Christian Principles Applied On a National Level

GermanXJW

I just found this thread on Channel C:

I think a big problem for Christians is in trying to decide how Jesus' principles can be applied on a national level. Unfortunately, the early Christians HAD NO IDEA that Christians would ever be involved in government. (I'm not sure whether they would have though it a good thing or a bad thing--they just didn't anticipate it.)

So the question is: are principles that applied to the early Christian community also to apply to a country, government, nation, etc.?

Reading this just makes me sick because I do not like the idea of forcing your religious beliefs onto somone because you are in a position of power at all. There is no difference in this if it is Christian, Muslim, JW or Scientology. It is just plain wrong! But all these religions feel they have the missionary obligation. After all, people have to be saved, huh?

In answer to that Channel C-thread someone wrote:

Some things can be agreed on in a polite exchange and compromise. Other issues have to simply be fought out to the end ... soemtimes in bloody war.

Bloody fanatics.

SirNose586

Just be glad you're in Germany. Ever since Dubya got into the White House, he and his Fundie friends have been trying to rule the country with a Bible. It's been turning everything to crap, which is what happens when Church can influence State.

Shining One

>Just be glad you're in Germany. Ever since Dubya got into the White House, he and his Fundie friends have been trying to rule the country with a Bible.

How is that? Do you mean that Christians exercising their right to FREE SPEECH bothers you? ALL people are influenced by something that they believe in. You will never have the pristine system that you libs cry for. This country was founded by A CHRISTIAN MAJORITY, and an overwhelming one at that. That is a fact despite all of the history re-writing the libs keep trying to accomplish.
What we have going on is a bunch of elitist, godless fringe groups trying to make everything and everybody in the country embrace their own personal humanistic, materialistic viewpoint. Christians are finally fighting back against the leftists. Hey, you can always go away to someplace like western Europe or Canada!
Liberalism is a mental disorder.
BTW, the founding Fathers used Biblical principles to write the Constitution of this country. Even Jefferson and the other deists asserted that free people needed to be moral people or it would not work. You can look forward to the eventual destruction of this country from within because it looks like the moral decay is irreversible. When it goes down, so goes the rest of western civilization and the freedom that even you libs take advantage of.
Western Europe? They have a bright future under Islamic Sharia law to look forward to!
Rex

>It's been turning everything to crap, which is what happens when Church can influence State.

Qcmbr

OK so the following principles would not work at a political level?

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Sound familiar? Government by secular principles leads directly to these things (by weakening the family, pushing greed, engaging in unjustified war, promoting selfishness, supporting a corrupt political and legal elite, allowing a debt run economy and promoting lies, marital dishonesty and self-aggrandisment.)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Now let me make it clear - Bush isn't the above nor are Clerics in other countries - I don't believe we have any leader in this position now.
Such a leader would be patient, wouldn't play politics, would be a servant of the people, would humbly accept when they were wrong, wouldn't go to war unless it was unavoidable, would reduce the footprint of government and would espouse noble qualities of integrity and hard work.

An example of a real religious leader speaking to his people from my literature:

10 I have not commanded you to come up hither that ye should fear me, or that ye should think that I of myself am more than a mortal man.
11 But I am like as yourselves, subject to all manner of infirmities in body and mind; ...
12 I say unto you that as I have been suffered to spend my days in your service, even up to this time, and have not sought gold nor silver nor any manner of riches of you;
13 Neither have I suffered that ye should be confined in dungeons, nor that ye should make slaves one of another, nor that ye should murder, or plunder, or steal, or commit adultery; ...
14 And even I, myself, have labored with mine own hands that I might serve you, and that ye should not be laden with taxes, and that there should nothing come upon you which was grievous to be borne—and of all these things which I have spoken, ye yourselves are witnesses this day.
15 Yet, my brethren, I have not done these things that I might boast, neither do I tell these things that thereby I might accuse you; but I tell you these things that ye may know that I can answer a clear conscience before God this day.
16 Behold, I say unto you that because I said unto you that I had spent my days in your service, I do not desire to boast, for I have only been in the service of God.
17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.
18 Behold, ye have called me your king; and if I, whom ye call your king, do labor to serve you, then ought not ye to labor to serve one another?

Sad emo

Are we talking principles here - such as love your neighbour as yourself, or are we talking religion - as in you WILL believe in Jesus/God/whatever?

Shining One

Hey Germanexdub,
Why not read over the Sermon on the Mount then apply each teaching one by one to various social problems that you can think of. Next, take the Koran and apply it to our social problems and see the stark difference between Christ and Mohammed. That is what those who reject Christianity often fail to do. They prefer to put all faith in general categories then portray them in a negative light. That's called a 'straw man' argument and it is a logical fallacy.
Rex

DanTheMan

Rex, do you believe that Biblegod will eventually make things right in the world?

For instance, do you believe it possible that someday Christianity could be an anachronism, and that the whole of humankind would be secularized Muslims? Would Biblegod have failed if this were to happen? Is the future written out and unalterable, with Biblegod making sure that it all happens exactly as planned? Or is the future entirely in our hands, and nobody knows how things will turn out, not even Biblegod?

I ask, because if you believe that the future is written out and that everything is going exactly as Biblegod planned it from the very beginning, then your angry ranting on this board makes no sense. If you believe that nobody knows the future, not even Biblegod, and that how things turn out is entirely up to us, then you're a Deist.

XJW4EVR

I am glad you mentioned other "missionary" religions and cults. However, does the same standard apply to the secularist, and his/her evangel of secularism? Or the atheist, and their constant encroachment of my right to express my religious beliefs?

Christian Principles Applied On a National Level

Share this