What REAL Christians look like

[Luddly Neddite]

Sister Simone Campbell was on Bill Maher last night and as he said about her, she was a breath of fresh air. Here's the video of her talking with ultra-conservative and fellow guest, Dinesh D'Souza during the "overtime segment" after the show -

Sister Simone Campbell Takes Dinesh D'Souza To School On Minimum Wage | Crooks and Liars

Anyone interested in hearing her remarks on the show, HBO reruns Real Time and its at the very beginning of the show.

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THIS is the Christianity I learned about as a kid and is apparently all but dead now.

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Nun-Bus-Create-Change-Community/dp/006227354X]A Nun on the Bus: How All of Us Can Create Hope, Change, and Community: Sister Simone Campbell: 9780062273543: Amazon.com: Books[/ame]

In the summer of 2012, Sister Simone Campbell and a group of fellow Roman Catholic nuns toured parts of the country to rally support against Congressman Paul Ryan's budget, a plan that cut vital social programs for the hurting poor and the struggling middle class. Prayer groups turned into rallies, and small town meetings became national media events. Sister Simone became a galvanizing force for progressives of all stripes and remains a driving force for programs and policies that support faith, family, and fairness.

Rooted in a deep spirituality of compassion and service, Sister Simone gives voice to the hunger, isolation, and fear that so many people in America are feeling right now and shows us how we can create real transformation in our communities and in our own hearts through the contemplative life of prayer. Powerful, inspiring stories from the Nuns on the Bus tour and from Sister Simone's own life offer readers a fresh vision for a lived spirituality that is at the heart of today's progressive Christian movements working for change.

IMO, preachy proselytizers like @Clement @Avatar and @GISMYS and other fake christians could learn a lot from real Christians like these women.

 

[Mr. H.]

You're just averse to any moniker that includes the term "Conservative".

 

[Clement]

Sister Simone Campbell was on Bill Maher last night and as he said about her, she was a breath of fresh air. Here's the video of her talking with ultra-conservative and fellow guest, Dinesh D'Souza during the "overtime segment" after the show -

Sister Simone Campbell Takes Dinesh D'Souza To School On Minimum Wage | Crooks and Liars

Anyone interested in hearing her remarks on the show, HBO reruns Real Time and its at the very beginning of the show.

=======

THIS is the Christianity I learned about as a kid and is apparently all but dead now.

A Nun on the Bus: How All of Us Can Create Hope, Change, and Community: Sister Simone Campbell: 9780062273543: Amazon.com: Books

In the summer of 2012, Sister Simone Campbell and a group of fellow Roman Catholic nuns toured parts of the country to rally support against Congressman Paul Ryan's budget, a plan that cut vital social programs for the hurting poor and the struggling middle class. Prayer groups turned into rallies, and small town meetings became national media events. Sister Simone became a galvanizing force for progressives of all stripes and remains a driving force for programs and policies that support faith, family, and fairness.

Rooted in a deep spirituality of compassion and service, Sister Simone gives voice to the hunger, isolation, and fear that so many people in America are feeling right now and shows us how we can create real transformation in our communities and in our own hearts through the contemplative life of prayer. Powerful, inspiring stories from the Nuns on the Bus tour and from Sister Simone's own life offer readers a fresh vision for a lived spirituality that is at the heart of today's progressive Christian movements working for change.

IMO, preachy proselytizers like @Clement @Avatar and @GISMYS and other fake christians could learn a lot from real Christians like these women.

I do the same things these nuns do but you hate me because I am working for political change too - I want those dictators out of the White House and the Senate.

Sister Simone works for change and she's a good Christian. I work for change and you hate me. I feed the poor, shelter the homeless, and take care of the widow and the orphan, but you say I am not a good christian because I don't agree with your politics. What a hypocrite.

I am glad I don't have your approval. If I did I'd worry.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

Luddly, these women are not contemplatives. Taking a contemplative on the road for a bus tour of politics is like taking a taking a fish from the water and laying it on a dock to die. It is simply un-natural and impossible to sustain. One or the other must give. Obviously they opted out on the contemplative lifestyle. This is not the life of ascetism!

I can just imagine the reaction of Julian of Norwich, Avila, Catherine of Siena, Guyon, upon hearing such a thing. Speechless is the first thing that comes to mind.

