I am an ecumenical Christian that believes that one of the most important things that God requires of me is the use of discernment. In that I mean, I am required to pay attention, use critical thinking to see things as they are, not as someone tells me to believe they are. The Bible tells me to “recognize them by their fruits” and when those fruits are evil the person behind them is evil too.
I do not blindly accept what George W. Bush or Cheney say to me or anyone else for that matter. I do not blindly accept what Bill O’Reilly, or Sean Hannity or a plethora of other talking heads say to me via their media outlets. I listen, I weigh, I research deeper and decide on facts.
In Corinthians 2:14-16: “”The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment: “For who has known the mind if the Lord that he may instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.””
In Philippians 1: 9-11: “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ –” to the glory and praise of God.”
The Bible is full of warnings to Christians to use discernment in all matters, and that means using their own hearts, minds, eyes, and thinking for themselves, not blindly following what their minister or others say for all of them can still be wrong. In fact, one can do the right thing and still be wrong, so caution and prudence are wise things. One can even be “too bluntly truthful” and sin.
I see many Christians that blindly follow what their pastor tells them to do, even when that pastor might be dead wrong or the counsel seriously tainted maybe even to the point of being “advice of commission of sin”. I think and as a Christian believe that such blind obedience is dangerous and sinful.
Hitler professed his Christianity to justify his actions, so need I say more that not all that use the claim are worthy of using it? I did not support or vote for Bush Cheney because I clearly see them as fascists and arrogance of power wrapped up in a false Christianity. I see glee in death and destruction as they and their friends plunder this world for billions and trillions in present and future monies.
I am also a Conservative Republican that did not back Bush Cheney 2004 and still do not back them for good cause. I am not a fascist and I clearly see Bush Cheney as fascists that will tell you any lie to get you to buy off on their agenda. I see lies veiling unmitigated greed on a scale that is colossal and unprecedented in United States history.
The God I believe in tells me to not follow liars. The God I believe in tells me to not hold up high our Americanized greed, avarice, corruption, and to always seek the truth. Lest you have not noticed, Bush –” Cheney have a serious aversion to the truth and that tells me that they have a reason to fear the truth. Lest you have not noticed, greed is the hallmark of the Bush Cheney Administration, greed in its purest and rawest, most evil form.
I have been watching a trend for many years where the Republicans have been wooing the Far Right Christians first with promises of “moral values” and then with an avalanche of federal funding in the form of “faith-based initiatives”. It is when certain religious leaders accept funding from “their wealthy government masters” and then turn around and advise Christians that those same masters are the only ones deserving of their vote that we might have some of Dante’s Seven Deadly Sins at play within our churches.
The Bible warns that the root of all evil is money and when Christian pastors get more money from the government than they get from their flock, I begin to question the integrity of their preaching, their vote, and their advice to their congregation. I see many instances where Christian discernment is subordinated to the minister accepting considerable sums of money from the government. The thought of “bribe” comes to mind, and 30 pieces of silver to sell out to the god of money.
If you ask most Christians “does George Bush stand against gay marriages” they will answer yes, of course he does; Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and even George Bush and their minister told them so. Well, don’t believe what people say; believe what they do. George Bush has in fact endorsed gay unions at the state level while pretending to contest it at the federal level. Note that he [Bush] withheld that information until October 27, 2004, so short before the November 2 election that many had already voted in early voting or did not hear about this article.
Fact, the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights does not grant to the United States government any say whatsoever as to marriages and family unions. That is a state’s rights issue and an issue at the state level alone. In fact, it is a church and religious issue period and the state has no say so in that per the Bill of Rights. Read them and pay attention –” the Bill of Rights are mostly what the government cannot do, not what they can do.
If you ask most Christians “is George Bush a moral, upright Christian?” they will answer yes, of course he is; Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and even George Bush and their minister told them so. Well, don’t believe what people say; believe what they do. George Bush has been involved in a bisexual threesome with a woman that lives in Las Vegas and his long time friend from Yale –” former Mayor of Knoxville, Victor Ashe, now the Bush appointee as Ambassador to Poland. She would know –” she was the female hired for that event as the female part of a male-male-female threesome.
Sadly, most Christians that voted for Bush failed to catch the news that Bush’s own United Methodist Church Council of Bishops condemned Bush Cheney recently. I am not sure where many Christians keep their heads these days other than they are not keeping their heads “in the game” and they do not have a clue what is really going on around them and in this nation and across this world.
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“United Methodist Council of Bishops
A Letter of Complaint Against George W. Bush and Dick Cheney
We, the undersigned, do hold that George W. Bush, a member of Highland Park United Methodist Church* (UMC) in Dallas, Texas, and Dick Cheney (local membership unknown) are undeniably guilty of at least four chargeable offenses for lay members as listed in 2702.3 of the 2000 Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church. These offenses are: crime, immorality, disobedience to the Order and Discipline of The UMC, and dissemination of doctrine contrary to the established standards of doctrine of The UMC. For these offenses, we the undersigned call for an immediate and public act of repentance by the respondents. If the respondents do not reply with sincere and public repentance for their crimes, we demand that their membership in the United Methodist Church be revoked until such time that they sincerely and publicly repent.
