What Does the Bible Have to Say About That? (quotes to counter their quotes)

[Mugsy]

From "Mugsy's Rap Sheet":

For most Democrats, it has been painfully apparent that religion has been hijacked by those with an ulterior agenda.

(...)

On the subjects of poverty, caring for the sick, caring for the planet, and denouncing war, high-profile leaders of the Religious Right… Falwell, Robertson, et al… it has become clear that they are more interested in supporting the agenda of the Republican Party.

(...)

This got me thinking about all the Bible Passages that contradict what these Evangelical leaders are using to manipulate their followers into supporting the Neo-Conservative agenda (a brief rundown):

Genesis 6:13 - So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.

Psalm 46:8-9 - “Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolations he has brought on the earth. (9) He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire.

Isaiah 2:4 - “He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.”

Deuteronomy 16:19 - “Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.”

Kings 20:18 - He said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; if they have come out for war, take them alive.”

Matthew 5:7 - “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”

Matthew 5:9 - “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”

Psalm 104:14 - He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate— bringing forth food from the earth:

Ezekiel 36:34 - The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it.

(Thinking of 9/11 here: ) Revelation:13:3-5 - “One of the heads of The Beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. (4) Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?” (5) The Beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months.” (The war in Iraq was in its 42nd full month when Democrats won control of Congress in November. How’s that for creepy?)

Psalm 140:1 - “Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;”

(more...)

[bryant69]

1. This belongs in the religion forum

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Ian David]

2. See also: The Skeptic's Annotated Bible

http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/

[bighughdiehl]

3. You can....

quote the bible to justify absolutely anything...it's so full of contradictions. That's why Christians were killing each other for a millenium.

[Mugsy]

4. Which is my point.

Essentially the last line of my Op/Ed.

[shain from kane]

5. Successful preachers believe that God has rewarded them, through wealth. On the other hand, poverty

is the result of sinfulness. Older beliefs equated disease with sinfulness. That is why churches and church affiliated organizations have sponsored hospitals.

[State the Obvious]

6. Some of my favorites that describes Bush

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. ( Proverbs 16:18)

Do not speak to a fool, for he will scorn your wisdom. (Proverbs 23: 9)

Everything they do is done for men to see...But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. (Matthew 23: 2-6)

He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God. (Proverbs 14:21)

[TechBear_Seattle]

7. You missed some of my favorites!

Isaiah 58:6-7 "Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?"

Acts 2:44-45 And all who believed were together and had all things in common; and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need.

Acts 4:34 Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had everything in common.

And then there is that delightful word, abomination (Hebrew: TV') used in Leviticus to condemn homosexuals:

Lev. 18:22 You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.

Lev. 20:13 If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death, their blood is upon them.

What the Talibangelicals refuse to admit is that the very same Hebrew word is used elsewhere in the Bible:

Leviticus 11: 9-12 "These you may eat, of all that are in the waters. Everything in the waters that has fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the rivers, you may eat. But anything in the seas or the rivers that has not fins and scales, of the swarming creatures in the waters and of the living creatures that are in the waters, is an abomination to you. They shall remain an abomination to you; of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall have in abomination. Everything in the waters that has not fins and scales is an abomination to you. I.e. shrimp, lobster, clams, oysters, catfish (has skin, not scales) and the like are all just as sinful as man-on-man sex!

Deuteronomy 25:14-16 You shall not have in your house two kinds of measures, a large and a small. A full and just weight you shall have, a full and just measure you shall have; that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you. For all who do such things, all who act dishonestly, are an abomination to the LORD your God. I.e. dishonest shopkeepers and others who cheat in business are just as sinful as those who engage in man-on-man sex!

Also, you might find this online RSV Bible a handy resource. :hi:

[Igel]

8. I find a different link to be more useful.

There was a project called SWORD, but it died 2-3 years ago; it was damned useful in a project I was involved in, but it's no more. That leaves http://biblegateway.com. Less limiting than the RSV--which has it's own biases in translation and editorial choices--and it lets you look at some of texts underlying the English translation.