How do right-wing, "conservative" Christians reconcile these two things?

[begin_within]

Don't these 3 bible quotes agree far more with a liberal political view than a conservative one? If so, then how do politically conservative Christians reconcile their worldly political beliefs with these 3 teachings from the Bible, which appear to contradict the basic principles of their political beliefs?

"Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me" (Matthew 25:40)
"Judge not, that ye be not judged." Matthew 7:1
"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (appears at least 10 times throughout the bible)

[Lindsey]

1. A question I've been asking myself for a very long time. N/T

[madeline_con]

2. They forgot about that stuff Jesus taught.

It's all about what DUH-bya sez. He's the new Messiah.

[zonmoy]

11. more like the antichrist.

then again nobody has tried shooting anybody through him yet.

[cynatnite]

3. But the ten commandments are so easy to remember...

:crazy:

[leesa]

23. Well, they can't seem to remember them. Why else do they feel the need

to plaster them all over buildings.

[niyad]

4. Mark Twain (I believe) said that religious belief is the ability to hold

two contradictory views in your head at the same time, and believe them both.

[mark11727]

7. Great Twain quote:

"Man is the Reasoning Animal. Such is the claim. I think it is open to dispute. Indeed, my experiments have proven to me that he is the Unreasoning Animal . . . In truth, man is incurably foolish. Simple things which other animals easily learn, he is incapable of learning.

Among my experiments was this. In an hour I taught a cat and a dog to be friends. I put them in a cage. In another hour I taught them to be friends with a rabbit. In the course of two days I was able to add a fox, a goose, a squirrel and some doves. Finally a monkey. They lived together in peace; even affectionately.

Next, in another cage I confined an Irish Catholic from Tipperary, and as soon as he seemed tame I added a Scotch Presbyterian from Aberdeen. Next a Turk from Constantinople; a Greek Christian from Crete; an Armenian; a Methodist from the wilds of Arkansas; a Buddhist from China; a Brahman from Benares. Finally, a Salvation Army Colonel from Wapping. Then I stayed away for two whole days.

When I came back to note results, the cage of Higher Animals was all right, but in the other there was but a chaos of gory odds and ends of turbans and fezzes and plaids and bones and flesh—not a specimen left alive.

These Reasoning Animals had disagreed on a theological detail and carried the matter to a Higher Court."

Mark Twain, Letters from the Earth, A Fawcett Crest Book, Greenwich, Conn., 1962

[donco6]

21. Great quote, thanks.

I can use this one.

[Bigmack]

29. Hal Holbrook...

...did, and still does, a one-man show in which he plays Twain. He does a lot of stuff like this in the show.

It's out on DVD... get it and watch. It's a treat!

"Man.... the only one that's got the True Religion. Several of 'em!"

[mark11727]

32. "Mark Twain Tonight!"

I saw it back in I think the early seventies... since it's out on DVD, it's making my Christmas list this year. Whoo!

on edit... I found it on imdb.com --- it was 1967.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0204468/

[chalky]

12. I thought that was Orwell?

eta--similar enough:

""Doublethink" means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them...."

[davekriss]

30. Actually that's part of Einstein's definition of "genius" (eom)

[castiron]

5. I know the answer!

First, it's easy to love your neighbor when you live in a gated or subdivided community that guarantees they will look and be just like you.

Second, they don't need to do the judging out loud for themselves: they just listen to Rush and Bill do the judgin' for them while they silently agree.

Third, neo-con bung holes don't actually DO anything bad to the poor and the homeless with their own hands. And being fundamentalists, it's this literalism they need to really understand something.

I say to y'all: these jerks are going to have to suffer their own poverty and destruction before they make the link to politics.

[saltpoint]

6. Their critical thinking functions are disabled --

-- something like cloaked software, and it miraculously allows them to insist that they are Christ's minions while standing in line in the goddam rain for hours to vote for a man with the soul of cobra.

Some of them appear to be slowly -- ever so slowly -- coming around. Even a cursory glimpse at Christ's ministry suggests he trended toward an inclusive, compassionate way of things. Nothing Dubya has done invites comparison to anything Jesus said.

Bush is a lying hypocrite and so is anybody who claims to be Christian who voted for the little asshole.

[Patchuli]

13. Kerry campaigning Christian here

and I have to tell you that the fact that these Christofacist types scare me!

Like I read elsewhere this evening, how do you reconcile the absence of any protests from the Christian Coalition over cuts to the poor and elderly when they are too busy worrying about who sits on the SC?!

[saltpoint]

16. I liked Kerry already but after he told the press he "did not

wear my religion on my sleeve," I liked him even more.

The contrast was strong and clear: Dubya cheerleading the robotic Right in flaunting their private faith in the public arena; Kerry-Edwards quietly keeping their own counsel -- thoughtful and private.

Let's have this election again next Tuesday, what do you say?

[Patchuli]

31. The Bible has a few things to say

about people who flaunt faith. I believe the word "hypocrite" was used...

