Christians Giving Christians a Bad Name

PolitiJim loves him some Jesus.  On the contrary I have a real hard time with some of my “brothers” and “sisters” in Christ.  Jeremiah Wright would be one.  Is he even truly a Christian?  None of us knows.  Know one knows the heart of men except God.   What we DO know is the crap that spews out of his mouth.  As Thomas Sowell said about Santorum’s electability, “I wouldn’t put my rent money on it.”

I wrote yesterday (unexpectedly) about a Christian brother who wants us all to vote for the best Sunday School Teacher instead of the best man qualified to actually LEAD the country and reform our government to get back on a Constitutional footing in it’s finances to judiciary.  The mere possibility we suspect at least 4 Supreme Court Justices are willing to force tyranny upon Americans in supporting ObamaCare, is demonstration enough of how close we are to losing the heritage of Hamilton, Jefferson and Washington.  Those who ORIGINALLY pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor, also followed through on sending it in.  (Unlike some of you PBS or TBN telethon types.)

I have been meaning to write about the pastor that claims voting for Romney is a vote for satan and when someone sent me a video of a fiery “hell and brimstone” preacher who introduced and prayed over Rick Santorum, I thought I’d write about both. 

A preacher named Dennis Terry introduced Rick Santorum and you will see that he is very angry at homosexuality and overt sexuality overrunning our culture, the courts allowing Buddha in school but banning Jesus, and, at one point, he tells non-Christians and liberals to “get out” of his church if they don’t like what he’s saying.  Here is his full pulpit meltdown prior to introducing Saint Santorum, Supposed Savior of American Christianity.  (I’m guessing this pastor didn’t know that Rick claimed Protestants caused all this and were in “shambles.”)

Fiery Santorum Preacher Tells Athiests to Leave

On one hand, most conservative Christians would agree that our Founders would likely tar and feather all of us for letting our culture get so far away from their original ideals.  The Christian and Catholic churches BOTH decided that government was too “unholy” in the early twentieth century and abandoned it.  It has taken us 50 years to even get a place back at the table, let alone being the ones who serve the dinner or decide the menu.

But Ricks’ Pastor buddy is theologically and biblically wrong on a number of his statements and just outright foolish in his fiery rhetoric.

First, I need to tell my friends who don’t know Jesus (and now are much less likely to want to know Him), this is NOT someone showing what Jesus taught.  Contrary to the tone of Greenwell Springs Pastor here…,

Jesus is not mad at you.

And He would NEVER EVER, make you unwelcome in a church.  The only people Jesus cussed out were the religious folk.  Personally I suspect Jesus would leave with you, were you in this service.  Yes, there will be a time when Jesus comes back in judgment.  Not to “get even” or angrily release pent up hostility like some spoiled third world dictator insecure in his own power.  He doesn’t need ANY of this and is not threatened by the tiniest sin or the greatest blasphemy.  We are told He “sits in the heavens and laughs,” at men conjuring up all their plans.  We are also told that He weeps like a parent whose child is wasting or ruining their life, or a parent who has to see his child go through pain.

No – he’s given the whole planet to us, and even provided mechanisms to take back control after Adam and Eve decided to trade it for a promise much simpler than “Hope and Change.”  But not through threats, or anger or violence.  Any example is terrible, but His anger will be directed against satan and those who have tried to kill or deceive His children.

The Baptist preacher was also quite incorrect that God would come back to America after Christians had taken over the government.  It has NEVER worked that way and isn’t likely to this time.  And He doesn’t require men to get their act together before He get’s involved.

Our revolution against British tyranny came AFTER a historical spiritual revival.  As did the economic resurgence in the early 1900’s and the 1980’s.  (What? You don’t remember the “Jesus” movement?)

