NowTHINK!AboutIt

Democracy Is Christian Even When The State Is Not

May 9, 2009 by EnnisP 2 Comments

If We Don’t Love Our Enemies
At The Government Level
We’ll Never Do It Individually

Over at the Huffington Post Robbie Gennet has made some interesting remarks about the impossibility of a democracy being Christian. In his words,

“There is no such thing as a Christian…Muslim… or Jewish Democracy…(or a solely Heterosexual one, for that matter).”

“True Democracy,” he says,

Means True Equality and no religion sees itself as equal to all the others (and they feel especially unequal to secularism and atheism)…In this country, the vast majority of them (the religious) feel that the USA was founded as a Christian nation and should be run like one, which is anathema to the true Democratic ideals of our founding fathers.

The truth is Mr. Gennet and I agree and disagree. I agree that America is not A Christian nation, and from the start that was never the intent, but I would say emphatically that democracy is Christian.

That doesn’t mean the US is a Christian nation but it does mean that the US is managed by biblical principles and that makes democracy Christian even when the state is not.

A nation is very different to a democracy. In fact, once a state becomes Christian, it ceases to be a democracy and that is what our forefathers understood. [Read more…] about Democracy Is Christian Even When The State Is Not

What Is The Point of Truth

May 7, 2009 by EnnisP 1 Comment

Christians have “Truth” but they often miss the point entirely. It’s like the guy who drives a petrol hogging, smog belching SUV but uses recycled-paper checks to pay the bill. You don’t have to be ecologically minded to see the contradiction. It appeases Green philosophies in one way and abuses them in another. It is like putting water in a bucket that has a large hole in the bottom. What’s the point?

Christians are guilty of this faulty logic also. We love the truth, or at least we give that idea lip service often and very loudly, but the question is, which truth do we love most and better yet, why do you love it? What’s your purpose? What’s the point? [Read more…] about What Is The Point of Truth

Without “Good Deeds” You Are Barren

May 3, 2009 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Of the nine fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23, “Goodness” is sixth on the list and the list is quite impressive. You could say it is the “what’s what” for character qualifies. It includes love, faithfulness and self-control to mention just a few. Despite the association, however, Christians do not discuss in detail or demonstrate often the quality of goodness as Jesus exhibited it. Christians, particularly of the fundamental version, are very concerned about being right but have little interest in being good. [Read more…] about Without “Good Deeds” You Are Barren

The Difference Between “Being” and “Doing” Good

May 2, 2009 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

We Were Created
For Good Works

From the minute we are born we are told what is good, shown how to perform it, commanded to live it, and disciplined if we don’t. Consequently, each of us grows up with a sense of what is good and, more importantly, how we measure up. Usually, our self-assessment is heavily influenced by several factors:

Attitudes Of Authority Figures

If our parents/teachers respond with understanding toward our failures or firm but accepting discipline toward our wayward tendencies, we feel fairly good about ourselves even if we shouldn’t.

Positive responses encourage a “warm fuzzy” that fosters a sense of confidence about how good we are. We feel normal and safe. There’s nothing to worry about.

If authority figures are constantly critical, however, we develop a sense of hopelessness. “Can I ever be good enough?”

We all feed off the responses of others to our behavior and that’s partly how we develop a sense of how good or bad we are. The assessment may be inaccurate. [Read more…] about The Difference Between “Being” and “Doing” Good

How Important Are Relationships In The Home?

April 26, 2009 by EnnisP 1 Comment

Life Is Relational

It is impossible to exist outside of or apart from relationships and close ones involve people we see, talk to and hear daily. We work with and depend on these people. The relationships we have with them can be very good, very bad or somewhere in between. These close connections change us and enable us to influence change in others.

Every person will move through many different relationships during the course of their life and each one will leave its mark but none will be as important as the relationships we have in the family and there are many reasons why this is true. [Read more…] about How Important Are Relationships In The Home?