Where Have All the Christians Gone?

[dutch508]

Star Member NanceGreggs (26,912 posts)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216577588

Where Have All the Christians Gone?

Jesus said we should feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, care for the sick, and treat others as we would wish to be treated ourselves.

If you are a true Christian, i.e. a follower of Christ and his teachings, the policies of the Republican party are completely contrary to everything you espouse to believe in.

The GOP opposes anything-and-everything that Jesus admonished his followers to do. They do everything in their power to dismiss the hungry as lazy parasites looking for a handout, to criminalize homelessness as though not being able to afford shelter is in-and-of-itself a crime, to ensure that healthcare means making a profit from the sick, and treating each other with empathy and compassion as a sign of weakness.

If you are a Christian, you cannot be a Republican. If you support Republicans, you cannot claim to be a Christian.

It's as simple as that. There is no middle ground, there is no wiggle room.

If you are willing to abandon the teachings of The Nazarene in order to adhere to the teachings of The GOP, at least have the courage to say so.

If you have decided that Jesus was some left-wing whack-job who delivered the Sermon on the Mount to a bunch of peace-loving idiots, stand up and say so.

So why not stop pretending you are Christians and instead just openly denounce the words of your alleged Saviour. - as your party of choice has urged you to do.

In other words, spare us all your hypocrisy. It's old, it's obvious, and it's blatantly demonstrative of just how easily-manipulated you are - and being easily-manipulated is exactly why the GOP rightly determined that you were all easy-pickin's when it came to convincing you that when it comes to "Christian voters", Jesus Christ is not only politically irrelevant, he is the poster-boy for everything that is abhorrent to your party-of choice.

There is nothing more pathetic than a so-called "Christian" who aligns himself with the party that has convinced him that the teachings of Christ are nothing more than leftist propaganda meant to undermine democracy.

 

Star Member Celerity (27,647 posts)

2. Unfortunately tens of millions are directly or indirectly attempting a christofascist takeover

No such thing as a 'true Christian' btw.

That is a basic 'No true Scotsman' logical fallacy.

speak easy (4,480 posts)

4. Where are all the 'evangelical' leaders Standing With Ukraine,

condemning Putin's atrocities?

overleft (251 posts)

7. The question you need to ask is 'where have all the religous people gone?'

Someone who lives by the teachings of Jesus Christ seeks to live by His teachings. Even in Jesus's day, the religious people, along with an authoritative ruler government, were the ones who crucified Him. Religion and politics were poor bed fellows then as well.

Star Member treestar (79,771 posts)

8. it is code for white

to most of them. Christianity was the religion of Europe. That's where they are really coming from.

Others of them will say Jesus did not mean the government, but charity. OK, where's the charity? We see some, but not enough to account for their numbers. And whoever insists on this being a "Christian nation" should be fine with the government being the operator of the charity, as they are claiming it to be fundamental to the nation.

McKim (2,124 posts)

12. Main Line Traditional Christian Churches are Loosing Members

Main line traditional Christian Churches have been losing membership. They are still doing a lot of charity and leadership on national and international social justice issues. There is such a thing as Liberation Theology which is Christianity from The Left. For Example The United Church of Christ works hard on Racial Justice, Peace and Economic Justice. Unitarians are focused on Immigration Justice. So don't paint all Christians with the same brush. For me, Jesus is still speaking and has been during my 20 plus years in the Peace Movement.

Star Member PJMcK (17,613 posts)

17. All religions suck

They demean women.

They espouse fairy tales.

They belittle intellectualism and facts.

All I can ask is, why bother?

Star Member yardwork (53,922 posts)

20. Christians acknowledge that Jesus was murdered for advocating that radical position.

Those positions are still unpopular and radical today.

 

[Mr Mannn]

It has been my policy for many years to never take religious advice from an atheist.

In this case it is just manipulation.
DUmmies will never respect you, or what you believe. Just look at their "religion forum" if you doubt me.

[SVPete]

I see GarrulousGreggs has slumped ( ) to titling her recycled word salads with movie and song titles. Her Thunderbird has her playing misty for DUpipo, . Her fiction is so poor that even Weekly World News would re-run Bat Boy articles in preference to publishing GarrulousGreggs' fictional word salads.