I would love to have a do over. I still believe Kerry won in the first place. He'd landslide it now!

[AntiCoup2K4]

8. The answer is simple : they haven't READ those quotes.

I don't have a link or remember exactly where I read this, but it's been within the last two weeks.... it seems that 90% of so called "christians" out there in Busheepland/Dumbfuckistan/Red America/insert your name here do NOT read their Bibles!

That's right, their knowledge of "God's Word", which they base their entire faith on, consists only of what they hear read to them by their pastor in church each week, and if they ever crack open a Bible at all, it's during the church service when the pastor selects a few cherry picked verses, which fit whatever agenda he's pushing.

Now I grew up in a right wing Baptist church where Reagan was worshipped more than Christ, and though I read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation myself, I can't recall much discussion of any encouragement to do so, it was on my own. What's worse is that I can't remember once the pastor delivering sermons based on the Sermon on the Mount, or any of the parable teachings of Jesus Christ.

One wonders how churches get away with calling themselves "Christian" when the words Jesus Himself said are never spoken in them. :(

[hvn_nbr_2]

9. Easy, they define the terms

"Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me" (Matthew 25:40)
Ah, it depends on the meaning of "do." You see, when they cut off food and medical care to poor people, what they're "doing" is helping them to learn to pick themselves by their bootstraps and be good citizens. What they're NOT "doing" is starving them and leaving them to die.


"Judge not, that ye be not judged." Matthew 7:1
What looks like "judging" to you is really only expressing God's judgment. They don't have to do the judging because God already did it. They know what God thinks.


"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself"
They "love" gays, people who get or do abortions, liberals, etc. You see, they show their ultimate love by trying so hard to save these lost people's souls. Don'tja remember--the Inquisitors only burned women to get them to repent so their souls would be saved. After all, what's more important?

[skids]

10. You think those are liberal...

...you should try the (apocryphile) Gospel of Thomas

http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/gosthom.html

...not that the right-wing would acknowlege it. But if a pedegree on it is ever asserted, there is some pretty radical stuff there.

[saltpoint]

14. Hey skids, you are absolutely right on with this.

A lot of fundamentalists do not even know about this gospel (and the other gospels not canonized by the early bishops), and many who do know of it won't acknowledge it.

It's such a big hot secret for exactly the reason you gave -- it's radical stuff and they generally can't handle it.

I really appreciate your posting this.

[CatholicEdHead]

28. Most do not have a sense of church history

Given that may of this stripe do hate Catholics with a passion, but also becuase their churches have no history past a decade or less. The RCC has around 2000 years of up and down history to look back on.

That is the quickest way to get many right wingers confused, bring up church history and they are clueless in how to respond.

[saltpoint]

38. Hi to you, CatholicEdHead.

Your point is a very good one, and it's one of the strongest attractions still to the Catholic Church -- its long view of human events over time, as opposed to the firebrand evangelicals, who are relatively new to the scene and not very inclusive and accepting.

I'm not giving the Church a 100 percent approval here, but many of its operative components eclipse the evangelical Protestants, especially the ones of the Jim Dobson variety.

The Dobson types need more Jesus and less judgment.

My aunt is in a Franciscan assisted living facility and I can vouch for their effectiveness as a charitable care organization. In fact the Catholics' entire charitable arm is a force to be reckoned with.

Now we need to work on issues like women as priests, married priests, and gay/lesbian priests, etc.

[drb]

15. They're so busy telling other people what to do...

...that they conveniently ignore what Jesus told them to do.

[I_Make_Mistakes]

17. They try to intimidate others with a few bible quotes they have

committed to memory. The problem is, if it is in the Bible it is the word of GD.

Here's how it works, I am a Christian, which means to the novice a follower of Jesus Christ. If I don't like what JC said, I will look to Old Testament (which Jesus fulfilled and overturned most of the OT laws), or the gospel (teachings of Jesus), history, letter, apocalypse (additional writings, not to be weighted with the the gospels). They have no idea of the construct of the Bible, let alone the writers of the different books, add to that the false teachings spread by the early church and you get well, myths, lies, rumors and fabrications.

It is said that those who liken they are Christian, have no clue what being Christian is all about. I read on another board, a RW trying to justify wealth by saying JC's robes were made of the finest fabrics. Oh my GD, JC had one Sunday best, made of the finest fabrics, donated by His followers, and we should accumulate wealth, and buy the finest clothing.

The problem is man can rationalize (not always truthfully) so look for anything in the Bible to justify this. The problem is the Gospels (Mark, Matthew Luke and John) are the teachings of JC which they can not reconcile unto themselves, because, love, humility, sacrifice and honor are not a part of their reality.

So, they in their quest to be a Christian, devote their lives to anything in the Bible that is not Christ's teachings. It is sad but true, they are lost and probably can not be found, even by the shepherd, however, that is not our mission.

Our mission is that of JC's to denounce the temple leaders in their false teachings. That is their wake up call, they sleep in a great delusion created by their own lust and lack of Christ.

