Jesus was a liberal Jew!

[QueenAdrock]

I'm tellin' you, D_Raay. Fight fire with fire. :p
__________________________________________________ _______


The "Religious Right" (Moral Majority, Christian Coalition, etc.) gets so much media attention for its conservative political activism that a casual observer would think conservative Christianity somehow equates to conservative politics. This is not the case. In fact many people with left-leaning political views find a solid basis for their positions in the Bible. There are many sides to this topic, but we will limit our focus to attitudes toward the rich and the poor.

America is as much an economic phenomenon as it is a nation. It is built on a system whose driving force is the profit motive. Our economy blatantly rewards greed. In classic economic theory greed is good. A person who is motivated by greed will create, as unintended byproducts, benefits for everyone, such as employment and the development of new goods and services. Let the rich get richer, the saying goes, and the benefits will "trickle down" to the rest of us. "A rising tide raises all boats." Under a pure capitalistic system the government keeps hands off and allows the market to decide how the money flows. The problem is, as we have found in this era of deregulation, the money flows to the top. [The original article contained a variant on the graph shown on the L-Curve web site.] Tampering with the market system to redistribute the wealth or assure that the poor are protected is labeled "socialism."

By these standards Jesus was a socialist.

Jesus spoke remarkably often about wealth and poverty. To the poor he said, "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God," (Luke's version). To the rich he said, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth," and "go, sell what you have, and give to the poor." When the rich turned away from him because they couldn't follow his command he observed, "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."

For Jesus, helping the poor and the outcast is not optional: it is the essence of what it means to love God. In the parable of the last judgement he welcomes the righteous into heaven saying, "I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me." When the righteous answered that they didn't recall doing any of these things, he said, "as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me."

We are to "forgive our debtors" and "give to every one who begs from you." But don't handouts contribute to moral decay? Jesus was more concerned about the moral decay in those who are so attached to their wealth that they would hoard it for themselves. In our better moments most of us recognize that giving does not corrupt. We sacrifice to give good things to our children and do our best to provide them with years of carefree existence as they grow up. We do this to give them a sense of security and a foundation for growth. People who have been devastated by misfortune, or for whatever reason are down and out, may need even more help because they may not have what it takes to recover on their own. Many of us will help a friend in hard times, even though we know we will never be repaid. It is when dealing distantly with people in the abstract that we fall back on the "moral decay" argument.

What's wrong with trickle-down economics? Every time I hear that phrase I think of the story Jesus told about a rich man and the beggar Lazarus "who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table." Needless to say, the story ends with Lazarus going to a better place than the rich man. Trickle down theory is about crumbs. Those who say we should settle for crumbs would make us a nation of beggars.

Greed may be a driving force for the economy, but Jesus saw it is as destructive to community. Greed may leave a few crumbs behind for the poor, and it may do some unintended good, but it destroys compassion. Compassion is in short supply in our society today where workers are being downsized in the name of efficiency, prisons are being expanded to insulate society from its underclasses, and the middle class is abandoned by the rich to fight it out with the poor for the table scraps.

Jesus' response to economic inequality is very direct: we are to share the wealth. I once heard a talk about world hunger. The point was that we produce far more food than is needed to feed everyone on earth. The problem is not lack of supply; it is maldistribution. Many people are simply too poor to buy the food they need. This talk gave me a new perspective on the story of the feeding of the 5000. Jesus was out in the desert followed by a huge crowd. The disciples were concerned that it was getting late in the day and they didn't have enough food to feed the crowd. My suspicion is that Jesus sensed there was plenty of food in the crowd, but whereas some had plenty, others had nothing. Sensing an opportunity to make a point, he instructed his disciples to take their five loaves and two fish and distribute them freely to the crowd. By the sheer audaciousness of this act he induced those with food to join him in giving it away. The result is everyone was fed that day with twelve baskets left over. If Jesus simply did a magic trick and made food appear, what's the point? Whoopee! He's divine. He's not like us. But if, by his act of giving away all he had in the face of the overwhelming crowd, he demonstrated the power of a sharing community, he achieved a real miracle! Sharing is a lesson we especially need to learn today.

