Jesus, Republicans And The Bible...

[Ben]

Jesus, Republicans And The Bible - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijD_WnhNnZs)

[Ben]

GRITtv: John Fugelsang: GOP Should Love the Public Option - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9JGT6Z4Dc4)

[Ben]

If Jesus ran for the Republican nomination - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udzymvKOyCY)

[onmyknees]

COPY, PASTE....COPY, PASTE....COPY, PASTE....COPY, PASTE. Here's a novel idea Ben.....tell us where you agree/disagree with what you've posted and why...otherwise I might start thinking your becomming too lazy to share you own thoughts and would prefer Bill Maher do your talking for you.....and that would hurt my feelings. lol

[savannah]

Bill Maher hates everyone.... Remember GOD said everyone is equal.

[Ben]

Republicans Love Jesus more than Democrats? - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4O3TZ3IvSBg)

Bill Moyers - Thomas Frank, Whats the Matter with Kansas July 9, 2004 - PBS_2 - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHESAUYEho4)

[Ben]

Author Thomas Frank is interesting. Born and raised in Kansas. And because of the culture of Kansas latched onto conservatism or the Republican Party. Then shifted allegiances, as it were.
And the book focuses on why people vote against their own interests. Well, both parties -- actually one party, the business party -- don't serve the interests of most Americans.

Bill Moyers - Thomas Frank, Whats the Matter with Kansas July 9, 2004 - PBS_1 - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zOVKTU4TJI)

[buttslinger]

When it comes to cash I'm a Republican.
When it comes to Rights I'm a Democrat.
When it comes to religion....................

[trish]

"The very word 'Christianity' is a misunderstanding--at bottom there was only one Christian, and he died on the cross." __Nietzsche

[hippifried]

Nietzsche was a crackpot.

[Stavros]

"The very word 'Christianity' is a misunderstanding--at bottom there was only one Christian, and he died on the cross." __Nietzsche

Not the daftest thing Nietzsche said, but just as foolish. Jesus was no more a Christian than Marx was a Marxist. I think you get the point. Christianity began its journey to organised religion through the mission of Paul. If there was a 'first Christian', I think it was he, probably the first disciples as well, although as a group they did not agree.

[trish]

"The very word 'Christianity' is a misunderstanding--at bottom there was only one Christian, and he died on the cross." __Nietzsche

So why quote this aphorism HERE? In THIS thread? What could it mean in THIS context?

The Christians on the political scene today do not seem to embody the Christianity in which we were reared as children.

The conception of Christ popularized by the End of Days book series is not the Christ of Love. Not the Christ who would have us to love our neighbor. Not the Christ who tells us to turn the other cheek, or to do unto others as we would have them to unto us. Not the Christ who advises us to give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s. No. That’s not the Christ who can captivate the politically motivated conservative Christians of today. Today's religious right worships the Christ who rides a white steed and wields a sword. A Christ who would rather slay than bless. Today’s religious right dreams of that day in Heaven when they’ll look down at all us sinners writhing in the flames of agony while the Host upstairs lols with self righteous glee.

Right wing Christian politicians with perfect hair or wearing sweater vests (and always surrounded by their admiring wives and adoring children) demagogue against contraception, gay marriage, the lazy poor, the illegal immigrant poor who seek American jobs, decry the successful rescue of the auto industry and at the same time applaud the eye for an eye competitive practices Bain Capital and other equity capital paper pushers who are now falsely lauded as “job creators.”

Seems to me the the very word, “Christianity” is being deliberately distorted and put to work for political gains. The Christ who died on the cross would not recognize Himself in the "Christianity" of today's conservatives and fundamentalists. Today they worship a new and improved Christ.

[hippifried]

Idolators!

Christianity is the attempt to follow the teachings of the Christ. I shouldn't have to repeat all of it. It's simple really. Just follow the moral code. Finger pointing ain't it. Deliberately violating the Mosaic Law (Thou shalt not bear false witness...) ain't it. Kicking the crippled beggar as you step over him on your way to make a bank deposit ain't it. Constantly whining when you never had it so good ain't it.

