I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
A true Christian Government would still have a need for prisons. Those prisons would probably have two types. A reform prison for people who have committed relatively minor crimes. They would be for people who had slipped through the cracks and needed training of some kind to be able to adjust to the peaceful society in which they lived.
The other type of prison would be one to hold people who had no desire for redemption. It would not be a place of torture. It would not be a death mill. It would be for hold people for the rest of their lives or a change of heart. As long as there is life there is a chance for redemption. Only God has the right to punish. Only God knows for sure who will never turn to HIM.
That being said, those being held to keep them from harming the weak and poor would be unlikely to seek redemption outside of punishment. They would need good examples of why redemption is desirable. They would need to know that people love and forgive them.
Prisons might very well have to carry some kind of punishment. The punishment given in prison would have to be just and not cruel or revenge for the crime. The visiting prisoners in prison is a sign of comforting those who are in need of comfort.
Showing posts with label Christian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christian. Show all posts
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
The Christian Government Part 5
I was sick and you looked after me
A Christian Government would have health care as a non-profit program that would provide the best care for every person that was possible. That is not to say that no one would ever die because of illness. Part of the visit would merely be for comforting the ill.
The only way to afford that health care would be to share the cost among everyone. The reason is obviously that everyone could get sick or be hurt. Health care for all would exist because in this messed up world we grow and become more Christlike be helping each other. We would do it out of love.
I am not certain that an actual organization would be able to do this other than by action. The people who were within the government would have to provide the "in Spirit and Truth."
A Christian Government would have health care as a non-profit program that would provide the best care for every person that was possible. That is not to say that no one would ever die because of illness. Part of the visit would merely be for comforting the ill.
The only way to afford that health care would be to share the cost among everyone. The reason is obviously that everyone could get sick or be hurt. Health care for all would exist because in this messed up world we grow and become more Christlike be helping each other. We would do it out of love.
I am not certain that an actual organization would be able to do this other than by action. The people who were within the government would have to provide the "in Spirit and Truth."
Thursday, July 29, 2010
The Christian Government Part 4
I needed clothes and you clothed me
Imagine a government that was so Christlike it provides clothing for those who do not have them. I really don't know what to add to this. Would the government have factories to produce clothing? Would they just buy it? Does that part matter? I'm not sure.
Having met a few homeless people I can say that I have not noticed our government doing anything to clothe people who need clothes. People who do help those in need often work for local volunteer organizations. Many of those are religious and often do not meet Federal guidelines to receive Federal aid. Lets turn the separation of Church and State into something that hurts the poor. I'm sure that was what our Founding Fathers meant to do.
On a side note, I have a solution to the illegal immigrant problem. Fine the people who hire the illegal immigrants. Make the fine twice what it would cost them to hire a legal worker either a citizen or someone with a green card. Offer rewards to the illegals that would make it worth while to them to turn in the people who hire them illegally. Take the rewards from the fines. Limit the number of times one person can receive the reward if you feel you have that need.
That would take care of the illegal alien issue fairly shortly as they are here because people will pay them better than they would be paid where they came from. Use some of the money from the fines to help the countries from which the illegals are coming from to help them create jobs that pay well to help them stay at home.
Imagine a government that was so Christlike it provides clothing for those who do not have them. I really don't know what to add to this. Would the government have factories to produce clothing? Would they just buy it? Does that part matter? I'm not sure.
Having met a few homeless people I can say that I have not noticed our government doing anything to clothe people who need clothes. People who do help those in need often work for local volunteer organizations. Many of those are religious and often do not meet Federal guidelines to receive Federal aid. Lets turn the separation of Church and State into something that hurts the poor. I'm sure that was what our Founding Fathers meant to do.
On a side note, I have a solution to the illegal immigrant problem. Fine the people who hire the illegal immigrants. Make the fine twice what it would cost them to hire a legal worker either a citizen or someone with a green card. Offer rewards to the illegals that would make it worth while to them to turn in the people who hire them illegally. Take the rewards from the fines. Limit the number of times one person can receive the reward if you feel you have that need.
That would take care of the illegal alien issue fairly shortly as they are here because people will pay them better than they would be paid where they came from. Use some of the money from the fines to help the countries from which the illegals are coming from to help them create jobs that pay well to help them stay at home.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
The Christian Government Part 3
I was a stranger and you invited me in
A Christian government would take strangers in...
I see this section of a verse as applied to the world today meaning we would help people who are different from us. Directly it would mean giving them a place to live, a home if you will, shelter if actually taking someone into your own house is beyond what you are presently able to give. Adding this to the feeding and giving the thirsty something to drink sounds like what some might call welfare for illegal aliens.
