Eight Questions for Conservative Christians
by Questions asked not as attacks, but as queries from someone who is genuinely puzzled.
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John supposedly contain the record of what the Son of God said and did while on this earth. If that’s the case, I would assume that he would make sure that those records contain what he thought was most important. I’ve read them several times and find lots of contradictions between what he said and did and what Conservatives in the United States fight for. I invite discussion, but please leave the hate at the door. The questions are in no particular order.
Question the First
If Christians are assured of going to Heaven when they die, and in Heaven there is no suffering and there is reuniting of families, why are so many of you willing to kill and torture people in the Middle East to avoid dying yourselves? Is the remote possibility of a hateful radical sending you home to be with your Lord worth turning your back on Jesus’ commands to love your enemies, turn the other cheek, forgive seventy times seven? Was the apostle wrong when he said “To live is Christ, to die is gain?”
Question the Second
It seems like Jesus would have made sure everything he really cared about was communicated in the gospels. Yet he never talked about the “traditional family” or homosexuality at all. He defended and adulteress who was actually breaking up a family. When told his mother and brothers had come to visit, he pointed to people who were not his blood family and said “here are my mother and brothers”. He says not to judge. As far as focusing on the family, he actually said that loving those who love you is no particular virtue because even sinners do that – it’s more important to love those who hate you and spitefully use you. Why is it so important to conservative Christians that they not only judge but also punish gay people in this life when Jesus seemed not to care much about the traditional family and specifically said not to judge?
Question the Third
Jesus talked a lot about personal wealth, and not a single thing that he said was positive. He says that being rich makes it nearly impossible to get into heaven, tells the rich young ruler that to be perfect he should give all his stuff to the poor, says not to lay up treasures on earth, tells the parable of the feast where the rich make excuses so the Host invites the poor and outcast, etc. Nothing positive said at all about material goods and wealth. Why do so many conservative Christians spend so much effort protecting their earthly wealth against taxes – especially taxes that go to help the poor and sick? They seem happy to pay taxes to kill prisoners, innocent Iraqis, immigrants, etc. but fight tooth and nail to keep their treasures on earth from helping their fellow citizens?
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Post CommentTheDragon319
On July 29, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Very good questions, I have thought a lot about some of these.
sheema
On August 3, 2009 at 2:11 am
i dont know what religion u follow but if u want all your answers, u should study islam. people today are offended by the name islam due to all the negative propaganda against it after the 9/11 tragedy but believe me if u believe in GOD that islam is really a peacefull religeon. the GOD of muslims is the same as the GOD of the christians as well as that of the jews. we all believe in the same books and the same prophets that all the christians and jews believe in but the fact is that christianity and jewism were only meant for a limited period of time, for those particular eras respectively. as the times progressed there was a need for more explanation , more discipline and more areas of life to be guided, that was when GOD sent MOHAMMAD (peace be upon him) alon with QURAN the new guiding book to be followed till the end of this world. if u read the Quran , its translation and explanation u will know that it surely was sent by GOD because of the things in it that are now being scientifically proven , which is a proof in itself that QURAN is not a creation of some mortal being but of some GREATER POWER than a human being. its a vast topic , u gotta find it out yourself. do your research not on the net but go to libraries and book stores. on the net u may find stuff written by amatures and people with little knowledge who are just trying to justify their beliefs.the truth is out there , u take a step towards the truth , the truth will come to u double-paced.
Eliot Rosewater y The Velvet Edge
On August 6, 2009 at 11:15 am
If Jesus were alive today, it seems the right wing would likely crucify him.
His emphasis on making peace and loving our enemies would make him soft on defense. His commandments on judging not, not casting the first stone, etc. would mean that he’s against protecting “the traditional family”. His emphasis on treating the poor and outcast with love, food, clothing and healing would make him a “socialist”.
Focusing on the Old Testament, and perhaps on Paul, might lead one to political conservatism. But listening to Jesus alone would send someone running away from that ideology.
Ewan
On August 6, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Sorry Tommy, but i feel like this argument has been very poorly put together and written.
