This would be a two-part question, for extra credit. The first verse would be prefaced by the question, “Have you ever sinned?” If the candidate says “No”, then ask him/her to explain the meaning of Romans 3:23.

Romans 3:23 — 23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. — ESV

If the candidate persists with a “no” answer, this should make headlines. If they reply “yes”, then ask them if they’ve removed the offending body part, and if not, why not? And if they have had offending body parts removed, please identify which ones?

Matthew 5:27-30 — 27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. — ESV

Please explain your understanding of the following Biblical passage, how you’ve applied it in your own life, and how you would intend to practice this guidance in your administration, should you win?

Matthew 25: 31-46 31″When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34″Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37″Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40″The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
41″Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44″They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45″He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46″Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Please explain your understanding of the following Biblical passage, how you’ve applied it in your own life, and how you would intend to practice this guidance in your administration, should you win?

Isaiah 10:1-2

1 Woe to those who make unjust laws,
to those who issue oppressive decrees,

2 to deprive the poor of their rights
and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,
making widows their prey
and robbing the fatherless.

Does everyone remember the Republican Contract with America from the 1990’s?

Well, no part of that contract generated more opposition from within the GOP than the notion of Term Limits. Of course the Democants were also against it.

From a report by Doug Bandow, (former Special Assistant to President Reagan and a senior fellow at the Cato Institute) published in 1995,

“The nation’s Founders strongly believed in rotation in office. They left term limits out of the Constitution because they did not foresee that politics would become a career for so many people. Short term limits would remedy that mistake. Nothing is more important today than reversing the pernicious rise of a professional political class.”

He goes on to say:

“Alas, just as the government of two centuries ago has metastasized into something far, far worse than the oppressive rule that pushed the colonists into rebellion, the arrogance of the ruling political class has reached a level that would have done Britain’s royalty proud. Americans must inaugurate a second revolution.”

Today, our leaders in Washington D.C. is nothing but a group of dysfunctional individuals, making our government dysfunctional.

How to proceeded?

I believe at the federal level, we should limit our Senators to no more than two terms (2×6=12) or twelve years. Then after one term (six years out of office), they can be drafted to run again by their constituents, but only for two terms. Drafting would be by a vote of registered voters and would need to have at least a majority of the registered voters in favor of drafting.

Members of the House of Representatives, can hold office for no more than three terms or six years before they are required to step down for at least two terms (four years) then like the Senators, they can be drafted again by their constituents, but again for no more that three terms.

We also need to prohibit corporate contributions, relying on individual contributions only and limit campaign spending to a reasonable dollar amount by all office seekers.

Also, we need to eliminate the Electoral College, in todays age of instant communications and online voting, we should rely only on the popular vote to elect our President. The EC is a relic of the early days of our country, when not even the telegraph existed and messages were hand carried on horseback or by coach. It simply is not needed anymore.

Finally, we need to remove tax exempt status from any religious organization that involves itself, in any way, shape or form, with politics in any fashion. Religious organizations should minister to the people, not work to elect politicians.

If we do nothing, I promise you, we will end up as a theocracy.

Say rather “Qualities of a good person.”

There is nothing peculiarly Christian about compassion, honesty or integrity.

But otherwise, well put.

161. After next fall, there won’t be many clown-shaped R punching bags left.

Comment by tombaker — December 15, 2007 @ 2:24 pm

I hope after next fall there won’t be any clowns around, I don’t care if they are a Democant or Rethuglican. We need the largest turnout of voters in our history to throw all these RASCALS out of town. I am sick of all of them. It is time for new LEADERSHIP, the key word is LEADER. We need people who are not beholding to the corporate special interest, we need people who will listen to the voters and act accordingly.

Answer to first question, why kind did not vote for his own bill then lambasted the folks who voted against it: two words, “arrogance and ignorance”. The people like King are not capable of anything other than these two attributes. The qualities of a Christian, like, compassion, honesty, integrity, are foreign to them. He is looking to set himself up as better than others, he is not interested in helping others. That is why he and the people like him are today’s Pharisees and Sadducees.

Second question, why has the lapdog media not bothered to ask, that is simple as well, the MSM is not about investigative journalism anymore. They are talking heads, spouting opinion, most of it based on lies, myths and misconceptions. Their mission is to propagate the notion that you and I and the rest of the American citizenry are just too dumb to know anything and help spread the propaganda of their masters, the elite who own 80% of the wealth. They do this in hopes to gain some of that wealth. I thought at one time there were two exceptions to this rule, but I have learned that even they have their own agenda.

Bottom line, don’t expect any changes anytime soon, not until we, the people, go to the voting booths in record numbers and throw the rascals out of office and then withhold support of the MSM by boycotting their advertisers.

There are ways to get this dog to hunt, but it takes more than just the few people who post here on TP to accomplish it.

And why has the lapdog media not even bothered to ask the question?
H RES 847 11-Dec-2007 7:02 P
BILL TITLE: Recognizing the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith.

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll1143.xml

150. They should all be targeted for removal from office in the next election. They are wasting OUR time and OUR money.
Comment by ddellapiana — December 15, 2007 @ 12:47 pm

My feelings exactly, THROW ALL THE RASCALS OUT!. It is time we, the voters send a message, do your job or get out. However, we have to realize that this is part of a greater malaise in our government, CAREER POLITICIANS.

This is why I am in favor of TERM LIMITS for ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS. From the local level to the federal level. At the federal level we have nothing but a group of dysfunctional individuals, making our government dysfunctional.

