The DU Daily Scripture Reading, May7th.

[Clio the Leo]

Ok little children today's passage comes from Matthew 6. Reading from the New American Standard (being an "American" translation, it's automatically better than all the others, har har):

"Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.... When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. "But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. ~ Jesus Christ

I thought we could all use some ammo today. Now ...... go out and smack down them right wing religious hypocrites! :fistbump:

Your's Truly,
Clio the Leo
Church of Christ Preacher's Daughter and thrice-a-week church attendee. ;)

http://blog.au.org/2009/05/06/wright-is-wrong-religious-right-leader-attacks-obama-and-jesus/

[Wetzelbill]

1. I always think of that when I hear

some RW Pharisee making a big show of his/her "values" in public.

[roguevalley]

12. I love that statement. It was my Papa's favorite one.

[HopeOverFear]

2. Is today the National Day of Prayer?

Because that scripture is an excellent smackdown of christian hypocrites. Which is why I'm so glad Obama is not taking part in it. If he does pray, I'm sure it will be in secret, i.e. it will be sincere and from the heart, not out in the open and pretentious.

[Clio the Leo]

3. Be sure and read the article at the link I posted....

... it's good stuff.

"Prayer is something that the president does everyday," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Tuesday."

And with the mess he's got, who can blame him?

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Occam Bandage]

6. If you wanted to "escape the divel [sic],"

clicking on a thread about Scripture probably isn't going to be your best bet. "OMG LEAVE ME ALONE" doesn't really make sense if the thread title advertised there would be some Christianity within and you clicked it anyway.

[Revolution9]

7. national day of prayer dude.

that is why i came to the thread.

i clicked it out of protest.

[AspenRose]

5. "Christian" radio has been crucifying Obama since before the election

...and it has only stepped up in intensity since he's become president. The frothing at the mouth is only going to get more rabid. "Christian" leaders on "Christian" radio question Obama's faith on a regular basis. Some of our atheist friends here at the DU are quick to pounce on Obama professing faith, but I don't think they realize how much he is hated by the Christian Right, precisely FOR keeping his faith PRIVATE and for trying to appeal to EVERYONE of differing faiths (or no faith) in this country.

"It’s also shocking that Wright (that's Wendy Wright of Concerned Women for America) would question the president’s personal religious commitment. Who is she to pass judgment on Obama? It’s especially appalling that she does so in part because he has failed to engage in a public prayer." <snip>

"Obama is clearly a devout Christian. What galls Wright and other Religious Right leaders is that he is not their kind of Christian. In Wright’s America, only those who share her fundamentalist religious – and political – beliefs qualifies as a first-class American and a first-class Christian."

That's a primo link from Americans United, Clio. :thumbsup:

[xxqqqzme]

13. Maybe Wendy would have been happier

if she had: shut up; traveled to Dallas and had a prayer filled day w/ * & pickles.

[Arugula Latte]

8. I thought it was: "Get big helmet hair, get a teevee show, put on flashy prayer show,

and suck money out of stupid rubes."

[county worker]

9. I think of that passage when ever I see a car or van or suv in front of me with a lot of xian

stickers on it.

[Lisa0825]

10. Yep! Me too! nt

[firedupdem]

11. Rec'd- I don't know how this passage gets lost on the extreme

nuts on the left and right. Prayer is personal. Thanks!

[janx]

14. Yes, it is.

;-)

[bicentennial_baby]

15. DU scares me now...

Wow.

[StrongBad]

20. Don't like it, don't click.

Liberal Christians do exist.

[Two Americas]

27. liberal Christians?

What sort of Christians need "ammo" to smack down their political opponents?

Is a "liberal Christian" a clone of the religious right, but merely supporting a different political party and selectively using different parts of the Bible to justify their smack downs?

As a Christian and as a leftist, I recognize neither Christianity nor the political Left in the OP.


...

[AspenRose]

41. I don't think the OP is being literal

any more than I'm being literal when I explain upthread that conservative christians "crucify" Obama on radio constantly. It's not literal.

Perhaps within your circle, everyone has the same christian philosophy and point of view, but many of us have friends and family who are conservative christians, and are more than happy to "get into it" with their liberal brothers and sisters.

So the OP is providing scripture to use when those debates come up. Unfortunately for a lot of us here, they DO come up. And there is nothing wrong with being "armed" in debating against another believer. Christendom is filled with examples of conflict between believers, from plain old debate to outright war. Thus the saying "In Essentials, Unity; in Non-essentials, Liberty; in All Things, Charity." Unfortunately sometimes the "charity" is left out, but disagreement between christians is not new and I doubt it'll be going away anytime soon.

Peter and Paul had disagreements. Such an example might be called "iron sharpening iron."

And I would think that a non-believer would appreciate having their freedoms defended by a christian who believed in their right to not believe, and could use scripture to defend it, against another christian hell-bent on taking said freedom away to enforce their form of christianity on others.

Liberal christians have been harassed and bullied by their conservative bretheren for quite a long time and I see nothing wrong with standing up and defending your point of view or position. Nothing at all. At the same time, there is nothing wrong with choosing to be a pacifist and not engaging in "warfare."

[Two Americas]

43. ok

Sounds good. You could be right.

