Pat Robertson, Pat Robertson, Pat Robertson.... how many Christians do you think take that yo-yo seriously? That's like saying that all Moslems think that Osama Bin Laden is a good man.I hold by my words from the previous thread: Christians who own guns, vote republican, and watch Pat Robertson are pissing on their own religion. That is not what Christianity is about. You wanted proof...here it is:
First, the most important reason:
Luke 7:27-30--"But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the personwho takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic".
If you want to give all your possessions away, go ahead. Christ often used hyperbole to make His point. The fact is, you don't fight poverty by becoming poor. You fight poverty by accumulating wealth, then using that wealth to do God's will. There is a philosophy of "good stewardship", instead of being ruled by the things of this world, you use the blessings that God has given you to help others. I can tell you that Andrew Carnegie, the founder of US Steel spent the latter half of his life doing just that. In fact many towns in this country have libraries that were started with seed money from Mr. Carnegie's charities.
And what are the cops going to do when they get there? Sing the guy a lullabye? Has it occurred to you that the cops will use deadly force if necessary?-->Gun owners: Toss the gun and get a dog. If someone gets in your home just lock yourself in a room, call the cops...Break-ins are rarely ever for the purpose of homicide. You actually are at greater risk if you walk up to a robber with a gun, as he may have one too. Conservatives are mostly pro-war. In the case of the last war, they did not even exhaust diplomacy. Pat Robertson...well he once advocated the assasination of Hugo Chavez, how does a guy like that get a Christian TV show?
Guess what? The burglar isn't going to break into your home if he knows you are armed.... because like any sane person, he realizes that getting killed isn't worth the $100 bucks he's likely to make.
It is a documented fact that communities that have a large percentage of gun ownership have a low crime rate. Communities with concealed gun permits even moreso.... have you guessed why?
No one is pro-war, not even conservatives. You are for peace at any cost. Here is a Christian concept, there is such thing as evil in the world and we must fight it. Sometimes that involves use of physical force.
Second, also regarding treatment of others:
Matthew 22:37-40--"He said to him, 'you shall love the lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Loving God means obeying His commandments. Allowing yourself to be victimized by evil people is not showing them you love them, instead it is enabling them to commit sin.
A basic tenant of Christianity is that Human Nature is sinful, people will do evil if they don't have to face consequences.
I think that you're talking out of both sides of your mouth. First you talk about religion and Christianity, then you advocate the killing of unborn children (Psalm 119 - "You knew me when I was in my mother's womb" and this one from the New Testament.... "For whosover offends the least of these children, it will be better if a millstone were hung about his neck and drowned in the sea... for whatever you do to the least of my brethern, the same you did unto Me"). A secular society independent of religion means what? Only one thing, the abolition of religion. Religion does no good if it is not allowed to play a part in public life.-->Guns are not the tool of love, that is all there is to say about that. Conservatives support the death penalty, is that loving your neighbor? Many christians may disagree with me on this, but I also believe in the right to abortion. No one fully knows a person's individual circumstances that lead them to abortion, and therefore the right should be granted. I am not necessarily for abortion, I just think the right should be extended. Pat Robertson said hindus should not be allowed in the United States. This shows his ignorance, he obviously has never talked to a hindu. Again, nothing Christian about his statement. Besides, the U.S. should be a secular nation, independent of religion. Whatever you are, you have as much right to be here as Pat Robertson.
Let's see here, King David was rich, Abraham was rich, Isaac was rich, Jacob was rich, Job was rich, many of the early Christians were rich. St. Peter and Paul's missions were supported by the donations of wealthy patrons at home. So, it seems that those rich people used their wealth to establish the Kingdom of God....Finally, regarding wealth
Luke 18:25--"For it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven"
Socialism violates God's commandment to love one another. God commanded us as individuals to give to the poor, not set up large over reaching bureaucracies that force the redistribution of wealth by extorting wealth from people to support inefficient bureaucrats (ever hear of the commandment "Thou shalt not steal"?). Yes, politicians do look out for themselves, so do government bureaucrats, so why do you want to give them more power by funneling all the wealth of society to them? The fact is that we have spent over 5 TRILLION dollars over the past 40 years fighting the war on poverty and guess what? There are still as many poor people as ever. Christ said "For the poor you will always have with you"... there is no such thing as heaven on Earth (at least not until Christ comes back on the Last Day)... so quit trying to create one!!!!! If we had taken that money and invested it at a modest 5% interest rate instead, there would be less poverty-->The conservative politics (republican and democrat) that dominate America are very critical of socialist ideas such as major reallocation of wealth and strict luxury taxes. Yet, we have no problem criticizing state welfare which is not enough to help poor families. It is near impossible for a poor person to make wealth in a society that already punishes the lower classes. The opportunities simply are not there. Yet most politicians are richer than sin...who do you think they are looking out for? Pat Robertson...well, he made a killing off of FM radio. Gun companies: the Government spends more money on tools of war than anything else.
Frankly, Hugo Chavez is an evil man. He exports violence, runs a brutal regime, and don't say he doesn't. Sure, he was elected, and so was Adolph Hitler (look it up, he was elected Chancellor of Germany in 1932 or thereabouts). Frankly, killing the SOB may save lives...
The only difference between Pat Robertson and Muslim extremists is that Robertson only verbally supports killing. Conservative politicians so often call themselves Christians, but they deviate extremely far from the passages above. And there is nothing Christian about a gun.
Well guy, no one is stopping you. If you profess to be the Christian you say you are, and feel that wealth is a bad thing, you can always become a monk. Although I have to wonder which religion...
The philosophies you endorse are more in line with Mahavira, the founder of Jainism, rather than Christ. Extreme pacifism, total abhorrance of possessions, non violence to all living things.