Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Jesus - The Liberal Years (Part 1 of a Series)
Now that our country has found God, I thought that it might be appropriate for me to go back and examine the word of God a little closer. Maybe there's something that I could learn from the Bible and the teachings of Jesus that would help me better understand why many conservatives believe that George W. Bush was chosen by the almighty to be our leader.
What I found out (not really too surprising though) is that Jesus, the son of God, was a liberal. A true bleeding-heart, if you will. He believed in mercy, charity, and forgiveness. He valued peace, love, and loyalty. Interestingly enough, he also spurned those that would flaunt their faith, but that's for another day. So periodically, I thought it might be nice to share some of the words and deeds that the conservatives hold so dear.
For our first entry in what I hope will be a long series, I give you what sre known as The Beatitudes. Often referred to as the Sermon on the Mount, this is one of Jesus' more famous speeches. I'm sure most of you will recognize it. It comes from the book of Matthew 5:3-12
Now I ask you, does it sound like these things apply to our current leader? Is George Bush poor in spirit? Does he mourn? Is he meek? Does he hunger for righteousness? Is he merciful? Pure of heart? A peacemaker? The answer to all of these is no.
My favorite part is verse 11: "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me." In other words, blessed are those who are not hypocrites. (More on the hypocrisy of conservatism later.)
I wonder if the conservatives realize that they are embracing the words of the world's first true liberal. Ironic isn't it?
Sidenote:Tomorrow is Mrs. kissfan's birthday and a travel day due to the Thanksgiving holiday, so posting may be sporadic over the next couple of days. I hope to be checking in, but should return by Friday or Saturday for sure. Happy Thanksgiving!
What I found out (not really too surprising though) is that Jesus, the son of God, was a liberal. A true bleeding-heart, if you will. He believed in mercy, charity, and forgiveness. He valued peace, love, and loyalty. Interestingly enough, he also spurned those that would flaunt their faith, but that's for another day. So periodically, I thought it might be nice to share some of the words and deeds that the conservatives hold so dear.
For our first entry in what I hope will be a long series, I give you what sre known as The Beatitudes. Often referred to as the Sermon on the Mount, this is one of Jesus' more famous speeches. I'm sure most of you will recognize it. It comes from the book of Matthew 5:3-12
- 3"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Now I ask you, does it sound like these things apply to our current leader? Is George Bush poor in spirit? Does he mourn? Is he meek? Does he hunger for righteousness? Is he merciful? Pure of heart? A peacemaker? The answer to all of these is no.
My favorite part is verse 11: "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me." In other words, blessed are those who are not hypocrites. (More on the hypocrisy of conservatism later.)
I wonder if the conservatives realize that they are embracing the words of the world's first true liberal. Ironic isn't it?
Sidenote:Tomorrow is Mrs. kissfan's birthday and a travel day due to the Thanksgiving holiday, so posting may be sporadic over the next couple of days. I hope to be checking in, but should return by Friday or Saturday for sure. Happy Thanksgiving!