[AlCzervik]

22. it should, i cannot believe this is allowed to stay here, talk about insensitive to anyone

with a different religion or no religion at all.

[Hutzpa]

38. Why would you find this

insensitive? Mind S'plaining yourself or you're just being selfish in your rush to judgement.

[Zynx]

40. I really thought your were being sarcastic. Now I'm not sure.

[KitchenWitch]

16. Did DU suddenly become a Christian only site?

[RetroLounge]

17. WTF is this bullshit?

and why is it in GDP?

Is Jesus in the white house now?

:puke:

RL

[KitchenWitch]

18. Some around here would have you believe that.

[StrongBad]

21. Don't like it, don't click

Although I agree it should be in GD as opposed to GDP.

[RetroLounge]

23. Put your head in the sand

and when we become Free Repuglic, you can just not click on it...

RL

[AlCzervik]

19. Are you kidding with this bullshit, take it to the religion forum.

[iamthebandfanman]

34. did you even attempt to read the OP ? n/t

[AspenRose]

24. It is sad.

Yesterday was the national day of prayer. IMHO this is the main reason why this was posted by the OP.

The link provided was from Americans United (for the Separation of Church and State), a decidedly progressive organization made up of both believers of faith AND non-believers.

Why there are some members of DU who have decided to come in, a day late, and trash the OP is beyond me. But it is insensitive and uncalled for. It also seems to be lost upon those complaining about the topic that the shared link dealt with liberal christians arguing AGAINST the right-wing monopolization of faith in this country, and the battles liberal christians regularly fight against these people on BEHALF of progressives, INCLUDING those of no professed faith. I mistakenly believed that this would be something that would be applauded, not maligned.

Whether atheists and agnostics like it or not, President Obama is a professed christian, and is regularly slandered by those who profess to be christians on the right. Liberal christians are routinely criticized for "not doing enough" to keep their fellow right-wing christian peers in line. Yet when someone decides to share what liberal christians are doing, they are criticized for sharing it. Liberal christians are damned if they do and damned if they don't. But they are NOT the enemy at DU and they should not be treated as though they are.

Perhaps this topic should have been in GD or Religion. But I believe it was shared to coincide with the White House's annual recognition of the national day of prayer, and using that rationale, makes perfect sense why it would be posted here.

Liberal christians here at DU are not a threat. They are not here to try and convert anyone. They are here because they are trying to actively live out their faith in accordance with tenets of equality and social justice....progressive ideals. For EVERYONE. Including those who believe differently. Including those who may disagree (respectfully and not-so-respectfully) with them. And to be perfectly honest, christians on the right usually don't want to have anything to do with liberal christians. To them, liberal christians are the ENEMY. So into the liberal big tent they go.

It would be appreciated if respect were mutual and reciprocated, and everyone realized we are all on the same team, though I don't see that happening anytime soon, because there is way too much ugliness, and misplaced and misguided anger on this board.

Peace.

[firedupdem]

25. You hit the nail on the head. The reasons you wrote about are

the reasons for the OP's post. Shameful that a day later, these nasty comments appear.

[DainBramaged]

26. And from the usual suspects who seem to think they own DU

It's OK for them to bash Christians on DU but don't in turn bash their sacred cows..................

[tkmorris]

31. Sacred cows like buying American cars exclusively?

Moo.

[Two Americas]

33. hint hint

Wink wink.

Nudge nudge.

Pssst! "They" are here and you know how "they" are.

Who exactly are these "usual suspects" and who "seems to think they own DU?"

What do you mean sacred cows?

Your post is dripping with hostility and contempt, yet you lecture others on "bashing?"

No one is bashing Christians. Strange that the OP calls for bashing some Christians, based on political partisanship - "smack them down" with the "ammo" in the article - yet you think anyone objecting to that is bashing Christians?


...

[sniffa]

29. I could trash you if you like

[AspenRose]

30. It would be a badge of honor, coming from you

:P

[sniffa]

28. Beware those bearing false witness or something

and hope this is a passing fad.

[RoyGBiv]

32. Fascinating ...

I see a few people who bothered to click the link to this post then did not bother to click the link in the post itself, rather chose to have a knee-jerk reaction that some among the crowd would themselves label offensive were it directed at them or their pet causes.

This does belong here, and it does belong in GDP.

[iamthebandfanman]

35. yup, infact i hope it the thread continues...

i like knowing which DU'ers are full of hatred, resentment, and self righteousness(that last part applies the most around DU id imagine).

intolerence is intolerence.

apparently its okay to be a bigot, if its over religion.

i dont personally believe, but i could care less if someone else does. thats their choice.
people who dont believe in that choice are no better than the people weve been fighting against the last 9 years.

like you say, obviously these people didnt even bother reading the OP.
they just saw the subject and "matthew' and that was the last straw. lol.

[Thickasabrick]

36. Wow.....I'll just start coming to your posts for church - great passage. I have

so many people I can quote that to.

[BlooInBloo]

37. Oh boy.

[Sheltiemama]

39. That's one of my favorite passages.

[TheKentuckian]

42. Error: you can only recommend threads which were started in the past 24 hours

Yes ,the Theocrats need a smackdown whatever their purpose the fruit of their labors is poison that runs more from God than it will ever draw.

My prayer is that a smackdown will wake some to the reality of what they do.