Is this in the Bible ?

[Laura PourMeADrink]

Jesus said to help the poor and sick, right?

But, did he say "If someone comes up with a plan to help the poor and sick, turn against it" ?

Did he say "If you are tired of helping people who are hungry, no problem, just cut them off" ?

Seriously, does anyone here know of ANY kind, loving, and caring rationale to be against Healthcare and
Food Stamps ??

[La Lioness Priyanka]

1. jesus said make capitalism your god. then worship at its altar

[LostOne4Ever]

2. You got to realize

When they say Jesus....they actually mean George W. Bush.

The man definitely thought he was Jesus. Remember the picture of him in front of a stain glass window making it look like he had a halo?

[FSogol]

3. In Red Letters: Pre-existing Condition, LOL

[Laura PourMeADrink]

27. wow that's brilliant !

[Journeyman]

4. Stephen Colbert said, ""If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor. . .

"If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don't want to do it."

[center]~ Stephen Colbert[/center]

[Bolo Boffin]

19. It's funny to watch people who call America a Christian nation get so upset

whenever the country starts acting in ways Jesus told his followers to act.

[IdaBriggs]

5. I believe you have the wrong quote. Look at 1 Timothy 6:10 for the answer.

1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil: which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Seems pretty clear what is going on to me.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

15. Well why doesn't the media keep asking the question? Why don't you care

about people without insurance or who are hungry. they never do. It would be great if they
did and they actually answered " because I love money"

[Stargazer99]

6. It is time to label the Republican party for what it is-demonic

[safeinOhio]

7. Their Bible was written

By Ayn Rand, the atheist.

[TxDemChem]

8. Jerry Dewitt calls their deity...

Amerigod. Their idea of a capitalism-loving, needy person-hating white man in the sky. There's more to the description than that, but yep - Amerigod.

[sarisataka]

9. Some Bibles are abridged...

Many are missing Matthew 19

21Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
22When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

and Chapter 25

41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,
43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
45"He will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' '
46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

It is funny all of the defective bibles end up in the hands of those who profess to follow them the most...

[jberryhill]

10. Did he tell the Roman government to do those things?

Christian conservatives will tell you that Jesus did not say, "Hey, Romans, take money from these folks here and give it to poor people."

Likewise, Jesus did not ask the Romans to heal the sick, clothe the naked, etc. He asked individual people to do those things on their own. He did not ask that government take money from people in order to do those things, nor did he ever suggest it was government's job to do any of those things.

I do not expect my government to be run on some sort of religious principle. Social programs have a number of humanitarian and practical justifications, but I don't want YOUR Jesus running the government any more than I want THEIR Jesus running the government.

HOW ABOUT WE ALL QUIT ASKING JESUS FOR ADVICE ON RUNNING GOVERNMENT. Okay?

[hootinholler]

11. But I'm Ok with *MY* Jesus running the gubmint

After all he will legalize weed, punish war criminals and give us all a pony!

BTW, I totally agree with your post.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

12. Interesting...so the thought is that as long as they follow the help the poor/sick/hungry on

an individual basis, then they are "covered" ? Seems you could extrapolate and say I am helping on an individual basis and thru my taxes, I am also helping many many more people in need - so I am super good. Not really trying to interject religion vs government here at all. Just trying to understand how if you might be for charity on a small level you could be so vehemently against helping people on a grander scale. And, just because they are claiming that Jesus didn't say support food stamp legislation doesn't strike me as enough rationale.

[jberryhill]

17. Did Jesus threaten to imprison people who were not charitable?

You pay your taxes because you will be penalized if you do not.

Now, granted, the flip side is "Do what Jesus says or you'll go to Hell," but to claim that you pay your taxes out of some sense of charity is absurd.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

23. Whoa....you are going way too religious on me. I have no idea what it says in the

bible...being Catholic didn't have to read it.

But I do disagree about the taxes. I most certainly think that part of the money I pay in taxes is charity - ipso facto

Has nothing to do with prison or laws requiring me to pay.

Besides, isn't this what the right have their panties in a wad over? Tax dollars going to Them: Worthless leaches, Me: The Needy? Hmmm. just answered my own question. That's how they justify it....they don't think they are needy.

[KamaAina]

14. The Romans did not claim to run their government according to "Christian values".

The fundies do.

[jberryhill]

18. Yes, well the Constitution disagrees with them

The First Amendment right to freedom of religion doesn't square up with the First Commandment obligation to worship only one particular deity.

I don't care what the Fundies claim about government. I'm not buying into a Christian Nation argument no matter who is making it.

[KamaAina]

20. I don't think she's making a "Christian nation" argument

but calling the fundie Xtian teabaggers out on their hypocrisy.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

24. Thank You KA !!! exactly !

[jberryhill]

34. In other news, water is wet

However, I don't know where Jesus went around telling anyone to obsess over anyone else's behavior but their own. Period. End of story.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

37. Yikes, did you get blamed for something you never did ? The point is extremely

simplistic, without obsession, without any implications of anything else.

Why do some people, in general, espouse a belief (probably a component of all religious teachings but even a belief among atheists) that people should help those less fortunate than themselves - rail against the same thing on a larger scale (i.e. ACA and Food Stamps) ?

[jberryhill]

40. Because, and this is true for others than Christians, it doesn't "count" morally

If I go around town and buy every hungry person a sandwich, that's generally considered to be a good and charitable thing to do, and earns me moral Green Stamps or whatever sort of merit being charitable is good for.

If you stick a gun in my back and make me buy every hungry person a sandwich, then my doing so is primarily out of concern for myself - to wit, I don't want you to shoot me in the back.

