Against conservative ethics

I think there is a really big issue at the heart of this 42: La Shawn Barber’s Corner � Psycho Dad debate on the death penalty.

It is one that has me very concerned.

Why is it that aggressive conservative Christians only ever use scripture for proof texts and then from the Old Testament and Paul, don't they have any gospels? Can't they see themes? What happened to the idea of interpretation of the text in the light of Christ, a fundemental of hermenutics for thousands of years?

So far only Romans 13:3-4 is the only scripture that they have used. When this has been questioned the responses include such rubbish as:

That anyone would waste one breath or second defending a double child murderer is fascinating. Talk about misplaced sympathy. He deserves his rights to a fair trial and if found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt he deserves a quick ticket to the damnation that awaits him.

Now I am cross, conservative Christians claim that they are the ones who take the Bible seriously and then this.

I want to see the Bible taken seriously, so if we are going to have a debate on the ethics then let it start H'mm lets see what Jesus said about violence, punishment and justice.

Come on open your Bibles and use them, or stop pretending to be the people of the book! But whatever you do stop accusing those who value human life of misplaced sympathy.

Comments

[Jay Voorhees]

Absolutely! That is the problem after all, isn't it.

By the way, congrats on your upcoming changes in your ministry. May God continue to work through you in a new and great way.

[Richard Hall]

Spot on, Dave (and thanks for the link). I too get tired of hearing that it is the conservative right who take the Bible seriously while the rest of us "pick and choose". Quite the reverse!

[john wilks]

For what it is worth, there are many of us conservatives who do oppose the death penalty. (And there are Christian liberals who support it.) It is awefully handy to take a theolgical conservative or a theological liberal and assume they go in lock-step with their political conservative and politcal liberal counterparts. This simply isn't so.

I will grant your point that many conservatives are just as prone to proof-texting as liberals, but that is hardly any defense for liberals. Proving both sides are at least occassionaly guilty doesn't do much for either side except prove that both sides have no excuses before God for misuing His word since we can see a proof-text quite clearly.

[DaveW]

John,

I take your points. As I am either both a liberal and a conservative or neither I am quite happy poking both at times. I do think we need to call the bluff of all sides when what they say and do are out of sync.

In this case the problem for me was self labelled conservatives who use the bible in a way incompatible with the values they say christians must have towards the bible. That is not a blanket attack on all conservatives, nor does it imply anything about what others say and do.

I am comfortable with both liberals and conservatives who respect scripture and use it in a way consistant with what they demand of others.

[Met Patterson]

God is a conservative according to the Bible. People of faith, please stop your life for a moment because I just watched the most amazing faith promoting youtube video that I have ever seen. I'm typing through tears in order to write this message to you.
There are no possible words to express this video and its spiritual impact which I have just experienced .
Chills are still racing through my body several hours later.
The only way for a christian to express something like this is to say these words within a spirit of prayer.
OH, MY GOD!!!!!!!
This is the closest thing to witnessing the opening of the red sea or watching 911 happen from one block away. This is more than realism!
When you watch this video be sure to shut off every distraction you might have turning off your cell phones and locking all of your doors so that you can fully comprehend each important detail while watching this video.
You do not want to have to watch this a second or third time to pick up any missing parts by watching this later because of distractions or it may lose its impact value.
My friend advised me that the first part of the video is a little bit slow because you do not realize what all of the clues are leading you up to. There are four short videos in part 1,2,3,4. Maybe about nine minutes or so.
Do not skip any of the four segments or you may forget the clues first given and later forget their applications in videos 2,3,4.
Take my advice....You are about to be blown out of your spiritual mind!!!!! click on "Bible prophecies of 911"..... www.eternaltruth.net

[Dave]

Met,

You are quite right it does blow your mind!

I mean that anyone could take the Bible and use it in this way.

I agree that it is essential to be alone and lock all your doors when watching this - primarily so that nobody finds out, because it would be really embarrassing if people found out that you watched this rubbish.