9001x this.Getting rreeeaaaal tired of how we conflate religion and a "side" of politics. (Referring to the title, here)
Well, let's use that as a launching point for a topic of discussion!"We've got opinion differences guys. Kids aren't far right anymore (like true Christians). I mean, look at this picture of 20-somethings with tattoos!"
Getting rreeeaaaal tired of how we conflate religion and a "side" of politics. (Referring to the title, here)
Well, I'm gonna have to do some research before fully addressing this one, but I'm in favor of abortion to a certain extent, mostly because I know of a couple women who would no longer be with us due to ectopic pregnancies. More on that later, though. There's a lot of murky waters, considering some people are even against the pill because it can cause fertilized eggs to spontaneously abort (and if life begins at conception... etc.).Well, let's use that as a launching point for a topic of discussion!"We've got opinion differences guys. Kids aren't far right anymore (like true Christians). I mean, look at this picture of 20-somethings with tattoos!"
Getting rreeeaaaal tired of how we conflate religion and a "side" of politics. (Referring to the title, here)
Since gay marriage has been debated to death around here, let's look at another issue that is brought up in the article - abortion. The "left" has a pretty clear stance on this issue (although the degree varies depending on the person - from allowing it only before three months to up to two years after a child is born) - it should be legalized. So how does a Christian sympathize - or even agree - with this stance while not compromising their gospel principles? Or, if you'd prefer, what biblical justifications can be found to support abortion?
This was the first time I had seen or read anything on that Web site, so thank you for your impressions on it.I'm not gonna touch the not-so-subtle implication by the article that only right-wingers can be Christians, and I'm just gonna say I have serious problems with Charisma Magazine (the source of the article). I generally try to be live-and-let-live with different forms of Christianity, but Charisma is involved with some pretty ugly theology. They're deep in the word-faith movement stuff (most charismatic churches at least flirt with that theology), which in a nutshell is the belief that if you're a good Christian, you'll be blessed (i.e. rich and healthy), whereas if you're poor and/or sick you're probably sinning or something. It's a toxic belief that I've seen damage a lot of people, including myself and my family. They're usually pretty anti-catholic and anti-mormon too (although they've probably lightened up on the anti-mormon stuff since Mitt Romney ran for PUSA). To top it off, a lot of their op-ed stuff is pretty nasty towards anyone who doesn't follow their particular theology or political leanings, and I'm not just talking about atheists and gay people (who they slam on a regular basis) but other Christians who don't toe their theological line.
I heard years ago that charismatic churches tend to create more atheists and agnostics than any other denomination. I don't know how accurate that statement is, but it would not surprise me at all, since it was a big part of what pushed me in that direction.
Anyway, that's my 2 cents.
Aaaaaaaaaaaayup. I remember learning that in developmental courses in undergrad and very few people actually know thisThe Biggest Killer: A Woman’s Own Body
I'll bite, since this isn't quite as hot-button an issue for me as some other controversial stances.I was more interested in trying to learn how, if possible, a Christian could justify a left-wing stance like abortion (I could choose a different topic, if that one is too hot-button). Especially if said Christian can't find any biblical justification for such a stance.
Those were great episodes, weren't they? Of course, Star Trek was never one to step away from examining issues of the day, either. (e.g. first interracial kiss airing during times of racial strife)But let's consider the case of Artificial Intelligence. At what point is a computer program considered "sapient," or self-aware? What level of intelligence should it demonstrate (and how would we measure said intelligence?) before we give it consideration as a lifeform? These topics were ones that Star Trek: The Next Generation grappled with. Sometimes very well (Measure of a Man), sometimes not as much (The Quality of Life).
It is odd that there seems to be such a division in the nation, isn't it? Everyone is more willing to dig in their heels and adhere to what they think they know, rather than try to take time to understand each other. For example, I read that article that Bruce Campbell posted earlier in this thread, and while I disagree with many of her points, I can at least see where she is coming from.Plus, and I'm not sure if this is universal or just a trend among people I know, we have this annoying tendency of saying "Well, I believe such-and-such!" or "I don't believe in such-and-such!" and when we disagree with someone, it isn't just an idea that we disagree with--it's an attack on beliefs. Everything has to be so dang black and white so we can determine what to denounce or call ungodly. Like, we can't just say "I think that God used evolution in some way in the Creation process." It's "I believe in theistic evolution" and then when someone says "Well, I believe in Creationism," and it's not a discussion of two ideas anymore so much as it is a battle between two beliefs AND I HATE IT ALL SO MUCH. GAH.
That's what I'm wondering, too. Are there Christians who support "abortion on demand" and are still able to justify it on a Blblical or spiritual level? If so, how?I'm sure there are others who are both fanatically Christian and fanatically pro-choice, but I don't really have any insights into how they reconcile it.
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