Thank You Bernie - Us Liberals Are The Real Christians

[Yallow]

I watched a news report the last election where an exit poll in Oklahoma stated that over 80% of the Republicans claimed to be born again Christians. It struck me as odd where all these Republicans just cast their primary vote for some Republican candidate that if elected will work against every single thing Christ taught. And it's like the Democrats ignore this simple, plain, in your face fact.

Us (real) Democrats are the real Christians. Even a blind person could see this.

[senz]

1. Yep. It should be plain as the noses on their faces.

He constantly told people, "Don't judge others."

Over and over he advised them to "give what you have to the poor" and to "love your neighbor."

He warned his followers not to think they're better than anyone else (the Pharisee and the publican, the woman caught in adultery, his own disciples when they argued over which was best.)

To nations -- nations!-- he said,

"I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” Then they will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.”

Matthew 25:31-46. http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=309781553

You can't be a modern-day Republican and make a credible claim that you follow Christ. But real progressives, including atheists, are already following him. And he would not care what religion or what belief system they do or don't have, because it's not about that.

He'd like Bernie, a Jew after his own heart!

[polmaven]

2. Exactly, senz!

And he never called any of them lazy, good for nothing "takers". Christ never took from the poor to enrich the wealthy. Nor did he ever prefer to go to war rather than deal with other nations to avoid killing each other.

[JohnHarris]

3. Real Christians?

I take issue with your analysis. It shows a lack of humility, a fair amount of judgement, and a limited theological perspective. Religion is about people seeking God, and, often, God seeking relationship with people. My Christian faith is inclusive and includes people from all political persuasions. I may be a political progressive and theological centrist, but that doesn't mean that my mother, a Christian conservative and political conservative, is not a real Christian. A Christian is a person who finds solace in finding Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior. While I may disagree with Christians who have a politically conservative world view, they are still Christians. Politics does not define faith; rather, faith transcends politics.

[PatrickforO]

5. I can remember back in the days of my youth when I would enter into discussions

more freely. I can remember one time a Pentacostal minister grilled me for hours trying to break me down so I'd 'convert.'

His big thing was "...for by grace are ye saved and not by works."

But, I thought, if you just say you believe and not practice that, surely it makes you a Pharisee. Thinking that God can't want that, I can remember citing the book of James, where it says, "Be ye therefore doers of the word and not hearers only."

And, of course, we have the saying that we should 'judge a tree by its fruit,' which clearly implies that belief be backed with (or be the impetus of) action.

The right wingers who call themselves Christians...I don't want to judge them, I guess. I just vote my own conscience. And I try to walk the walk.

Honestly, nobody over fifty really wants 'justice' in the real afterlife sense. I'm all for 'mercy.' So I'd rather hope that mercy be extended to everyone so I'll get it too. Anyway, I believe in reincarnation...

[Yallow]

6. To Be Christian, You Have To Follow Christ's Teachings

Not just call yourself a Christian, and serve Satan by helping the wealthy rob the powerless with your votes.

Faith without works is dead.

Working/voting to/to help others rob, starve, and kill the poor disqualifies the brain dead fake Christians.

Sorry.

Tell them right wing whack jobs, the lake of fire awaits them.

For eternity.

[skepticscott]

7. Which of Christ's teachings?

All of them? Can you still be a "real" Christian if you only follow 90% of his teachings? How about 80%? And who decides which "teachings" are essential and which are not? And how do you know which of Jesus' "teachings" actually came from him, and which are wrongly attributed to him by others?

[Origen]

8. You're asking the wrong question

Nobody follows 100% of Christ's teachings - that is a core tenant of the Christian faith (Romans 3:23).

The definition of a Christian is not based on the percentage of 'rules' one follows. It is the trajectory of the heart. I would define a 'real' Christian as someone whose life is changed as a result of Jesus' teaching, who recognizes their failings as a human being, and who actively works to be more like Jesus. If you looked at this person every 5 years of their life, you could recognize positive (and more radical) changes in their character.

If you honestly seek answers to your latter questions, I would recommend books on the Christian canon and NT studies like:

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Scripture-F-Bruce/dp/083081258X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1456378109&sr=8-1&keywords=Canon+of+scripture

http://www.amazon.com/Historical-Reliability-Gospels-Craig-Blomberg/dp/0830828079/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1456378209&sr=8-6&keywords=Reliability+of+the+new+testament

[skepticscott]

9. You're wrong right off the bat

Romans 3:23 says nothing about "Christ's teachings". And that section of Romans is all about redemption purely through faith, which is in direct contradiction to the post I was replying to. The (dubious) claim was that if you don't DO certain things that Christ says you should, you're not a "real" Christian. If you think that claim is bullshit, then I have to look at you and wonder why in the world you'd be responding to me and not to them....hmmmmmmmmmm.

Perhaps you should re-read the whole thread and attempt another response.

[Origen]

10. 2nd attempt

Thanks for clarifying your position. I misread it as a more general argument against Christianity - namely that it is indiscernible what it means to be a follower of Christ (who knows what he actually said after all)?

I thought about replying to some of the other posts but didn't. I think Romans 2:1-3 is the rebuttal to Yallow's post.

Just curious - what is your theological persuasion (atheist? agnostic? something else). Former atheist myself.

[PatrickforO]

4. There is great spiritual power in walking the walk, as Bernie does.

I remember how inspired I was after listening to his speech at Falwell's school, Liberty University.

He made an awesome (and humbling) case for the social gospel.

I mean, the fact he even went there in the first place was pretty amazing, but when you listen to what he said, it has 'righteousness' (in the best sense of the word) written all over it.