I believe this goes two steps further than that. It would also mean giving these strangers a chance to earn a living by giving them jobs and paying them enough that they could support themselves without suffering abject poverty. If this were not also part of Jewish law and custom Boaz probably never would have met Ruth. They would not have had Obed who was the father of Jesse,who had King David from whom the Savior sprang.
I'm going to leave you with two more words that show that this country is not in any way shape or form willing to follow this vital example of what Christianity means...
Arizona
Utah
A Christian government would take strangers in...
I see this section of a verse as applied to the world today meaning we would help people who are different from us. Directly it would mean giving them a place to live, a home if you will, shelter if actually taking someone into your own house is beyond what you are presently able to give. Adding this to the feeding and giving the thirsty something to drink sounds like what some might call welfare for illegal aliens.
I believe this goes two steps further than that. It would also mean giving these strangers a chance to earn a living by giving them jobs and paying them enough that they could support themselves without suffering abject poverty. If this were not also part of Jewish law and custom Boaz probably never would have met Ruth. They would not have had Obed who was the father of Jesse,who had King David from whom the Savior sprang.
I'm going to leave you with two more words that show that this country is not in any way shape or form willing to follow this vital example of what Christianity means...
Arizona
Utah
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
The Christian Government Part 2
I missed the thirsty and gave you drink. This can still work.
One thing that really irritates me is not the sudden abundance of Natural gas but the method in which it it retrieved. There are parts of this country where people get their water from water wells. Some parts of the country that water has been polluted by a proprietary process that has made the Corporation Haliburton another fortune. A movie called gas land covers this story.
This was not the movie I wanted but it does point out some of the issues with our dependence on fossil fuels.
The movie I was looking for has a man who goes to some of the areas in this country where Haliburton has polluted local water tables so that water straight from the tap is flammable.
We as God's children were, according to the Bible, given dominion over the Earth to take care of it and the creatures on it, under it, and over it. Wiping out large areas of life, destroying delicate ecosystems, and doing it to enrich a small group of people that own a corporation that then is moved to another country primarily to avoid rendering to Cesar the things that are Cesar's does not exemplify the Christian spirit. A Christian government would no allow the irresponsible destruction for profit that multi-national corporations wreak in the name of what can reasonable be seen as obscene.
Back to more relevant topics for this set of verses next.
One thing that really irritates me is not the sudden abundance of Natural gas but the method in which it it retrieved. There are parts of this country where people get their water from water wells. Some parts of the country that water has been polluted by a proprietary process that has made the Corporation Haliburton another fortune. A movie called gas land covers this story.
This was not the movie I wanted but it does point out some of the issues with our dependence on fossil fuels.
The movie I was looking for has a man who goes to some of the areas in this country where Haliburton has polluted local water tables so that water straight from the tap is flammable.
We as God's children were, according to the Bible, given dominion over the Earth to take care of it and the creatures on it, under it, and over it. Wiping out large areas of life, destroying delicate ecosystems, and doing it to enrich a small group of people that own a corporation that then is moved to another country primarily to avoid rendering to Cesar the things that are Cesar's does not exemplify the Christian spirit. A Christian government would no allow the irresponsible destruction for profit that multi-national corporations wreak in the name of what can reasonable be seen as obscene.
Back to more relevant topics for this set of verses next.
Monday, July 26, 2010
The Christian Government Part 1
Many people claim that the US government was built on "Christian" principles. This is not even close to being true. No government despite claims of Christianity has ever been built on Christian ideals. I am not sure that it is even possible for an entire nation to be truly Christian. There are issues with things like turning the other cheek when attacked that are incompatible with survival of a country against an aggressor nation. At what point do you defend yourself, or is it only allowable to defend the weak and helpless? Those that don't work don't get to eat, but what about people who can't work for some reason. That would have to be reason for not working not excuse. That also applies mainly to those within the church. What do you do with those who live in your nation who are not Christian? There are many issues that would come up that make it difficult if not impossible for an entire nation to be Christian or be built on Christian principles.
I am Choosing Mathew 25 vs 31-46 to base this on. I do this because it is:
A. Jesus speaking
B. Jesus telling his followers who gets into heaven
C. It isn't people who self identify as Christians but people who live in spirit and in truth as God would have us do.
Criteria number 1. Feed the hungry. Any Christian government would have the obligation to feed those who do not have food. They must also do it willingly or it may not count.
If a local area is unable to provide good healthy food for all of the people that live there, the government based on Christian principles, would need to find ways to shift good healthy food around. No one should go hungry when there is enough food for all. Feeding people garbage would not count unless poor quality food was all that was available.