Oh & BTW: That whole horse & sword thing doesn't represent the teachings of the Christ at all. Sounds more like Muhammad.

[Stavros]

The Christians on the political scene today do not seem to embody the Christianity in which we were reared as children.

Trish, I understand your point, and agree with you because the Christianity in which I was raised bears no resemblance to most of the claims made for it today, not just by the so-called 'fundamentalists' in the USA but plenty in this country too. But the quote by Nietzsche attributes to Jesus something that he did not have, which is a system, and that, as I repeat, was Paul's -'Genius' if the word is appropriate.

[trish]

In short, I have misused Nietzsche's voice to give vent to my own in much the same way right wing fundamentalist Christians use the voice of Jesus. Class dismissed.

[Stavros]

Please Miss, can we have a quickie on Nietzsche's Philosofari and why he uses animals so much when discussing what we know and how we communicate?

A human being may well ask an animal: “Why do you not speak to me of your happiness but only stand and gaze at me?” And the animal would like to answer, and say: “The reason is I always forget what I was going to say”—but then he forgot this answer too, and stayed silent: so that the human being was left wondering.
— Friedrich Nietzsche, Untimely Meditations

As quoted in:

https://www.depauw.edu/humanimalia/issue%206/pdfs/traisnel.pdf

[djcolopi]

"The very word 'Christianity' is a misunderstanding--at bottom there was only one Christian, and he died on the cross." __Nietzsche
that quote is wrong. christian means follower of Christ.

[trish]

If you're making Stavros's point I agree. On the other hand, I wouldn't want to suggest Jesus didn't follow the principles of His own teachings. My point was neither Stavros's nor Nietzsche's, as I think I explained above.

[Silcc69]

"The very word 'Christianity' is a misunderstanding--at bottom there was only one Christian, and he died on the cross." __Nietzsche

So why quote this aphorism HERE? In THIS thread? What could it mean in THIS context?

The Christians on the political scene today do not seem to embody the Christianity in which we were reared as children.

The conception of Christ popularized by the End of Days book series is not the Christ of Love. Not the Christ who would have us to love our neighbor. Not the Christ who tells us to turn the other cheek, or to do unto others as we would have them to unto us. Not the Christ who advises us to give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s. No. That’s not the Christ who can captivate the politically motivated conservative Christians of today. Today's religious right worships the Christ who rides a white steed and wields a sword. A Christ who would rather slay than bless. Today’s religious right dreams of that day in Heaven when they’ll look down at all us sinners writhing in the flames of agony while the Host upstairs lols with self righteous glee.

Right wing Christian politicians with perfect hair or wearing sweater vests (and always surrounded by their admiring wives and adoring children) demagogue against contraception, gay marriage, the lazy poor, the illegal immigrant poor who seek American jobs, decry the successful rescue of the auto industry and at the same time applaud the eye for an eye competitive practices Bain Capital and other equity capital paper pushers who are now falsely lauded as “job creators.”

Seems to me the the very word, “Christianity” is being deliberately distorted and put to work for political gains. The Christ who died on the cross would not recognize Himself in the "Christianity" of today's conservatives and fundamentalists. Today they worship a new and improved Christ.

True true.

[hippifried]

that quote is wrong. christian means follower of Christ.
Well... Kind of... Following the persona requires faith. Following the teachings doesn't even require a belief in the persona at all, let alone the supernatural part of the story. The teachings & even the personae of Confucious, Gautama Buddah, Zoroaster, Deganawida, etc... are revered & followed to this day, but the charactors aren't worshiped. Even Muhammad isn't worshiped. That's what sets organized Christianity apart from everybody else. That's why the Church tried so hard to wipe out the Gnostics, but let the Protestants slide for the most part.

