" Pope is being used by Obama to further a liberal agenda"

Just part of one comment…and there are MANY in social media everywhere…made by outraged Right Wingers, Catholic or not.

"What WASN'T political about the Vicar of Christs visit?...Illegal immigration addressed...check. Global Warming...check...refugees...check...anti capitalizm...check..his trip to Cuba...check...No outrage from the left.. that Obama used the pope to further his progressive agenda...no separation of church and state??"

Looks like these so-called Christians know their holy book as well as they "know" the Constitution:

1 John 3:17-18 “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” (NIV)

Deuteronomy 24:19-21 “When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow.”

Of course, conservatives feel all these so-called rules and regulations are a hinderance on their right to tell everyone else how to live his life. 

From a discussion on FOX:"…...But Napolitano disagrees. He says that he respects the authority of the pope as the “vicar of Christ on earth.” Then he says:

“He’s infallible on matter of faith and morals. Thank God it’s just faith and morals, because his economics is a Latin American version of Marxism, which simply is inconsistent with prosperity in the West.”

But, of course, they are entitled to drill for oil everywhere (profits, of course), pollute the water and air (can't waste money on that), privatize national parks and forested areas (got to pay for things, you know?)

Psalm 24:1 (BBE) <A Psalm. Of David.> The earth is the Lord's, with all its wealth; the world and all the people living in it.

After God went to all the trouble of creating this great planet…and the entire universe….do you think He wants it raped and ruined, just so SOME of the people on it can get richer and richer? 

Seems like the Right Wing is content to "use" the pope and the Catholic church if it suits their meme on abortion, women's rights, pushing a conservative view of religion on everyone. But lo and behold, if the main part of his message is anathema to their mindset (and their Revisionist Bible) then the man is a false profit, a liar, a liberal.

James 1:26  If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.

Random Acts of Religious Freedom?

UPDATE: What do You think?

"One such ALEC conference was held in North Carolina. “While nobody can say for sure where the next religious freedom law bill will pop up, it’s probably a safe bet to look at where their most recent national conferences were held and where the next one will be,” says Meyer." http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2015/0330/Who-s-pushing-the-religious-freedom-legislation-in-states 

If you are as fed up, disgusted, and ready to SCREAM about all those poor persecuted conservative (white) Christians as I am…take heart. This country is being run like one big giant school yard and the Bullies with the Bibles (they've never read….) are beating us over the head and getting away with it. Or at least they have a bigger voice. (Have you ever been to a Southern Baptist Revival? I have. Left the SBC when I was in my teens…their hypocrisy was evident even then….)

Grab a cup of coffee, or glass of sweet tea (I live in the south…) are read this. SPREAD IT AROUND, too. 

"Christian fundamentalists in this country are practiced at claiming marginalization and oppression. “They’re always saying they’re kept out of the public square, and that’s baloney,” said Marci Hamilton, a constitutional law expert and the author of “God vs. the Gavel.” “They’re all over the public square."……from a NY Times article by Frank Bruni.

http://tinyurl.com/ntue3or

And besides, are we not supposed to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you?"

I am so glad we live in a democratic nation….with liberty and justice for all. A land where a person's race, color, religion or creed has no bearing on how they are treated. A place where thoughtful discourse is conducted in the pursuit of rightful actions…….

Thanks to Michael Luciano at The Daily Banter:

http://tinyurl.com/n6p4we2

And of course, the police and other officials are going to get to the bottom of the Micheal Brown shooting ( http://tinyurl.com/qbrt8x5  ) any day now. I am sure shooting and killing an unarmed black teenager walking in the middle of the street was obviously called for…..they just have to dig deep enough to "find the facts" and also discredit the friend who saw it all happen. (Good thing this young man obtained a lawyer early in to the investigation….unusual events have been known to happen in such cases…)

Beaverceek, Ohio where we moved from a few years ago, also had a shooing....this time in Walmart. Again there are questions as to why a black man who was holding a BB gun sold in the store was shot by police. Alerted by an ex-Marine in the store with his wife, who followed him around, a rush of people to the exits also caused the death of a woman with a medical condition. Of course, a store video of all this would probably simplify things...http://tinyurl.com/qj4e2ds . Silly me! 