Chargeable Offenses
Crime
George W. Bush, in his role as President of the United States of America and Commander in Chief, and Dick Cheney in his role as Vice-President, led the United States into an illegal war against the sovereign nation of Iraq.
The full letter of detailed charges against Bush & Cheney is linked here:
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Gosh, and they didn’t know the half of it.
There is a new book coming out regarding “the real George W. Bush” and many Christians are going to have to come to grips with some realities of believing in the wrong directions and following a person that has few moral values, if any. Her name is Leola McConnell and the book is titled “Lustful Utterances .” People still listen to William Bennett as if he were some lily-white icon and he was recently exposed by this woman for what he really is. People still voted for “Mr. David “Pro-Family, anti-Gay Marriage” Dreier” in the California races, but he has been exposed too as a bisexual that this particular woman has made special arrangements with certain “body builders” to have trysts with Mr. Dreier.
Lest you have not noticed, Victor Ashe was appointed to Fannie Mae by Bush and that entity is now under SEC investigation for activities that occurred during the time Victor Ashe was at Fannie Mae. Of course, he was a short-termer but he got plenty of stock to make a killing. In fact, 9-11 Commission member Jamie Gorelick was also at Fannie Mae as a Board Member during the period in question as to wrongdoing. What a clever way to get her “compliance” on the 9-11 Whitewash Commission.
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Fannie Mae 2003 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting
Salt Lake City, Utah
May 20, 2003
Here with me today on the dais are several members of Fannie Mae’s senior leadership teams and let me introduce them to you.I’d like to pause for a second to thank Jamie Gorelick for her remarkable six years of service to Fannie Mae — to the company, our shareholders and to our mission of expanding affordable housing. We’re going to miss Jamie as she turns her energies to her service on the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, but we thank her for that service and we know that she will carry the same energy and enthusiasm and competence to that public endeavor as she has to the company.
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Maybe if Christians would take the time to understand the correlation between “drug smuggling, drug trafficking, and US government backed mortgages and money laundering using such government bonds” they would not vote so blindly next time. If they would wake up to the sheer sleaze that is our government and the greedy hogs that are plundering us all, maybe next time they would focus on issues that could put all of us either into the poor house, or dead, or a subjugated conquered nation.
If you ask most Conservative or Christian Americans if George W. Bush is “pro-military”, they will answer yes, of course he is; Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and even George Bush and their minister told them so. Everyone that has read the book I wrote, One-Way Ticket to Crawford, Texas , has come away with a very clear understanding that George W. Bush is just about the worst president in the history of the United States when it comes to our military and proper use of same.
I know Christians well enough to know that many of them wait for their pastors to guide and advise them on how they should vote. What are the “Christian issues” in a given election that they should pay attention to and their vote be directed in that way as “the Christian thing to do?”
When the blind leads the blind, or the naïve leads the naïve, or the corrupt is advising the naïve, it is very easy to wind up headed in the wrong direction. That is one thing that being a Christian has taught me –” the ability to discern between right and wrong on all matters. Not just a few “hot button emotional” matters like gay marriage and abortion, both of which are moral issues, not political issues, and neither of which affect my life, financial wellbeing, or the real issues that are required to live a full and happy life. I will debate that with any pastor and not a one has accepted my challenge.
That “lock-step voting” on affinity issues is not using discernment as required to be a solid Christian, armed with the facts and ones eyes wide open to the realities of this world. There are thousands of problems facing this nation, two of which are the over-politicized moral issues of abortion and gay marriage. Those two issues are miniscule compared to the harsh realities coming at all of us.
What are gay marriages or gay unions? Is that a moral choice or is it more appropriately a political matter?” Quite frankly, it is a moral choice and even our Founding Fathers knew that “legislating morality” was a pointless matter for our government to attempt to undertake.
Here is a thought for you readers and especially, Christian readers. They “divide and conquer” us all by creating such divisiveness. Think on that and learn to tell the difference between emotional hot buttons and those matters that are threatening the lives of us all, this nation, our futures as a free people. Learn to discern what is not beneficial to your health, freedoms, prosperity, etc and draw the lines and vote on those issues.
If one has ever been to the Jefferson Memorial, there is an inscription on one of the interior panels that every American should be required to read and memorize when trying to grasp the difference in what is a moral matter and what is a political matter. The separation of church and state is there for a very good reason folks.
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THOMAS JEFFERSON MEMORIALSTATUE CHAMBER INSCRIPTIONS
“Almighty God hath created the mind free…All attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burthens…are a departure from the plan of the Holy Author of our religion…No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship or ministry or shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but all men shall be free to profess and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion. I know but one code of morality for men whether acting singly or collectively.”
Taken from A Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom, 1777. The last sentence is taken from a letter to James Madison, August 28, 1789.