[leftofthedial]

18. that's not really what Jesus meant

What Jesus really meant was, "Poor people are lazy scum who deserve to suffer so we might as well kill them now."

And
"Everyone who disagrees with me is wrong and will burn in hell anyway, so we might as well kill them now."

And
"I hate my fucking neighbor and his little breadwasting brats who are always leaving their toys in the street. Besides, he's a goddamed Democrat who deserves to rot in hell and so we might as well kill him now."

You see, you just misinterpreted those verses.

[nookiemonster]

19. It's called pandering.

A true believer has conscience. That doesn't apply to this latest batch of psuedo-Christians.

If just for the lying alone.

[sufrommich]

20. Unfortunately,the

Bible is like an opinion poll,you can tweak it to mean whatever you choose.

[stop the bleeding]

22. Not from the bible but still fits here, "Who would Jesus Bomb?"

[CatholicEdHead]

24. Because Gospel passages are rarley used

You get lots of quotes from Paul or the repressive parts of the Old Testement. While they speak OF Jesus, they never really speak ABOUT him. Watch any broadcast (lots of this on Sunday morning shows right now) and they are very selective in their passages. They twist words pretty good.

[Jade Fox]

25. Right-wing Christians largely ignore the Book of Matthew...

A Southern Christian posted here on DU awhile ago, saying that Right-wing
Christians should actually call themselves Paulists, as the spirit of their
brand of Christianity comes mostly from the Book of Paul. By the same token
Lefty Christians should be called Matthewists for the same reason.

[misternormal]

26. But....

Aren't we supposed to be the Godless Liberals???

[No Exit]

27. And how does Good Christian Tom DeLay get out there

and spew bile at Ronnie Earle, when his bible tells him to "turn the other cheek"??

[ComerPerro]

33. They assume Jesus was talking about other people, everyone but them

You must forgive them. You must not judge them. You must love them as you love yourself.

But, you, you're a fucking dickweed, they don't have do to shit for you.

You can go to hell.

That's how they reconcile

[Perky]

34. THey reconcile it by an uspide won theology.

They assume that OT dictates are meant for everyone... Not true... they are meant do special time with a specific people for a specific purpose. It in not mean for all human kind

IN a new Testament context, Chrisitian are only called to judge other Christians not the world. Theyh forget that as well.

[The Whiskey Priest]

35. As a follower of Jesus

I only look to those words and action of Jesus. All the hate and vengeance that is expressed throughout the rest of the bible is suspect and for me disregarded. I follow only those words and actions contributed to Jesus.

[funflower]

36. They don't judge. They "discern." It's totally different. Really.

:puke:

[ruggerson]

37. Because they cherry pick sins

Gays are the devil's spawn. But divorced people are just fine and dandy, because, you see, THEY (religious rightwingers)get divorced, so we get to ignore that one.

They are the biggest hypocrites in the US right now. And that's saying a mouthful.

[Bouncy Ball]

39. Ok here's the deal:

they DON'T TALK ABOUT those verses. They don't think about those verses. They try not to READ those verses.

And if they do read them, or someone mentions them, and they have a halfway functioning psyche, their brain tells them to change directions IMMEDIATELY and think about/talk about/read something else so as to avoid a very painful case of cognitive dissonance.

And while we're on the subject: the first and the third quotes in your post are extremely radical. They were then and they are now. (The second one is, too, but I love the first and third quotes.)

The idea of treating the "least" among us as we would treat a man like Jesus or as we would treat God turned conventional wisdom at that time on its head. Hell, it still does. To wash the feet of the lowest of the low, to turn the other cheek, wow.

Same for the third one. That sentiment is more powerful than it appears on the surface. My stepfather (old hippie redneck) used to tell my brother and I that "Jesus just wants us to love each other, that's all."

I see nothing loving in repuke policy. As a Christian, I cannot possibly vote for or support them. They treat the least among us in a horrific way and they do not love their neighbors.

[fishwax]

40. One by one, here's how they do it

(I'm assuming it's not a rhetorical question ... these are the interpretations of those verses tat are currently en vogue in conservative christian circles ...)

<<"Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me" (Matthew 25:40)>>

They point to personal charity work as a justification/fulfillment of this, and say it has nothing whatsoever to do with social policy.

<<"Judge not, that ye be not judged." Matthew 7:1>>

THey claim (wrongly, imo) that this doesn't mean you shouldn't judge, simply that you should judge based on the standards of the Bible, which is how (they say) you'll be judged by god. So despite "judge not," it isn't an injunction against judging, just an injunction against hypocricy.

<<"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (appears at least 10 times throughout the bible)>>

Loving your neighbor means pointing out the things that will bring them to eternal damnation. They say if you love someone, you'll speak out when you see them being self-destructive.

These arguments are bullshit interpretations of the scripture, in my view, but they're the most common interpretations/justifications/reconciliations that you'll hear from today's right-wing kri$tians.