Laws and Government do not change people’s hearts.  (Other than depress them.)  I think one of the brilliances of Gingrich was understanding that Reagan’s conservatism would have been as temporary as that of Coolidge if people didn’t see a “payoff” to conservative ideas.  It is why he actually helped Reagan not cave to Bob Dole’s insistence to water down the tax cuts.  And in Contract With America he selected legislative initiatives that were ALREADY popular with the American people.  They rewarded the second modern conservative movement with expansion of their power in Congress and historic approval ratings.

We aren’t going to TALK people into giving up sin.  Why do you think Baptists have the highest divorce rate when they are the most (vocally) opposed to it?  What we can do is show them we are the best stewards of government and liberty, and demonstrate the financial, relational and other “successes” that make THEM choose to embrace our philosophy.  Christianity DOES offer (statistical) proof that it is the most fulfilling and happiest lifestyle.  Somehow I suspect Santorum’s Baptist preacher missed the survey.  Good thing or he might have skewed the results downward.

The Bible is unequivocal.  The “law” kills but “blessings” bring people to turn from bad ways.  Screaming about how bad people are, how much sin they commit or how “ungodly” they are won’t win a single person over.  But it will surely make those wavering consider abandoning your sphere of fear. 

My first thought while watching this was that how this will come across to MOST American voters.  It will do worse to Rick Santorum and the GOP than what Jeremiah Wright did to Obama.  The fury, you say?  One reason Wright didn’t “stick” as bad to Obama (although it did harm him somewhat) was because it was totally counter to EVERYTHING ELSE the public perceived about him.  Unfortunately, the “we are going to force our religion down down your thoughts” vibe, validates the fears about Santorum.  I have no doubt MSNBC will devote an entire hour rerunning this video.

What Lee Atwater and Reagan knew is that it isn’t WHAT IS SAID that persuades people.  It is their PERCEPTION derived from visuals and audio.  Meg Ryan can tell you to go to hell in her cute, pixie little voice and you’ll still love her.  John Kerry can tell you’ve won the lottery, but you’ll start worrying that he’s also going to tell you that the IRS wants it all.  I remember a story (if someone finds a link please post it in comments) that the mainstream media thought they had Reagan on a policy flub.  Brilliant campaign strategist Lee Atwater knew it didn’t matter because the image was of an “in charge” President that would outweigh all else.

Ben Shapiro, editor of Breitbart, emphasized this in a speech to King Street Patriots this past week essentially the same thing.  Republicans keep arguing facts, figures and logic while liberals tell an emotional story that tugs the heart.  The VAST majority of voters will allow emotion to sway them.  And in PolitiJim’s opinion, the above Baptist bombast will serve to blow not just our candidate out of the water, but our cause. (Liberal emotional advantages at 27 minute mark.)

Shapiro goes on to insist that the Obama campaign is COUNTING on diverting the campaign issues from economic to social issues and invented the contraception argument for just that person.  He singles out Santorum’s campaigning on these issues as a sure loser against Obama in the general election. (Santorum at the 47 minute mark.)

I had held back writing an article on another Christian preacher who made me sick by attacking Mitt Romney’s Mormon religion.  I actually picked Bill Keller up on my radar years ago when he started a 24/7 email and internet prayer ministry.  A few years later he launched 24 hour prayer channel.  I was enthralled with someone using technology to actually meet peoples needs and couldn’t imagine a better example of Christianity.  Until news articles began popping up about him saying some pretty weird stuff.  When he demanded a boycott of Trinity Broadcast Network and even Wallbuilders David Barton SIMPLY for supporting Glenn Beck’s Israel initiative.  David Barton who painfully researches the faith of our founders?  And the TV network that carries more Christian preaching around the world than any other network? 

These people are more mafia than Immanuel meditaters.

I wrote a long lengthy email pleading with Mr. Keller to start exhibiting the mercy and grace of our Savior and was shocked to get a reply.  A very nasty, condescending reply.  And EVERY reply after repeated attempts to appeal to him on a scriptural basis.  (PolitiJim started seriously searching scripture the excuse to revert back to his South Side roots, eviscerate this idiot and then repent later.  Never could find that scripture…..)

