For undecided Christians, another view

[luvsTink]

WARNING: This post contains graphic descriptions of one persons Christian faith. It is not meant to define Christianity as a whole, nor does it attempt to frame one persons beliefs as "ALL CHRISTIANS SHOULD...." YOU and you alone can make your decisions based on your own set of guidelines. These just happen to be mine

Dear undecided Christian,
Another thread was started that asked for no debate. In order to respect that request I felt it necessary to start another thread.

My faith very much influences my decisions when it comes to our President. I utilized the Gospels. That is to say, the direct instructions and examples set by Jesus Christ.

Neither of the candidates representing the major parties exemplifies Christ's teachings, therefore I have to look for which one is closest.

The pieces of scripture that most influence me include the sermon on the mount (especially the beatitudes...you know...Blessed are the peacemakers...) and Matthew 25: 31 - 46.

Jesus's ministry was deeply concerned with love. Love thy neighbor, love the stranger, love your enemy. He also had a keen interest in reserving judgement for GOD.

Jesus represented a radical love that accepted God's grace and called us all to a higher level of interaction with one another. He was deeply concerned with economics and the welfare of the last the lost and the lonely. He expressed a fairly clear disdain for the old laws and the highly religious.

So, good Christians, we must ask ourselves, which candidate best exemplifies community, turning the other cheek and focusing our wealth on the poor? Hmmm. It didn't take me long to decide.

Good luck, pray hard and VOTE!

Anne

 

[Alaska Catdog]

I have been trying to articulate this for several months now. Thank you for your words. Certainly something for those who follow the "Prince of Peace's " teachings to think about.

 

[Judy from Boise]

Amen sister !

 

[jenfur]

WOW! Everyday I get to add more reasons to vote for Bush. Thanks! I will be sure to pass this on.

 

[luvthatduke]

"WOW! Everyday I get to add more reasons to vote for Bush. Thanks! I will be sure to pass this on."

Jenfur - I totally agree with you, and I'm CHEERING your post!

Unless I'm mistaken (& I certainly could be),
LuvsTink posted her opinion using this
thread's analogy to SUPPORT Kerry & OPPOSE Bush.
If LuvsTink is the one I'm remembering,
she does not think our President exemplifies Christ's teachings.

LuvsTink - If I'm wrong, please point it out
and I ask for your forgiveness.
It's late & I could not do an adequate search.

I know you purposely did not express the NAME
of the candidate you came to the conclusion about,
& I don't know if it's because the Bush/Kerry Supporter
threads were closed, but because some of us enjoy reading & participating on the political threads, you knew you'd be recognized, didn't you?

Isn't America great? We can agree to disagree...

Blessings...

 

[CRB#33]

Luvstink, what saddens me the most about your post is you totally excluded Jesus' number one commandment.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your mind, all your body, all your soul, and strength. "

The second:

"Love your neighbor as yourself."

In this particular passage, he also talks about the importance of the Ten Commandments.

What I see in the world is an overwhelming love of self. Not God.

And that goes for politics and the DIS.

Oh, and I so much pray and to be wrong about this. I so wish God was at the top of our list. Especially if we call ourselves, "Christians." Please tell me if I am.

 

[swilphil]

Originally posted by luvsTink .... Neither of the candidates representing the major parties exemplifies Christ's teachings, therefore I have to look for which one is closest.

The pieces of scripture that most influence me include the sermon on the mount (especially the beatitudes...you know...Blessed are the peacemakers...) and Matthew 25: 31 - 46.

Jesus's ministry was deeply concerned with love. Love thy neighbor, love the stranger, love your enemy. He also had a keen interest in reserving judgement for GOD.

Jesus represented a radical love that accepted God's grace and called us all to a higher level of interaction with one another. He was deeply concerned with economics and the welfare of the last the lost and the lonely. He expressed a fairly clear disdain for the old laws and the highly religious.

So, good Christians, we must ask ourselves, which candidate best exemplifies community, turning the other cheek and focusing our wealth on the poor? Hmmm. It didn't take me long to decide....

