On the fence....A questions for folks of faith.?

Question

I am a Christian. I am pro Choice. I am anti-death penalty. I am also pro-gay rights, and have a few other traditonally liberal view points. my Family tells me that I am "serving two masters' or walking the fence....I think my personal decisions have nothing to do with the ability to choose. if we make decisions for people, did they really do it for Christ, or did the do it becasue of the laws of the land? Having a completely free society is the best way to show yourself and your true character. If we are forced into Christian views, are they really are own?? Are they not the ideas of the people in charge. Christ was a rebel in the eyes of the Pharasees becasue of his religous independence. At what point do we conform to society's wishes on faith? Is that not conforming to the Christian "world"? I believe the God has given us the abilty to choose right and wrong? should mankind limit that abilty? If sin is in your heart, wont it always be there law or not?
please no haters

Let me say that i am born again and redeemed of my sins. I am a Christian, and will not be thought of otherwise....

I do choose to let God judge others on their actions, I can neither be judge nor jury, but I can love them the same way God loved me....inspite of theri sin. I know God hates sin, but Romans 3:23 says....we all are sinners and come short of his glory. 3 chapters later paul tells the romans that the wages of those sin is death,...we all have earned that death. But God's gift to us is eternal life...who are we to decide who God gives that gift too....should we be like the workers inteh vineyard who were angry with the master because he paid us the same as the ones who came late? we should love everyone as christ loved us!!!

Answer 1

Personally, I view christianity not as the world sees it, but as striving to be as much like Christ as we are able, which isn't much. Personally, I don't see Jesus condoning abortion, just can't get around that one. Gay rights, well that's different. For one thing, putting gays down isn't gonna make them straight, and if they are a couple for a long time they should be able to inherit each others estates without paying a huge penalty for not being related, that's just wrong. I don't march for gay rights, but I wouldn't march against them either, simply because it isn't gonna change them into straights. We have a judge, and its not any of us, its Christ. We're all sinners, so we simply don't have the right to be throwing stones at other sinners. I use to be against the death penalty, but as I've aged, I changed. I see these monsters that molest and kill children, and they should never be allowed to be in the public again. They should pay the price. I realize they can find God and be forgiven, but regardless, that forgiveness is heaven, they still have to pay for their earthly crimes. They know when they kill that child its a death sentence offense, you know the drill, you play - you pay. I can't say what Christ would say about it, so its one of those things you just have to go with your heart on.

I understand your gay rights stand and your death penalty stand, but I'm sorry, condoning the murder of babies I don't see as a very christian viewpoint. He would not approve, and we, as christians should not approve. Sure, these women who can't be bothered remembering to take that birth control pill have a pretty easy way out, but what about the baby? It's a baby who would have a great home with some of those people waiting years to adopt, some of whom never find a child. Is it really moralistic to say its the woman's right to choose is more important than a child's right to life? Is it gonna kill that woman to give birth to that child and let it have a happy life? No, its just inconvenient. I don't see that woman's inconvenience as a reason to kill a child, and I don't view it as a christian belief. So yeah, maybe you are on the fence, a lukewarm christian. If you don't follow him, how can you even call yourself christian? Not my call, but I think it will get to the point when you have to choose His way or the other way. It has nothing to do with "other people in charge", it has to do with your beliefs. You either believe in Him all the way, or not at all.

Answer 2

I do not believe you are walking the fence. Here is the ultimate kicker: Jesus Christ was actually a liberal. He was a revolutionary man of wisdom, who probably wanted to propagate values of compassion, love, etc. Everything he was and all of his real teachings point out that he was most likely a philosopher, a thinker. It is Constantine I of Byantium, who made Christianity an official organized religion and it is the Council of Nicea that made Jesus Christ ( A HUMAN) divine. It is quite sad to see that in making him divine, they have removed his humanity. His fate has befallen all thinkers that are beyond their time: people like Galileo, who was considered during his time as a heretic devil-worshipper for advocating science, or Gandhi, killed by a Sikh who probably believed he was evil. Before the advent of science, people who could not understand ideas that were beyond them, tended to make these ideas divine or diabolical. And thus, the Apostles and all others who clearly are clueless as to what Christ was saying, tend to make him divine. It would sort of be like making an extraordinarily talented individual (like Michael Jordan for example) into a God...Silly Humans!!!!

