From: ray@cs.rochester.edu (Ray Frank)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh,alt.rush-limbaugh,alt.politics.bush
Subject: Re: Christianity causes the fall of civilizations...NOT!
Date: 14 Dec 92 13:40:19 GMT
Distribution: usa, world
Organization: University of Rochester

In article <grendel.724142595@camelot> grendel@camelot.bradley.edu (Alyosha Bourgea) writes:
>In <1992Dec11.161943@IASTATE.EDU> dickw@IASTATE.EDU (Richard Wallingford) writes:
>
>>grendel@camelot.bradley.edu (Alyosha Bourgea) writes:

>Not quite that simple.  Religion is not genetic.  My mother is a pagan
>and my father follows the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda.  I have
>a philosophy that is completely different from either of them.  There
>are numerous people who do not follow the religions of their parents.
>It's a matter of choice.
>
>However, it is worthwhile to note that in order to be successful in business
>or politics, it helps a great deal to be Christian; not only that, but
>Protestant.  Kennedy's biggest liability in 1960 was his Catholicism.

Not exactly true.  Perhaps as regards politicians where one's life is
heavily scrutinized is this even remotely true.  And only at top level
politics.  As regards business, I doubt anyone cares what religious beliefs
or lack thereof Lee Iacoca or any other business tycoon has and it definitely
has no bearing on an individual getting a job.  There is no place on a job
application where it asks what religion you are.

>It's quite possible that a number of successful politicians and business
>people are Christian as a matter of convenience.  If you say "God bless X",
>there's precious few who will argue, and plenty who will think you're a
>swell guy.
>
>>Really, most self-professed "Christians" are pretty sorry-assed sights.
>
>How many Christians do you know?


>>Given that Jesus' most profound idea was to love your enemy, almost 
>>nobody is a *real* Christian.  I've found from observation that 
>>the more "Christian" one is, the more one *hates* his/her enemy.
>
>I think that's a pretty bigoted statement.  Hatred is not endemic to any
>religion or philosophy.  I think you have a pretty skewed vision of what
>Christianity is all about.  Not being Christian myself, I'm not the most
>qualified to speak on this matter, but from what I understand, Christians
>don't aim to be like Jesus or even to imitate him, but merely to do their
>best to live in accordance with God's Word as much as possible.  Now, one
>may do lipservice to this moral code, and I'm sure some people do, but I
>strongly doubt that all Christians are hypocrites.

>Yosha Bourgea                   "Newspapers screamed for blood...
>grendel@camelot.bradley.edu     it was the best of times."
>Squid Power                              --Sting

I don't believe he was saying that all Christians are hypocrites but rather
that many believe themselves to be Christians simply because they go
to church on Sunday and call themselves Christians and then do what ever
they please the rest of the week.  The word 'Christianity' has become nothing
more than a cliche' to many people rather than a way of life.  Growing up
Catholic, I am not one now, I can assure you that most people I knew might
as well have been athiests as far as living or even attempting to live 
in accordance with God's Word was concerned.  This also was true of many
of the people in my town of other faiths.  Merely to be born into a Catholic
or Protestant family or whatever faith does not insure that you are a Christian.
It just insures that mom and or dad will force you to go to church every Sunday,
usually against your will.  Not to say that someday you won't make the choice
yourself to accept Christianity into your heart and begin attempting to live
accordingly.

ray
Newsgroups: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh