From: grendel@camelot.bradley.edu (Alyosha Bourgea)
Subject: Re: Christianity causes the fall of civilizations...NOT!
Organization: Bradley University
Distribution: usa, world
Date: 14 Dec 92 20:00:36 GMT

In <1992Dec14.134019.19355@cs.rochester.edu> ray@cs.rochester.edu (Ray Frank) writes:

>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

It's in the history books.  Kennedy made many stump speeches trying to
convince people that he was open-minded despite his Catholicism.  He even
went so far as to say, "I will take orders from the people, not the Vatican"
or words to that effect.  Despite all this, he won by the narrowest sliver
in electoral history.

>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.

And no overt requirement to be Christian in order to be president, either.
Yet it is a factor.  People hire people who think like they do.

>>>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.

>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

This I agree with.

>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.

Agreed again.  He said, "The more `Christian' one is..."  I interpreted it
differently than you did.

--
Yosha Bourgea                  "I think Rodney King said it best when he said,
grendel@camelot.bradley.edu     `Ow!  Ow!  Ow!'"
WHO ARE THE BRAIN POLICE?               --Denis Leary

Xref: sparky alt.fan.rush-limbaugh:10059 talk.politics.misc:64160 alt.politics.bush:14533 alt.president.clinton:1072