cyndwllr, although you addressed this to Kodiak, please allow me to respond from an evangelical perspective. Not to try to argue, nor to convince, nor to convert, but to perhaps explain the lens through which I and other evangelical believers believe. I do not want to turn this into a religious thread, by the way.
I think your post about politicians being phony about their faith is a danger if politicians feel that it's to their advantage to appear pious. Only God can judge the heart, although I think Bush was sincere in that he shared his faith at times when he wasn't sure that it was helping him. It is part of him, I think, but I can't help but agree that the next election may be filled with all sorts of "religious" politicians if they feel that it helps their candidacy.
Where you wrote: "Or do you personally buy into the magical thinking idea that every word of the bible is gospel, that God works through Bush and that a leader acting pursuant to such thinking will chart a better path than one listening to experts and exercising informed, realistic and intelligent reasoning?"
As an evangelical, I do subscribe to the Bible as being the inspired word of God and that has profound implications into a person's life and viewpoint. Again, I'd rather not argue or try to convince anyone here on that point and if you disagree with that, it's fine with me. However, it does change perspectives and I'll give you an example.
I can't recall who wrote what but someone on this thread used the term homophobes the other day in relationship to Southerners or Christians or both. The Bible teaches that this is a sin but so is stealing, lying, drunkenness and lots of other things. While all are offensive to God, it was homosexuality that prompted God to obliterate Sodom and Gomorrah. Where they stood is now a crater 300 feet below sea level called the Dead Sea as testimony to that. Someone on this thread posted that what consenting adults did was nobody else's business. Through the lens of an evangelical, Sodom illustrates that this practice can obliterate a whole city if it becomes corrupted with this practice. I believe that's why there were 17 states with anti-Sodomy laws on their books until a year ago when the Supreme Court threw them out. I don't believe it was a coincidence that Mass. legalized gay marriage within two months of that decision, nor a coincidence that there was a backlash at the polls.
From the lens of an evangelical then, I don't believe I am a homophobe. I didn't write the Bible and if it says it's a sin, then it is. Temptation to sin is not a sin and those who feel tempted to have homosexual sex are no different than GW Bush feeling tempted to get drunk. As a former alcoholic, I am no better than a homosexual, a sinner saved by grace. The difference is whether someone is practicing their sin or repentant and stopped. There are loving Christian ministries such as Exodus International who help minister to homosexuals and it's as valid of a ministry as any I know.
As for God working through Bush, if you're interested read Romans 13: 1-3 for a Biblical perspective on the relationship between God and government authorities. If the scripture is true, and I believe it is, then God established GW Bush and he also established Bill Clinton. I can't explain the latter but I accept a number of things on faith.
My apologies to delve into the spiritual here and hope the perspective might help you understand "us". |
