Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Are Any Christians Running for President? - by Roger S. Gottlieb
I hate to belabor the obvious, but in this time of crazy politics it might serve some purpose.Are any of the Republican candidates -- for president -- Christian?
I know that all of them except Ron Paul have repeatedly said that they are. But is saying that one is Christian all it takes to be one?
By analogy, I can say (for example) that I am brave, that I believe in marital fidelity, or that I love animals. The test of whether or not those statements are true, however, is not just that I say them over and over. To see whether or not they reflect my personal reality, we would have to look at my behavior. Am I able to function despite great danger? Remain faithful to my wife even in the face of temptation? Refrain from eating even the juiciest steak -- or at least make some contributions to animal shelters and be patient when my cat scratches the couch? To the extent that I can do those things, then my self-professed courage, fidelity and love for animals are real -- and to the extent that I can't, no matter how often I proclaim them, they just aren't there.
I myself am not a Christian, but even a passing examination of New Testament teachings reveals that Christianity is an extremely demanding faith, one that requires virtues that are both rare and quite difficult. (And unless I missed it, I am pretty sure Jesus never said anything to the effect of: "All it takes to follow me is to say "I am a follower."
...............
the rest:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/roger-s-gottlieb/are-any-christians-runnin_b_1201611.html
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
2 replies, 1103 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (2)
ReplyReply to this post
2 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Are Any Christians Running for President? - by Roger S. Gottlieb (Original Post)
kpete
Jan 2012
OP
They always give the standard claptrap when asked about their non-christian views. . . .
BigDemVoter
Jan 2012
#2
Kurmudgeon
(1,751 posts)1. Good question.
BigDemVoter
(4,149 posts)2. They always give the standard claptrap when asked about their non-christian views. . . .
"I've accepted Jesus Christ as my personal savior. . "-- must be pronounced a la George W. Bush. . .