Are Liberals Beginning to Win the Culture War?

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Just because your bible says something, doesn't make it fact! That book was written by man!

Not to mention, the bible and american law are not the same thing! THERE IS A THING CALLED SEPERATION OF CHURCH AND STATE.

"How do we desern truth or conviction at all except we know what the Bible says is pleasing in the sight of God"

Very Simply, by looking at the world around you. It has no bearing on reality or the law of this country what is pleasing in the eyes of god. Atheists and Muslims and Jews and all religious denominations are equal in this country, YOUR GOD IS NOT THE ONLY GOD THAT PEOPLE HAVE BELIEF IN! How can you be so closeminded? So because you are a Christian, and a lot of you are out there, i should have to live MY life, by YOUR standards. NO. ITS CALLED FREEDOM OF RELIGION. WELCOME TO AMERICA.i cannot believe how close minded and lacking in intellect you Sheep are. Start using your brains, not just believing everything you're told.

THOMAS JEFFERSON WAS AN ATHEIST! GET OVER IT!

Tyler Stinson of CA 11:18AM May 26, 2009

It saddens me when folks stake some osrt of moral glorification to the effect that they "are not those sort of Christians" - the ones who becuase of their refusal to engage in the homosexualization of America are painted as "haters". This type of polarization is equally offensive as those who distort God's word. Why? For the same reason today that Jesus would tell all the PC folks to love the racist. Condemnation is the death by the law. Christians who "reflect" on the distate their homo hating Christians are hating the haters.

Where does it end?

We must love everyone. Not love without embracing the truth though. Homosexuality is perversion. Any sort of perversion must be cast out.

Any comment that seeks to disparage another group - even another group of haters is repulsive too. Jesus loved the convicts and murderers - or the potential that they had to fulfill God's will and plan for their lives.

Rob of GA 5:47PM May 17, 2009

Jake that is the best comment I've ever read

David of MA 5:48PM April 27, 2009

Liberals have been winning the culture war since the end of the Dark Ages, the beginning of the Renaissance, the rise of the Age of Reason, the formation of the United States, the end of American slavery and the passage of the Civil Rights Bill. Not a bad record.

jake of CA 2:05PM April 27, 2009

It may sound odd to hear, but not all Christians are alike. Some Christians seem to believe the best way to be a good Christian is to hate the right people, and unfortunately, most of my extended family falls into this category.

Then there are the liberal Christians, some of whom are somewhat liberal and some of whom are very liberal. I happen to fall into that last group, and my small Midwestern church believes the best way to be a good Christian is to follow Christ's words, to "love our neighbors as ourselves." We care for others, because we're all beloved children of God.

It's not an easy path to take. We're a young church, and our first minister was lesbian, and she and her partner were married nearly ten years ago. There was hatred from conservative Christians coming from within a fifty mile radius of our small town. But we celebrated their love, and the love of all other couples in the church, and we've had the honor and joy of celebrating the marriage of several gay or lesbian couples.

When I hear some Christians claiming that the state recognizing gay marriages devalues their own marriages, I think how ironic it is that these Christians are so unfamiliar with their own Bibles. They should know there is a parable that addresses that very situation. Jesus told of a landowner who needed his fields harvested, so he sent his servant to the town to hire workers, a day's work for an agreed upon wage. At noon, the work still wasn't done, so the landowner again sent his servant to hire workers, half a day's work at a full day's pay. Later, the servant was told to hire more workers, a small amount of work for a full day's pay.

It's a parable that is still subversive, all these years later. We identify with the workers who were there all day, who felt as though their agreed upon wage was no longer enough because people whom they felt were less worthy received the same reward. Some people can't handle the idea that God loves us all.

N Kromphardt of IL 10:20PM April 25, 2009

To those of us who are educated, the turning back of the Bush Administration policies is welcome news. Many opponents of liberal views use the bible as The reference guide for morality & justice. How sad.

The bible is a big book, with interesting stories, but it is certainly not a guide for modern day virtues & living. It is an informative, first century guide for raising livestock & keepiing slaves. With so many authors & conflicting viewpoints, it's amazing so many people follow its teaching in lock-step.

If religious fundamentalists and conservatives believe the bible is "true", why they can't they let their god defend himself for a change? Let him usher in the new paradise they want so badly. Instead, they push their conservative agendas on everyone else in his name.

Hopefully progress can be made in the Obama administration in reverseing all religious based policies for the better of this country.

Peter S. of CA 7:12PM April 25, 2009

DJ (FL) writes, "The only way we know that this type of relationship is wrong is because the Bible say it is an abomniation in the sight of Gods." That sort of claim clearly implies that no matter what the Bible says, no matter how factually uninformed it is, no matter how destructive of human lives and families, no matter how unreasonable it is, it is guaranteed to be "correct." So, for all we could possibly tell, what it says is utterly arbitrary. If what it says in one passage is directly contrary to what it says in another passage on the same subject, that is tough luck--you simply have to have faith and follow one of them and ignore the other one, after you flip a coin, presumably. What utter nonsense!