Oh, and I forgot the best part of it all: what makes any of you believe for one second that the Bible contains God's words??? Any hobo can write 500 pages of gibberish without being "inspired" by God. What really gets me is that people will not stand back and question this. Instead, they will blindly hold the Bible for being the truth... Actually, I have heard that the current Bible is in contradiction with the older "Dead Sea Scrolls". So now, which of the two documents is really God's word????? Most likely neither of them...Then again does God even exist??

Answer 3

And when you make those choices you must live and die by those choices. Christ as you worship gave you a map in which to follow and your free will is to either follow or suffer the consequences of your choice.

Certainly we do not need to nail people to the cross as Christians for their behavior, but remember, God gave us the means to make righteous judgments and discern the truth, He expects us to do so and to do so as quickly as possible. Just remember, you must answer for what you choose.

The reason why Christan put up some sort of moral code is so that society does not spin out of control. It has been since written history the religious codes, be them ancient god(s) of old or spiritual percepts of today, that control the society as we see them in basic forms today. Our laws etc keep the society in check. All be it ever so little it seems now days.

Answer 4

Good for you! I also don't see how being prochoice conflicts with basic Christianity... though dogma and the invidiual "values" held by any denomination (and even churches within denominations) can vary drastically.

An example of this is that once I knew a Southern Baptist church which did not judge the gay couple (and even baptized them). This was dealt with by just not asking about the two longterm roommates' personal lives. I really admired that preacher and the people who attended and I joined the Baptist church for a while. Another church judged unmarried heterosexual couples who lived together-- and constantly reminded them that they were "living in sin". This did nothing, usually, but to cause the couple to either have their less than ideal wedding (caving in under pressure) or stop going to that church. It made me question organized christianity and ultimately detach from any religious affiliation.

Answer 5

I'm Agnostic and I hold similar personal philosophies.

Don't listen to Christian Fundies, you can follow Jesus AND have your viewpoints. There are many such like minded sects of Christianity out there.

I mean as far as I know, you're a Christian as long as you believe in God and Jesus right? Every thing else is semantics.

Besides, it isn't God or Jesus that's saying anything bad about homosexuals (for example)--it's the PEOPLE who color their interpretation of the bible with their own bigotry.

Answer 6

While I understand your point of view, and agree and disagree with some of the political views you mentioned, and I seriously doubt that some of these things can really be solved through legislation. I have a concern about the slippery slope of your logic, I mean, we might as well make murdering, and stealing, and beating children legal because we'd rather them people choose to do so on their own. Can you see that?

BTW- I don't think any political party has full claim on morality, both sides seem to do great, and terrible things.

best wishes.

Answer 7

I am exactly like you and have a difficult time being around hard core Christians. They say the same thing...I'm lukewarm. I stick to my beliefs though. I follow Jesus's teachings, but believe that there is too much intolerance in this world, and not enough compassion. People can believe what they want....I can't change how I feel regardless of what they tell me.

Answer 8

i might supply it up completely. i like my faith (judaism), yet while it became shown to me surely that God would not exist- then why might I waste my time? yet you're top, that's in accordance with faith... no longer lots risk in that. you could have self assurance in a extra physically powerful ability and likewise in evolution and the enormous bang. i do no longer think of God is a few fat guy sitting on a cloud taking photos lightning bolts at people who do incorrect, i think of God is a sort of capability.

Answer 9

One thing about that fence, Satan owns it.

I have a lot of liberal Christian friends who struggle with this sort of thing all the time. You need to ask yourself, “What is it that God says on the matter?” If you hold, as I do, in the infallibility of the Bible as originally written and within its own context, then you have a basis to work from. If God says homosexual acts are wrong, and he does, then you should hold to that as well or you are not following him. God makes it clear in the Bible that abortion is killing another human being. If the Bible is true, then you should hold that position as well.

Now, if you do not believe that the Bible is true, and there are many that do, then what is your faith based on in the first place?

Answer 10

What can I say? Good for you and well said. So why do you consider yourself Christian?

Re: Your Update: This is probably, no it is, the most tolerant statement that I have ever seen from anyone of any religion. (I'm agnostic and we generally have tolerance without a belief in g-d.)