Social Justice

[+Faith+]

I once fashioned myself a Christian conservative, believed in many of the teachings of the church.

And then, I realized that the things that the evangelicals teach these days have little to do with the words of Jesus Christ.  The two main issues the evangelicals are to be against abortion and to be against homosexuals. We can find each of these things personally loathsome, but did Christ speak of them?

No, he did not.  The anti-homosexual verses come from the Old Testament, Ecclesiastes, as I recall.  If I remember correctly, the Bible does not even mention abortion at all.

These are the words of man, not God.  Jesus would never preach ostracizing whole groups of people, he was about inclusion, if anything else.  And even if abortion would have been considered a sin, Christ's message is that we are to forgive the sinner.

So, we have established that many of the people who call themselves Christians who make these issues so important to them, really aren't following the words of Christ at all. 

[+Faith+]

So what did Christ acually preach?

Forgivness,

Tolerance,

Loving thy enemies,

Charity,

Goodness,

Helping the poor.

We should all honor these things.  If we did, I have no doubt it would be a better world.

[+Faith+]

The true message of Jesus Christ is love, to forgive those who have hurt us, learn to tolerate those who we can't abide, and always to come to others with charity in our hearts, especially when it comes to those less fortunate.

The true message of Jesus Christ is not to be hard on those who's personal choices may differ with our own, but to help the poor.

Anything else is a cruel perversion of his words.

May God help the homeless, may he lift up the hearts of all of those who have no hope.  May God inspire all who live to be better than ourselves, and may each of us always remember the old addage, "there but for the grace of God, go I."

God Bless,

+Faith+

[Andrew Waters]

 Hello +Faith+ and how are you this evening.

[Jason]

Today's evangeloicals are totally clueless.  I sort of understand the whole anti-women's rights thing. The Bible is really big on relegating women to the role of second class status.

I don't get the whole gay bashing business other than some of them find their sex so offensive that they have to take it out on someone.

[+Faith+]

I am fine, Andrew, and how are you?

+Faith+

[rockessence]

Fifty seven cents...

A little girl stood near a small church from which she had been turned
away because it was "too crowded."
 
"I can't go to Sunday School," she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by.
   
Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor guessed the reason
and, taking her by the hand, took her inside and found a place for her
in the Sunday school class. The child was so happy that they found room
for her, and she went to bed that night thinking of the children who
have no place to worship Jesus
   
Some two years later, this child lay dead in one of the poor tenement
buildings. Her parents called for the kindhearted pastor who had
befriended their daughter to handle the final arrangements.
   
As her poor little body was being moved, a worn and crumpled red purse
was found which seemed to have been rummaged from some trash dump.
   
Inside was found 57 cents and a note, scribbled in childish handwriting,
which read: "This is to help build the little church bigger so more
children can go to Sunday School."
   
For two years she had saved for this offering of love
   
When the pastor tearfully read that note, he knew instantly what he
would do. Carrying this note and the cracked, red pocketbook to the
pulpit, he told the story of her unselfish love and devotion
   
He challenged his deacons to get busy and raise enough money for the
larger building.
   
But the story does not end there...
   
A newspaper learned of the story and published It. It was read by a
wealthy realtor who offered them a parcel of land worth many thousands.
   
When told that the church could not pay so much, he offered to sell it
to the little church for 57 cents.
 
Church members made large donations Checks came from far and wide.
Within five years the little girl's gift had increased to $250,000.00--a
huge sum for that time (near the turn of the century). Her unselfish
love had paid large dividends.
   
When you are in the city of Philadelphia , look up Temple Baptist Church
, with a seating capacity of 3,300. And be sure to visit Temple
University , where thousands of students are educated.
   
Have a look, too, at the Good Samaritan Hospital and at a Sunday School
building which houses hundreds of beautiful children, built so that no
child in the area will ever need to be left outside during Sunday school
time.
   
In one of the rooms of this building may be seen the picture of the
sweet face of the little girl whose 57 cents, so sacrificially saved,
made such remarkable history. Alongside of it is a portrait of her kind
pastor, Dr. Russell H. Conwell, author of the book, "Acres of Diamonds".
   
This is a true story showing WHAT GOD CAN DO WITH 57 CENTS.

[Majeston]

So that's how it began Rocky,  Very nice.

I think Bill Cosby (among many others) graduated from Temple University.


.

[Bianca]

Oh, Rocky, Just beautiful, Just beautiful........


Thank you.