think he was a liberal.

I figured as much when he eschews big, gas-guzzling SUV's for a much more ecologically friendly mode of transport: the Sleigh. Of course, he then shackles eight helpless reindeer to it and whips them into such a frenzy that the whole apparatus fairly leaps off the ground, while poor helpless elves fall off or struggle to stay on (reminds me of that poor helpless fellow that fell off Kerry’s boat, but that’s another story LOL).

Still, Santa does make a point of hiring minorities. That Rudolph was an honest-to-goodness freak, and the North Pole is practically overrun with elves. Then again, he does not even have the common courtesy to call them “Little People,” which is a failure of tolerance typical of all fat, white Republicans.

Then again, he seems to maintain a monogamous, heterosexual relationship with Mrs. Claus which is problematic, as this would indicate that he leans to the right. However, he does display an almost compulsive preoccupation with children, which NAMBLA and others applaud.

That “creeping down chimneys” thing could probably go either way. Likewise, his remote, North Pole abode could indicate either a radical, granola-eatin', back-to-the-land philosophy, or a reactionary survivalist paranoia. I don't know of any Christmas Carols linking Santa Claus to the Michigan Militia, but I certainly would not set foot on his gingerbread lawn without calling first. Jolly Old Elf, my eye. He's got a warehouse full of toys to protect.

Yet, there may still be hope for old Saint Nick, I mean, despite its current status as “politically incorrect.” He feels no compunction about ignoring Ramadan and Kwanzaa and he calls out, “Merry Christmas to all,” not “Happy Multicultural Winter Holiday Season!”

Perhaps Santa is more conservative than Yellowing thinks. One compelling argument for this can be seen in the manner in which he distributes toys. He keeps a list. He delivers toys to nice children, and gives the naughty ones a lump of coal. He never frets about the rotten little monsters' self-esteem. You want a present, earn it! Clearly conservative.

But Perhaps the clearest indication of Santa's political ideology is that he celebrates Christmas.

And now the final clue: Were Santa a liberal, he would not manufacture all those toys himself, employing an entire workshop full of elves and creating industry in the wild. He would simply shimmy down each child's chimney and snatch presents from boys and girls who have too much, and then redistribute them to those less fortunate, but then again, every year he goes and eats up the cookies and milk my kids left for the wage earner in the house that really was the one that gave them the presents..... humm, yes, he certainly leans toward the liberal side.

LOL


Cook

PS; Matthew VanLandingham a writer and conservative political advocate living in Michigan wrote much of what I borrowed here to show Santa’s conservative side. I have to give Matthew credit as I’ve heard he is now studying to be a lawyer and most lawyers are liberals.

[radio relay]

Believing all children, who are good and loyal to the state... er dictators... er parents, have a God given right to equal access to wealth... er toys.

Funny how Karl Marx, came on the world's scene rougly ten years after the current rendition of Santa..... hmmmm

===========
Hardjedi, I agree with you. I've lived up close and personal with several of the world's dominant religions. Read their holy books, and had the extremely interesting opportunity to discuss/debate them with their priests, imams, and pastors. The problem isn't with God. It's with religion! More precisely, those who control religions.

Religion provides so many with a spiritual peace, and yet at the same time is used to visit so much pain on humanity. A paradox.. for sure.

However, for me, in the final analysis, I think religion is the bane of humankind.

[eddief]

God is Not a Republican. Or a Democrat; Christian Leaders Refute Religious Right's Claim that Bush is God's Candidate

US Newswire | August 30 2004

WASHINGTON, Aug. 30 /U.S. Newswire/ -- More than 40 Christian leaders and 40,000 faithful citizens signed a petition declaring that "God is not a Republican...or a Democrat" and that the Religious Right does not speak for them. The petition refutes claims by Jerry Falwell that "Evangelical Christians...need to get serious about re-electing President Bush" and by Pat Robertson that "George Bush is going to win in walk...the Lord's just blessing him." The petition calls for all Christians to take back their faith and appears as a full-page ad in Monday's The New York Times, paid for by nearly 3,500 supporters of Sojourners, the national Christian magazine and organization that initiated the petition.

The petition, found at http://www.takebackourfaith.org, further declares that Christians acting on personal conviction can choose to vote for any candidate, and that they should consider a range of moral issues in this election, rejecting single-issue voting. It notes that: "We believe all candidates should be examined by measuring their policies against the complete range of Christian ethics and values."

Rev. Jim Wallis, editor of Sojourners magazine, explained: "When poverty has risen each of the past three years -- that's a religious issue. The war in Iraq -- that's a religious issue. Taking care of the environment -- that's a religious issue." Rev. Wallis added, "This behavior by the Religious Right -- ordaining George W. Bush as 'God's candidate' -- is theologically outrageous. How did the faith of Jesus come to be known as pro- rich and pro-war? They've tried to hijack our faith -- it's time to take it back."