Is concern for the poor to be simply a private matter to be handled by charity, or does it have anything to do with politics or government? The Bible calls upon the rulers to create a just society. In a democracy, we are the rulers. We have the power to make the rules. The actions of the nation are extensions of our own actions. By our active participation or passive consent we share responsibility for what our nation does in our name. We have inherited a system that works efficiently to produce tremendous wealth, but fails to distribute that wealth equitably. It neglects the poor and it corrupts the rich. On both counts it destroys community. A decent life for all is a matter of simple justice, not charity! There are remedies that will make the system work better in the interests of all the people, but it takes active political involvement to bring them about.

Is this "bleeding heart" liberalism? You bet it is! Jesus is the definitive bleeding heart, and he calls us to follow him.

[zorra_chiflada]

yep, jesus seemed like a pretty alright guy. the original hippy.
if he came back, imagine how pissed off and sad he would be at all of the gmsiskos and valvanos in the world.

[Documad]

What's the famous saying -- if Jesus were alive today, he would be in jail or a mental institution? I can't remember.

[Echewta]

Jesus is an excuse.

[infidel]

David Koresh claimed to be Jesus, look what Gismo and his ilk did to him.
Burned alive along with his followers.
Not that I believe that Koresh was the second coming, we weren't given much time or unbiased reporting to find out, but I'm certain that if the real Jesus was to return that the right wing Christians would crucify him long before he could get his message out. They no longer believe in Christ and his teachings but rather in mob mentality religion and the money to be made from it. A new Jesus would ruin their status quo

To them forcing everyone to believe in a distorted view of Christ is the goal, following Christ's teachings doesn't figure into the equation as it goes against all that modern right wing Christianity stands for.

[QueenAdrock]

"No, some political ideologies are totally incompatible with Christian faith. You couldn't be a good Christian and a Nazi, for example."

Something this administration should take into account. Facism is bad for people who call themselves Christians. :(

Jesus didn't believe in the death penalty. He probably also didn't believe in abortion. But he also was anti-war, and was very compassionate to the poor. So let's see, that's that's three strikes against conservatives, and one strike against liberals.

Looks like we win. :D

[QueenAdrock]

Jesus was not liberal. He said him self, He has come to fufill the law, not to abolish it. Jesus was very forgiving, He died for our sins. He was no liberal.

You've made the compassionate Jesus irate. Looks like you've blown your way into heaven.

Tell me, have you ever met a BLACK JEW who was conservative?
I rest my case. (y)

[King PSYZ]

Who are you to say how Jesus feels?
Did you read my earlier post?

I have never met a Black Jew, except Arnold from Different Strokes.
Sammy Davis Jr.

[King PSYZ]

wow...just wow

[QueenAdrock]

You liberals call yourselvs pro choice, but you don't want to let people choose how their money is to be spent. You want the government to take it, and choose for all people.

We're not FOR the government taking all our money, you dipshit. We're for higher taxes, so the government has more spending ability for programs for the poor, fixing roads, paying cops, whatever else. That's why the U.S. is such a shithole now, we don't have money for anything, and the Republicans keep cutting funding for everything! However, with our remaining paychecks, you can *gasp* buy anything you want! I'd be willing to pay the few extra bucks to help out people who need it.

That's why Jesus was a socialist. He believed that money should go to the poor, and they should be helped the most. If Jesus was Republican, he'd say "We should support big business and let them buy off-shore companies for the tax benefits, so the rich can keep getting richer and the poor can go fuck themselves." But sorry, Jesus didn't say that.