If we could just keep all those brown-skinned, poor little disease ridden immigrant children from our borders….. 

If we could just keep those "other" families in their place, in their own failing schools, taking low wage jobs, blaming them for all our troubles…

If we could just get everyone believing the Bible is the ruling concept of our country, that no religion besides fundamentalism is even worth considering, and that guns are the answer to a peaceful coexistence…

….then this truly would be a caucasian conservative Christian paradise.

"But This Country Was Founded On The Bible..."

We've all heard: 

"This nation, without reasonable doubt, was established on the firm foundation of Scripture. Our forefathers, brilliant as they were, openly acknowledged the true genius behind the new system to be the eternal principles of God's Word. The most fundamental concepts of the republic find their roots in the Bible. From the beginning, the basis for law and government in American society was decidedly biblical. What's more, the new land was forged through the energy of the Judeo-Christian work ethic."

http://patrioticnation.blogspot.com/2007/10/was-usa-built-on-christian-principles.html

Really?? There seems to have been a "lost in translation" moment somewhere during the last 300 or 400 years. This was in evidence last week when the Farm Bill was being debated in Congress by several lawmakers, including Juan Vargas and Doug LaMalfa. Included in the bill, which increased farm subsidies, was a cut to food stamps. The Repubs hate food stamps. Several "Christians" defended the cuts by saying "the Bible encourages people to help each other but doesn't dictate what the federal government should do. We should be doing this as individuals, helping the poor."  (But...the Constitution....)

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2013/05/house_panel_debates_cutting_fo.html

Yep, this is a Christian nation...no Muslims, no Jews, no Pagans, no Buddhists...at least in THEIR minds.  And remember the Bible is your FRIEND...when you want to find a reason for mans basic egotism and selfishness.

In that same Bible that the Conservative Right wants to use to point out THEIR standing, in the eyes of the Lord, you will also find: 

Matthew 25:35-40 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

James 2:14-17 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Romans 15:1 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

Luke 3:10-11 And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.”

Yes, there have to be checks and balances in all programs. No, big oil companies or those such as Apple, Exxon, GE, and Microsoft do NOT need any government subsidies. But the people who actually produce for those companies do, at this time.

Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.) cited Ephesians 2:8-9, which says, "for by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."  This quote, I'm afraid to tell him, has NOTHING to do with caring for the poor. Jesus is talking about being saved by grace, but not by "good works." Your faith will be what saves you...not just pretending that you are doing good things, or keeping account of all the "good " that you think you are doing. Which, by the way, leads me to this verse:

Matthew 7:20 - Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Compassionate Conservative Christian Counseling

 According to the Tennessean, the Tennessee chapter of Christian group Family Action Council drafted a measure designed to “bar schools from disciplining students if they decline to treat clients with “goals, outcomes or behaviors that conflict with a sincerely held religious belief of the student.”
 Basically, the bill gives these counselors the right to deny help to any student they deem unworthy based on religious grounds.

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/03/13/republicans-at-it-again-new-tennessee-bill-allows-religious-counselors-to-reject-lgbt-students/

If this country HAD been founded entirely on Christian Principles, as the Right would have us believe....we, as a nation, are to be ashamed of ourselves. The Republicans, who seem to claim they LOVE the Bible and it's teachings and who leave no stone unturned to make sure EVERYBODY in this country believes only as they do, apparently have skipped over parts of the New Testament.

Matthew 25:31-46

King James Version (KJV)

³⁴ Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
³⁵ For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
³⁶ Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
³⁷ Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
³⁸ When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
³⁹ Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
⁴⁰ And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
⁴¹ Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
⁴² For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
⁴³ I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
⁴⁴ Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
⁴⁵ Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

Where does it mention that cutting social services, eliminating a safety net for those seniors who have worked all their lives, taking food out of the mouths of poor children, denigrating those whose jobs have been taken away but who are looking for ANY kind of work, seeing that only the wealthy have access to affordable health insurance or higher education, gutting our public school system, deciding that contraception is not necessary, making sure that the votes of nonwhite folks are not counted, and humiliating God's people who were born with a different sexual orientation than theirs?