[SVPete]

Star Member NanceGreggs (26,912 posts)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216577588

Where Have All the Christians Gone?

Jesus said we should feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, care for the sick, and treat others as we would wish to be treated ourselves.

1. Jesus also saind, in Libs' favorite - but seldom read by Libs - the Sermon on the Mount:

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

* The law to which Jesus referred forbade murdering human beings. Which party favors murdering human being via abortion?

* The law to which Jesus referred forbade theft. Which party favors freeing thieves, especially those of certain skin color and/or economic status?

* The law to which Jesus referred forbade theft. Which party takes away property or encumbers owners' use of their property for political and ideological gain?

* The law to which Jesus referred forbade perjury. Which party falsely accuses good people and uses frivolous prosecution and civil suits for political gain, aka "Lawfare"?

* The law to which Jesus referred forbade homosexual acts. Which party champions active homosexuals and supports same-sex marriage?

Nance, clean out your own Augean stables before criticizing the cleanliness others' stables, mmmmkay?

2. Nance doesn't know that The Salvation Army is an Evangelical Christian Church as well as a humanitarian organization? Nance has never heard of CityTeam Ministries? Nance has never heard of Mercy Ships, founded by missionary organization Youth With A Mission? Nance has never heard of Samaritan's Purse, other than Franklin Graham's occasional political comments? https://www.beautifulday.org . Cathedral of Faith in San Jose, https://cathedraloffaith.org has a food ministry, as does Home Church in Campbell, https://www.thehomechurch.org/care-support/food-ministry ... I could go on and on, but this suffices to demonstrate that Nance is lashing out in willful ignorance.

ETA: I did not mention Catholic charities above out of religious prejudices, but die to lack of familiarity. I am aware, for instance, that in many communities a or the major hospital is part of the Catholic organization Dignity Health ... and some have been targets of lawfare because of that affiliation.

[USA4ME]

So is Nan treating others the way she wants to be treated?

.

[freedumb2003b]

If yu are a Christian, you cannot be a Republican. If you support Republicans, you cannot claim to be a Christian.

It's as simple as that. There is no middle ground, there is no wiggle room.

No, if you are a Christian you cannot be a stereotype of a Republican. To truly be a Christian, you SHOULD be a Republican. But you should NEVER be a modern liberal. Jesus' teachings rejected the racism, homophobia and mysogeny/misandry that are the liberal pillars.

[SVPete]

Nance's world seems to revolve around politics, and her regional god for the US is the Dem Party. She cannot conceive that Christianity transcend politics and that every political organization falls short because political organizations are made up of sinful humans.

[Zathras]

Nance the Drunkard wouldn't know what a real christian looks like if there was a priest in full garb behind here in line at the grocery store when she's resupplying her stock of cheap booze for her next bender.

[dandi]

Charity comes from the individual, not by voting for a government that extracts it at the point of a gun from others.

[FlaGator]

Christians can't be Democrats either because they stand for many things that Christ didn't like.

In fact, Jesus was completely apolitical. He could have spoken out against the Roman occupation but He didn't. He could have arranged protests against the Temple Priests' collaboration with a foreign government but He didn't. He could have stirred up riots denouncing slavery but he didn't. He could have waged war on poverty but he didn't. There were a lot of political stances Jesus could have taken but he didn't. Jesus was tasked with the mission of salvation for mankind and to show humanity that it had a choice of which path to follow regardless of whatever political events and crises were occurring. Jesus wouldn't be a Democrat nor a Republican. He wouldn't be Liberal or Conservative. Chris saw the bigger picture which makes the politics of the day, any day, background noise to what is truly important, accepting Christ as one's personal savior and living the rest up to God. I am not talking about inaction. He will move the people he wants to do the things God needs to be done and it will happen in a way one least expects. One moment you'll be minding your own business and the next thing you know you'll be in the middle of God's business. That is just how it works. In God's eyes, we are all the same, Conservative, Liberal, man, woman, black, white, yellow, free, or enslaved. We all either serve God or we serve ourselves and often in serving ourselves we still serve the Creator and are working to fulfill His purpose.