There's a difference between "picky" and "NOT DOING JACK SHIT." If you SERIOUSLY think that Republicans care about the poor, you're SORELY mistaken. They believe in Capitalism and that people have to work for what they get, I've heard so many people saying that they shouldn't have to "help the poor" because they should have to get a "damn job" like they did. Yeah, I'm sure these poor people can get a job pretty easily when they have no clean clothes or access to a hot shower, huh? I've never seen the Republicans come up with anything to actually help out the poor, their faith-based initiatives are bullshit, and if you think they're better than government programs, you're a bigger retard than I thought.

And you've never met a black Jew except for Arnold from Diff'rent Strokes? Well, first off, I doubt you ever met him. Secondly, you live in GEORGIA. You're sheltered from everyone who's liberal. I know several Black Jews. 80% of blacks are liberal, and majority of Jews are liberal. Put Black + Jew, which Jesus WAS, and you get what? Liberal.

I love how you post up an article that says "You can't say whether Jesus was a liberal or a conservative" but then say "Jesus wasn't liberal." You're such a hypocrite.

And you believe Jesus was god? What kind of fucked-up religion do you belong to? I know there's one extremist crazy right-winged religion that says Jesus was god, which would explain a lot if you belonged to it. Most people say Jesus was the son of god, and not god himself.

[SobaViolence]

QueenAdrock...i love you.

keep up the good fight. (y)

[DroppinScience]

I have never met a Black Jew, except Arnold from Different Strokes.

If you go to Ethiopia, I think you'll find a black Jew. :rolleyes:

[ms.peachy]

If you go to Ethiopia, I think you'll find a black Jew. :rolleyes:
LOL d'ya think?

Not like "Yodit" (i.e., Judith) is a rather popular girl's name there, or anything.

[Tone Capone]

I think everyone here is missing the point...

The point is that no matter what, Jesus hates mormons and he's not on speaking terms with Jehova's Witnesses.
Thank you.

[QueenAdrock]

Haha.

Touche. :cool:

[Documad]

Sammy Davis Jr.
I had the same thought. :)


Part of the problem is that what we "know" about Jesus the man (yeah, I don't believe in the trinity) is from the stories told by his followers after his death. The stories have different authors and were addressed to different audiences, which is why the various stories or books contradict each other so often. He was clearly a big troublemaker by all accounts. :)

[Medellia]

"Not at all. Take the pre-Civil War era; in those days, most conservatives believed that slavery should be allowed. They denied the equal human dignity of black and white. You couldn't be a good Christian and that kind of conservative."

"Today's conservatives don't believe that way, do they?"
Is this kid supposed to be in college? How the hell did he graduate high school? This sounds like a bad political version of Mr. Wizard.
"You don't see any difference between rape and overeating? Or between infanticide and skipping church?"
Wow, is it bad if I DO see a difference between eating a few too many cookies and rape? Or if I think somebody killing their six year old is worse than someone else skipping church?

[Documad]

Jesus Was a Liberal — ?
by J. Budziszewski


* * *


http://www.boundless.org/regulars/office_hours/a0000971.html
"Our goal at Boundless is to help you cast a vibrant vision for the season of singleness. Living with purpose includes bringing your gifts, talents and Christian worldview to bear on your whole life, from the workplace, to culture, relationships and more. We want to help you make the most of this season and the season to come by helping build a strong foundation for the future.

Contrary to pop culture, singleness is not an end in itself. For those called to marriage, it's a stop on the way to family. For those called to celibate service, it's a reality but not a deterrent to community.

Boundless is a resource for intentional living in the in-between time — the time between your family of origin and the family you'll start when you get married. Our goal is to encourage purposeful singleness and once married, intentional family formation (having babies)."

Candice Watters
November 2004

[Medellia]

"Our goal is to encourage purposeful singleness and once married, intentional family formation (having babies)."
But, but what if I want to get married but don't want babies!!! :eek:

I do want babies, I'm just sayin' "what if". :o

[Documad]

But, but what if I want to get married but don't want babies!!! :eek:
That's perfect okay. You don't have sex with your husband.
Problem solved! ;)

[Documad]

The Vixenette
by J. Budziszewski

More people entered the elevator on every floor. By the time it reached the fourth, I could have told you what most of them had eaten for lunch. Mercifully, at the sixth floor all but one of them got off.

