"The Word PROFIT Means Working for GOD" says TV Fundie.....

[Joanne98]

I saw this on TV last night. An old fundie preacher explaining the bibical roots of the word profit. This is a new one for me but I'm not surprised. I'm assuming this came from the old Testament since we know how much Jesus liked money. I'm wondering if all the "sheep herders" are using this ridiculous meme to incorporate greed into a Christian lifestyle. I have a friend who's pastor just told her last week that if Bush isn't re-elected God will destroy our country. How do we counter this crap when they have such a hold on the minds of their flock? I'm not a religious person but even I find it really offensive that the Religious Right has turned Jesus into a greedy capitalists pig who likes to drop bombs on people. I personally think it is the Christian communities responsibility to challege this kind of outrageous twisting of their religion. This TV fundie might have well have said, "The market is God", . How can we help give the "good" Christians the courage to stand up to this nonsense? Or do they even care?

[htuttle]

1. Do you think they even realize they are worshipping Mammon?

I'll never forget a scene I saw while flipping past the 700 Club on one of the lesser-travelled cable channels.

Pat and crew were literally kneeling around a big pile of cash on a table, praying to God that it be increased. You couldn't make up a better metaphor if you tried. I was very angry that I didn't have a VCR handy for that one...

[Joanne98]

5. You got to be kidding.

OMG. You should have had a VCR ready. I was watching Pat the other day and he was saying that rebellious people were demon possessed. I wish someone would monitor him. He's a threat to national security.

[noonwitch]

11. That would have made for a great photo to e-mail around

I've never seen them do that on his show, although I have seen many other questionable things.

I like the faith-healing, "word of knowledge" thing. That's just too funny.

Pat: "There's someone out there with a huge cyst on his butt. God is providing him with oxycontin as we speak".

Gordon, Terry: "Praise God"

Gordon: "There's someone with a heart that's two sizes too small. The holy spirit is sending some whos to help him out."

Pat, Terry: "Praise Jesus".

Terry: "I sense someone choking on a pretzel. God is sending dogs and beer to help free that trapped pretzel and clear that airway".

Pat, Gordon: "Praise Jesus".

[tom_paine]

12. Did the MANY Nazi Christians know they were following an Antichrist?

Same question. Same answer. Same type of people.

Watch out. They will be coming for us in their own Kinder and Genlter way once their power is secured, unchecked, and unchallengable...

[Joanne98]

21. I think in their case it was "The Jews killed Christ problem".

Which I think we have finally beaten back seeing as how even Mel Gibson couldn't revive it. The German Jews had the added problem of being the bankers, or so Hitler said, in the middle of a huge monetary crisis (inflation). It's interesting that NOW bankers are God's chosen people. The Divine right of bankers. They must all be Christians now.

[mongo]

26. I'm on the front line sitting in their gun sights

I'll let you know when they come for me....

[enki23]

2. cute. but it's bullshit.

He was probably talking about "prophet" not "profit."

Prophet comes from a Greek word meaning something close to "one who speaks before." Basically, a fortuneteller.

PROFIT on the other hand comes from a Latin word meaning something like "to make progress." And the hebrew word for which "prophet" was usually translated was "nabi" meaning something like "to bubble forth." Nowhere in any of them is there mention of god.

[Joanne98]

8. No he wasn't.......

He was talking about being productive and reaping awards, Abundance, prosperity all the buzz words they use. Prophet sounds more like what it should be. I could understand that. But he was definitely not talking about that. The fundies on TV and the radio, which is even worse, sprew this "greed is good" crap all the time. I even heard one black female preacher say once that, "Poverty is caused by the devil". It's the same theme "If your poor pray more". A reasonable thing to say would be, "Sin causes bad habits that aren't good for your wallet" but they make it out to be a supernatural issue. The divine right of Kings. It's a political message for sure. God hates the redistribution of wealth. It's probably something that's been handed down from the "red menace" days. I wish someone would form the
"Christian Socialists Workers Party".

[rucky]

10. Sign me up!

Viva CSWP!

[Worst Username Ever]

3. Are you sure they didn't mean "Prophet?"

Because Jesus WAS a prophet...

[SalParadise]

4. Re: Your friend's "pastor" who said god would destroy the country

I'm sure the IRS would like to hear about that - sounds like somebody needs to lose their tax-exempt status...

[Generic Other]

6. Tell the pastor God already punished the country by giving us Bush

He's the first of seven plagues. Next come boils, locusts, collection agencies and the hounds of hell.