Only after multiple emails did the person with an email of “bkeller@liveprayer.com” and signature of:

Know that I am praying for you, be richly blessed,
Bill Keller
Founder,  www.liveprayer.com

admit they were not actually the Bill Keller, but one of hundreds of people who answer his emails.  Despite giving me his personal phone number.  I guess Mr. Keller missed those scriptures on DECEPTION.  You can read the entire fascinating email flurry here, but start at the bottom and read it (it deals with whether Beck has converted to Christianity).  If you contact this “fake Bill Keller” at the number he provided, be sure to tell him PolitiJim says hi.

Where was i?  Oh yes.  So, Mr. Keller released a letter to all Christians last week saying, “If You Vote for Mitt Romney You are Voting for Satan.”  This is aimed at CHRISTIANS by the way.

He is kind enough to offer a scripture even that begins:

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ…

Hmmmm.  ..the GRACE of Christ.  Not the condemnation, not the rules, not the “law,” or threats.  The free forgiveness to all who simply accept Him as the Son of God.  Which Bill Keller is quoting St. Paul who is talking about people like BILL KELLER deserting the GOOD NEWS of GRACE!

Now, as much evidence that there is of the extreme hidden evil of Barack Obama, I don’t think it is accurate (or helpful) to say that Barack Obama is satan.  And the overt lying and deceit of Mitt Romney have been WELL documented on PolitiJim.

As PolitiJim followers know, I’m much less worried about whether Mitt truly believes the stranger tenets of Mormonism than if he can beat Obama, repeal and reform the encouraging socialisms and sprawl of government, and motivate people toward conservatism.  I discuss my thoughts in the link above, but all in all if you have a lying, deceitful Christian and a lying, deceitful Mormon does it really matter?  As yesterday’s post discussed, born-again Christians that teach Sunday School are not necessarily great Presidents as Jimmy Carter has proven.

As I’ve said this past year, ALL OF THESE CANDIDATES will be exactly who they HAVE been and not what they SAID they have been.  A President Romney will be a RINO (and better looking) Boehner.  A President Santorum will be the WORST qualities of Dan Quayle and RINO George HW Bush combined.  A President Paul will be a resolute super-fiscal conservative isolationist who will do what always as – be extremely fiscally conservative and extremely unpopular with everyone except “his” people.  A Gingrich President would astound the media in getting legislation enacted with Democrats, be reformed minded, try to sell  few “big” ideas to inspire Americans and eventually have RINO’s try to sink his initiatives. 

To fellow Believers I say this:  Start leading with light instead of cursing the darkness to non-Christians or non-conservatives.  Inspire people to be like you and stop your arrogance that simply “being” a Christian actually translates to exceptional JOB PERFORMANCE.

To fellow conservatives who are NOT Abraham’s offspring I say this:  Honestly, we all aren’t this bad.  Statistically as a whole, we ARE happier, more fulfilled demographic than any other.  And the REAL Jesus isn’t uptight and angry at you.

To non-conservative moderates I say this: We want you to be wealthy.  We WANT your wellbeing.  Greece proves free stuff will eventually rob EVERYONE of peace.  The USSR (and China) prove that anything other than freedom robs your children of a safe future.  And as William Bradford learned in the Plymouth Rock experiment, there is a natural law of freedom God built in that DOES require a moral standard, but gives more than you could ever imagine.

To liberals I say this:  Screw You.

(Ha! Gotcha!  If you aren’t laughing just remember you are now acting like the uptight religious conservatives you can’t stand.)

Seriously, liberals, just seek truth.  We don’t wish you ill.  But if you try and steal freedom and future from our kids, even then we just want to stop you – not harm you.  You no longer have statics on ANY side to warrant socialism or communism (or moral relativism) so prove to us that you will make decisions based on intellect rather than selfishness. 

Honestly, we’ll get along a lot a better.

 

Posted in: 2012,campaign,Mitt Romney,politics,Rick Santorum,Spiritual