[Faldur]

Who is Jesus Christ? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyheJ480LYA)

[trish]

Yeah yeah, the world is full of soul-suckers. But that guy in the robes...he's one of them. See him behind the crowd jumping up and down competing for the protagonist's attention? What does he really want? Her adoration? Her submissive obedience? The money a myriad of followers like her will put in the tithing boxes or send to the station? The power that entails? The power to tell a nation of women they do night have jurisdiction over their own bodies? That boner pills can be covered in health insurance plans but not contraception? That man rules over woman, not with woman? Make no mistake. The dude in the robes is an actor. He is not Jesus.

[yodajazz]

"The very word 'Christianity' is a misunderstanding--at bottom there was only one Christian, and he died on the cross." __Nietzsche

So why quote this aphorism HERE? In THIS thread? What could it mean in THIS context?

The Christians on the political scene today do not seem to embody the Christianity in which we were reared as children.

The conception of Christ popularized by the End of Days book series is not the Christ of Love. Not the Christ who would have us to love our neighbor. Not the Christ who tells us to turn the other cheek, or to do unto others as we would have them to unto us. Not the Christ who advises us to give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s. No. That’s not the Christ who can captivate the politically motivated conservative Christians of today. Today's religious right worships the Christ who rides a white steed and wields a sword. A Christ who would rather slay than bless. Today’s religious right dreams of that day in Heaven when they’ll look down at all us sinners writhing in the flames of agony while the Host upstairs lols with self righteous glee.

Right wing Christian politicians with perfect hair or wearing sweater vests (and always surrounded by their admiring wives and adoring children) demagogue against contraception, gay marriage, the lazy poor, the illegal immigrant poor who seek American jobs, decry the successful rescue of the auto industry and at the same time applaud the eye for an eye competitive practices Bain Capital and other equity capital paper pushers who are now falsely lauded as “job creators.”

Seems to me the the very word, “Christianity” is being deliberately distorted and put to work for political gains. The Christ who died on the cross would not recognize Himself in the "Christianity" of today's conservatives and fundamentalists. Today they worship a new and improved Christ.

Exactly! Great post. But, in addition, the "end book" Jesus is very different than the end times version, that Jesus himself spoke of. It comes from the book of Mathew 25th chapter. Read it for yourself. It starts at the 31st verse. But basically he says, the people that will "inherit the kingdom", fed the hungry, and thirsty, and even visited people in prison. He said, 'that which you do to the least, you do unto me'. And for the ones, who did not do those things, he said, "depart from my presence." So if you are a Christian, which version of the end times are you going to believe? I personally believe the words of Jesus, over the person who wrote "Revelations". They are not even sure who the person named 'John' was. Which books that were chosen to be in the Bible, was a decision by a group in the early 5th century. I think it was the Council of Nicea. There had to be a certain level of 'politics', to make the decision, of what to include and exclude. But certainly, the four gospels, which contained direct quotes from Jesus are the center point of Chistianity.

One additional thing, regarding the New Testament, is that the Apostle Paul wrote many of his books, that appeared to be responses to specific situations in church communities at the time. It seems like sexual relationships were an important element, having the potential to to create divisions, inside Christian communites, who were often under attack from the outside. So one has to take into account, that addressing immediate issues makes context important, concerning it's relative value to future generations, in respect to Paul's writings. And context is especially true of the Koran, where it is essential for greater understanding.

[yodajazz]

COPY, PASTE....COPY, PASTE....COPY, PASTE....COPY, PASTE. Here's a novel idea Ben.....tell us where you agree/disagree with what you've posted and why...otherwise I might start thinking your becomming too lazy to share you own thoughts and would prefer Bill Maher do your talking for you.....and that would hurt my feelings. lol

I see you adhere to the ancient practice of attacking the messenger, and ignoring the message. I personally would assume that Ben is in agreement with the message, and that Bill Maher, a professional comedian is able to state things in a more entertaining way, than Ben. That is unless 'Ben' is really Ben Stiller, or some other eloquent person.

One of the speakers in the video, put things in a way that I had not thought about before, in regards to healthcare. That is that the 'public option, provides market competition, and that Republicans generally feel that competition is good for 'free markets'. But I think the most important aspect of this thread discussion, is the relationship of the Republican message, to the actual teachings of Jesus.