[Joanne98]

9. In defence of my friend's pastor

He also said politics and religion don't mix. She says he's a good guy. I'd like to get her to ask him to explain further. Apparently his statement was the result of an argument with one of his members, a women who hated Bush and said she wouldn't vote for him. I don't know what she was mad about but I'm assuming it was the war.

[Generic Other]

13. He needs to put down his crystal ball

and re-read Matthew 24 where Christ tells his followers not to follow false prophets.

Why do these so-called ministers think they are any different than astrologers or fortune tellers when it comes to predicting the future?
They are the very ones Christ warned his followers against!

How they can take a religion founded by a liberal minded near perfect mythological being and twist it into what poses for Christianity in our times is a puzzlement to me.

[hatrack]

17. You forgot the infomercials and Herbalife salesmen!! nt

,

[Joanne98]

20. LOL

Sounds like someone can't sleep at night. The fundie shopping channel. Message: You don't need godless communist state funded health care. You need HerbaJesus and a circle prayer. hint hint.

[Connie_Corleone]

7. I think the word was Prophet.

But, then again, God wants us(christians) to get rich!!

Jesus was rich, the disciples had their own businesses!!

[kwolf68]

14. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY

Look folks. The word is getting out. I continually say it and the Democratic Challenger in South Carolina in 2002 (Senate seat we barely lost) really play this “Jesus isn’t Conservative angle.”

This is another reason the black community is so Democratic. The history of African-Americans in this nation is one of profound faith. It helped them get through their trials and tribulations. The black community read the bible as it says…Jesus Christ was a man of peace and love who held no contempt in his heart, didn’t list for vengeance and revenge and questioned materialism (yes, he did) and held the wealthy and powerful in certain disregard.

The word is getting out. Liberal Christians all around the world are slowly standing up and fighting against this right-wing co-opting of a religion. What is worse for the Right Wing fundies is they know what the words say. They read the bible…They ignore what doesn’t advance their political dogma.

So now they need to “re-interpret” the bible to be wholly Conservative. They pick some stuff from the Old Testament if it advances their agenda while ignoring what lies in the New Testament that contradicts it. For things in the New Testament that advances their right wing mentality then the New Testament has credence.

But with information so widely available and a burgeoning group of moderate and Liberal Christians who are sick and tired of having their religion turned into fascist theory, the war will now become around “interpretation.”

So while the Republicans are advancing policies of war, hatred, revenge, greed, selfishness, contempt, and exploitation they can say they are real Christians and prove it by fighting for “important” things like keeping “God” on the dollar bill.

[Joanne98]

19. Good for them

It really is just sickening what the conservatives are doing. They hardly quote the New Testament at all anymore. They've taken the bible and turned it into a pro supply side economics rant. I can't think of anybody more liberal than Jesus Christ. They hi-jack everything. But this is especially offensive and somebody has to stand up and say, "Enough is enough". They are turning Christianity into the most evil force on earth. The combination of greed and war blessed by God himself. It's got to be confronted head on. The market is the most anti-Jesus thing I can think of. Who would Jesus exploit? Who would Jesus bomb? These are the questions.

[hatrack]

15. Krupp, I.G. Farben and Thyssen all did quite nicely during WWII

Yet, strangely enough, I can't quite convince myself of the righteousness of their actions - death-camp and slave labor sites and all of that - being established by their quarterly profit reports.

Do I really need to mention international drug traffickers, child prostitution rings and arms dealers?

Sounds like the Most Reverend Dr. Shitforbrains hasn't quite thought through his analogy.

[Joanne98]

16. Here's one of their more popular forums

http://www.christianforums.com/index.php?s=30ef7e7a90eaef669a5141f2cd4d6a44&

Notice how they market to young people.

[tabasco]

18. I find this very believable and consistent.

These liars, thieves, and con men/women are on tv telling people how they will be blessed if they send in money. I heard them say that small business owners would increase their profits if they sent in money. This lying shill you heard was probably babbling the same nonsense. I can't believe this type of fraud is allowed.

[Joanne98]

22. Attack of the snake oil salesmen........

the more things change, the more they stay the same.

[Joanne98]

23. The Divine Right of Kings

Ancient Greece Hellenistic Philosophy: Stoicism

European Enlightenment Milton
There were, essentially, two responses to the political chaos of the seventeenth century, as many of the aspects of the Reformation began to be translated into political terms (see the discussion on John Milton). On the one hand, a group of thinkers led initially by Hugo Grotius (1583-1645), believed that natural laws governed states and their relations. Drawing on the thought of Greek and Roman Stoicism, where the idea of "natural law" originates, Grotius and others believed that there were constant and immutable rational laws which should be applied to all governments. In many ways, this concept is very similar to the Roman concept of the Law of Nations, which is also derived from Stoic principles. On the other hand, Jacques-Benigne Bossuet (1627-1704) reinforced medieval notions of kingship in his theory of the Divine Right of Kings, a theory which argued that certain kings ruled because they were chosen by God to do so and that these kings were accountable to no person except God.


