The Golden Rule in the SC Debate

[KeithE]

OK it may have been the negative form of the Golden Rule 'Don't do to others what you don't want to be done unto you' sometimes called the Silver Rule. And Jesus only said the Golden Rule (Matt 7:12, Luke 6:31) not the negative form. But to be booed just shows how far we have strayed from Christian principles in our foreign policy. The boos were a form of cheerleading for bombing. Perhaps the cheers at the end of the exchange (watch the video) when Ron Paul called for bringing the troops home were from the SC Christians.

is very prevalent among the world's religious and non-religious people. And we wonder why the Ugly American mantra.

[Dave Roberts]

The answer is almost too self-evident. The GOP needs to let go of calling themselves "God's Own Party." At least the Democrats have not claimed they are working from a Christian base in wars, torture, and executions.

[ET]

And just how does this "golden rule" foreign policy work? What "Christian principles" were formerly in our foreign policy, but are no longer there?

For any given event in this age of non-Christian foreign policy, what would the formerly "Christian" foreign policy done differently than the current (supposedly) non-Christian or strayed-far-way-from-Christian-principles foreign policy?

Democrat Wilson inserted us into WWI after the Lusitania sinking. Was that the "golden rule" foreign policy? Was the Versailles treaty and the exorbitant reparations demanded of Germany - of which they made the last payment in 2010 - part of a formerly Christian-principled foreign policy?

Democrat Roosevelt inserted us into WWII after not turning the other cheek after Pearl Harbor? Was that a "golden rule" foreign policy? Was the embargo of oil and other stuff against pre-war Japan, who considered such an embargo ("sanctions", by another name) an act of war, a "golden rule" policy?

Democrat Harry Truman commenced an undeclared war in Korea. Anything about the "golden rule" with that one?

Democrat JFK fired up that little adventure in Viet Nam. Any "Christian principles" in that foreign policy?

I realize that such an idea as a "golden rule" foreign policy sounds all Christian, Jesus-like, peace-lovin' and gives us a warm, fuzzy feeling, but for those who live in a world where evil exists and before we buy into such an idea, we should at least require something with a bit more philosophical meat to it than just "Do unto others" and demand some explanation of how such a policy would be applied.

[KeithE]

[Gene Scarborough]

The has never been and there will never be a "perfect politic."

The sad thing about the last 30 or so years is the attempt to paint all Republicans Christian and all Democrats demonic. Anyone with a brain knows it's never that simple.

Another thing now evident is the rich have gotten richer and are not sharing those riches through employment and caring about the American work force.

Romney made a remark yesterday about his level of tax payment that is not denying he has paid about 15% which is a blue collar rate when he is hardly in the income bracket of a fireman!

Does the LOVE of money / CREATIVE ACCOUNTING ring a bell???????

For any church to support a specific candidate from the pulpit is automatic grounds to jerk it's tax exempt status in my view. Last time I checked we had a little something in the Constitution about separation of church and state---EH???

[KeithE]

[Gene Scarborough]

The SBC USED to have a Christian LIfe Commission doing just that!!!

Now Richard Land wears Republican suspenders while making statements to the press =

[Neil Heath]

As Gene has pointed out, the concept of treating others as you would like to be treated isn't an exclusively Christian idea. It's a part of all the major religions, not to mention being a commonly accepted idea by people of no faith as well. It's not about applying Christian principles to foreign policy. It's a comes from a much broader base than that.

Of course, as one of my seminary profs pointed out, if you act like a Christian in a fight (even a church fight) you're probably not going to win. But when Jesus said turn the other cheek, I don't think he ever suggested it would be a winning strategy. He said quite a bit to the contrary. Apparently he was OK with the idea that you could follow him and lose everything in this world. Look what it cost him. Is a servant any better than his master?

[Stephen Fox]

http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/ ... ef=general

[Haruo]

[Gene Scarborough]

Sometimes losing a fight while maintaining your intergrity simply inspires people to look more deeply at an issue and the attitude with which angry and mean people have supported it.

I think, if there is any condemnation of Republicans and a retreat from them, it is over their tendency to just be mean and hateful telling you what they are against.

How would you like to try and be a Presidential leader with such aggrivating people surrounding you? It makes me know why Jesus took a whip to the moneychangers when everything else he preached was being ignored. I think he got their attention on that one!!!

[Stephen Fox]

At least one commenter thought so in the NY Times article on the ovation Monday night in Myrtle Beach

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/18/opini ... ml?_r=1&hp

[ET]

[KeithE]

[Gene Scarborough]

I think you have a strong and accurate point, Keith!

[ET]

[Gene Scarborough]

Are we straying quite a bit from the subject of SC?????

[Stephen Fox]

Google Sarah Posner on the subject at religiondispatches.org. Gets to the heart of the matter

[Gene Scarborough]

Look, sucker, do it yourself and provide the quote or synopsis!!!!!

I ain't your puppet and neither are the rest of us!

[Stephen Fox]

Thornton has warnd you about the ad hominems. If you don't want to read the article and remain ignorant and leave the rest of us to your own pontificating, then fine. I was just providing a service, not another item for you to bully. You don't have to comment on everything

[Gene Scarborough]

Chill, Stephen ---and have a drink of something on me to settle your nerves

[KeithE]

Gene and Stephen, please tone it down.

[KeithE]

[Gene Scarborough]

I think there is pretty clear evidence we have more than meddled in the world's business with skullduggery.

What is most amazing is that EVERY regime recently overthrown in N. Africa was backed by us, yet the populace was kept in poverty while the rulers got more wealth than can be imagined...

If we so believe in democracy, then why do we back despots---and then pick on Sadam Hussain declaring him a persona non grata?

We did it in Cuba early in my life along with Argentina. We are playing in Columbia where drugs traffic.

Is our "righteousness" just a pretense?

I'm sure seeing it brought to the surface with the SC election to be held today!

[ET]