I believe at the federal level, we should limit our Senators to no more than two terms (2×6=12) or twelve years. Then after one term (six years out of office), they can be drafted to run again by their constituents, but only for two terms. Drafting would be by a vote of registered voters and would need to have at least a majority of the registered voters in favor of drafting.

Members of the House of Representatives, can hold office for no more than three terms or six years before they are required to step down for at least two terms (four years) then like the Senators, they can be drafted again by their constituents, but again for no more that three terms.

We also need to prohibit corporate contributions, relying on individual contributions only and limit campaign spending to a reasonable dollar amount by all office seekers.

Also, we need to eliminate the Electoral College, in todays age of instant communications and online voting, we should rely only on the popular vote to elect our President. The EC is a relic of the early days of our country, when not even the telegraph existed and messages were hand carried on horseback or by coach. It simply is not needed anymore.

Finally, we need to remove tax exempt status from any religious organization that involves itself, in any way, shape or form, with politics in any fashion. Religious organizations should minister to the people, not work to elect politicians.

If we do nothing, I promise you, we will end up as a theocracy.

We have a diverse population. Not everyone thinks Christianity. Give me a break. We fought for our freedom from England so we could make our own choices, in freedom, and still have representation in our government. This Congress cannot pass one piece of meaningful legislation that will help improve people’s lives, but they can spend their time advancing the agenda of the religious right. They should all be targeted for removal from office in the next election. They are wasting OUR time and OUR money.

Religion is personal. Preaching belongs in the pulpit, not on the floors of Congress. On the floors of Congress, they should be working toward providing health care for all citizens, stopping the erosion of our civil rights, what we are going to do about our illegal, unsuccessful war in Iraq, how we are going to help the abandoned victims of Hurricane Katrina…you know, the things that really mean something to people.

This country has gone to hell under the Bush administration. This is just one example. Both he and Dick Cheney should be removed from office. They make Tricky Dick look pretty good.

Oh, and as a gift, I give you an effective reason why you should not vote Hillary (Okay, its Gamespot, which recently fired an editor for giving a high budget game a negative review, but anyway…)

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6183168.html

Happy holidays, and I hope you and yours have a great time.

150. It was the Pharisees that killed The lord there doofus, they were the democrats of that age my ignorant friend.
Comment by BERT CONVY — December 15, 2007 @ 11:10 am

Bert, you may wish to reconsider your statement, or provide some proof to back up your claim. Here are s few facts you may have overlooked:

The Pharisees primarily came from middle-class families and were zealous for the Mosaic law, the Sadducees were generally wealthy members of the Jewish aristocracy who had embraced hellenism.

After Israel’s monarchical form of government had become a thing of the past; in its place the Jews created a community which was half State, half Church. A growing sense of superiority to the heathen and idolatrous nations among whom their lot was cast came to be one of their main characteristics.

Such was the state of things in the third century when the newly introduced Hellenism threatened Judaism with destruction. The more zealous among the Jews drew apart calling themselves Chasidim or “pious ones”, i.e., they dedicated themselves to the realization of the ideas inculcated by Esdras, the holy priest and doctor of the law. In the violent conditions incidental to the Machabean wars these “pious men”, sometimes called the Jewish Puritans, became a distinct class.

Though standing for the spiritualizing tendency, Pharisaism developed a proud and arrogant orthodoxy and an exaggerated formalism, which insisted on ceremonial details at the expense of the more important precepts of the Law (Matthew 23:23-28).

The importance attached to descent from Abraham (Matthew 3:9) obscured the deeper spiritual issues and created a narrow, exclusive nationalism incapable of understanding a universal Church destined to include Gentile as well as Jew.

It was only through the revelation received on the road to Damascus, that Paul (Saul the Pharisee) was enabled to comprehend a church where all are equally the “seed of Abraham”, all “one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28-9).

The lesson from the Pharisees’ example is that self-righteousness is not righteousness, and that God’s true people are to live according to all of God’s Word, not just certain parts that are most convenient or to one’s own liking.

This description of them sounds more like the radical right, not people who are progressive in their thinking, like Jesus was.

I have many non-Christian friends who act more like Christians than the Christians I know, perhaps this is why Gandhi said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

Merry Christmas, Seasons Greetings, Happy Holidays and I hope you enjoy good health and great fortune in 2008.

Peace,

Citizen of Earth

Nope. They were the Republicans.

They were distinctly in favour of strict adherence to religious doctrine, right to the point where not adhering meant the death penalty.

Their political style was dedicated to using their religion to control the masses, and when that failed, resorting to bribery. This is of course, mirrored in today’s Republican tax cuts.

While Jesus preached against gathering overmuch in the way of riches, the Pharasees were championing the free market in their temples.

While Jesus preached that one should keep one’s religion reasonably private, the Pharisees were chanting their religion from the sides of the streets.

Finally, while Jesus acted to stop a mob stoning a woman to death, and commonly preached peace and tolerance, the Pharisees sentenced Jesus to be nailed killed via a fairly ghastly means of torture.

Also:

Democrats aren’t upset with Merry Christmas. There was never a political campaign against the phrase, it was simply a decision made by your retailers all on their own. Of course, that you conservatives brown your underwear at the thought that someone might wish you to have a good time during the holiday season in general, as opposed to just one day of it, does strike us as being rather odd and a sad reflection on the strength of your beliefs.

Bert

Frankly, you guys seem to hate Christianity far more then any of the rest of us. After all, you have turned it into the religion of torture, greed, and self-righteousness, when Jesus actually preached against you guys quite successfully. He used the term “Hypocrites” if I remember correctly.