 

[thebrucebeat]

The best scriptural description of what a true Christian should look like to the world is written by Paul in his letter to the Galatians.
The Fruits of the Spirit describe the nature of one truly indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
Peace, love, joy, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.
Apply these traits to your favorite self-professed Christians on these boards and you will find a fundamental disconnect.
Mention the dissonance to a believer and you will find the disconnect becomes even more dramatic as they lash out with vitriol and frequently vulgarity and never see the irony in their response.
This has been true 100% of the times I have done it. I have never gotten an admission that this teaching is simply rejected. I hear how people are imperfect and fail, and then the poster moves forward with zero effort to change their posting persona, continuing to be crude, mean and dismissive.
100% of the time.
Sometimes the finger gets pointed back at me, as if that somehow excuses them, when it is their scripture they are failing, not mine.
We know what a Christian is supposed to look like.
The real question is why they so frequently don't.

 

[thebrucebeat]

Luddly, these women are not contemplatives. Taking a contemplative on the road for a bus tour of politics is like taking a taking a fish from the water and laying it on a dock to die. It is simply un-natural and impossible to sustain. One or the other must give. Obviously they opted out on the contemplative lifestyle. This is not the life of ascetism!

I can just imagine the reaction of Julian of Norwich, Avila, Catherine of Siena, Guyon, upon hearing such a thing. Speechless is the first thing that comes to mind.

Being a "contemplative" is not synonymous with being a nun or simply a person of faith. Activism has been as much a part of faith as has disengagement throughout history.
Perhaps you would be wise to become more contemplative and remain speechless also.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

In my own experience no one is so consistent as to be 100% of the time anything, Bruce. I have found some wonderful Christian people on this board. They are not at all as you are describing those you have met. I guess that we have a difference of experience.

On a message board you have only the word of a person who claims to believe in God. Then they go off in some direction writing threads that either draw people or repel them from listening. You have at least one person who came here claiming to "be God" before morphing into another s/n that wrote along the same lines.. and in reality he's neither.... just a troll trying to destroy the name of Christians. You can factor that in too. All in all there are some very nice Christian people here. If you look for the best that is what you'll find. In everyone. ( not just Christians )

 

[koshergrl]

Oh, so according to Luddly, you have to be a progressive nutbag to be a good christian.

Ok.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Oh, so according to Luddly, you have to be a progressive nutbag to be a good christian.

Ok.

Uh no.

IMO, one must follow the teachings of christ/jesus/god in order to be a "good" Christian.

From what I have seen and heard about these people, they actually do that.

Unlike the preachy nutters here - like yourself.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

Luddly, these women are not contemplatives. Taking a contemplative on the road for a bus tour of politics is like taking a taking a fish from the water and laying it on a dock to die. It is simply un-natural and impossible to sustain. One or the other must give. Obviously they opted out on the contemplative lifestyle. This is not the life of ascetism!

I can just imagine the reaction of Julian of Norwich, Avila, Catherine of Siena, Guyon, upon hearing such a thing. Speechless is the first thing that comes to mind.

Being a "contemplative" is not synonymous with being a nun or simply a person of faith. Activism has been as much a part of faith as has disengagement throughout history.
Perhaps you would be wise to become more contemplative and remain speechless also.

I never said being a contemplative was synonymous with being a nun although it was they who coined the phrase, Bruce. Now on the matter of contemplative prayer they made this statement. Not me.

read up......

Rooted in a deep spirituality of compassion and service, Sister Simone gives voice to the hunger, isolation, and fear that so many people in America are feeling right now and shows us how we can create real transformation in our communities and in our own hearts through the contemplative life of prayer. Powerful, inspiring stories from the Nuns on the Bus tour and from Sister Simone's own life offer readers a fresh vision for a lived spirituality that is at the heart of today's progressive Christian movements working for change.


Now let me repeat something for you once again, Bruce. There is no such thing as a progressive Christian anymore than there is any such thing as a communist christian. They are the antithesis of one another - Christianity vs socialist / communist belief system. As is the contemplatives life of prayer to the life of these nun politicians. Or whatever they are calling themselves.. Contemplatives they are not. Thanks for reading.

- Jeremiah

 

[thebrucebeat]

In my own experience no one is so consistent as to be 100% of the time anything, Bruce. I have found some wonderful Christian people on this board. They are not at all as you are describing those you have met. I guess that we have a difference of experience.