This brings up excellent points and I agree. I'm sorry so many are twisting the original poster's comments. Notice she says that neither candidate "exemplifies Christ's teachings, therefore I have to look for which one is closest."

Blessed are the peacemakers--Kerry wants to use peaceful means to solve the problems.

Love thy neighbor, love the stranger, love your enemy.--From domestic policies of helping the poor to working with allies and through the UN, Kerry gets my vote here.

Jesus "was deeply concerned with economics and the welfare of the last the lost and the lonely." Kerry's policies seem to do a better job of reaching out to the more unfortunate.

I do admire Bush for his religious convictions, but unfortunately his policies don't reflect Christ's teachings to me. He favors the wealthy in tax cuts and big business in environmental policies.

John Kerry has been a devout Catholic all of his life. He may not articulate his religious beliefs as easily as Bush, but that doesn't mean he's not a believer. I can relate to that as someone who has grown up in a society where it was considered impolite to thrust your religious beliefs on others and religion was considered a very private matter, between you and God. I don't know what is another person's heart and soul. Only God knows that. I just judge people by their actions toward others, especially the less fortunate.

 

[CRB#33]

Well, I'm certainly not twisting anything and if one is going to use Christ's teachings in their arguments, they must look at what was MOST important to Him and to God.

Jesus was very clear. Loving God with everything in you was #1. Loving your neighbor, just like you love yourself was #2. The Ten commandments came next.

Jesus was extremely concerned about the poor and the downtroddden. But they were not His only concerns.

Jesus states that even He, did not come to bring peace on earth in His time (Mark 13). He talks about how there will be wars and such.

Peace on earth will not come until Jesus comes to us again. And it will get worse before better in that regard.

That does not mean we shouldn't strive for peace. We just need to put into place Jesus' priorities.

And again, first on His list was His Father in heaven, almighty God.

 

[I_Know_You2!]

When you show me how peaceful it is to kill babies, I will consider your point. Until then his views advocate one heck of a lot more deaths than Bush's. And I did know one of the casualties.

 

[swilphil]

How do you know John Kerry doesn't love God as much as George Bush?

Kerry's policies seem to be much more loving to our neighbors than Bush's policies.

Jesus was much more concerned with the poor and downtrodden than he was with helping the wealthy. Jesus talks a lot about the evils of wealth and power. I think Kerry's policies are more in line with Jesus' teachings on this.

The killings of our soldiers, not to mention all the civilians in Iraq, is heartbreaking to me. And I think it would be heartbreaking to Jesus also. How do you know where He would put this in his priorities?

 

[CRB#33]

I never said either canditate loved God more than the other. If you read my posts, I have not come out for either candidate.

You're assuming something. Why?

As far as Jesus' priorities, Love of God will always be first. And I know this. This is made unwaiveringly clear in the Bible. This is what Christ was all about. Christ is God. He comes first.

 

[CRB#33]

And yes, I think the killing of civilians would be heartbreaking to Jesus.

It was heartbreaking to Him before we went into Iraq also.

I would think it is heartbreaking to him every time an abortion is performed also.

So how do we choose? There are heartbreaks on both sides.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Thank you.

I get so tired of the radical right using Christianity as their sole reason for voting for GWB. I consider myself a Christian and I'm amazed at the lack of compassion among the most ardent Republicans who seem more hawkish than caring about peace. Might doesn't always make right.

 

[swilphil]

I know the Bible says to Love God above all else, but I don't know that one candidate loves God more. I also don't know where Jesus would put peace and helping the poor on the priority list. To be perfectly honest, I really don't think he would prioritize those things in list form. He doesn't really work that way.

Abortion is a very touchy subject, and I wouldn't want to force my views on any one else. I just don't know that life begins at conception, only God knows that. At what point does a soul enter that little body? Is it when the sperm enters the egg, or is it later? I just don't know.

I would probably see more eye to eye with the pro-lifers if they did more to prevent unwanted pregnancies in the first place. Education and birth control are the answers. I also don't see a problem with making the morning after pill more readily available. My understanding is that the the pill prevents the sperm from entering the egg.