RH(Md) writes, "Marriage is between a man and a women, not 2 men, not 2 women. The bible makes this very, very clear." I have read in my Bible--both the ones with 66 books as well as the ones with 80 books--about several heroes of Faith who had multiple wives at the same time, in addition to some with serial wives. So, the Bible is very clear that marriage is between one man and one or more women. There are also in the Bible--both sorts--ample stories about heroes of the Faith who had these longtime loving personal committments with members of the same sex. So that is another Bible teachings that you conveniently ignore.

It is difficult to imagine a more bigoted, misinformed, arrogant, unloving remark that the following by RH(Md). "The Holy Bible, the 66 books of the bible, none more, none less, are the inspired, infallible, inerrant, sufficient, authoritative, Word of God. It is all true about everything it says, and every other book including the quran, the apocrypha, and everything else is false and every single religion on the face of the earth except Christianity is a false and damning religion, they lead straight to hell."

For starters, if the books of the Bible are "infallible, inerrant, sufficient" then how come Matthew and Luke both--who quote extensively from Mark's gospel--proceed to change Mark's story about Jesus and what he taught and did? If Mark was infallible, how account for the changes? If Mark was inerrant, how account for the changes? If Mark was sufficient, then how account for the changes.

For further reflection, how do you account for the fact that we do not know what the earliest copies of these inspired books of that Bible said? None of the originals have survived. What copies have survived from decades later all involve innumerable changes to the texts they were copying--as is obvious by comparing the early manuscripts that are available.

Clearly, RH does not know much about this Bible he touts so highly.

Your loving servant!

Asinus Gravis of TX 2:12PM April 25, 2009

Let me make it really clear, for everyone who is confused or in the gray. I write this with love for all who read, but if you are offended, im sorry but it is the truth, whether you like it or not.

Marriage is between a man and a women, not 2 men, not 2 women. The bible makes this very, very clear. Romans 1:27 says this: Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

Jude calls it going after strange flesh in Jude verse 7, and by the way, the loving Jesus said in Matthew 19:4-6, And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Now, lets tackle the other debates.

The Holy Bible, the 66 books of the bible, none more, none less, are the inspired, infallible, inerrant, sufficient, authoritative, Word of God. It is all true about everything it says, and every other book including the quran, the apocrypha, and everything else is false and every single religion on the face of the earth except Christianity is a false and damning religion, they lead straight to hell.

Jesus is the only way, He is the only savior, there is salvation by grace through faith in JESUS CHRIST alone! And at the name of Jesus every knee will bow every tounge will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of everything and everyone. He died for the sins of His people, bearing the wrath of Almighty God against us, all His hatred and fury against His people was poured out on His only begotten Son. (Isaiah 53:10). And He commands everyone to repent of their sins and believe the gospel as the only way to Heaven.

I hope I made it clear enough for you.

Rick Hybel of MD 5:44PM April 24, 2009

Tyler Stimson, responding to your assertions:

1. you are correct. a gay man's sins are no worse than my own. truth be known......mine may be worse.

2. I am not Jesus, but I know him. I will not be judged for my sins, as he already was judged in my place.

3. Read the rest of the "judge not, lest ye be judged" passage you have not written the entire passage and are not taking it in proper context

4. I am not judging gays; that's not my job and I am not qualified to do so.

5. Friend, the bridge is out ahead -- be careful; you may want to consider taking the Detour.

zachamodo of WA 3:41PM April 24, 2009

Well Nancy Tomaso you've just proved what a bigot and homophobe you really are, not only that but ignorant and self absorbed, you must be Catholic. I'm gay and Catholic, I don't want to get married because I think marriage is a joke, look at people like Brittney Spears marrying and divorcing within hours. Newt Gingrich and his three wive, Guiliani and his wives one of them his cousin the sanctity of marriage in this country is a joke but worse in other countries where the husband has the right to rape and beat his wife so don't go getting all high and mighty on the rest of us. We don't want to marry in your precious damned churches, but we do pay taxes and we deserve to have the same rights as any married couple. Many heterosexuals are so sure that because they were lucky enough to be born straight that they're special and superior but as we've seen that's not true. Many people marry and divorce, or marry and have girl friends or boy friends on the side. They marry and then have children some of which beat or abuse their children. So take your holier than thou attitude to Saint Patrick's and stick it where the sun don't shine the same way many priests did to young girls and boys! If you're happily married, good for you, stay that way and leave the rest of us alone. Poor Christians have had the GOP running this country for 8 years, killing thousands in wars, depriving the poor in their own country of decent health care and living wages and all you can kvetch about is gay marriage. Intolerant religious freak(s).

Dave of NY 2:53PM April 24, 2009

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Dan Gilgoff covers religion for U.S. News & World Report. He is the author of The Jesus Machine: How James Dobson, Focus on the Family, and Evangelical America are Winning the Culture War, and is a former politics editor at beliefnet. E-mail Dan at godandcountry@usnews.com.

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