How is it that so many Christians are conservative when it’s the exact opposite of everything Jesus taught?
Sorry if this has been asked many times before.
Jesus would in no way stand for people becoming wealthy while others had no home, no food, no healthcare.
Abortion isn’t mentioned in the bible other than to give instruction on how to perform one.
Basically nothing that Jesus was into squares with conservative beliefs.
What gives?
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Re: Jesus wouldn't be conservative
by jimwalton » Mon Nov 07, 2022 12:35 am
> Jesus would in no way stand for people becoming wealthy while others had no home, no food, no healthcare.
Jesus was not against wealth. He had followers who were wealthy, and there was no rebuke of them. The only individual he told to sell everything was the rich young ruler, but there was no implication that everyone must divest themselves of their wealth.
The Bible asks three main questions about money:
1. How did you get it? (legally and justly or exploitatively?)
2. What are you doing with it? (indulging in luxuries or helping the needy?)
3. What is it doing to you?
It has no objection to wealth, only instead to abuse of others and greed in oneself.
Jesus said there will always be poor people (Matt. 26.11). That's not to justify poverty; it was instead to say that poverty is ultimately an intractable human condition and a problem that will never be eradicated. It's not that we shouldn't try, but we all have to accept the fact that there will always be some without home, food, or healthcare (an unknown thing in the ancient world, by the way, so I'm reticent to anachronistically put words and government policies into Jesus's mouth).
> Abortion isn’t mentioned in the bible other than to give instruction on how to perform one.
Abortion isn't mentioned in the Bible, but the implications are clearly in the direction of the value of human life and even pre-born life. We can have this conversation if you want. And, just so you know, the Bible never anywhere gives instructions on how to perform one.
> Basically nothing that Jesus was into squares with conservative beliefs.
Actually this is not true. If you go by Wikipedia's definition (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservatism), we can see some things of which Jesus would readily approve:
Jesus is pretty difficult to pigeon-hole into one of our stereotype boxes with one of our cultural labels.
Jesus was not against wealth. He had followers who were wealthy, and there was no rebuke of them. The only individual he told to sell everything was the rich young ruler, but there was no implication that everyone must divest themselves of their wealth.
The Bible asks three main questions about money:
1. How did you get it? (legally and justly or exploitatively?)
2. What are you doing with it? (indulging in luxuries or helping the needy?)
3. What is it doing to you?
It has no objection to wealth, only instead to abuse of others and greed in oneself.
Jesus said there will always be poor people (Matt. 26.11). That's not to justify poverty; it was instead to say that poverty is ultimately an intractable human condition and a problem that will never be eradicated. It's not that we shouldn't try, but we all have to accept the fact that there will always be some without home, food, or healthcare (an unknown thing in the ancient world, by the way, so I'm reticent to anachronistically put words and government policies into Jesus's mouth).
> Abortion isn’t mentioned in the bible other than to give instruction on how to perform one.
Abortion isn't mentioned in the Bible, but the implications are clearly in the direction of the value of human life and even pre-born life. We can have this conversation if you want. And, just so you know, the Bible never anywhere gives instructions on how to perform one.
> Basically nothing that Jesus was into squares with conservative beliefs.
Actually this is not true. If you go by Wikipedia's definition (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservatism), we can see some things of which Jesus would readily approve:
- Traditional values
- Hierarchy and authority
- Property rights
- Freedom of religious expression
- The rights and authority of government
- A free society based on the inherent God-given value in persons
- Traditional view of marriage
- Morality centered on the character of God
- Non-racist
Jesus is pretty difficult to pigeon-hole into one of our stereotype boxes with one of our cultural labels.
Last bumped by Anonymous on Mon Nov 07, 2022 12:35 am.
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