On a message board you have only the word of a person who claims to believe in God. Then they go off in some direction writing threads that either draw people or repel them from listening. You have at least one person who came here claiming to "be God" before morphing into another s/n that wrote along the same lines.. and in reality he's neither.... just a troll trying to destroy the name of Christians. You can factor that in too. All in all there are some very nice Christian people here. If you look for the best that is what you'll find. In everyone. ( not just Christians )

Poor reading skills are a hallmark of someone with an agenda and not the interest in actual discussion.
The only thing I said was 100% was the number of times people have reacted poorly to being called out in the face of the Fruits when I have done this.
Your response is to something I never said.
I have met a few Christians here that I admire (very few) but they are usually roundly criticized by the "true Scotsmen". The one's deserving respect are rarely heard from, though, as they simply live their faith and witness through who they are, not what they say.
I confront the so called "believers" who demonstrate a very basic disconnect with Paul's teaching on the Fruits, and I have NEVER been met with remorse that the poster does not attempt to emulate these traits.
100% of the time I hear an attempt to excuse the monstrous behavior.
There has never been a single exception.

 

[Clement]

The best scriptural description of what a true Christian should look like to the world is written by Paul in his letter to the Galatians.
The Fruits of the Spirit describe the nature of one truly indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
Peace, love, joy, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.
Apply these traits to your favorite self-professed Christians on these boards and you will find a fundamental disconnect.
Mention the dissonance to a believer and you will find the disconnect becomes even more dramatic as they lash out with vitriol and frequently vulgarity and never see the irony in their response.
This has been true 100% of the times I have done it. I have never gotten an admission that this teaching is simply rejected. I hear how people are imperfect and fail, and then the poster moves forward with zero effort to change their posting persona, continuing to be crude, mean and dismissive.
100% of the time.
Sometimes the finger gets pointed back at me, as if that somehow excuses them, when it is their scripture they are failing, not mine.
We know what a Christian is supposed to look like.
The real question is why they so frequently don't.

The fruits of the spirit are a lifetime of study and prayer, not an instant change. If you had really been a minister you'd know that.

The truth is, listening to hypocrites like you try to hold others to standards you won't even hold yourself to is about the most dishonest thing I can think of. Your constant mindless hatred and vitriol against the people you once called your flock makes me sick. And notice that I have never called you a liar on that score, if you are telling the truth about having been one of us it's even worse. You come here to pick fights then hide behind Jesus saying "what about the fruits of the spirit?" when confronted with the truth.

Jesus dumped the tables in the temple when he saw what was going on. Sorry about your tables, be glad it was only me and not Christ himself.

 

[Clement]

Luddly, these women are not contemplatives. Taking a contemplative on the road for a bus tour of politics is like taking a taking a fish from the water and laying it on a dock to die. It is simply un-natural and impossible to sustain. One or the other must give. Obviously they opted out on the contemplative lifestyle. This is not the life of ascetism!

I can just imagine the reaction of Julian of Norwich, Avila, Catherine of Siena, Guyon, upon hearing such a thing. Speechless is the first thing that comes to mind.

Very good, I wish I'd said that.

 

[koshergrl]

Oh, so according to Luddly, you have to be a progressive nutbag to be a good christian.

Ok.

Uh no.

IMO, one must follow the teachings of christ/jesus/god in order to be a "good" Christian.

From what I have seen and heard about these people, they actually do that.

Unlike the preachy nutters here - like yourself.

I love you progressive moonbats who call me preachy because I tell you I don't answer to you, so your preaching at me is time wasted.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

Oh, so according to Luddly, you have to be a progressive nutbag to be a good christian.

Ok.

Uh no.

IMO, one must follow the teachings of christ/jesus/god in order to be a "good" Christian.

From what I have seen and heard about these people, they actually do that.

Unlike the preachy nutters here - like yourself.

I believe one must follow the teachings of Jesus Christ who is God in order to BE a Christian, Luddly. I do believe you believe there is a standard and that is great news. Because it tells me you do believe there is a God. In another post you mentioned something you considered to be an UN Christian thing to do and again you were right - which tells me you hold Christianity with something that is snynomous with the standard of what is good, true, just, noble of good report.

On the matter of religion and politics I don't believe they mix. You have decided they do by your response and I respect that is your personal choice. I just disagree.

Imo, You cannot soar to the heights while your eye is still fixed below. There are saints who love Gods attention and the wannabe's who love the worlds attention... the difference will be found when panic strikes. One group will stand and the other will fall. ( HARD )

 

[koshergrl]

This thread is an example of progressives attempting to assert political dominance over faith. The premise that the only good Christian, and the only TRUE Christian swears allegiance to progressivism, does just that. The goal is to remove protections from all those Christians who DON'T support statism and progressivism, and ultimately, imprison or kill them as criminals. You do that by allowing the state to determine who is, and who isn't, Christian, and then leveling penalties and removing constitutional protections from those who don't meet the progressive standard.