In the two weeks since the campaign's launch, more than 40,000 people have signed the online petition. The ad includes 45 prominent signers, including heads of denominations, presidents and professors of Christian seminaries and colleges, pastors, and authors. The diverse signatories include prominent Christians from across the theological spectrum, including best-selling evangelical author Philip Yancey, Yale theologian Miroslav Volf, Fuller Theological Seminary ethicist Glen Stassen, Evangelical Covenant Church president Rev. Glen Palmberg, Candler School of Theology professor of social ethics Dr. Robert M. Franklin Jr., Baptist minister and evangelical speaker Tony Campolo, Reformed Church in America general secretary Rev. Wes Granberg- Michaelson, Benedictine author Joan Chittister, Duke theological ethics professor Stanley Hauerwas, and Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM.

Due to an outpouring of responses from people across the nation, the petition is also appearing as a full-page ad this morning in The News & Advance (Rev. Falwell's local newspaper in Lynchburg, Va.) and The Virginian-Pilot (Mr. Robertson's local newspaper in Hampton Roads, Va.). In response to thousands of individual donations, Sojourners is also establishing a fund to help people of faith place the ad in their hometown newspapers.

Rev. Brian McLaren, popular Christian author and pastor of Cedar Ridge Community Church in Maryland, described the petition's purpose this way: "The Religious Right has a powerful hold on many individuals and churches in our country. Many of them have never even heard a responsible counterpoint expressed by thoughtful, biblically rooted Christian thinkers and leaders."

Placement of full-page ads on the first day of the Republican National Convention follows the delivery of a similar message by Rev. Wallis to the Democratic National Convention in an address to a luncheon on faith and politics in Boston that week and in a Boston Globe op-ed in which Rev. Wallis declared that "the best public contribution of religion is precisely not to be ideologically predictable or a loyal partisan."

About Sojourners Web: http://www.sojo.net

Sojourners is a voice and vision for social change and publisher of award-winning Sojourners magazine, SojoMail e-zine, and Sojo.net web site. Founded in 1971 as a faith-based organization, Sojourners provides an alternative perspective on faith, politics, and culture through its monthly magazine, e-mail services, Web site, media commentaries, and public events. Ecumenical and progressive, Sojourners lifts up the biblical connection between social justice and spiritual renewal and nurtures community by bringing together people from the various traditions and streams of the church. Sojourners also hosts an annual program of voluntary service now in its twenty-first year.

Text of Petition Follows:

God is Not a Republican. Or a Democrat.

"It is the responsibility of every political conservative, every evangelical Christian, every pro-life Catholic, every traditional Jew, every Reagan Democrat, and everyone in between to get serious about re-electing President Bush." -- Jerry Falwell, The New York Times, July 16, 2004

"I think George Bush is going to win in a walk. I really believe I'm hearing from the Lord it's going to be like a blowout election in 2004. The Lord has just blessed him...It doesn't make any difference what he does, good or bad..." -- Pat Robertson, AP/Fox News, January 2, 2004

These leaders of the Religious Right mistakenly claim that God has taken a side in this election, and that Christians should only vote for George W. Bush.

We believe that claims of divine appointment for the President, uncritical affirmation of his policies, and assertions that all Christians must vote for his re-election constitute bad theology and dangerous religion.

We believe that sincere Christians and other people of faith can choose to vote for President Bush or Senator Kerry-for reasons deeply rooted in their faith.

We believe all candidates should be examined by measuring their policies against the complete range of Christian ethics and values.

We will measure the candidates by whether they enhance human life, human dignity, and human rights; whether they strengthen family life and protect children; whether they promote racial reconciliation and support gender equality; whether they serve peace and social justice; and whether they advance the common good rather than only individual, national, and special interests.

We believe that poverty-caring for the poor and vulnerable-is a religious issue. Do the candidates' budget and tax policies reward the rich or show compassion for poor families? Do their foreign policies include fair trade and debt cancellation for the poorest countries? (Matthew 25:35-40, Isaiah 10:1-2)

We believe that the environment-caring for God's earth-is a religious issue. Do the candidates' policies protect the creation or serve corporate interests that damage it? (Genesis 2:15, Psalm 24:1)

We believe that war-and our call to be peacemakers-is a religious issue. Do the candidates' policies pursue "wars of choice" or respect international law and cooperation in responding to real global threats? (Matthew 5:9)

We believe that truth-telling is a religious issue. Do the candidates tell the truth in justifying war and in other foreign and domestic policies? (John 8:32)

We believe that human rights-respecting the image of God in every person-is a religious issue. How do the candidates propose to change the attitudes and policies that led to the abuse and torture of Iraqi prisoners? (Genesis 1:27)

We believe that our response to terrorism is a religious issue. Do the candidates adopt the dangerous language of righteous empire in the war on terrorism and confuse the roles of God, church, and nation? Do the candidates see evil only in our enemies but never in our own policies? (Matthew 6:33, Proverbs 8:12-13)

We believe that a consistent ethic of human life is a religious issue. Do the candidates' positions on abortion, capital punishment, euthanasia, weapons of mass destruction, HIV/AIDS-and other pandemics-and genocide around the world obey the biblical injunction to choose life? (Deuteronomy 30:19)

We also admonish both parties and candidates to avoid the exploitation of religion or our congregations for partisan political purposes.

By signing this statement, we call Christians and other people of faith to a more thoughtful involvement in this election, rather than claiming God's endorsement of any candidate.

This is the meaning of responsible Christian citizenship.