View Single Post
Old 04-03-2010, 02:20 AM   #77
orthodoxymoron
Avalon Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Lunar Base II
Posts: 3,093
Default Re: Red Letter Church

Should the Constitution of the United States and current events be regularly discussed at church, if not during church? Should the U.S. Constitution be part of a Christian Constitution? How's that for opening a can of worms?

The Constitution protects the church from the state…protects the state from the church…protects the individual from the state…and protects the state from the individual! It also provides an orderly manner by which important decisions may be reached. Checks and balances abound. Renegade dictators need not apply! Evolutionary rather than revolutionary change is the norm. At least once we got past the American Revolution and the Civil War! Is there really such a thing as a 'civil' war? Shouldn't it be called the Uncivil War? Are we Barbarians? Can't we get along? Guess not! We should have read George Washington's Rules of Civility.

Anyway, Christians should not be ignorant or silent regarding politics. They are highly irresponsible if they leave the important issues of our nation up to others! If our faith cannot be applied effectively to contemporary issues…it's nearly worthless! Well, what about separation of church and state? Shouldn't we just sing and pray and keep our heads up in the clouds, or up...never mind? That is a rhetorical question, by the way! The state cannot establish a state church, such as the Church of England. A church leader cannot control the state…although some seem to be trying to do so! Thank God and the Founding Fathers for the U.S. Constitution! The Founding Mothers probably inspired the Founding Fathers to make history!

Christians and the Christian church should be vocal regarding religious and political issues, but they should seek to convince people with love and logic…and not to control them by force! There is a huge difference! Have you read Fox’s Book of Martyrs? Have you read about The Crusades and The Inquisition? What senseless bloodbaths! And they were ordered and carried out by professed followers of Jesus! Don't think that can't happen again. Don't I have faith in humanity? Well, no…not really…

Preachers and priests should not have to worry about losing their church's tax-exempt status when they support a political candidate or position! The establishment clause should not be confused with the free exercise clause! What about freedom of speech? The yanking of the tax-exempt status of a church because of sermon content is tantamount to prohibiting the free exercise of religion and the freedom of speech. Read the entire First Amendment. Here it is folks…the whole one sentence:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

To say that the United States of America and the U.S. Constitution was inspired by Christianity is probably true and acceptable. To say that this is a Christian Nation is not true, and is extremely dangerous! It was my observation that the Moral Majority was Neither! And that the Religious Right is Wrong! Could a U.S. President ignore the U.S. Constitution based upon the “spirit-led” experience of the Religious Right? Has this already happened?

And by the way, is Sola Scriptura scriptural? The twin principles of freedom and responsibility, which are the foundation of the Teachings of Jesus, are non-negotiable! The context of the Teachings of Jesus is not our context, and we do have to use our brains and the internet, to make intelligent theological statements which are relevant to modernity, so as to not degenerate into pious zombies, or Godbots! Modern politics is our context! What would President Jesus Christ say and do! Would He preemptively attack a country that might be a threat at some point in the future?

Am I a bleeding heart, morally ambiguous, anti-God liberal? No! Just a Red Letter Constitutionalist! Shouldn't we all take the U.S. Constitution and the Teachings of Jesus very seriously? It sure beats the oppression of a corrupt New World Order Theocracy!

Are you mad? Probably both the religious and irreligious are mad, at this point! As a child, I learned quickly not to talk openly about religion, politics, and sex! But when I became a man, I put away these childhood lessons…to my detriment! If you think you're mad now, wait 'till I start writing about sex! You think I’m kidding…don’t you?
orthodoxymoron is offline   Reply With Quote