Along the same lines, all Wiccans are teen/20-something goths who believe they can change their eye color through a spell, shapechange at will and divert a hurricane with group meditation on the pretty crystals. No religious group is immune from Hollywood stereotypes. How about we all just be living role models for what is real and good in general? Run with that, rather than scapegoating Hollywood. Who believes Hollywood. They know it is fantasy land and lets have a ball. Besides there are a few good people in Hollywood who use their spare time following ideas that require thought. Hollywood has to cater for all, to exist. American press seems to take a side with one political party or the other. The bias that is all too obvious, attempts to create greater misconceptions than Hollywood has done since WW2 (as part of the American propaganda program). Lets start with who is and who isn't Christians. People who claim the title probably are a bit self-indulged if not downright ignorant. They make the claim as if they were the ONLY people who are. Now if they mean born-again or some such, fine, but while I believe people have a right to label themselves whatever they want, it stops when you claim ownership of a title that defines billions of people around the world. I think with the help of religious conservatives Republicans stole religion and declared a monopoly on it. Faith in God is now portrayed as the exclusive province of the GOP and I don't buy any of it, furthermore most of the time I think religious conservatives get the Bible ass-backwards, ignoring the most important teaching of Jesus which place love and compassion above greed and intolerance. If they want to portray themselves as victims now, it won't fly either. I think with the help of religious conservatives Republicans stole religion and declared a monopoly on it.Wow, you just summed up the plot of most Hollywood Christian movies... Also see Truth in Television(tm). I think religious conservatives get the Bible ass-backwards, ignoring the most important teaching of Jesus which place love and compassion above greed and intolerance.You label conservatives as greedy, yet studies have shown they are more giving than liberals of both their time and money. Wonder where you got that view of conservatives? And I believe if Jesus were alive today, those on the left would also label him as intolerant or a homophobe or many of the other labels they place on Christians today. Jesus was accepting of sinners, but he wasn't tolerant of sin. He preached a message of love and compassion and one of repentance which is something the left likes to leave out. I've tried to teach my grandchildren that what they see in the movies isn't necessarily the truth. Well, N2, Jesus was a radical revolutionary who brought transformation, not doctrine and that is why I believe he still matters today. His passion was the character of God's in a human life and all I have to do to remind myself of that is too read the Beatitudes. And if Jesus were alive today, he would proclaim loud and hard his commitment of promoting justice for the voiceless and the powerless, the poor and disadvantaged. Instead the message from today's evangelical leaders has been transformed from comforting the afflicted to further comforting the comfortable. Jesus would be a revolutionist in this day and time just like He was in Biblical times. We would want to crucify Him just as they did back then. He did teach doctrine as well as an example of how we should live. We have all ignored this, both liberals and conservatives. We would want to crucify Him just as they did back thenYes we would Jay. Yes we would. And athiests aren't depicted with a negative stereotype? the message from today's evangelical leaders has been transformed from comforting the afflicted to further comforting the comfortable.Maybe you are attending the wrong church or hanging out with the wrong Christians because I just don't see that message at all with the people I know. I wasn't talking about a particular church N2, I was talking about evangelical leaders. Aren't the real leaders in the churches? You have basically lumped every conservative Christian and declared them wrong. You are doing exactly what you accuse them of doing. And if Jesus were here today, he would condemn many on both sides, but the message he would spread would be pretty much like the one he spread before. And that message wasn't just to the poor and helpless, it was to everyone and the core of the message was to turn away from sin. I am speaking about the influence of the religious right on American politics. There is now a backlash against that N2, and deservingly so. As far as Jesus is concerned, starting with the first Gospel, the message is clear and strong. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.: MATTHEW 5:9 "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven." MATTHEW 19:21 "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." MATTHEW 19:24 "I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I ... woman who ever had an abortion for the cruel murder of almost 3,000 innocent people on 9/ll. Morality doesn't begin and end with sex. How about the immorality of white-collar crime that emptied the pension funds belonging to millions of workers? What about the immorality of 36 million people living below the poverty line? What about the immorality of fighting an unjust war? Over and over, Jesus lays it on the line. By reaching out to help the poor and disadvantaged, we are racking up points with someone very important. Jesus doesn't say that eternal bliss depends on how you feel about gay marriage, or women being ordained priests. The only test is, did you feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick, and visit those in prison. Jesus ministered to all. He dined with publicans and sinners. Publicans weren't poor people. They were the government contractors and tax collectors for Rome. And after ministering to people Jesus didn't say, "go, and live your life how you wish because I'm an empathetic dude." He said, "go, and sin no more." One last thing. Is it immoral to be rich or poor? You seem to insinuate both. Jesus said it best about judgment when he saved a woman from death at the hands of the Pharisees. "But Jesus bent down and started to write on the gound with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." JOHN 8:6-7. One by one, her accusers slinked away, until there was no one left. And if you think I feel it's immoral to be poor, then I dunno what comments of mine you have been reading. But I'll say it again. Amassing material goods is not inherently evil. Yet Jesus warned about piling up possessions and told a young man to get rid of them if he wanted to gain e[b]... |
View the Top Clips from May 26, 2009
Embed This Clip In Your Site...
|
||
|
|
|||
|
New from the makers of Clipmarks: Amplify.com - Don't just share the news...Amplify it!
|
|||
