Evans Liberal Politics, August 5, 2012, by Paul Evans (seawolf1957) -- This is an elaboration on a version on the same theme found in Headlines on Evans Liberal Politics. We don't want to proselytize anyone, but.... Everyone has his or her own personal relationship with the God they worship, and some people take most of their ideas out of the Old Testament, believing in an angry, judgmental God. But the God I see, who sent his only Son to die a martyr and savior for all of us, is far more, to me, to be seen in the life Jesus led here on earth. I won't go into much detail, but first, let's see what I have about this in our Headlines:

Did Jesus Live a "Liberal" Sort of Life?

The "Jesus is a Liberal" website teaches that: "... the historical, Biblically documented teachings of Jesus Christ clearly show that Jesus is a Liberal. His philosophy, based in compassion, equality, inclusion, forgiveness, tolerance, peace and - most importantly - love, is 100% Liberal." Vist the collection of links to Progressive & liberal Christian: para-church, congregational, & personal websites, with descriptions.

Here is my favorite quote on politics: "I have the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have: three meals a day for their bodies, – education and culture for their minds – and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits." — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. — And that’s why I am a liberal. ~ Paul Evans (From my page of Liberal Speeches & Quotes).

Practice this: In truth speak the Word of God, be not deceitful in any way, and your life will prosper. Do not lie to yourself, but be honest with yourself, and then, pass that on to your speech. Speak simply, directly and honestly and the goodness you find will be its own reward. Pass the truth of the Word over into your every thought and utterance, in your everyday language. For the Word is truth.

I hope that advice helps some of you.... the world could use a lot more truthfulness instead of deceit, lies and cheating. lying tongues, etc. The portrait of Jesus presented in the Gospels strongly supports the idea that Jesus is a liberal, and lived very much a liberal life while here on earth. He loved the poor: "Looking at his disciples, he said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God." (Luke 6:20) He said, "again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." (Matthew 19:24)

He spoke to the Samaritan woman and tried to give her advice, when Jews weren't supposed to have any relations with Samaritans at all. He healed Cornelius the Roman centurion's son, when the man was a Roman officer occupying the Jews' homeland and as such, an enemy of the Jewish people.

He helped everyone he could, and turned no one away. He taught a gospel of love, of turning the other cheek, and he helped people to the extent of giving up his life to save us all. He was very much against the religious orthodoxy of his day, and disliked the ruling Pharisees as officious and hypocritical. It seems to me that the Pharisees can be seen, religiously, as the "status quo," and Jesus and his followers were the rebels following God's will and trying to establish God's true kingdom here on earth.

How can the religious right take this man's life and turn it into any kind of conservative ideology, much less a conservative political movement? If he had lived today, he would have turned Christian Dominionism on its head with such directions as "render unto God what is God's and render unto Caesar what is Caesar's."

At the end of the gospel of John, after crucifixion and just before ascension, he asked Peter if he loved Him. When Peter protested that of course he did, Jesus replied "Feed my sheep," and this exchange was repeated three times. Now, I ask you, was Jesus in some way hypocritical here, or are we?

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