All of luddly's contributions to this board assert that.

 

[thebrucebeat]

Luddly, these women are not contemplatives. Taking a contemplative on the road for a bus tour of politics is like taking a taking a fish from the water and laying it on a dock to die. It is simply un-natural and impossible to sustain. One or the other must give. Obviously they opted out on the contemplative lifestyle. This is not the life of ascetism!

I can just imagine the reaction of Julian of Norwich, Avila, Catherine of Siena, Guyon, upon hearing such a thing. Speechless is the first thing that comes to mind.

Being a "contemplative" is not synonymous with being a nun or simply a person of faith. Activism has been as much a part of faith as has disengagement throughout history.
Perhaps you would be wise to become more contemplative and remain speechless also.

I never said being a contemplative was synonymous with being a nun although it was they who coined the phrase, Bruce. Now on the matter of contemplative prayer they made this statement. Not me.

read up......

Rooted in a deep spirituality of compassion and service, Sister Simone gives voice to the hunger, isolation, and fear that so many people in America are feeling right now and shows us how we can create real transformation in our communities and in our own hearts through the contemplative life of prayer. Powerful, inspiring stories from the Nuns on the Bus tour and from Sister Simone's own life offer readers a fresh vision for a lived spirituality that is at the heart of today's progressive Christian movements working for change.


Now let me repeat something for you once again, Bruce. There is no such thing as a progressive Christian anymore than there is any such thing as a communist christian. They are the antithesis of one another - Christianity vs socialist / communist belief system. As is the contemplatives life of prayer to the life of these nun politicians. Or whatever they are calling themselves.. Contemplatives they are not. Thanks for reading.

- Jeremiah

The nun's describe their prayer life as contemplative. They don't describe a monastic life of constant contemplative stupor. Their prayer life is what compels them to act in in their daily life.
The first church was based on communal living and no personal property. You have a major uphill grind to support your idea that general socialist principles and Christianity are incompatible.
You are using god to support a political agenda, one that would be very difficult to support with scripture.

 

[thebrucebeat]

This thread is an example of progressives attempting to assert political dominance over faith. The premise that the only good Christian, and the only TRUE Christian swears allegiance to progressivism, does just that. The goal is to remove protections from all those Christians who DON'T support statism and progressivism, and ultimately, imprison or kill them as criminals. You do that by allowing the state to determine who is, and who isn't, Christian, and then leveling penalties and removing constitutional protections from those who don't meet the progressive standard.

All of luddly's contributions to this board assert that.

Total paranoid fantasy.
Point out a post where Luddly is trying to make your theological foolishness illegal.
Quote him.

 

[koshergrl]

He'll do it here if we give him time.

 

[thebrucebeat]

The best scriptural description of what a true Christian should look like to the world is written by Paul in his letter to the Galatians.
The Fruits of the Spirit describe the nature of one truly indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
Peace, love, joy, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.
Apply these traits to your favorite self-professed Christians on these boards and you will find a fundamental disconnect.
Mention the dissonance to a believer and you will find the disconnect becomes even more dramatic as they lash out with vitriol and frequently vulgarity and never see the irony in their response.
This has been true 100% of the times I have done it. I have never gotten an admission that this teaching is simply rejected. I hear how people are imperfect and fail, and then the poster moves forward with zero effort to change their posting persona, continuing to be crude, mean and dismissive.
100% of the time.
Sometimes the finger gets pointed back at me, as if that somehow excuses them, when it is their scripture they are failing, not mine.
We know what a Christian is supposed to look like.
The real question is why they so frequently don't.

The fruits of the spirit are a lifetime of study and prayer, not an instant change. If you had really been a minister you'd know that.

The truth is, listening to hypocrites like you try to hold others to standards you won't even hold yourself to is about the most dishonest thing I can think of. Your constant mindless hatred and vitriol against the people you once called your flock makes me sick. And notice that I have never called you a liar on that score, if you are telling the truth about having been one of us it's even worse. You come here to pick fights then hide behind Jesus saying "what about the fruits of the spirit?" when confronted with the truth.

Jesus dumped the tables in the temple when he saw what was going on. Sorry about your tables, be glad it was only me and not Christ himself.

A perfect example. You did exactly what I said.
Still at 100%.