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He was, of course, referring to the Bible and Thomas Jefferson knew that the Founding Fathers were not wiser than God and attempting to legislate morality is pointless.
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Are Your Tax Dollars Funding Pat Robertson?
Taking a closer look at Operation Blessing International
“Lynn cited televangelist, Pat Robertson’s comments on the 700 Club that an angry God had allowed the 9/11 terrorist attacks to succeed in retribution against a corrupt American society.What surprised many commentators at the time was that much of the criticism of the Bush initiative was coming from the religious right itself, including Pat Robertson. Early this year, Robertson denounced the Bush proposal, warning that the program is a "Pandora’s Box" that could make legitimate religious charities dependent on government and that the government would end up financing "cults that brainwash" prospective adherents. He went on to tell his 700 Club television audience that the groups getting such funding "will begin to be nurtured, if I can use that term, on federal money, and then they can’t get off of it." He added, "It’ll be like a narcotic; they can’t then free themselves later on."All the more surprising then, that among the very first organizations to be funded by the Bush administration’s new program is Operation Blessing International, a Virginia Beach charity created by Robertson. This group is to receive $500,000 in the first wave of grants to be distributed under the faith-based initiative. The award to Operation Blessing is one of 25 announced on October 3rd by Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson. Aside from the irony involved in Robertson’s own organization applying for and then accepting such "addictive" government funding, one needs to take a closer look at the finances of Operation Blessing International.”
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Now, imagine what you just read. Pat Robertson comes out condemning Bush and the 9-11 attacks as being “on a sinful nation” and then turns around, applies for the federal money he defines as “addictive”, accepts it, and then advises Christians to go out and vote for Bush on the abortion and gay marriage issues. I wonder if it has occurred to Pat to condemn the rampant corruption, greed, killing, empire building, deceit, fiscal irresponsibility, Corporatization of our government and fascism that has taken hold of our government and our nation?
As far as I am concerned, Pat Robertson’s counsel was bought and paid for, subject to impeachment on that issue alone, and I did not listen to him at all. I was paying attention to matters that are undermining this nation from within and without and none of them have anything whatsoever to do with abortion or gay marriage. They have to do with evil, corruption, greed, and fascism, and this nation acting in a manner that is most Un-Godly all the way up to George W. Bush.
I know many “discerning ecumenical Christians” that did not vote for Bush –” Cheney 2004 for three reasons and those reasons alone were enough to not listen to “lock-step Religious Right Fascism”. First, the entire world knows that Bush –” Cheney lied to us all, but for some reasons the Christians “just don’t get it.’ Lying is not a Christian virtue –” it is a warning sign. Secondly, it is glaringly apparent that greed, corruption, shameless empire building and killing others to get control of the oil are going on. For some reason, the Christians “just don’t get it.” Greed and killing others in the name of that greed are not Christian virtues, whether a war hawk or anti-war person. Third, Bush did in fact endorse gay unions at the state level on October 27, 2004, close enough to the elections that most Christians missed the news on that flip-flop. Most Christians I know were paying attention and did not vote for the real “flip-flopper” vote-pandering liar.
Would Jesus lie to the world to justify an attack on another nation, the killing of now over 100,000 Iraqis? No, certainly not, but that is what George W. Bush did and then lied to get the Christian vote. In fact, when all of the federal grants to faith based initiatives are known, bribed the Christian Right vote is not stretching it at all.
Would Jesus lie to the world to justify an attack on Afghanistan to take over the Taliban / Bridas Corporation pipeline and hold that deed, that greed, that killing up high as if some “honorable act?” No, certainly not, but that is what George W. Bush did and then lied to get the Christian vote.
Just to make sure he got the Christian vote, the federal money flowed to the same ministers that then voiced loudly to Christians all across America –” vote for George W. Bush. Maybe they just do not know anything about business, how government works, how businesses work, what evil and greed looks like. While wrapping up this story, I came across an article about Fraud in the name of God and one person was claiming that the total overhead of Pat Robertson’s Operation Blessing International was only 1.4% of the money that came in, so 98.6% of it was going to help the needy. However, upon closer inspection it was over 30% and that organization feeds the money to other faith based programs that have their own overhead and cost of doing business.
When they wake up and understand that they just advised their Christian flocks to endorse murder, to endorse lying, greed, avarice, a “flip-flopper” that does in fact support gay unions “at the state level”, the empowerment of evil in our government and even up to endorsing the Fourth Reich Fascism that is George W. Bush, maybe they will understand their sin and back up from the abyss next time they have a decision to make that requires discernment.
Maybe they will use their own heads instead of letting others fill it up with falsehoods, intentionally misleading hype, fears that are nothing but fear mongering, and think for a change. God gave us all a brain; it amazes me how few have yet to learn how to use it.
Please sign the petition and the Justicefor9-11.org petition if you too demand the truth and justice regarding September 11, 2001. There is much truth to be found and we have a National Capitol that is full of people that have an aversion to the truth. It is time that we as American Citizens get to the bottom of what they fear so much and why they fear the truth.
