For the person of faith (in this case Christian) there is this standard which says we are suppose to be fair, merciful and be humble in our walk with God (Micah 6:8).
Jesus taught the greatest love one can express is to lay their life down for another.
Jesus in his entire ministry only gave one command: “A new command I give you, to love one another as I have loved you.”
Jesus also spent almost all his time in his active ministry eating with, partying, healing, loving, visiting, and embracing all those folks that the powers of the day and the really anal folks (conservative then Tea Party today) didn’t like and said were a travesty before God.
Jesus has reportedly said that if someone strikes us we should turn the other cheek. He also said that if we want to kill (capital punishment) someone we ourselves have to be without sin.
Jesus also says that if we really want to be allowed into the Kingdom of God we need to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, cloth the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned. By the way there are no if’s ands or buts’ about this list. It is pretty straight forward and has no exceptions.
Not to mention in a post resurrection appearance Jesus very pointedly told Peter to mind his own damn business. (John 21:20-23)
So if we can all agree these are the major, moral imperatives of the faith, then a few questions need to be asked.
How can the State of Georgia House of Representatives and Senate (Many of whom loudly proclaim their Christian faith) say to my partner and I who have been in a blessed and holy relationship (marriage) in the eyes of our church (see GA. Law about what makes a church) for 31.5 years that we are not married?
How does a bunch of legislators (who also loudly proclaim their love for Jesus, at least at election time) from the state of Kansas even consider much less “overwhelmingly approved a measure designed to bring anti-gay segregation—under the guise of “religious liberty”—to the already deep-red state.”?
How does Governor Bobby Jindal (a convert to Christianity) with a straight face say, “No church or church-affiliated organization, or individuals whose business is run in a manner consistent with their faith practices, should be required by the state to take steps in conflict with their religion. Nor should they be legally punished for how they treat marital arrangements outside the teachings of their faith…”
How did the President of Uganda (a born again Christian) sign into law a bill that will jail LGBT people for life under the excuse given by a “Government spokesman Ofwono Opondo, confirmed that President Museveni made the decision at a conference of his governing NRM party. He added that the president based his decision on a report by medical experts who reported that homosexuality is not genetic but a social behaviour.”?
(http://www.360nobs.com/2014/02/ugandan-president-museveni-agrees-to-sign-anti-gay-bill-homosexuals-to-get-life-imprisonment/ )
How do those who call themselves good loving Christians allow for laws and city ordinances that turn homeless folks into criminals?
How are the good bible Christian folks in this country not simply outraged that the Olympics are being held in a country where LGBT people are being hunted down? Is it not interesting how Russia's, Putin, is waltzing around Sochi promoting his Olympics just like Hitler did during the German Summer Olympic games of 1936.
Hitler was all the while plotting ways to get rid of the LGBT people in Europe. The atrocities that took place against the LGBT community in the 30s and 40s by Hitler are now continuing to occur in Russia. By the way in this land it is not only my people in trouble as this is a land where the President laughs at our 1st, 2nd, 4th and 13th amendments, so no one is really safe.
Final question: Why did a good Christian from GDOT order the bull dozing of an entire tent city of homeless men, women and children?
Oh OK, one more question, Why did any good faith claiming, bible believing Christian even get onto the bulldozer?
Actually the answers are all in the book which these folks claim to live by but apparently have never read this part.
“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries[a] wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. [14] [b]
15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.
16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.
23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
29 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!
33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.” (Matthew 23:1-36 from the New International Version)
Just saying, yep just saying!
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