I know morals about pre-marital sex are also in question, but can you legislate morality? As a high school teacher for 14 years, I found that the students who were more likely to engage in pre-marital sex were the ones who weren't not involved in other activities. Bush has cut over 300,000 kids from after school programs. Kerry wants to add 1.5 million kids to the after school programs.

 

[Disney Doll]

Characterizing John Kerry as a "devout" Catholic is incorrect. He is a Catholic, to be sure, as am I. He is not perfect, to be sure...neither am I. I am not devout, neither is he. Some of his policy choices and Senate votes do not lean toward "devout" Catholicism. They lean toward the kind of Catholic most of us are...doing the best we can. There are very few Mother Theresa's in the world. I am not of her caliber, and neither is John Kerry.

 

[CarolA]

I am amazed at "Christians" who feel the urge to post only at election time.

If you really are concerned about the issues you list then where are you the other 4 years. Where are you during your congressinal and sentor elections? What do you do in your daily life?

If you want me to follow your example.... actions speak louder then words and all we get here are rightous words. Especially words which come across as "I am right and everyone else is WRONG" I seem to recall something about people who live in glass houses.....

I personally don't think a message board like this is a place for preaching. When I was growing up I was taught it was not polite to force your views on other.

 

[I_Know_You2!]

Originally posted by CarolA
I am amazed at "Christians" who feel the urge to post only at election time.

If you really are concerned about the issues you list then where are you the other 4 years. Where are you during your congressinal and sentor elections? What do you do in your daily life?

If you want me to follow your example.... actions speak louder then words and all we get here are rightous words. Especially words which come across as "I am right and everyone else is WRONG" I seem to recall something about people who live in glass houses.....

I personally don't think a message board like this is a place for preaching. When I was growing up I was taught it was not polite to force your views on other.

Funny...the left wing liberals seem to be more in view right now too... The last time I looked it was perfectlly appropriate to post views on this board. I don't see how anyone can "force" their views on others, when all it takes is pushing the back button if you don't want to hear it.

swilphil - so if we put the state in charge of babysitting our children unwanted pregnancies will decrease? Any info to back that up? The last research I saw showed an increase in unwanted pregnancies associated with the widespread availability of bc. I would much rather teach respect for their bodies and responsibility for their choices.

Disney Doll- you as usual show yourself to be a voice of reason.

 

[CarolA]

My religious views are none of your business as are my voting habits.

I have never publicly endorsed a candiate. You probably think you know how I voted... I would dare to bet you are wrong.

I just feel that threads like this are flat out offensive and I am allowed to think that. So if you and the OP don't like it SORRY!

In my mind being a Christian is much more complicated then showing up two days before and election and announcing that "God" or "Jesus" thinks a certain way. I figure unless they speak to me personally I am only guessing at thier thoughts.

 

[I_Know_You2!]

Originally posted by CarolA
My religious views are none of your business as are my voting habits.

I have never publicly endorsed a candiate. You probably think you know how I voted... I would dare to bet you are wrong.

I just feel that threads like this are flat out offensive and I am allowed to think that. So if you and the OP don't like it SORRY!

In my mind being a Christian is much more complicated then showing up two days before and election and announcing that "God" or "Jesus" thinks a certain way. I figure unless they speak to me personally I am only guessing at thier thoughts.

Good for you! I was just pointing out theat EVERYONE is more involved than they would be in a Senate race etc. And that strong views are held on everyside. Big deal if I disagree with the OP. I am sure it is no skin off her back. If I mistook the seemingly apparent sarcasm in your post re. "christians" then I apologize.

 

[Buckalew11]

These threads and posts are getting crazy.

Where are the Christians doing in their daily life? Please, comments like this are too funny.

How does one know what Christ/ God think about an issue? If you are waiting for Him to personally speak to you, more power to you but I wouldn't hold my breath. While God does "speak" to people even today, the way to know God's will is to look and read in His Word. No, you won't find, "Vote Kerry" or "Vote Bush" in there, but you will learn a few things about God, priorities and His nature.

No matter who is elected tomorrow, as Christians we are to give that person our prayers and support. The Bible tells us that God puts the person is charge who is supposed to be in charge. Certain things are supposed to happen and will happen. And we are to be aware of what's happening around us.