General Glossary
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Legitimation of Authority
The origin of this concept extends as far back into European, Middle Eastern, and Northern African history as the practice of monarchy does; as a legitimation of authority, the idea that monarchs are divinely chosen—often carried much further than the assertion that the monarch is divine which leaves little room for argument. The problem for Europe, however, is the fundamentally anti-political nature of early Christianity, this anti-political aspect of foundational Christianity threw the institution of emperorship and kingship into question. If Christ rejects all political actions and institutions, how can one justify having a monarch? Saint Augustine in The City of God set out the theoretical framework for the institution of Christian monarchy in his concept of the Two Cities, the City of God, that is, the body of believers, and the City of Man, that is, the secular world. Although these two cities are in spiritual conflict, the City of Man was instituted by God, according to Augustine, in order to secure the safety and security of the members of the City of God. Therefore, monarchs are placed on their thrones by God for a specific purpose. Although they may be ungodly, to question their authority is in essence to question God's purpose for both the City of Man and the City of God. This, or some form of this, made up the foundation of medieval and Renaissance theories of monarchy.


Enlightenment Glossary
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Absolutism
Bossuet, however, was reacting to an extreme situation and carried this argument to its farthest extent in his doctrine of the Divine Right of Kings. Not only did God bestow power on certain monarchs (and he argued that his king, Louis XIV of France, was one such monarch), but the bestowal of this power legitimated autocracy (rule by one person). The king ruled by virtue of God's authority; therefore he should be obeyed in all things. No group, whether they be nobles, or a parliament, or the people in the street, have a right to participate in this rule; to question or oppose the monarch was to rebel against God's purpose. This doctrine of absolutism would follow a tortured course through the eighteenth century culminating in the French Revolution of 1789-1792 and the beheading of Louis XVI, the king of France.
Richard Hooker

Looks like the fundies are trying to revive this. The French put an end to it. No wonder they hate the French.

[Joanne98]

24. Who does this sound like?

Although they may be ungodly, to question their authority is in essence to question God's purpose for both the City of Man and the City of God

I hear this every morning on Washington Journal. "Don't question the Chimperer he was appointed by God". This is what we're up against. America ia a Christian Nation, our fore-fathers blah blah blah..... Don't question authority (unless librul) only Christians are fit to rule (Tom Delay) The obsession with Judges.........The constant twisitng of history. They consider the state secondary to the rule of the preachers. No wonder they attack the separation of church and state. It's in they're way. Natural Law is nothing but social Darwinism. But it works well with the supply-side ,greed is good, concept. They're sooooooo EVIL.......

[Joanne98]

25. kick

[AngryLizard]

27. These people are on some serious crack

And you can take that from an ex-fundie.
I mean honestly, what's that saying: "Better to keep silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and prove it."

[Octafish]

28. Defining words is part of the fundie schtick.

That way they can, through onomatopoeia and echolalia, appear even more powerful in the eyes of their flock. "Gee. I didn't know that!" If you've had a couple of double martinis, you might enjoy reading the following in the voice of Pat Robertson:

"An EYE is a word that defines the SOUL. You see, the EYES are the windows to the SOUL. And the I is the mark of soul the Lord wants the world to see. The window is close to the word "widow" who's HUSBAND has been tossed through to the underworld or ascended into heaven. And the word to see comes from the word to seek. And the soul seeks to be healthy, wealthy and wise. And to see brings me to the word witness and how to see is to witness. So think about all that and don't you ever, ever, ever ask about the diamond and gold mines I bought with the monies I took from you and millions of other fine, and somewhat gullible Americans."



The fundie preachers now are in a competition to see how many of their flocks they can send overseas on missions. My neighbors and their kids belong to a conservative congregation led by an uncertified nutjob. To prove their faith, they were sent to Nigeria, a country they knew ZERO about. Their preacher must've gotten extra-credit in heaven: She'a physician and he's an engineer. The mission is in the area disputed between Muslim and Christian Nigerians. During the nine-months they were there, they all got sick, including infections by parasitic worms. Their four-year old daughter developed a fever that lasted two weeks and almost died. The family came home so she could complete her medical training. Despite all the hardship, they plan on going back. They think they're doing the Lord's work -- which they are in helping people. They don't know their preacher is doing Bush's work -- which is helping Shell and EXXON.