politics and religion.
This is something I wrote on a "Christian" messageboard I frequent at times. I know some of you have "political discussions" with religious folks. Well, there's probably some info in here they might find useful if they actually thought about it:
Like I said earlier, there were no democracies in the Bible, so all we can look at is the reason why God destroyed nations as to what he expected from them. As we live in a democracy, the role of government reflects somewhat the views of the people who live here. There are different methods of taking care of the poor, but if it is something that society as a whole feels is important, then it is something that will be reflected in some way in the government of a democracy. It need not look like the New Deal or "welfare."
In the Law there are several "welfare" programs that the Israelites were to undertake. They were to leave portions of their fields unharvested for the poor to take from. They were to forgive all debts after seven years. They could not keep anyone in slavery for more than six years unless the slave wanted to remain a slave. God certainly put things in place so that under his system (if it were adhered to) it wasn't going to be "the rich get richer while the poor get poorer."
Of course there were many other Laws in the OT, but we aren't in a theocracy so I don't necessarily think we should be writing our congressmen to outlaw shellfish and cheeseburgers. So what is important? Well, if we look at what God doesn't put up with, i.e.- what the prophecy in the old testament say about nations he destroys, they were a) brutal and unprovoked attacks on neighboring countries, b) not taking care of the poor, c) idolatry*, and d) being overly proud.
The astericks on idolatry is because this was generally reserved for the theocratic nations of Israel and Judah. Everywhere else (that I know of) when a nontheocratic nation is being prophecied against it is for one of these other reasons. If anyone knows of any scriptures that give a different reason for a nation being overthrown, I'd be happy to look at them.
Now I don't think our country is as bad off as somewhere like Saudi Arabia where there is extreme wealth and extreme poverty. But I don't think it is going in the right direction. And I say this not because of politics but because I don't want to face the Almighty's Big Ol' Can of Whupass. And I'm afraid he's shaking that can, and it don't got nothing to do with Teletubbies.
Like I said earlier, there were no democracies in the Bible, so all we can look at is the reason why God destroyed nations as to what he expected from them. As we live in a democracy, the role of government reflects somewhat the views of the people who live here. There are different methods of taking care of the poor, but if it is something that society as a whole feels is important, then it is something that will be reflected in some way in the government of a democracy. It need not look like the New Deal or "welfare."
In the Law there are several "welfare" programs that the Israelites were to undertake. They were to leave portions of their fields unharvested for the poor to take from. They were to forgive all debts after seven years. They could not keep anyone in slavery for more than six years unless the slave wanted to remain a slave. God certainly put things in place so that under his system (if it were adhered to) it wasn't going to be "the rich get richer while the poor get poorer."
Of course there were many other Laws in the OT, but we aren't in a theocracy so I don't necessarily think we should be writing our congressmen to outlaw shellfish and cheeseburgers. So what is important? Well, if we look at what God doesn't put up with, i.e.- what the prophecy in the old testament say about nations he destroys, they were a) brutal and unprovoked attacks on neighboring countries, b) not taking care of the poor, c) idolatry*, and d) being overly proud.
The astericks on idolatry is because this was generally reserved for the theocratic nations of Israel and Judah. Everywhere else (that I know of) when a nontheocratic nation is being prophecied against it is for one of these other reasons. If anyone knows of any scriptures that give a different reason for a nation being overthrown, I'd be happy to look at them.
Now I don't think our country is as bad off as somewhere like Saudi Arabia where there is extreme wealth and extreme poverty. But I don't think it is going in the right direction. And I say this not because of politics but because I don't want to face the Almighty's Big Ol' Can of Whupass. And I'm afraid he's shaking that can, and it don't got nothing to do with Teletubbies.