I glanced at my fellow survivor. "Sarah?"

She turned her head. "Professor Theophilus! I was just coming to see you."

"What has it been — a year? I thought you'd graduated."

"No, but this is the year I do my practicum. It keeps me pretty busy." The door opened. We got out and turned left down the hall.

"What did you want to see me about?"

"Well, I — oh, thanks," she said, entering my office.

I'd set the timer before going off to teach class, so the coffee was all ready to pour. She accepted a cup and took a chair. "Where were we?"

"You were telling me the reason for your visit."

"Right. It's about that column you write for Groundless Webzine."

"Not Groundless. Nounless."

"Sorry. Anyway, I have an assignment for you."

"You have an assignment for me?" I filled my old chipped mug and sat down.

"Maybe that's not the best way to put it. But I do have a column idea for you, and I hope you accept it. It sure would help me out if you did."

"How would it help you out?"

She asked, "Can I tell you the column idea first? Do you remember that Lunch Lecture you gave once at the Student Union — the one about popular culture?"

"That was two and a half years ago. You have a good memory."

"Has it been that long? Well, you should put some of that stuff in a Ground — in a Nounless column. About how the word 'culture' is related to the word 'cultivation.' About how what we read and sing and hear and watch and talk about and laugh at shapes our souls. When you gave your Lunch Lecture you applied all that to literature, but I've been thinking: You could apply it to rock and hip-hop lyrics."

"It's been done, Sarah. Not a week goes by without some writer moaning about the what's wrong with popular music. There's nothing new to say about the subject. It bores most people stiff."

"But it's so necessary."

"For my audience, I'm not convinced that it is. Nounless is aimed mainly at Christian college students. Don't you think they know those things already?"

"You wouldn't say that if you knew my roommate."

I smiled. "Is this where you tell me how my writing such a column would 'help you out?’ "

"Well, yes. See, my roommate and I have a schedule. Tuesday and Thursday nights are reserved for her friends to come over and hang out, and Monday and Wednesday are reserved for mine."

"Sounds like a good plan."

"It is. But hers get together to listen to music, and you don't know what kind of music they listen to. Horrible stuff."

"Do you mean the language or the musicianship?"

"Some of the language is foul, but the main thing is the creepy themes. Songs about drugs. Songs about jumping off roofs. Songs about having sex with strangers. The refrain of one song goes 'I'm a loser, why don't you kill me?' In another, this girl is mixed up in something wrong, and she asks 'Why does it have to be this way?' But then she says 'kinda I want to,' 'maybe God will cover up his eyes,' and 'we can pretend it's all right.' There's another song with 'kinda want to' in it — I remember now. It goes 'I kinda want to hate you.'"

"Go on."

"And then there's the guy who brings his Enema albums. Those are the worst. On one track Enema talks trash about his sister. On another he says he can't wait for his mother to rot in hell. Then there's the one where he screams that his wife is a whore and makes it sound like he's killing her. From there on it just gets worse."

"Why do you listen to it?"

"At first I didn't have any choice."

"Have you tried talking with her?"

"Oh, sure. She was very understanding. Now they keep the volume down low. If I go into my room and shut the door, I can't even hear the music."

"Then why — "

"It's not me that I'm worried about, Professor T. I'm concerned about what she's doing to herself."

"Of course you are. But what does all this have to do with my column? Sure, I could do one on the subject, but it's not the sort of thing your roommate would be likely to read."

"But she does. She reads your column every month. She thinks you're cool. I didn't tell you — Marcy's a Christian."

"A Christian?"

"Yes."

