Extreme Christianity Does Not Understand Their Own Bible

***(I will be commenting through out this article. My comments will be in bold italics)***

Published on Sunday, November 28, 2004 by ABC News
Evangelicals to Bush: Payback TimeChristian Conservatives Say They Gave Bush 'Moral Mandate'; Call Him to Act on Their Behalf

Among some conservative Christians, there is a belief that President Bush received a "moral mandate" to win the recent presidential election — and they are calling on him to act on their agenda now. (Many Fundamentalist Christians want to blur the seperation of church and state in this country but they are forgetting the words of Jesus, "And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar[government] the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him.") [Mark 12:17]

"I believe Our Lord elected our president and I believe he put him in office and it is my prayer that he will sustain him in office," said one woman at the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Hmmm. That's is interesting. It sounds to me that many Extremist Christians do not even understand their own scripture. "For their is no respect of persons with God."[Rom. 2:11] God is perfect and loves everything with equal emotion. Therefore I do not think that God would favor one presidential candidate over another. Being perfect and all loving God would have to be impartial to things like politics.)

Another was asked if she believed that God intervened in the election. "Absolutely," she said. (Again, If God intervened in our election we would no longer have our free-will and that is critical to most religious/spiritual beliefs. Not only that but if God intervened in our election to elect the "better" George W. Bush then would God not intervene to disrupt elections in corrupt countries? God doesn't do that because God is impartial. Giving the election to Bush would mean that God engaged in rigging the election. Which among mortals is illegal so I am sure such an event for God would be a sin/temptation and God [being perfect] can not engage in sin or temptation. "When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;")[James 1:13]

"Values" voters delivered for the president, and the president must now deliver for them — especially in the courts, said Gary Cass, head of a grassroots political organization affiliated with Coral Ridge, called the Center for Reclaiming America.

"It's about the next 40 years and how the courts are going to affect the world in which my children and grandchildren are going to be raised in," he said.

Cass wants a U.S. Supreme Court that will outlaw abortion and gay marriage. "Do you want to take your children to a National League baseball game for instance and have homosexuals showing affection to one another? I don't want my kids to see that," he said. (This is down right bigoted since it reminds me of comments circa the civil war about black people among rascist whites).

Risking God's Wrath

By one measure, conservative Christians comprised 12 percent of the electorate this year — the same as four years ago. But they see themselves as a crucial piece of the president's political base.

They believe that if their agenda is not implemented quickly — if their concerns are not addressed in a timely fashion — God will be angry. (How can God honestly be angry when he is perfect and a perfect, impartial deity would not have any anger. "I will speak of the glorious honour of Thy majesty, and ofThy wondrous works. And men shall speak of the might of Thy terrible acts:and I will declare Thy greatness. They shall abundantly utter the memory of Thy great goodness, and shall sing of Thy righteousness. The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The LORD is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works. ") [Psalm 145:5,9]

One leading evangelist recently warned, "God's patience runs out." (How can God be perfect if God has limits to his patience? My patience runs out but I am far from perfect as God is. This from the Bible: "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day [is] with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.") [2 Peter 3:8,9]

Dr. James Kennedy delivers sermons at Coral Ridge which are broadcast to three million homes. He said he knows of no timetable for God's wrath, but wants results fast. (Who wants results fast? God or Dr. Kennedy? I don't see anywhere in the Bible where God said he wants results fast should a Christian political conservative leader come to power in America).

He dismissed the concerns of people who worried about the impact of Christian conservatives on the U.S. government. Repent," he said with a laugh. "Repent. That's what I'd say."(Well, I am sure that Dr. Kennedy needs to "repent" just as much as any "non-Christian" maybe more so! Again, using quoting the Bible: "There is no-one righteous, not even one;"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"[Romans 3:10,23] Also in the Bible, Jesus was tested by his adversaries asking him if an adulterous woman should be stoned according to Mosaic Law. "So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.") [John 8:7]

People who are concerned about the influence of Christianity "have never really surrendered their life to God and submitted themselves to his commandments — and if they did that they wouldn't have so much concern about some court saying again that it's wrong," he said.

Asked about the millions of Americans who are not Christian, or have a different interpretation of Christianity, Kennedy said with another laugh: "I couldn't care less. It's true." (Hmmm. I am pretty sure that Jesus stated the second commandment being basically to love and respect each other. "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment. And the second [is] like, [namely] this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." [Mark 12:30-31.] I am pretty sure that loving your neighbor means loving them regardless of their religious beliefs. Not saying things like, "I couldn't care less.")

"I think that the idea that the worst sin that somebody can commit is to offend somebody is ridiculous," he said. (It is not the worst sin but it is a sin. Jesus did not go around offending people left and right.)

Evangelicals say Kennedy may seem intolerant, but there's no greater love than upholding the will of God. (Once again, Christians are told, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is no other commandment greater then these." So, upholding the will of God and loving/respecting [respect is an important aspect to love] your neighbor as yourself are pretty much fused together in importance to Christians.)

ABC News' Dan Harris contributed to this report.
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