Comments on: Religion and the 2008 election

By: Mary

Mary — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 21:49:04 +0000

My charge.

By: Eddy

Eddy — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 20:48:37 +0000

…if the icon fits….
No, not really the Catholics though. There’s a leaning towards things iconic throughout the branches of Christendom…through all of humanity, perhaps.
But—we seriously digress from the topic. 🙂

By: Mary

Mary — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 20:40:24 +0000

Hey – just dawned on me – are you picking on the Catholics???? LOL!!

By: Mary

Mary — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 20:39:47 +0000

LOL!!!!!
Not only that they’ll question everything about him. Old story – will we recognize him???

By: Eddy

Eddy — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 19:37:00 +0000

Mary–
I envision Jesus coming in the clouds in all His glory and people looking at the pictures in their wallets or on their walls saying “That’s not Him. He doesn’t look a bit like the picture!”

By: Mary

Mary — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 19:28:06 +0000

I know. We still hold our hand up with palm facing others to say hello to say we are disarmed. Think of the symbolism (hand on the bible, and hand held palm out to others) We are disarmed when we swear upon the bible. In more ways than one. If I had to swear in on something – I would not. Simple.

By: Eddy

Eddy — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 18:29:16 +0000

Mary-
I’m in agreement. I knew ‘superstition’ was an inadequate word and I, too, was going to reference ‘let your yes be yes…’ but there’s this weird part apart from the disobedience where there’s a sense that people feel the ritual adds some power to the oath.

By: Mary

Mary — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 17:46:40 +0000

Ah . Does not the the NT require that we do not swear on the Lord and instead make our yes a yes and our no a no.
It’s not even a superstition as much as it is a command not to do so.
That’s all. My whole life I have wonder about people who do this act. I find it very strange.

By: Eddy

Eddy — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 14:31:27 +0000

Mary–
You tossed my name into your first sentence with a few question marks thrown in behind it…evidently trying to make a point but the only point I could find is that it’s unbiblical. I thought that’s what I was saying when I said the tradition was akin to ‘swearing on your mother’s grave’…that somehow a solemn statement takes on some magical power when it is sealed by some sort of oath sworn on a book or on the final resting place of a dead person. To me, swearing on the Bible isa superstitious rite.

By: Mary

Mary — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 05:13:54 +0000

Swearing upon the bible or the wrod of God – Eddy??? – is unbiblical. I used to wonder about that all the time. And I went to a Catholic school!!
But yeah, Christians have thought of this as a christian country – sort of missing the point or our heritage – religious freedom – anyone?? And they act so surprised that freedom means everyone – even our friends who believe differently than us. The problem with christians trying to “get their way” is that they have insisted that someone took it away. Instead of returning to our document known as the constitution, and using the rules set therein to fight for their right to have their religious freedom they have been trying to use the document to prevent others from such freedoms. Tsk, tsk. Funny how this country is still about freedom.
It’s just that christians used to be the majority and for the most part in the past they were more conservative than today’s thinker and voter. So, everything was fine until they looked around and saw that other people believe differently.
NOw the problem of course, is that secularism and “respect for diversity” have become their own sort of religion or social dogma that has also gone too far. As usual, we need to sort this out as a country and try to include everyone without homogenizing religion, ethnicity, etc…