"Not the Marcy who heads the Speakers Program for
your — "

Sarah nodded her head vigorously, several times. I leaned back in my swivel chair and tried to take the strange thought in. When I found my voice I asked, "Have you challenged her about the junk? Can the two of you talk frankly about things like this?"

"That's what I was telling you. I can talk with her frankly about anything. And she can with me. In fact, we're accountability partners. She tells me when she thinks something is bad for me, and I've already told her why I think this junk is bad for her."

"How did she reply?"

“She said, 'If you don't take the lyrics too seriously, the music is actually quite entertaining. And I don't, so what's the harm?' "

"When she says that, you answer — "

"I answer 'That's just what worries me — the fact that you can take them not-seriously.'"

"What does she say then?"

An odd expression passed over Sarah's face, then disappeared. "Oh, she just changes the subject."

"If you're firm, that's not so easy to do. How does she change the subject?"

"It's really not important."

"Maybe it is. How does she change it?"

"She uses a tu quoque fallacy. That's a fallacy of distraction, like — "

"I remember. I'm the one who taught you about it."

"Oh, right. Do you still teach that course?"

"Sarah, the tu quoque is the 'You Too" fallacy."

"I don't think I've ever told you how much I learned from that course. Even though I was only a freshman, I — "

"The fallacy occurs when one person says 'You shouldn't do that,' and the other dodges the ball by saying 'You do it too.' What are you doing too?"

"I don't do it too."

"What does she say you're doing too?"

"Oh, it's too ridiculous for words."

I smiled. "Try."

"Well — she says that what I do with my friends on Monday and Wednesday nights is just the same as what she does with her friends on Tuesday and Thursday nights."

"What do you do with your friends on Monday and Wednesday nights?"

"We hang out, eat popcorn, and watch TV. Now you probably think TV is a waste of time — "

"What is it that you watch with them?"

Sarah was twirling her hair with a finger. Her eyes roved over my bookshelf. "You know. Reality shows."

"I don't know. What reality shows?"

"Nothing much. Max Megabucks on Monday nights and The Vixenette on Wednesdays."

I swiveled through a quarter-turn of the chair, pursing my lips to hide a grin. "I think I see why your accountability partner isn't taking your concern for her very seriously."

Sarah flushed. "And why shouldn't she?"

"I didn't say she shouldn't. I said I see why she doesn't."

"What's wrong with Max Megabucks and The Vix — The Vixen — " All at once she dissolved into helpless laughter. "I can't say the word," she said breathlessly. "But Prof, it's all so harmless! If you don't take it too seee — too seee-reee — "

"Are you trying to say 'seriously'?"

That only made the fit worse. "I was trying to sa-ay — " she quavered and stopped. Taking a deep breath, she began again. "I'm sorry. I was trying to say that if you don't take it too seriously, it's actually quite — quite entertai-aining." Strange sounds like deep-underground explosions were coming from her.

"Obviously so," I said.

"Well, it is," she gasped.

I tried again. "Where have I heard that line before?"

"What line?"

"About not taking it too seriously?"

She was trying to control herself. "I know that Marcy — Marcy said it — but Professor Theophilus — "

"Yes?"

"How can you even think this is anything like that? Enema and those other 'artists' are depraved and obscene. Max Megabucks and The Vixenette are just moronic and sleazy."

"Weren't you telling me just a few minutes ago that what we watch, talk about and laugh at shapes our souls?"

"Prof, you look so serious! You don't really think I'm going to take these shows as my model for relationships with the opposite sex, do you? Dating 25 men at a time — in front of 18 million people — make-out comparison sessions — gold-digging — all those lies — sure, that's just how I'm going to find my covenant partner! Believe me, I look down on these people. They're so trashy, they're funny." She was smirking, but her breathing was under control again.

"I do believe you."

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Haven't you listened to what you've been telling me?"

"What have I been telling you?"

"First, you've been telling me that the moronic and the sleazy are good fun."

"Well, yes. But only to watch." Her smirk wavered.