I will continue with other criteria that show that we as a nation are not Christlike at all in later posts.
I am Choosing Mathew 25 vs 31-46 to base this on. I do this because it is:
A. Jesus speaking
B. Jesus telling his followers who gets into heaven
C. It isn't people who self identify as Christians but people who live in spirit and in truth as God would have us do.
Criteria number 1. Feed the hungry. Any Christian government would have the obligation to feed those who do not have food. They must also do it willingly or it may not count.
If a local area is unable to provide good healthy food for all of the people that live there, the government based on Christian principles, would need to find ways to shift good healthy food around. No one should go hungry when there is enough food for all. Feeding people garbage would not count unless poor quality food was all that was available.
I will continue with other criteria that show that we as a nation are not Christlike at all in later posts.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Christian? Right, I don't think so ...
http://www.thirdage.com/news/glenn-beck-discusses-macular-dystrophy-his-potentially-blinding-eye-disorder_7-22-2010
Glenn Beck going blind ...
"Lord, if you need my eyes,"
He also does this Christmas sweater story. Ann Coulter says we should invade all Muslim countries and force all of them to convert to Christianity. Every Christmas you will hear major Right wing commentators decrying the "war on Christmas." A war that exists but has nothing to do with what they are ranting about "happy Holidays" versus "Merry Christmas." It has more to do with the commercialization of Christmas.
Glenn Beck recently said all Liberals and Progressives are enemies of God. That or it might have been the reverse God is their enemy.
I will agree that there is a war on Christians and that many people who are "Liberal" or "Progressive" are going to end up somewhere other than Heaven. That has nothing to do with their political leanings and everything to do with them CHOOSING not to give their lives to God.
Christians are not perfect and never will be. That being said, there are two things that are indispensable to Christianity, the first is love(1 Corinthians 13) for everyone even your worst enemies. The second is forgiveness especially your worst enemies( read Luke 10 especially the Good Samaritan.) There are of course other better verses dealing with forgiveness. Matthew 5:23, 38-48.
Part of the process of BEING Christian is asking for forgiveness. Since we can't truly be perfect we must be willing no matter how much it hurts to ask for forgiveness from those we hurt. We also need to repent of our sin, which basically means STOP doing it!
Why is it that after Fox and Breitbart smeared the reputation of Shirley Sherrod with an edited tape they cannot seem to find the ability to ask her for forgiveness and admit that what they did was not only wrong it was an attack on Christ, Christianity, and from the whole tape it is evident that Shirley is a Christian. In part, they are fortunate, Shirley has to forgive them. Unfortunately for them it speaks strongly against them actually knowing and having a personal relationship with God. It also makes Mr. Beck an enemy of God...
This is where the Feces hits the Oscillating Rotor. :)
Glenn Beck going blind ...
"Lord, if you need my eyes,"
He also does this Christmas sweater story. Ann Coulter says we should invade all Muslim countries and force all of them to convert to Christianity. Every Christmas you will hear major Right wing commentators decrying the "war on Christmas." A war that exists but has nothing to do with what they are ranting about "happy Holidays" versus "Merry Christmas." It has more to do with the commercialization of Christmas.
Glenn Beck recently said all Liberals and Progressives are enemies of God. That or it might have been the reverse God is their enemy.
I will agree that there is a war on Christians and that many people who are "Liberal" or "Progressive" are going to end up somewhere other than Heaven. That has nothing to do with their political leanings and everything to do with them CHOOSING not to give their lives to God.
Christians are not perfect and never will be. That being said, there are two things that are indispensable to Christianity, the first is love(1 Corinthians 13) for everyone even your worst enemies. The second is forgiveness especially your worst enemies( read Luke 10 especially the Good Samaritan.) There are of course other better verses dealing with forgiveness. Matthew 5:23, 38-48.
Part of the process of BEING Christian is asking for forgiveness. Since we can't truly be perfect we must be willing no matter how much it hurts to ask for forgiveness from those we hurt. We also need to repent of our sin, which basically means STOP doing it!
Why is it that after Fox and Breitbart smeared the reputation of Shirley Sherrod with an edited tape they cannot seem to find the ability to ask her for forgiveness and admit that what they did was not only wrong it was an attack on Christ, Christianity, and from the whole tape it is evident that Shirley is a Christian. In part, they are fortunate, Shirley has to forgive them. Unfortunately for them it speaks strongly against them actually knowing and having a personal relationship with God. It also makes Mr. Beck an enemy of God...
This is where the Feces hits the Oscillating Rotor. :)
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