Religious scholars say Glenn Beck is ignorant

[Peikko 1,575]

Those are all great examples of how the personal responsibility CHristians must have for the poor etc.

THe "social Justice" claptrap has morphed from a feed the poor and defend the unborn to a, political redistribution movement ...more akin to socialism than anything else.

People keep making these claims, but I don't see any evidence that this is so. Which church do you know that has in fact attempted to 'redistribute' wealth in a political fashion?

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Those are all great examples of how the personal responsibility CHristians must have for the poor etc.

THe "social Justice" claptrap has morphed from a feed the poor and defend the unborn to a, political redistribution movement ...more akin to socialism than anything else.

That's what happens, when you first have a commie, and then a nazi, for pope!

[Peikko 1,575]

Christ never told anyone to defend the unborn, you made that up Danno.

[chri'stina 190]

It is true that Jesus' teaching were about our individual actions. The government of that time didn't care for what the lowly people living in those areas wanted. Many hoped Jesus planned to try to overthrow the government so they could self rule again as a nation and not be ruled by the Romans. He made it clear over time that it was the not the purpose He was there. He was here for our soul's salvation and to teach us how to live and love. He didn't tell anyone to convince their government to change it's ways. They had to live under a bullying government, which is actually more realistic for much of the history around the world than for us in recent democracies now. We have it pretty easy compared to them, yet the goal was not to overthrow their mean government.

[Peikko 1,575]

Agreed, there is nothing in the new testament about government overthrow. I am not aware however, of any church that is trying to do that either; they work within their community and it is a good thing - I'm very supportive of these type of church programs.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

It is true that Jesus' teaching were about our individual actions. The government of that time didn't care for what the lowly people living in those areas wanted. Many hoped Jesus planned to try to overthrow the government so they could self rule again as a nation and not be ruled by the Romans. He made it clear over time that it was the not the purpose He was there. He was here for our soul's salvation and to teach us how to live and love. He didn't tell anyone to convince their government to change it's ways. They had to live under a bullying government, which is actually more realistic for much of the history around the world than for us in recent democracies now. We have it pretty easy compared to them, yet the goal was not to overthrow their mean government.

Of course not. It was Paul's church after all, and being a good Roman, he wasn't about to preach revolution. And it was a Roman emperor that commissioned the work we now know as the Christian Bible.

Edited March 12, 2010 by ##########

[chri'stina 190]

Of course not. It was Paul's church after all, and being a good Roman, he wasn't about to preach revolution. And after all, it was a Roman emperor that commissioned the work we now know as the Christian Bible.

He had Roman citizenship through birth (was not a Roman by ethnicity) who was eventually arrested by Romans and eventually killed for preaching about Christ, by the Romans. I love the story of Paul in the bible.

edited confusion

Edited March 12, 2010 by chri'stina

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

He had Roman citizenship through birth (was not a Roman by ethnicity) who was eventually arrested by Romans and eventually killed for preaching about Christ, by the Romans. I love the story of Paul in the bible.

edited confusion

He is a little full of himself, at times. It is interesting that Paul gets read almost every Sunday, in the Roman Catholic Mass, yet Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, get top billing for one year at a time, in rotation.

[chri'stina 190]

He is a little full of himself, at times. It is interesting that Paul gets read almost every Sunday, in the Roman Catholic Mass, yet Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, get top billing for one year at a time, in rotation.

I am not Catholic, so I wouldn't know.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I am not Catholic, so I wouldn't know.

Not a problem. Not at all!

[Danno 1,228]

Christ never told anyone to defend the unborn, you made that up Danno.

I made what up?

why don't you quote the words you claim I said and I will respond better.

[Danno 1,228]

People keep making these claims, but I don't see any evidence that this is so. Which church do you know that has in fact attempted to 'redistribute' wealth in a political fashion?

MOst often they are elements within a Church, the Catholic church is full of them.

The most recent one to surface in the headlines was that guy who gave that crazy talk at Obamas (former) home church.

ANother good example would be the way some, embrace Illegals and work toward their political goals of legalizing them.

The only problem I have with this fairly new concept of "social Justice" ... is the way some try to portray it as a some biblical mandate.... no matter what the political goal is.

The truth is these groups in action are not out trying to change the "hearts and minds" of people.... but rather change the amount of taxation of the people.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

There is a difference between charity works and what the term, "social justice," means. One is compassion, the other is confiscation and redistribution.

Social justice is confiscation and redistribution? Typical RW rhetoric. If you want to be literal then everything that you are taxed for is confiscation and redistribution. If you know of a society that doesn't confiscate and redistribute (taxation)...where every penny you are taxed gets spent directly for your benefit, do let me know. I'll buy you a one-way ticket there.

[Scott & Lai 12]

Of course not. It was Paul's church after all, and being a good Roman, he wasn't about to preach revolution. And it was a Roman emperor that commissioned the work we now know as the Christian Bible.

It wasn't "Paul's church," it was and is Christ's church. As for a Roman emperor "commissioning" the Bible, are you thinking of Constantine? Because, that is not, in fact how we got the Bible.

Regarding "social justice," that is a very politically-charged term, and requires clarification to be useful. What precisely is meant by social justice? What are its aims? How are those aims to be acheived? Jesus definitely taught concern for the poor and downtrodden, and spoke of caring for them through individual acts of charity. He did not, however, tell us we should be "compassionate" by taking the wealth or property of others against their will and giving them to those we consider more deserving. As for churches doing this or advocating it, Liberation Theology is an example. It was properly criticized by the Roman Catholic Church for its use of Marxist ideology.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

It is true that Jesus' teaching were about our individual actions. The government of that time didn't care for what the lowly people living in those areas wanted. Many hoped Jesus planned to try to overthrow the government so they could self rule again as a nation and not be ruled by the Romans. He made it clear over time that it was the not the purpose He was there. He was here for our soul's salvation and to teach us how to live and love. He didn't tell anyone to convince their government to change it's ways. They had to live under a bullying government, which is actually more realistic for much of the history around the world than for us in recent democracies now. We have it pretty easy compared to them, yet the goal was not to overthrow their mean government.

Matthew 22:17-22

Tell us, then, what is your opinion: Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?"

Knowing their malice, Jesus said, "Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?

Show me the coin that pays the census tax." Then they handed him the Roman coin.

He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?"

They replied, "Caesar's." At that he said to them, "Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God."

When they heard this they were amazed, and leaving him they went away.

....

This is where the Religious Right make an about face because on one hand, they wish to have a government that supports the Christian values they espouse, but many on the Right don't extend that to the social justice Jesus preached in the Gospels. The Religious Left tend to focus on public policies which support Christian values as a society, while the Religious Right tend to focus on public policies that support individual Christian values within society. When we're talking about public policy, you can't separate the social implications.