I don't let my religion choose my vote for me, I choose on my own for what I believe is best for the country. I keep my religion in my heart on political issues. I have always been for seperation of church and state.

 

So, do you feel God would be comfortable with you putting him in BEHIND the USA when making decisions? Meaning at these times, you feel the USA is more important than God.

I have a suggestion, since acemona is so upset with capitalism maybe he should find a place where socialism is the rule of thumb and locate there. Sweden perhaps? The country is beautiful, health care stinks, you can't get ahead, but heck you sure could get some nice pictures.

 

Why is it that only those that sing the praises of capitalism deserve US citizenship and those that don't should find another country in which to live?

Really - first and foremost, I do not abhor capitalism. As a matter of fact I think it can be good thing. However, I do not think it is Holy and I do not trust my life to it. It is a system it is part of the powers and principalities that will all go away with the full coming of God's kingdom. If it is so wonderful why would God not keep it around.

 

By reading the threads on this board you would think that people believe it is the end all be all, that socialism is evil (I believe that it too is amoral)and anything that does not respect capitalism is of the devil. We are so caught up in this framing story that we even work the scripture to support our - including me -love of capitalism.

 

Whenever we use the scripture to support anything but self-sacrificing love for each other we have distorted it for our benefit.

 

 

Very well stated and thought out response....I appreciate that. :thumb:

Those without sin, cast the first stone...

Yes, lbbc, I'm nearly certain rape is a sin. But, is killing in self-defense? I don't know. Is greed? I don't know. Is playing guitar? I don't know. Is not sleeping enough? I don't know. Is what is a sin for you a sin for me? I don't know. We could quibble about this stuff all day. Splitting hairs about what is or what is not sin is not what I took my job to be from the NT. You may have a different interpretation, and I certainly respect it, but I can't fathom why I should consume my life with attempting to figure out what is or what isn't sin when I'm not perfect and my sins are forgiven.

 

What is sin?

Sin is the breaking of God's law. If God says "Do not lie" and you lie, then you have broken His law and sinned. When you sin, you offend God because it is His law that you have broken. Also, the reason God says to not lie, not cheat, etc., is because these laws reflect the moral purity of His nature. Therefore, the Law is a reflection of the character of God. It is wrong to lie because God cannot lie. It is wrong to steal because God cannot steal, etc. The moral law is not arbitrary. It is based on God's holiness.

 

The law, then, is a standard of moral purity. The Old Testament contains the Law of God. It is a perfect standard because it is God's standard. When we fail to keep the law, we sin. When we sin, we offend God. This offense against God results in a judgment. Laws are laws because they have penalties. There is no law without a penalty. Therefore, breaking God's law brings judgment which is separation from God. "But your sins have made a separation between you and your God," (Isaiah 59:2). And, "the wages of sin is death..." (Rom. 6:23). So, to sin, to break God's law, results in judgment. If God did not judge the sinner, then He is not upholding His holiness and he would be allowing sinners to go unpunished.

 

Of course, Jesus came to take our place and die for our sins (1 Pet. 2:24). This means that Jesus bore our sin in His body on the cross and paid for them. He took the judgment upon himself. This further means that anyone who trusts in what Jesus did on the cross will have his sins removed; he will be saved from God's future judgment.

 

So, replying to the question "What is sin?" is best answered by saying that it is breaking God's law. All people have sinned. Therefore, all people are under God's judgment -- except for those who've trusted in God's provision to escape that judgment.

 

Where are you? Are you in the place of God's judgment or of salvation in Christ?

The mortal "Human" side of us try to rate sins. I think we know what sin is...Some of us may think some sins are worse than others. If we consider abortion and greed to be sins, some of us may think abortion is the bigger sin or visa versa.

 

We ALL fall short my friends, and to be arguing this because one may think his/her candidates sins are smaller than the other is silly.

 

Maybe we confuse sin with our own moral beliefs sometimes, especially when we don't agree.

 

To think either candidate is without sin is ignorant.

 

If all the rhetoric, media spin and economics confuse you or don't help in making your decision on how to vote come Tuesday, Pray first then dig deep and use your morals as a guide. If you do that, it doesn't matter how you voted, win or lose, you voted correctly.

 

I want to make one thing clear. Sometimes we overstate our differences when discussing politics, especially this year. Just because I support McCain and disagree with almost every policy of Obama's, I would never think that any of you were any less of a Patriot than I am.

He promotes policies that support the accumulation of great wealth sometimes to the detriment of those without great wealth.

 

Actually he supports a system that allows those without great wealth to accumulate great wealth.

God couldn't care less about capitalism or socialism and any one who thinks he does is an idiot. The only way greed could be considered a sin is if you put wealth ahead of him, but then alot of other things could just as easily be considered a sin. Whow fishing could be considered a sin or football or golf, we could go on forever with this. Having hard earned wealth is not any kind of a sin.

 

In the old world you had to be born into rolalty to ever have a chance at a better life. The reason socialism has failed so bad is much the same reason. If your born into the right politics or can manuver into it you will do well. There is no hope for anyone else and they don't care if they show up for work or not.

 

In a capitalist system every one has an opportunity to better themselves. True some start off in better shape than others. Capitalism takes advantage of everyones and I do mean everyones selfishness, the harder they work, the smarter they work in most cases the more they get. That's why even China has changed so much of their system and are enjoying such prosperity. It' also the main reason the iron curtain fell. All you have to do is study a little history.