[SVPete]

Charity comes from the individual, not by voting for a government that extracts it at the point of a gun from others.

Christians can't be Democrats either because they stand for many things that Christ didn't like.

... Chris saw the bigger picture which makes the politics of the day, any day, background noise to what is truly important, accepting Christ as one's personal savior and living the rest up to God. I am not talking about inaction. He will move the people he wants to do the things God needs to be done and it will happen in a way one least expects. One moment you'll be minding your own business and the next thing you know you'll be in the middle of God's business. ...

Jesus commands to charity are to individual believers, not to governments, not to non-believers. This fact is rank heresy to Libs and Progs, and pizza-worthy on DU.

Remember when Satan tempted Jesus? In the third and final temptation Satan offered Jesus all of the kingdoms of the world. Ruling earthly kingdoms was not Jesus' mission.

[FlaGator]

All of Jesus's commands are leveled at believers. However, where charity is concerned I believe that God has no issues with governments and non-believers assisting the process. Charitable works are not forbidden of Governments and non-believers but they aren't expected of them either.

[Tess Anderson]

Where have all the drunken atheists gone? To Toronto, where they drive their spouses to suicide. Old lush doesn't know a thing about Christianity.

[landofconfusion80]

The poor will always be with us. We have so much in this country that we donate billions to others. That said, the primitives could do for a little starvation. Good for building character

[ADsOutburst]

In other words, spare us all your hypocrisy. It's old, it's obvious, and it's blatantly demonstrative of just how easily-manipulated you are - and being easily-manipulated is exactly why the GOP rightly determined that you were all easy-pickin's when it came to convincing you that when it comes to "Christian voters", Jesus Christ is not only politically irrelevant, he is the poster-boy for everything that is abhorrent to your party-of choice.

Get scammed into giving money to BLM. Get scammed into giving money to the Lincoln Project. Get outraged over Border Patrol 'whipping migrants', Rittenhouse, the 'Don't Say Gay' bill, the Whitmer 'kidnapping plot', and Putin putting bounties on US soldiers. Put your hopes in Muelller bringing down Trump, Schiff bringing down Trump, and Avenatti/Stormy Daniels bringing down Trump. Believe what you're told Ukraine. Then call republicans "easily-manipulated". Yeah, sounds about right.

[SVPete]

If you have decided that Jesus was some left-wing whack-job who delivered the Sermon on the Mount to a bunch of peace-loving idiots, stand up and say so.

Has Nance ever read the Sermon on the Mount? Does she understand the meaning of

5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill them.17 5:18 I18 tell you the truth,19 until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter20 will pass from the law until everything takes place. 5:19 So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others21 to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever obeys them and teaches others to do so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 5:20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness goes beyond that of the experts in the law22 and the Pharisees,23 you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

I.E., what that law says is wrong?

Has she examined her own hatreds in the light of

5:21 “You have heard that it was said to an older generation,24 ‘Do not murder,’25 and ‘whoever murders will be subjected to judgment.’ 5:22 But I say to you that anyone who is angry with a brother26 will be subjected to judgment. And whoever insults27 a brother will be brought before28 the council,29 and whoever says ‘Fool’30 will be sent31 to fiery hell.

How many DU-folk - men and women - have run afoul of this, in thought and deed?

5:27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’38 5:28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

How many DU-folk come remotely close to this?

5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’52 and ‘hate your enemy.’ 5:44 But I say to you, love your enemy and53 pray for those who persecute you, 5:45 so that you may be like54 your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 5:46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors55 do the same, don’t they?

I usually comment that hatred is not worth what it does to the hater. Jesus' standard is even higher. I think I know for what many DU-folk pray for their "enemies".

As for DU-folks' daily (sometimes several a day) virtue-signalling threads:

6:1 “Be1 careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people.2 Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven. 6:2 Thus whenever you do charitable giving,3 do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues4 and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth,5 they have their reward. 6:3 But when you do your giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 6:4 so that your gift may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

That and much more that would be unpleasant or challenging to self-reflective DU-folk. And to Christian believers, of course, so I invite DU-folk to get the beams out of their own eyes while I get the beams out of my eyes (also in the Sermon on the Mount).