Putting aside your political and religous beliefs for the time being also leaving the issue of ‘conservative Christians’ , the Christian faith that you have shown in these ‘eight questions’ has very little to do with the teachings in the bible, you have taken single verses in the bible and not bothered to find the meaning of these teachings, which has obvioulsy resulted in placing them into an improper context .This has over all shown very little understanding and would strongly suggest that this article is based on an agenda rather then a transparent issue.
Sheema, your claims that muslims believe that christian and jews worship the same god, would be eagerly debated by most non-liberal Muslim scholars and imams. They would claim that they both had once been given a revelation from allah but it has become corrupted over time.
To give an example to my claim, Christians claim Christ is God, Muslims and Jews would both disagree with this statement ( i.e a different definition of god ) . Muslims would claim mohammed revealed gods nature and character to man , a claim both Christians and Jews would disagree with. purely because all 3 religions claim they submit to ‘god’ does not mean that all 3 worship the same god specially since all 3 religions claim and exclusiveness to there faith. Just because you name a horse a goat, doesn’t make it a goat.
If anyone would like a more reliable interpretation of the Bible or has an honest question for a Christian , please reply to this thread and i will try my best to get back to you.
E
Skeptic
On August 18, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Ewan, it seems you have evaded all eight questions. Why are these not “honest questions”? Jesus said all these things about peace, forgiveness, wealth, poverty etc.that directly contradict conservatism. Can you answer any of the author’s questions or just disparage him/her?
ChristianLeft
On August 24, 2009 at 12:36 am
You forgot one question. Jesus says specifically not to go out and pray in public, but to pray in private. Why do conservative Christians fight so hard to get public prayers at football games etc. when Jesus said specifically not to do that?
Ben Steinke
On September 3, 2009 at 3:28 am
Ewan, do not go into the “context, context, context” argument—it is a waste of time. All of the Gospel writers quoted the Old Testament apart from any so-called “context” many times. The “Context Times Three” argument isn’t really an argument, but an evasion tactic. The whole context argument comes not from an honest-hearted and spirit-led study of the Scriptures, but from evangelical institutions like Dallas Theological Seminary. Having degrees in theology does not an expert in the Bible make.
Ewan
On October 5, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Skeptic- Since I am not living in North American (which I presume this debating is centered around ), I cannot defend or attack the claims that have been made against the ‘conservative christian’. My reply was purely against what I saw as a set of 8 ignorant based question with a lazy knowledge of scripture. Though these 8 questions might be honest questions ( also be very relevant ) they are poorly backed by the use of the bible.
. I am not stating a ‘context context context’ argument but purely ‘context’. That we can not take a single verse and grow out our own meaning from this, instead have a understanding of the passages before and after .
Christian Left- please read Matthew 6 , if you still feel your claim is relevant i will make a fuller comment on it.
Ben Steinke- Glad to see someone is thinking
ChristianLeft
On October 8, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Hi Ewan,
I read Matthew 6, and my question remains. Jesus says not to make a public display of prayer, not to make a public display of fasting, giving etc. In other words, spiritual practice is a private matter. Praying in front of a couple thousand football fans goes directly against what Jesus says.
And Skeptic is right – now you have resorted to insulting the author, calling him or her lazy and ignorant, but still haven’t addressed any of the questions. You also haven’t demonstrated that the author has taken anything out of context….
Ewan
On October 9, 2009 at 1:29 pm
ChristianLeft-
Matthew6:1 – Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them.
Matthew6:17 – But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,
Jesus is not arguing against praying in public because it is inherently wrong he is arguing about those who use it ‘to be seen by man’ , for there own glory . Furthermore he is saying to ‘close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.’ because it should be a relational experience and from the heart.
But saying this, Jesus himself would often pray in groups, he would pray infront of and with his disciples, so praying with others is not an issue.
My biggest question regarding prayer in public is, the reasons why. Is it what a genuine on heart plea to God or just for self righteousness something like the ancient Pharisees.
As i said before, since im not from America, i can’t relate this to the ‘conservative christian’ discussion.