why do some 'so called' christians dislike the Sermon on the Mount?

Question

why do right wing leaning folks, many who claim political party of Republican also have issues about love, respect, meekness and not invading other countries, robbing from them to give to self?

Answer 1

I find in general that some conservative believers, esp. some fundamentalists, pick and choose what parts of the Bible they pay attention to, and they are usually the ones who support their radical conservative agenda. Peace, love, and respect usually don't fit in with the republican political agenda in the US.

Answer 2

As a moderate liberal and democrat, I feel I can answer this fairly. Yes, some are just plain hypocritical, but for the most part people are doing what they feel is best (even if I happen to think it is wildly misguided, stupid and arrogant). It's easy to criticize when you aren't responsible for the lives of millions of your countrymen and women, but when you see something as a threat and you have the power to vanquish it, it's much harder to extend the benefit of the doubt simply because if that threat materializes most people will not blame the perpetrators but the person who let them do what they did. How much crap do we hear daily about how "they" knew 9/11 was going to happen and diod nothing about it? Would you want that on your head?

I know I sound like I don't agree with you. Actually, I do, but you have to be able to see the other side of things. It's not about a hypothetical saviour - it's about your family and your friends and them being killed because you did nothing.

Not that I really think we are safer for having invaded Iraq - quite the contrary - but I think they tried and were doing what they thought was best. Too bad we elected idiots.

Answer 3

Great question - I've countered many Evangelical conservative political arguments with quotes from the Sermon and not reminded them that's where they are from and they universally respond with, "Well, that's a nice pipe dream but it's totally idealistic and unrealistic about the world we live in." If the Sermon came from anyone else we'd hear all about how that latte-sipping, volvo driving, bohemian leftist liberal liberal was destroying our families, eroding our moral fiber, aiding the terrorists. (With a 9-11 reference thrown in for good measure.)

All that said, the Sermon is froma very fundamentalist point of Jesus' ministry, obviously. I mean, in it he says that anyone who violates even the least of the Mosaic laws will be least in Heaven - and yet he makes a big show of violating laws himself by working on the Sabbath, healing the lame, not washing his hands before he eats, and including non-Jews in the original covenant. Clearly Jesus' understanding grew during his ministry. And I think if you follow his path from ecclesiastic fundamentalist to liberal mystic you'll find a story that must be subverted at every turn in order to justify the conservative Evangelical political story.

And that conservative Evangelical story is this:

"There is no difference to worry about between economic classes, in fact rich people are better than poor people because they have been rewarded for hard work. Rather, the real division in society is between the good middle class folks of the heartland who believe in hard work, freedom, and family and the nasty liberal liberals who would erode all values and have gay homosexuals raising our children and teaching them that religion is just the opiate of the masses while robbing diligent Peter to pay lazy Paul, but only as long as they don't have to give up their own time and money. We want common sense values and a respect for traditional morality and limited government because the welfare state is an evil beast that must be starved if we are to thrive."

Recall the RNC 2004 speeches. Cheney saying, "John Edwards needs Two Americas," for example. Meaning that THEY just want to wage simple-minded liberal leftist commie class warfare when the real problem is they don't know a penis from a vagina. I liked it better when they didn't need to speak in code, like when Dan Quayle opposed pregressive taxes as unfair, saying, "Why shold the best people be punished?"

Yep, that pretty much sums conservativism up for me: Life is nasty and brutish and short but you can work hard and play by the rules and stock up masses of unnecessary surplus wealth to protect yourself from the evil evildoers and liberals-at-the-gate and if your neighbor is starving that's not your fault or your concern, and the nanny state is not We the People but an evil empire.

Contrast that with FDR's first inauguration speech where he said that the nation had a choice to continue affirming this point of view and instead decided that we are all in this together and that I am my brothers keeper and that we should help each other and give support to each other. I have seen nothing in all the years since that has vindicated Herbert Hoover.

Answer 4

I think the Sermon on the Mount is the most beautiful promise ever made.

Answer 5

I do not know how anyone could call themselves Christian and not at least aspire to the teachings of the Great Sermon. Good question.

Answer 6

God and Jesus' teachings has NOTHING to do with politics in my humble opinion. God is as here with us as He is with the enemy in the other side of the battle. God is with Democrats and Republicans. God is with every man who seeks Him and He is also with those who ignore Him. God doesn't take a position in favor of this or that person or group of people or a nation. He is just watching our ignorance go around, but God knows that it is part of the learning process, one day we will be able to understand Jesus' teachings.

Peace!

Answer 7

Blessed are the peacemakers...

Politics use religion as a control. Been done throughout history, I'll admit it.

The religion of Jesus these days is not Jesus...