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Posted: 13-10-2013 17:11 Post subject:

Not sure what any of this has to do with religous people when they are exempt from the fine. Of course they are both in bed with corporations. That is why the majority of them suck and nobody is arguing that they don't. This thread is for when christians inflict violence not for when politicians fuck things up.

Posted: 14-10-2013 08:11 Post subject:

Moreover, when Christians inflict violence in the name of Christianity.

Incidentally, it is possible to be a Christian saved by Christ personally and still avoid being a rabid 'fundamentalist' - just thought I'd point that out.

I put 'fundamentalist' in quotes because putting the Old Testament's instructions before the Gospel where the two contradict is of course missing the whole point. We are supposed to be believers in the New Covenant. We state that in the creed. (At least, in the CofE we do, can't speak for the other sects).

The Jewish religion is for those who hold to the Old Covenant. Something for those anti-Semitics among the fundies to dwell on.

Posted: 14-10-2013 09:14 Post subject:

The attack here is on the Body Politic. It might not be physical violence, but it threatens to do huge damage not only to the US economy and its democracy, but also to the World economy. A mega-recession beckons.

The End Times Christianity espoused even by some politicians, like Michelle Bachmann, does look pretty crazy.

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/10/end-times-bachmann.html

It may be Christianity, but not as a lot of people outside the US, Christians and non-Christians alike, would recognise it.

I was brought up Christian, in a time when Christianity and socialism could lie down together quite happily. One of the best espousers of the sort of good hearted, generous, merciful, brand of Christianity that I grew up in, was the theologian, William Barclay. He rejected or rationalised a lot of the supernatural, miraculous or magical, content of the New Testament, to get to the heart of what he believed to be Jesus's message. In the US, these days, they seem to be doing it the other way round. Rejecting the heart of Jesus's message to get to the supernatural and magical.

Posted: 14-10-2013 10:07 Post subject:

I suspect a lot of Christians _inside_ the US wouldn't recognise it either.

The Republicans may or may not be acting out of fundamentalist beliefs - what the article quotes are some extremists who say the republicans are right to do what they are doing because it chimes with _their_ beliefs . That is not the same thing.

It is hardly unique for any political party to simply convince them selves that their opponents are deluded. The collapse of abstract political debate in this country is caused by the exact same thing.

The point that seems to be overlooked in the UK is that the Republicans are entirely within their constitutional rights to be doing what they are doing. The situation is equivalent to a minority government in the UK - the head of the executive cannot just impose policies by fiat, he has to obtain both approval and budget from both houses.

I doubt that hysteria from either side helps the situation.

A mega-recession is on its way anyway. All the Western countries are hopelessly over-borrowed and the oil is running out.

There is enough time left for sensible governments to recover the situation (buy time with fracking and coal, get some darn nuclear power stations built, supplement with practical small scale renewables), but democracy no longer seems to lead to sensible government. Talk to some engineers instead and you will discover how close we are to the brink.