How does a person reconcile being a christian with being a republican?

[elehhhhna]

(By Christian, I mean one who pays a bittybit of attention on the teachings of Christ.)

[HopeHoops]

1. The same way they manage to shit with their heads up their asses.

[Tyrs WolfDaemon]

20. They turn their heads so it goes in one ear and out the other

[dionysus]

2. people have the ability to justify all kinds of wrong stuff.

[Hepburn]

3. They can live by the motto...

..."their own shit don't stink."

[hamsterjill]

4. That's a good point.

I have asked myself that many times. I've also asked a Republican and the usual explanation is the "pro life" stuff, which I don't buy, of course, because in the next sentence we'll be talking about the death penalty.

[kctim]

5. Did this Christ guy teach

that government should take from the people and help those it deems worthy OR did he teach that helping those in need is the responsibility of each individual?

[arbusto_baboso]

7. Wow, is that the ONLY thing you're taking away from this?

You're not very observant, are you?

[kctim]

9. I am an atheist

and the main thing I hear liberals and progressives complain about American Christians, is that they want their fellow man to die because they don't want to give government money to help in a certain way.

They also complain about a 'theocracy,' which will never happen and is not really a problem with the Jesus guys teaching.

And then you have the gay issue, and that does not apply to the teachings either.

So tell me, if the OP is not talking about acting like Jesus and helping their fellow man, what else were they refering to?

[treestar]

8. That's their defense

But He didn't say the government couldn't be the one to organize it, either. Which would certainly be done by a "Christian Nation."

[kctim]

10. I agree and have brought that up in talks

Am usually told that it clearly relates to the individual, not the government and that Jesus would never command forcefully taking from one.

[treestar]

16. I like to point out to them that

were this really a Christian Nation, the need for welfare laws would never have come up. The rich would have done what they needed to do to take care of the poor, rather than letting it get so bad that voters and citizens clamored for the government to do it by "force." That's how they see laws brought about by the democratic process.

[kctim]

17. Ah, good path to get on

going to use that one. Thanks.

[gratuitous]

18. Jesus did mention that

But he also relied heavily on the writings of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Amos, Micah and others in the Hebrew Testament to observe that helping people ("having regard for the widow and the orphan" is the usual locution) was not only a matter for individuals, but also a function of society and its forms, including government. Some of Jesus' harshest words were reserved for religious and political leaders who failed to structure society to care for the least members of society.

As for who is deemed "worthy," Jesus and Paul are both on record in the Christian Testament as following the writers above that determining "worth" is really not a concern. It was far more imperative to both of them, as well as the Hebrew Testament writers that helping anyone in need, giving freely to those who ask for help and lending without reckoning the likelihood of being paid back were the responsibilities of the godly. Sorting out who was "worthy" of assistance was a far lesser concern, if it was to be taken into consideration at all.

[kctim]

22. Thank you

Very interesting stuff.

As an atheist, I don't get into all that stuff, but as with the Constitution, I enjoy seeing how people interpret things.

[Fuzz]

6. American Jesus is very different than pre-American Jesus.

[makokun]

11. WTF

Trying to insert J.C. into American politics or any politics for that matter is asinine. He didn't even wade into the Jews/Roman thing...

[polmaven]

12. This full fledged

practicing Christian has no idea!

[spanone]

13. remember, Jesus said thou shalt not kill unless you are the governor of texas

[SidDithers]

14. I don't see any disconnect there...

the "teachings of Christ" are pretty subjective, and Christians all over the world interpret those teachings in many different ways.

Who's to say that the Republican interpretation isn't the correct one?

Sid

[TeamsterDem]

15. By picking and choosing which of God's laws to follow, much as they do w/ man-made laws. nt

[Motown_Johnny]

19. They focus on only one thing and ignore the rest

pro-lifers are the easiest example


They tell themselves that they are saving the lives of children and ignore all other concerns.

[hifiguy]

21. Cognitive dissonance to an extent that

a normal person's head would explode with the contradictions. But truly authoritarian personalities have little to no conscience. Authoritarian leaders, who desire only money and power, have no conscience whatsoever, and authoritarian followers, who are fearful to the point of paranoia by their very nature, are so desparate to (1) have someone tell them what to think; and (2) so willing to have someone to hate, however illogically, that normal psychological process are completely short-circuited. This may well prove to be the fatal flaw in the wiring of the brain.