Matthew 25 Updated: If Jesus were here today…

[riqster]

http://bluntandcranky.wordpress.com/2014/01/24/matthew-25-updated-if-jesus-were-here-today/

“When I was hungry, you cut my food stamps; when thirsty, you allowed my water to be polluted for corporate profit; when I was a stranger, you detained and deported me. When I was naked and vulnerable, without a job or income, you denied me extended unemployment compensation, holding it hostage to a political agenda. When I was ill, you refused to extend Medicaid; when I was in prison, you denied me justice in favor of revenge, and executed me.”

And the righteous replied,”When was it that we saw You hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, ill or in prison?” And He said, “Anything you did to one of these–however humble, poor and powerless–you did to me.”

This was submitted to the Cleveland Plain Dealer by Chester E. Ramey, and was published in their LTTE section on 1/19/14. And a better case against the Republicans cannot be made, in this blogger’s humble opinion.

What would Jesus do and say, if he were here today? Probably something a lot like this.[/blockqoute]

[deutsey]

1. Unfortunately, this will mean nothing to someone who worships at the altar of Ayn Rand n/t

[riqster]

3. Or any of the three Pauls.

If they genuflect before the apostle Paul, Rand Paul, or Paul Ryan, yeah, it's likely a hopeless task.

But, as Mr. Zelazny once wrote, "my occupational therapist told me to specialize in lost causes."

[lapislzi]

15. That is a great quote.

Mind if I borrow?

[riqster]

16. Not mine to give, I'm afraid.

It's from "Lord of Light", one of his best books.

[SidDithers]

17. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spigot...

Great analogy.

Sid

[riqster]

18. Me and my boy once went to dinner with a friend who lives for his hockey team.

In fact, the friend bought dinner.

So there we three were: the father, the son, and the goalie host.

[daleanime]

2. K&R....

[1StrongBlackMan]

4. One amendment ...

“When I was hungry, you cut my food stamps; when thirsty, you allowed my water to be polluted for corporate profit; when I was a stranger, you detained and deported me AND WHEN YOU DIDN'T; YOU EXPLOITED ME, AS A CHEAP LABOR FORCE, AND PAID YOURSELF BONUSES ON THE COST SAVINGS ...

[riqster]

5. A very good addition.

[1StrongBlackMan]

6. On a related note ...

A co-worker of mine told me about one of her Uncles. He made his living facilitating undocumented labor here in Arizona. His business model will no doubt earn him a special place in hell (if there be such a place).

The Uncle arranged for 10-15 undocumented workers to cross the border, at $500-$1,000 a head. He would, then, arrange for them to get to Phoenix, Arizona, where he had arranged for them to work in restaurants or small manufacturing plants, where he collected the first $100 of their pay.

Then, after about a month, he would call sheriff joe on the workers. The good sheriff would then avoid having to raid the spot (and inconveniencing the company), by setting up "dragnets." The worst part, these dragnets always were set up for the Thursday before pay Friday, so the employer didn't have to pay them (since they paid in cash).

But the Uncle, knowing of the sudden labor shortage that would occur, would have already arranged for a new group of undocumenteds, and start all over again.

[riqster]

7. Wow.

Just wow.

[1StrongBlackMan]

8. And my co-worker ...

told me her Uncle was quite proud of his ingenuity and cunning, and saw nothing wrong with what he was doing.

[riqster]

9. Did the uncle have a last name of "Bush"?

Reminds me of Dubya.

[1StrongBlackMan]

10. LOL ...

No ... But that leads to the really sad part of this ... The uncle is Mexican, preying on other Mexicans, that 60 years earlier, might have been one of his own parents.

[El_Johns]

19. That's usually the way -- since one tends to trust one's own "group" members more than others,

and every group has plenty of folks willing to sell out their peers for a buck.

[1StrongBlackMan]

21. Sad; but true ...

I can name a bunch of Black folks that fall into that category ... but I won't. Rather, I'll just direct anyone interested to townhall.com.

[kag]

14. What a pig!

Uh...no...On second thought, pigs are much nicer, and they stink less. Your co-worker's uncle makes me want to .

[snooper2]

11. considering the technology of today and thousands of years ago...

He would probably shit his bricks when he saw the first car. The we could take him inside 7-11 and explain how microwaves work

[rurallib]

12. marking to come back to

I often think of a conversation I had with a older Native American woman in Minnesota a couple years back. We discussed what America might be like if the white had come peacefully and shared the land.
The Natives seemed to understand and respect the land and each other. We care (I mean take care of) nothing

[SCVDem]

13. To my favorites page. nm

[Laelth]

20. k&r for the truth, however depressing it may be. n/t

-Laelth

[riqster]

22. A "Christian" threatened me on the blog site:

Clearly he or she reads here at DU. Hope it isn't a registered user:

Bill on January 24, 2014 at 7:20 pm
Jesus spoke in spiritual terms, not physical.

So when the hungry are fed, thirsty are given drink, stranger are taken in, naked are clothed, sick or in prison are visited, Jesus is talking about those who were hungry and thirsty and needed the Gospel of Christ; they were naked and sick and in prison because of their sin. This isn’t talking about physically filling the needs of people, this is in reference to filling their spiritual needs. To try and attach a physical meaning to a spiritual reference perverts the meaning, and you will get nowhere except with those who are as equally stupid as you are.

Now, in reference to physically helping those in need, this is very simple: If Jesus believed that it was the role of gov’t to help all these people, he had ample opportunity to condemn the Roman Empire for doing nothing about it. He didn’t. That’s because it’s the role of individuals.

Now, can individuals agree do help others via gov’t programs? Yes. But because one doesn’t view those things being the role of the gov’t doesn’t mean they don’t care for others, it just means they don’t agree with that method as being the best one. You left-wing freaks need to grow up and recognize that. You’re wrong. We’re right. That will never change. Never.

And tell riqster to shut his stupid mouth before I shut it for him. And I can, I assure you.

Reply
bluntandcranky on January 24, 2014 at 7:54 pm
What absolute rot. Lazarus was not just a metaphor, nor were the healings and other miracles.

I do not appreciate threats, and I shall report yours.

I shan’t dwell on the irony of a “Christian” threatening another person with violence. But it does diminish any legitimacy that your lecture might have possessed.

[colsohlibgal]

23. If Only

The right would have some splainin to do.

[gerogie2]

24. Most conservatives become enraged when..

They read in the Gospel of Mark that Jesus gave free food to five thousand people that came to hear him speak about being merciful to your fellow human beings.

[freshwest]

25. Well said, Mr. Blunt and Cranky, since Jesus' plain language didn't reach today's conservatives. n/t

[riqster]

26. Well said to you as well- it was plain and direct language that he used.

Indeed, that is a distinguishing characteristic of language used by Rebbe Yeshuah bar Joseph: it is spare, efficient and direct, unlike much of the Book.

Those who balk at the hard work demanded by God and Jesus like to pretend that their teachings are somehow mysterious and mystical: that pretense enables the sorts of misinterpretation that underlies much of "Christian Conservatism".

In reality, we need only apply Occam's Razor and pick the simpler alternative.