"Second, you've been telling me that despising people is wonderfully entertaining."

She hesitated, then nodded. The smirk continued to retreat.

"Finally, you've been telling me that so long as you despise the sleazy morons that you're peeping at, you don't have to feel sleazy or moronic for doing it."

"The way you put it, it sounds sick." She paused. "But it sounded OK the way I described it."

"If you can't decide which description is right, then let me ask a different question. Could you bring Jesus to one of your Monday or Wednesday night soirées?"

She began to speak, but stopped.

"Remember," I added, "this was the man who saved drunkards and made saints out of prostitutes. There will be more repentant sleazy morons than Pharisees in heaven."

Slowly, Sarah said, "No, I couldn't bring Him. If He were in the room, it would all seem different. Sordid. I couldn't even bring myself to suggest one of those programs with Him around."

"Do you want Him around?"

"Yes, but I thought I wanted my Monday and Wednesday night soirées too."

"Why don't you bring Him, but do something different?"

"I suppose I could do that." Her voice was glum.

"Sarah."

"What?"

I smiled. "You're not thinking that the Son of Man is dull, are you?"

She gave a little laugh. "Touché. That was pretty stupid, wasn't it? I guess I'm finished now." As she began to gather up her things, I could see that she was struggling with herself.

At the door, instead of saying good-bye, she turned with a woebegone look and announced, "We've forgotten the most important thing."

"How so?"

"I came here to ask your help with Marcy's problem. You pushed that all aside."

"Well, you called her your accountability partner, didn't you?"

"Uh huh."

"Isn't it about time to do a bit of accountability partnering?"

Her eyes widened. "Do you mean — "

"Sure. Offer her a deal."

"How would I do that?"

"Thank her for her honesty. Tell her you've been a hypocrite, but repented. Ask for her support in giving up your trash. Offer her your support if she gives up hers."

The grin came back, and her shoulders quivered with little explosions of laughter. "That'll get her," she said.

If you have questions you’d like to Ask Theo, send us an email and we'll pass it along to him.

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Â* Copyright © 2003 J. Budziszewski. All rights reserved. International copyright secured.
J. Budziszewski (Boojee-shefski) is the author of How to Stay Christian in College. He also teaches government and philosophy at the University of Texas in Austin. His column appears monthly in Boundless.


The complete text of this article is available at http://www.boundless.org/2002_2003/regulars/office_hours/a0000704.html

[zorra_chiflada]

But, but what if I want to get married but don't want babies!!! :eek:

I do want babies, I'm just sayin' "what if". :o

duh, don't you know that women who can't have babies are obviously evil, and god punished them rightly so, and women that don't have babies are not doing their job.
woman = baby making machine

[Medellia]

duh, don't you know that women who can't have babies are obviously evil, and god punished them rightly so, and women that don't have babies are not doing their job.
woman = baby making machine
Hahahahaha, of course. Silly me. Guess I'd best get back to mah baby makin' duties. *redneck emoticon*

[zorra_chiflada]

Hahahahaha, of course. Silly me. Guess I'd best get back to mah baby makin' duties. *redneck emoticon*

git on yer back girl! *a-hyuck a-hyuck*

[Medellia]

"And then there's the guy who brings his Enema albums. Those are the worst. On one track Enema talks trash about his sister. On another he says he can't wait for his mother to rot in hell. Then there's the one where he screams that his wife is a whore and makes it sound like he's killing her. From there on it just gets worse."
Hahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!! Enema?! Max Megabucks and The Vixenette?! Hahahahahahahah!!!!

[Medellia]

git on yer back girl! *a-hyuck a-hyuck*
*slaps face*
Gaw-lee, I fergot that I ain't married yet! Guess I'd best find myself a man so's I can start birthin them babees!! Hyuck!

[infidel]

Don't put words in peoples mouth. You don't know what you are talking about.
Wow, sicko types!
Thought he only knew how to copy and paste