You see, if we didn't tax anyone in order to do things like feed hungry people, then those with the means to do so would earn considerable moral merit by doing it on their own. But by compelling them to give up the money they would otherwise lavish on doing good works, you are, in fact, depriving society of the spectacle of the remarkable acts of Christian charity in which they would otherwise be engaged.

In other words, you are contributing to moral rot by not allowing people to do those things that Jesus wanted them to do - freely and out of the goodness of their hearts as a reflection of the grace they have been given. What you've done instead is said "give the government money to do good things, or we'll throw you in jail." Yes, Jesus said to feed the naked and clothe the hungry or whatever, but he didn't command anyone to take money away from other people, who don't want to part with it, in order to do it. That wasn't Jesus, it was Robin Hood. But I can certainly understand mixing up fairytale characters.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

43. wow JB....I think the single most erudite post I ever read on DU, Peace nt

[jberryhill]

45. And, truth be told, I think Robin Hood had a better program in mind than Jesus

[sarisataka]

28. It is not a question of whose Jesus is in Washington

or Buddha, Vishnu, Earth Mother or Odin for that matter.

It is the hypocrisy of those who claim to follow His teachings, say the country was founded on Christian principles then cherry pick the 5% of those principles that they like and ignore the rest.

***
Actually with the intrigue, sex and backstabbing in DC I think Zeus would be the most comfortable there.

[LondonReign2]

36. If we are going to ask a deity for gubmint runnin' advice

I really think it needs to be the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

I mean, cruise missiles vs. beer volcanoes? Easy choice

[KamaAina]

13. WWJS?

Who Would Jesus Starve?

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. Here are some sections they prefer over that socialist Sermon on the Mount

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 ESV / 80 helpful votes

And to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

Proverbs 12:24 ESV / 68 helpful votes

The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor.

The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.


2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 ESV / 247 helpful votes

For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.

Everything, and I mean everything can be justified with careful quotes from the good book, that contradict each other.

And it's gotten worst with modern day Calvinist interpretations.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

26. thanks..very interesting. Too bad there wasn't a hierarchy written. Don't be a sluggard

but if you see one, be kind to him.

[JHB]

21. You need to read the New Invisible Asterisk version...

It's the one with the the footnotes of long lists of exceptions.

"Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.*"

"'Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbour to him who fell among the robbers?'
He said, "He who showed mercy on him."
Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise.*"

It's got a lot of asterisks.

[Jeneral2885]

22. Sigh

Misinterpreation of the Bible once again.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

25. teach me. It doesn't say help the poor, needy in sick in the bible? nt

[L0oniX]

29. Jesus fed a huge crowd ...twice ...and they were not all poor or needy.

One most known is the sermon on the mount. Yes that is in the Bible. Use an online bible search tool ...most work just fine.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

30. Ya, it was rhetorical. So in essence, I take that to mean you feed all even

the people who get food stamps who don't really need them

This all makes me want to read the bible.

[L0oniX]

31. Ewww twisty. Maybe if you read about it you would find out why they were fed.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

38. point taken...I will

[jberryhill]

35. It says give up everything you have and follow Jesus

Does anyone do that?

A very few, once in a while.

Everyone else who calls themselves a Christian is simply full of shit.

I've met maybe two or three in my life. They are waaaay too busy actually doing stuff to be on internet forums, TV or involved in politics.

This is just another one of those imaginary "Oh boy, I'll bet they don't have a comeback to this one" things for which, yes, they do have a comeback. And their comeback is, as noted, that Jesus didn't ask anyone to compel anyone else to do acts of charity. People are compelled to pay taxes. And, yes, Jesus said you might as well pay your taxes, since the money all comes from the government anyway. But he didn't go from there to "and if you pay your taxes, and those taxes pay for good things, then ya done good."

And again, based on my limited understanding of Christianity based on maybe having met two or three actual people in my entire life who gave up everything they had to serve others in love, I don't know what part of Jesus' teaching says that it makes anyone a better Christian by pointing out how someone else sucks at it.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

42. You misread - not judging anyone - merely trying to understand the seeming hypocrisy of it nt.

[jberryhill]

44. More Quakers have gone to jail for not paying taxes than fundagelicals

There's nothing to understand. Of course like 99% of everyone who parades around calling themselves "Christian", they are hypocrites.

They even have an answer for that one too:

"Of course it is the height of hypocrisy for imperfect humans to claim to be acceptable to God and able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. We are ALL imperfect, sinful hypocrites. That's WHY Jesus had to die for our sins... yadda, yadda, yadda."

Look ANYONE who has an invisible friend who will forgive them for ANYTHING they do to ANYBODY is a dangerous motherfucker to be around. Period.

[dimbear]

32. The Parable of the Talents is found in Matthew 25:14-30 if you'd like to read it.

The servants are rewarded if they invest their monies wisely, punished if they do not invest wisely, and none of them give anything to the poor.

You have to pick and choose your scripture.

[Taitertots]

33. The problem is that Republicans believe the myth of the immaculate entrepreneur.

Step 1) Do nothing
Step 2) ???????
Step 3) No more poor or hungry people

[Laura PourMeADrink]

41. Ha...that is what is missing...No one asking these people why? It's like

the largest elephant in a room ever ! I would forever love any media person who ask Cruz
1) Do you care that people can not see a doctor like you can?
2) If yes, what would you do to allow them to see a doctor. And, "let the free market handle it" is not an acceptable response since costs have skyrocketed in that free market environment.

[raouldukelives]

39. I'm pretty sure it also mentions that in the end times many will follow a fake Christ.

Can't say as I recall ever seeing so many fake Christians about. Just saying.
In all seriousness though, one astounding DUer never fails to mention the most important tool of discernment one has available to them.
You will know them by their works.