From: Robert Schneider (rjschn39@bellsouth.net)
Date: Sun Oct 13 2002 - 21:02:01 EDT
Since you have made my case for me, I rest.
R.S.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Don Perrett-VP GPA" <donperrett@genesisproclaimed.org>
To: "ASA Discussion" <asa@calvin.edu>; "Robert Schneider"
<rjschn39@bellsouth.net>
Sent: Sunday, October 13, 2002 6:04 AM
Subject: RE: Traditional Xtianity teaches
> Concerning your comments below:
> I might agree that some conservatives/Republicans may see
Democrats/liberals
> as being less Christian than themselves, not that I do, but I must point
out
> that this thread and apparent need to involve politics into theology was
> started by a liberal. It would seem to me that the entire point of the so
> called "list" of fundamentalists was to make the point that conservatives
> are less forgiving and therefore less Christian. One's politics and
> religious beliefs are between God and the individual alone. If one
believes
> in homosexuality or abortion, that is for them to explain to God not I.
What
> I believe is judged by God alone. Being less of a Christian is not the
> issue. Being a Christian which tries to follow what they believe God and
> Christ would want is. If we do things that we know God does not want us to
> do, either individually or as a society, just because we feel that we are
> saved, we will doom ourselves and those we touch. Each individuals action
> has an affect on everyone else's life. Some may think that being
homosexual,
> killing our unborn, not allowing prayer in schools, etc may be accepted by
> God, but then the same people who believe this are the ones recently
saying
> that perhaps the Islamic terrorists had a reason for 9/11. They hate our
> government policies. It is our religion and more particularly our so
called
> religious acceptance (forgive all) that they hate. Until we understand
that
> our "liberalism" is what is destroying us, we will end up just like the
> Greeks and Romans. Some may have heard of the recent beauty pageant
> contestant that was rejected because she promoted abstenace instead of
"safe
> sex". She of course did not say to have safe sex, but rather that not
having
> in the first place is the safest sex. It amazes me how liberals have no
> problem with violating the First Amendment when it suites them, but them
> turn around and scream about their rights when it comes to having computer
> generated children in the nude or engaged in sexual conduct. That does not
> mean we need to condemn or banish those that do these things. Forgive one
> another but only if they are repentant. If one cannot accept for
themselves
> that they have done wrong, no one, not even God can forgive them, for they
> cannot forgive themselves in their own hearts. If someone were repeatedly
> engaging in "actual" sex with a minor, would anyone on this list say it
was
> ok? Why? Where in the Bible does it say it's wrong? The OT? Well according
> to some on the list, the OT is OLD and things like homosexuality, women's
> rights, etc are outdated and wrong. OK. Well then I suppose murder, child
> rape and other such things are ok. Point is we can make the Bible read as
we
> like, but each of us must ask ourselves in our hearts what is right. If
one
> can walk into a church, open a Bible and say to God, "Thank you Lord for
> giving such a great day. Today I killed my unborn son and I feel great."
If
> not then they should look within themselves and the Bible for guidance.
> Let's quit looking for acceptance of others and groups. We want to be
> accepted so bad, but we want to take the easy road. Rather than changing
to
> fit what we know is right, we want everyone else to accept our faults. The
> only one we must answer to is GOD.
>
> Don Perrett
>
>
>
>
> >>>>>I understand Terry's misgivings about what he sees in Burgy's list as
a
> conflation of politics with theology, but I think there is some merit in
> Burgy's doing so in the context of some expressions of American-style
> Christianity. Unfortunately, there are many fundamental believers in the
US
> who have done just that--conflated the two: they have politicized their
> theology and theologized their politics. The moral-theological positions
of
> some on abortion, homosexuality, school prayer, gun control, and YEC are
so
> often articulated in political terms, that one wonders if it is possible
for
> some now to separate them in their minds. I saw a bumper sticker here in
> Boone recently that reflects this: "Christian--and a Democrat!" This
> person obviously felt the need to make the point that you don't have to be
a
> Republican in order to be a "true Christian."
>
> This politico-theology phenomenon is not confined to fundamental
Christians
> of the Protestant variety. An elderly Catholic woman reported during the
> 2000 election that she received a letter from her priest, who noticed the
> "Vote Democrat" bumper sticker on her auto and informed her that he would
> not administer communion to her if she was going to vote with the
> abortionists. She was outraged, of course (she opposes abortion), but the
> anecdote illustrates the extent to which some go on such matters.
>
> As for dispensationalist theology, thanks to the phenomenal success of the
> Left Behind movement, it seems to me that there are many conservative
> Christians who are buying this theology without realizing what it is.
From
> what I have read of LaHaye's work there is a clear political agenda wedded
> to his dispensationalism.
>
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