Ted Kennedy was a REAL Christian.

There are real Christians and then there are so-called "Christians"..

Ted Kennedy was real. He tried to follow the teachings of Jesus helping the poor and the sick. Which is why he cared about healthcare. The real Christians of this country believe that letting the health insurance companies take large amounts of money from their customers then deny them treatment when they're sick is not only unchristian it's downright evil. It doesn't take a religious scholar to understand what the New Testament was about. Love they neighbor as yourself. The gold standard of life lessons. By every definition Jesus was a bleeding heart liberal.

This used to be something that everybody in this country took for granted. But thanks to the heretics who have been busy corrupting Christianity for 40 years. Jesus in the USA kinda looks like this.

Jesus hates the poor because poverty is caused by SIN. So is disease so you should kill all poor and sick people cause they're possessed by Satan. Throw everybody in jail. Jesus loves prisons. Bomb other countries for no reason. Jesus is a vengeful God. And the New Testament clearly states that Jesus loves capitalism and thinks Wall Street is the model we all should live by. The new Jesus, represented by the evangelical right, has washed his hands of any of that do-gooder liberal stuff now he only waits to fly down from Heaven and kill everybody conservatives don't like. Revelation clearly states that Jesus will come down from heaven with a sword and kill all the nice people and take the money changing haters back to the Kingdom of Heaven. The End.

I'm going to turn off the TV during this because I'm not going to be able to stomach the Senate Republicans talking about how much they cared about Ted Kennedy when they did everything they could while he was dying to kill his dream. The so-called conservative Christians in the Senate should just keep their lying mouths shut. We don't need their false sympathies. What we need is for them to start acting like real Christians or just get the Hell out of the religion all together. They're polluting Christianity and making Jesus sick at his stomach.

I'm not expecting any miracles. The Republicans in the Senate would rather piss on Ted's grave than to do the decent thing and help give this country a healthcare system that Ted Kennedy worked for all his life.

They would NEVER do something like that they're too SELFISH!

If there's a Senate in Heaven than surely Jesus is swearing in Ted Kennedy right now. And knowing Ted he's probably asked "But what about my Republican friends? Will they be here too someday?"

At which Jesus will just smile and say HELL NO!

because, while I'm saddened by Kennedy's passing, and much admire him for his good works, I find the concept of a "REAL Christian" to be a fucking joke.

Sid

stands around and talks about how holy they are.

is something that every Christian and Christian organization defines with a different set of criteria. Its a profoundly meaningless statement.

By the way, its also pretty tacky to use the death of a public figure to promote your religion. Unrec'd

but who seem to have nothing to do with the teachings of Jesus. I'm not a Christian, not religious, but I appreciate the sentiment of the OP.

and went around consigning people to it who didn't appreciate his point of view. Not to mention that he appointed himself god (who do you know who does that who isn't either using people or insane) and isolating his followers from their family members and loved ones.

To me this Jesus character sounds a tad too much like David Koresh for comfort, and I'm not really sure I want to see him used as a basis for refuting the nutcases on the right wing.

I actually think the RWers probably have a more honest view of Christianity since they latch on to the revolting parts of the bible along with the relatively more benign, and insist on the importance of all of it. If you think their version of Christianity makes them look like a bunch of cretins or assholes maybe you should consider what that says about the doctrine as a whole.

version. But until we can stop the millions who do from believing, I'd rather they choose the "Love" Jesus rather than the "Hate" Jesus to worship.

To me the love Jesus lends credibility to the hate Jesus, so I treat the two equally. I see your point about the Love Jesus being a more positive image, but I don't approve of any graven image regardless.

being a REAL Democrat, you think the right of those who may be people of faith to dicuss the matter should not be curbed? Only Atheists are allowed to post about religion...or the lack there of....in GD, I guess.


Get over yourself.

AS a symbol to unbelievers. A spanish inquisition, writ small. The puritans didnt like waiting around for God to smite you. They fird up the stocks, or the tar and feathers. These modern puritans want teen mothers. dying poor. This is just the boost the rest of us need, to be as righteous as they. I cant tell you how many go to church to find compassion, only to suffer it's opposite. Believe and recieve churches{most} must keep pushing the God gives perqs to patrons. It is their business.

The society as a whole, bought into this, and it ruined our nation. We thought the megarich were also megahonorable. We were innundated with this. The richer, the more gentile. The more poor, the crasser. The rich think themselves more just and honorable, as they have options the poor dont. This haughtiness might be the cause of the whole camel needle eye thingie.

Clearly their mother Rose raised them with a sense of social justice.

How Mr. Kennedy's fellow Catholics talk about him today. Newt? Pat?

And, being a universal restorationist, it pains my own sense of justice to say that, yes, Republicans will be in heaven, too.

The former got the message of Christ; the latter learned to lie and run their mouths to keep one step ahead of Sister's ruler. ( I remember those little bastards from Catholic school. )

When anyone asks, I say that I am a Ted Kennedy Catholic.

nice Christians and not-so-nice Christians
altruistic Christians and greedy Christians
caring Christians and asshole Christians
and they're all "real" Christians.

Kennedy, tho, was surely the former in all those choices.

Sid

not real Christians. I can say I'm a heart surgeon, that doesn't make me one, for real.

but everything about Christianity is subjective. Maybe Kennedy was the fake Christian, and Fred Phelps is the real thing.

However, that doesn't minimize all the good that Kennedy did.



Sid

Sid

what defines a heart surgeon.

Thanks for proving my point. Different Christians pick and choose which parts of the Old and New Testaments they think are important. Their interpretations of God's word are all subjective. There's no objective standard to determining which subjectively chosen interpretation is the REAL one.

And, unlike heart surgeons, there's no American Board of Thoracic Surgery that certifies a person as a Christian.

Sid

Thanks. I have enjoyed being among those who share my sentiments. I like to think we are following values and truths set up by the universe.

I hope this makes any sense at all, as I'm running out the door to the dentist. A hasty reply.

I hope it doesn't show that I've cried today. Oh, who cares. I have.

Are you certain?

I don't claim to KNOW anything. Even as an engineer, I have always said I often get results through accidents and luck.

I just keep my eyes open.

out in the world and do good things for your fellow man. I choose the latter. I was watching C-span call ins this morning - I never heard such hate and venom spewed from callers - mostly Republicans. According to the so called christians who called in - Ted Kennedy will burn in hell because he supported abortion - their words. And of course the same from the deathers regarding health reform.

He DID it!

Faith without works is dead.

I remember this ultra-conservative Baptist preacher who used to always say that you need faith WITHOUT works to get into Heaven. You can't just live the good life, you have to profess Jesus Christ as your savior and truly repent in your MIND, or else you are damned, no matter how much good you do.

way off the mark, as far removed from the original teachings
as they come.

But aren't most of them?

It's all about the faith, not the works.

I am a faithful Prtestant. In my church, the faith translates into the works. It is BY the works that one honors the faith.

None of the ministers I have known
( and I'm 58) believe this.
It's quite the opposite- walk the talk or it's BS.

But you can believe what you want.