FWIW, my church's pastors are very very slowly working through the Gospel of Matthew in weekly sermons (we have several pastors who share teaching on Sundays, it's a small megachurch), and are more or less finished with Matthew chapter 4. I expect chapters 5-7. the Sermon on the Mount will take a good long while.

[ABC-2]

Dear Ms. MoronGreggs .

If you are a Christian, you cannot be a Republican. If you support Republicans, you cannot claim to be a Christian.

If you believe this, you are a complete unequivocal moron ...

But then again, you are simply a member of DU, with bells on!!!   

[Old n Grumpy]

Star Member NanceGreggs (26,912 posts)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216577588

Where Have All the Christians Gone?  To running S F and LA.

Jesus said we should feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, care for the sick,

And here is how they do it.

[USA4ME]

We’ve seen this same type of behavior on DU for years now. This appeal of their interpretation of how Christianity is to manifest itself in the lives and actions of those who are believers they wish to cast upon Republicans/conservatives is not sincere. It’s an attempt to manipulate someone by claiming they don’t live up to the standards they proclaim and hoping they’ll start seeing things their way. It’s a way for Democrats/liberals to try and convince themselves that they’re “better” than Republicans/conservatives. And I’ve seen this term used over the years with the primitives: shame. They wish to try and “shame” people into seeing things their way.

The only real explanation I’ve had is that these methods must work on them, so they must believe it would also work on others.

You have to ask yourself just what type of person would want to try and do these things? How insecure are they? Is this a person you’d want to be or even be seen with? It really puts a perspective on this type of behavior by the left when you ask their motivation and what they’re trying to accomplish by using such off-putting methods of persuasion.

I don’t pretend to understand why they do these things or why they believe it would ever work. I do know that despite it not being an intelligent way of trying to advance their ideology, they’ll continue to apply these methods foolishly believing that it’ll bear fruit.

.

[ADsOutburst]

We’ve seen this same type of behavior on DU for years now. This appeal of their interpretation of how Christianity is to manifest itself in the lives and actions of those who are believers they wish to cast upon Republicans/conservatives is not sincere. It’s an attempt to manipulate someone by claiming they don’t live up to the standards they proclaim and hoping they’ll start seeing things their way. It’s a way for Democrats/liberals to try and convince themselves that they’re “better” than Republicans/conservatives. And I’ve seen this term used over the years with the primitives: shame. They wish to try and “shame” people into seeing things their way.

The only real explanation I’ve had is that these methods must work on them, so they must believe it would also work on others.

You have to ask yourself just what type of person would want to try and do these things? How insecure are they? Is this a person you’d want to be or even be seen with? It really puts a perspective on this type of behavior by the left when you ask their motivation and what they’re trying to accomplish by using such off-putting methods of persuasion.

I don’t pretend to understand why they do these things or why they believe it would ever work. I do know that despite it not being an intelligent way of trying to advance their ideology, they’ll continue to apply these methods foolishly believing that it’ll bear fruit.

.

What I've observed about leftists is that they are bad, I mean they suck, at persuading people who don't think like they do. Case in point, look at the stuff they say in discussions about gun control: "You like guns 'cause you have a small penis!", or "If you need that many bullets, you suck at hunting!". Even if they were engaging in good faith, they literally don't know how to talk to people who disagree with them.

[Aristotelian]

Jesus commands to charity are to individual believers, not to governments, not to non-believers. This fact is rank heresy to Libs and Progs, and pizza-worthy on DU.

Precisely. Christ hurls very challenging commands at us as to how we care for those around us; it's a complete cop-out and rejection of what He was saying to say that the government needs to step in and solve all problems (as well as being damned stupid, the last thing the government does ever is to solve the problems).

The way that Christians respond are to provide that genuine support, you mention several excellent Evangelical charities and suggest that there are Catholic ones which you don't know about (which is certainly true). These are all Christians hearing Christ's message and responding to it - and often doing so with Matthew 6:3 in mind. This stands in stark contrast to leftists who make vast amounts of noise to attract attention, but never actually get their hands dirty by seeking to help.