“With or without religion, good people can behave well and bad people can do evil; but for good people to do evil—that takes religion”

Steve Weinberg.

And You Want To Know Why People Are Disgusted With D. C.

These grown men (and women too) do not have enough time to tackle our country's woes....minor things like unemployment, healthcare, poverty, the environment, welfare, the poor and the elderly...but they have time for this crap:

"The Republican National Committee (RNC) sent the Democratic National Committee (DNC) a birthday cake on Friday, but the DNC sent it back.

The cake read "you didn't bake this" over a picture of President Obama. Text written in icing reads, "Happy birthday, Mr. President." The cake marks the occasion of the president's birthday, which is Saturday, with a play on the "you didn't build that" controversy. "

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/242163-rnc-sends-dnc-you-didnt-bake-this-obama-birthday-cake

I have never seen such childish, hateful, mocking, mean, degrading, disrespectful, immature, condescending, patronizing, unchristian, spiteful behavior toward a public figure from GROWN MEN AND WOMEN in my life.

That's OK....he's just a black guy....you can do that. 

I don't know what BIBLE you all read....but mine sure is different.

BIBLE RE-DO: PART TWO

"So I guess they'll have to take out most of the gospels, eh? after all, Jesus fed the multitudes for free, raises lazarus from the dead without a copay, heals the sick and blind again without a copay or a specialist's note, defends a prostitute, etc etc. sounds like a raging socialist to me, i guess all of this will be deleted?"

It seems as if there are others who feel the same way as I do about the Conservative Bible Project. The quote above is from a comment made in a Tennessee newspaper in response to an article about the same subject. Remember people, the south has the reputation for being very bible-based. Whether this is true or not remains to be seen. The teachings of Jesus, and the stories of the old testament may guide us to lead a full, honest, giving, sharing, and selfless life. The world is not all about ME, folks. We are all in this together.

I don't believe a lot of these conservative religious folks like to think of Jesus as a rebel, or even a liberal. But he was. He lived and worked, and recruited from among the everyday common folks. He shared food and lodging; he went against the organized religion of the day; he gave away his belongings to the poor, and he asked that everyone be treated the same. Sounds very democratic to me, too. Can you imagine what the health insurance, oil and energy, and big business lobbyists would do if he was around (in the flesh) today?

THE BIBLE THE RIGHT WAY

Would someone please tell me what in the heck is wrong with people today?? Is Fox Opinion Television putting something in the water? In the air? Is it emanating from the television screen in your living room?

The Conservative Bible Project run by the son of Phyllis Schlafly, a conservative rights activist, wants to change the current version of the bible. (Conservapedia.com/Conservative_Bible_Project) It's too liberal for him and his group. Granted the bible has been updated, condensed, retranslated, added to, and messed with for centuries. Several books have been left out. Some were books written by women: they didn't add to the true message of what Jesus was trying to say, I guess. Well, at least not according to the priests and other male scholars who were parsing together the King James Bible that is used today. Let's see: Jesus associated with women, worked with women, trusted women, helped women, defended women. And as far as we know he couldn't have been gay---the conservatives would have THROWN OUT his words, not printed them in red.

Yep, these people feel the need to make the bible less liberal, more masculine, and generally more to their liking. To me it fits right in with their usual "keep women in the kitchen, barefoot, and pregnant" theories that have worked so well for decades. The conservative party, or whatever, is no place for an intelligent, forward thinking woman today. Unless you like being the token Barbie, forgiving your errant spouse when he "strays, but loves his wife, and begs forgiveness" publicly. And if you happen to have been born gay and are politically minded, forget it.

Well, it probably won't make much difference anyway. They've forgotten about the separation of church and state somehow. And they only quote bible passages when they want to twist them to mean what they say against someone else with a different point of view. So, I guess it already says what they want it to.........