Can Your Faith In Jesus Be Separate From Any Aspect Of Your Life?

[disconnected]

I guess my main intent here is NOT to bash President Bush. Seriously I had no intention of starting a thread to do that...but I am EXTREMELY alarmed at the many compromises that are being perpetrated by those claiming to "Christians".

These people desire moderation, if your faith in Jesus gets into all aspects of your life then you are a zealot or under the influence of a cult or bad sect.

People are so worried as to whether a Christian's beliefs are going to affect professional life and here I am thinking..."GEEZ I hope their faith does if they're led by the Holy Spirit!"

I used to be on the other side of that fence fellows and I will tell you exactly why I was worried if someone's beliefs in Jesus were going to affect decisions being made. Because I was afraid their decisions would interfere in the unhealthy way I wanted to live my life.

Christians are to obey the law.

Christians are to submit to authority.

Christians are supposed to love their enemies.

Christians are supposed to get their hands dirty caring for and healing those in need.

Sounds like attributes of an excellant public servant to me.

[Mongo]

Maybe its her calling to witness to the rest of the judges?

[Ovedya]

"This is a Christian country. Why, so is hell. Inasmuch as "Strait is the way and narrow is the gate, and few-few-are they that enter in thereat" has had the natural effect of making hell the only really prominent Christian community in any of the worlds; but we don't brag of this and certainly it is not proper to brag and boast that America is a Christian country when we all know that certainly five-sixths of our population could not enter in at the narrow gate."

- Mark Twain

In religion and politics people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination, from authorities who have not themselves examined the questions at issue but have taken them at second-hand from other non-examiners, whose opinions about them were not worth a brass farthing."

- Autobiography of Mark Twain

Think about that first quote a while before you respond.

[Micah68]

I agree that your faith must show up in everything you do. Otherwise it is no faith at all. James 2:17 says that faith, if it has no works, is dead, being alone. If Abraham had said, "Yes, Lord, I believe you" and had not done what the Lord required of him, then we would not have the beautiful example of faith that we see in his life. If he had not gone ahead with the sacrifice, God could not have said to him, "Now, I know that you love me." It's the same with us. God wants to see our faith in action. But let's not judge the judge before she even begins. If she is confirmed, who knows, maybe she is destined to be a bit like Queen Esther, the right person in the right place at the right time to do something important.

[kodischild]

"Person of faith" always scares me a bit. It sounds too political and not faithful enough. But who am I to argue semantics or even to say that in her mind that doesn't mean that she loves Jesus with all her heart? Besides, I would rather see a person who at least gives lip service to Christian values in power. I would rather, rather have someone who walks the walk, but that doesn't appear to be an option right now.

I will say that I don't see how a true Christian who is following God with all her heart can't have that affect her daily decisions in some way. Sure she won't make a decision and use the Bible as her reference for why she decided that way. I find that as I grow in my Christian walk I look at things and interpret things differently than I used to. I don't think I could separate my faith from my actions anymore.

[apothanein kerdos]

If you have truly inhereted a biblical worldview (transforming of our minds) then I fail to see how we can seperate our faith from our choices.

[Pipit]

Some of this may go off topic a bit (in regards to the political aspect), but I feel it is important to consider given the basic question of 'can we seperate our faith from our actions?'

Firstly, the political issue: I think the sad reality is that the nation has become a place where 'Christianity' as a life-style and decision making world-view is something that should not be part of political thinking or action. The observation, so far as I have seen it, is that you are safe to believe what you want, so long as if you hold to Christian beliefs those beliefs are not reflected in your supposedly unbiased judgments and decisions. Of course, if you are pro-athiest and hold a world-view that states there is no God and Christianity is false you are safe to allow that opinion and mid-set be reflected in your actions and political judgments, but heaven forbid that a Christian should allow his or her Christianity be reflected within how he or she makes their desicion.

Why? Because the concept of liberty and justice and equality has been warped over the ages to the point where any opinion presented on any matter that infringes on the ideologies and conceptions of truth of another is deemed as an infringement on their freedoms to believe what they want. Add to this the idea of seperate of church and state--which has been warped and abused--the idea of having someone with a Christian world-view in a seat of political power who is willing to live out their faith and base decisions out of their world-view stands as a violation of that concept of seperation of church and state.

Add to this the growing view that Christianity is anti-progressive and it disallows people to practice what they deem as freedoms (ie: such things as found in Galatians 5:19-21) and a progressively leftist stance when it comes to the concepts of law and liberty, no one wants to see someones faith reflected in their determination and interpretation of what the law says and what liberties are provided within the law.

The truth of such a statement can best be summed up how the nation in general treats Christian guests on political talk shows. Take a hot-botton topic, bring in a professor, a sociologist, a philosopher, a political analyst and a Christian, and you can guess whose opinion is automatically discredited or shunned.

Can one seperate their faith from any aspect of their life? Not without denying the reality of what their faith means. Faith, and more so Christianity (as in a real, living relationship with Christ) is both a personal belief and a world-view which is not to be hidden or held in private, but which is to be lived out day to day in our lives. We are commanded to be salt and light and to not hide our faith or belief or to compromise it. Instead we should live out that truth of our faith in Christ, regardless if it is within our workplace or school or within our political choices, or if we are in a place of political authority.

Am I edging on a call to extremism? Not at all. If I am edging on anything it is a call to a real, living and visible Christianity that is not afraid to shine.

Am I saying we should turn the country into a theocracy? No, I am not. What I am saying is that we should not be afraid in this country, as diverse as it is in its beliefs and polticial ideologies, to live out our Christianity in the political arean despite what others--who are not Christians and who demand the removal of any hint of Christianity from politics--say.

Am I saying we as Christians should disobey the law? No, I am not. Part of obeying Christ is to obey those whom are appointed by God as authories over us, and to obey the laws of the land. Of course, our allegence to Christ is first, and if the law of the land removes itself obeying the laws and commandments of God, ours is to stand firm on God's commandments (such as what Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did when they refused to bow to a graven image).

In saying all this, I also want us to think of Bibical examples of people who where firm in their faith and lived it out in the political arena. Daniel stands as a good example, as is Joseph... two examples of faith lived out despite the opinion of others, and what God accomplished.

Above all, I want to say this. Stop complaining or worrying about your politicians and begin praying for them!! It will achieve greater results!

[yomotalking]

President Bush claims to know the Lord. He gives testimony of recieve Christ as Saviour and being born again. Based on that I call him my brother. I may not agree with all his decisions, but there are many here that I call brother and with whom I disagree.

I do not know where Harriet Mier's stands in relation to Christ, I have not yet heard her testimony. I do know that every judge must judge based upon the law, not upon her own opinions. If she does know the Lord, it will influence the way she sees the Law, but she is judging things according to the Constitution.

That being said, let's not turn this into a bash Bush thread. If you disagree with a particular decision he has made, debate the merits or failings of that decision.

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