[SVPete]

Precisely. Christ hurls very challenging commands at us as to how we care for those around us; it's a complete cop-out and rejection of what He was saying to say that the government needs to step in and solve all problems (as well as being damned stupid, the last thing the government does ever is to solve the problems). 1.

The way that Christians respond are to provide that genuine support, you mention several excellent Evangelical charities and suggest that there are Catholic ones which you don't know about (which is certainly true). These are all Christians hearing Christ's message and responding to it - and often doing so with Matthew 6:3 in mind. 2. This stands in stark contrast to leftists who make vast amounts of noise to attract attention, but never actually get their hands dirty by seeking to help.

1. One of the experiences, decades ago now, that helped me form a better understanding of Jesus' commands was hear a very libertarian co-worker complain that tax-funded social programs amounted to forced "charity", i.e. theft - government choosing who benefits and how much is "contributed". It would be easy to condemn such people as uncharitable, but I didn't. I didn't know what he did and what he might have done if taxed less. He was also an atheist and agnostic, and he, unintentionally, helped me see that Christians using the power of government to force atheists or Muslims or Hindus or ... to be "charitable" was a severe injustice, something Jesus would not and did not command.

2. The MSM inadvertently "help" with that Matthew 6:3 instruction by giving decent things done by people minimal coverage. More personally, I seldom, if ever, speak of our family's giving. It's non-zero, but I'm not into virtue-signalling.

3. Not related to Aristotelian's comment, having for decades noticed that local and national MSM outlets' love of publishing anti-Christian "debunkers", I suspect that Nance's and UGP's vitriolic rants were timed to coincide with the start of "Holy Week", whether of their own initiative or inspired by a MSM hit-piece. The hit-pieces used to bother me some, a few decades ago. Now, meh. As the late and largely unknown Christian teacher Bob Mumford once said, a "profound" theological statement, "God will get you in the end." IOW, whether people become believers or reject Jesus, that's God's business.

[enslaved1]

When people who hate Christians, Christianity, and everything the Bible preaches and stands for complain about what Christians should be doing, they always show their cluelessness. 

To answer the question, Christianity has been watered down and treated like a buffet by many of those in the Church and outside of it for decades (at a minimum).  I posted the article about less than 10% of American Christians actually holding a Biblical, Christian worldview awhile back.  Stuff like this is one of the results.  Much misinterpretation, assumption and generalization from dear nance about Christians and Republicans.  Much ignoring the blatant sins the Democrat party embraces, primarily homosexuality, gender dysphoria as a lifestyle, and abortion right now.  Many Christians who don't stand up to the test and are unable to accurately express what they believe, or are ignorant that what they believe isn't Biblical. 

[FlaGator]

When people who hate Christians, Christianity, and everything the Bible preaches and stands for complain about what Christians should be doing, they always show their cluelessness. 

To answer the question, Christianity has been watered down and treated like a buffet by many of those in the Church and outside of it for decades (at a minimum).  I posted the article about less than 10% of American Christians actually holding a Biblical, Christian worldview awhile back.  Stuff like this is one of the results.  Much misinterpretation, assumption and generalization from dear nance about Christians and Republicans.  Much ignoring the blatant sins the Democrat party embraces, primarily homosexuality, gender dysphoria as a lifestyle, and abortion right now.  Many Christians who don't stand up to the test and are unable to accurately express what they believe, or are ignorant that what they believe isn't Biblical.

The watering down of Christian beliefs is one of the main causes of rifts that lead to sects and new demominations. I was once an Episcopal but I left and joined an ACNA church that was a break away from an Episcopal parish. We now have liberal and conservative denominations and the denominations are further broken down into bible-based, tradition-based, and secular acommodating organizations.

This I lay completely at the feet of the Devil whose purpose is to divide and conquer but I understand that he had a lot of help from the Church itself. Many churches base their success on the number of members they have and the income they generate so they adopt liberal/secular views on the mistaking belief that this will attract more members. However, if the church believes the same thing as the secular culture then why get up early on Sunday?