Patriotism Activists and Non-American Christians

[questioner4]

For Patriotism Activists:

1. Do you believe that Americans have to be patriotic to the US? If so, why?

2. Do you feel that it's okay for an American to prefer another country over the US? If not, why?

3. Do you feel that it's okay for an American to prefer the culture (music, movies, etc.) of another country over the US's culture? If not, why?

For Non-American Christians:

1. Do you feel that Christianity in the US is too Americanised?

2. Do you support the war in Iraq?

3. How high are abortion and same-sex marriages on you priority, when it comes to politics?

[AlAyeti]

Quote:
No wonder you can't find hardly any good deeds which were not done in self interest. States cannot afford to be altruistic. No nation on earth behaves like a charity.

The United States cannot afford to be altruistic? The single wealthiest country on Earth, third richest on a per capita basis ($37,000, compared to East Timor's $500), controlled almost EXCLUSIVELY by the rich, with a budget spaning in the multi-billions (most of which is spent on oil crusades and election rigging), cannot afford to devote a portion of their wealth to charity efforts?

Bill Gates could single handedly support every starving person in Congo. For 1,000 years.

Isn't he known for giving lots of money to charitable causes?

The combined wealth of our 269 billionaires (a number which should read "0") surpasses the annual budgets of Every Asian Country. Combined.

But how much money do they give to charities?

The average senator's campaign budget (Around five million), instead of being spent on something useful, goes to the noble privilidge of screwing over the American people. But hey, someone's got to do it (the 800,000,000 people starving worldwide sure arn't).

America's great secular legacy.

But no, we can't afford to use money in an unprofitable way. Dear China might surpass us as the most powerful country on Earth. We might lose our ability to manipulate honest countries to feed our incurably gluttonous resource appetite. God forbid.

China's work force is just about slave labor is it not?

So much for generous, caring, compassionate America. We pass up the chance to save the world every day.

Secularism has no soul.

Someone, anyone, give me one good reason to be patriotic. What about America should I love, or grant worthy of devotion?

The Christianty practiced in America by Bible-believing Churches. Hurricane Katrina showed the worth of Christians and their Churches while the secular governments sat on their collective butts from local municipalities to FEMA.

[The Persnickety Platypus]

Isn't he known for giving lots of money to charitable causes?

Yes. But of course, those various mansions and yachts came first. I used Gates as an example because he is more or less the 'poster-boy' for billionaires. Not near the worst of them, however.

Although, I am sure this car alone could sustain quite a few starving villiages:

But how much money do they give to charities?

Millions. Which ends up being about .00000000001% of their payroll. Pocket change, in other words.

Eventually you run out of things to buy.

America's great secular legacy.

Endorsed by the majority of Christians.

China's work force is just about slave labor is it not?

Indeed. Not so different from our labor force, really.

Of course, it's questionable whether the working conditions would even be that way were it not for nations such as the U.S. buying into it.

The Christianty practiced in America by Bible-believing Churches. Hurricane Katrina showed the worth of Christians and their Churches while the secular governments sat on their collective butts from local municipalities to FEMA.

87% of Americans claim to be Christian. If that number is accurate, then Africa should be the economic center of the world by now.

American "Christianity" is a joke. But I do commend those few who actually decide to practice their religion.

[AlAyeti]

America's great secular legacy.

Endorsed by the majority of Christians.

Not the Evangelical, Born-Again Fundamentalist types ey? As we will see in just a few seconds there is a line of demarcation to Christians who talk it and those that walk it.

China's work force is just about slave labor is it not?

Indeed. Not so different from our labor force, really.

When you're right you're right.

Of course, it's questionable whether the working conditions would even be that way were it not for nations such as the U.S. buying into it.

Do you mean people in Hollywood and New York that spend ten thousand dollars on a suit or dress? Or, the Christians living in squalor in the South. The Christians that helped out the Katrina victims that is. Hollywood went through the motoins, though, I wil give it that.

The Christianty practiced in America by Bible-believing Churches. Hurricane Katrina showed the worth of Christians and their Churches while the secular governments sat on their collective butts from local municipalities to FEMA.

87% of Americans claim to be Christian. If that number is accurate, then Africa should be the economic center of the world by now.

And now we CAN seperate the wheat from the chaff. Look at the people in Massachusetts that claim to be "Christians" and vote for anti-Biblical things time and again. One being a senator that murdered someone.

American "Christianity" is a joke. But I do commend those few who actually decide to practice their religion.

When you're right . . . you're right.

You have no idea the feeling of being at work in California and believing in the Gospels and the rest of the New Testament. Almost Nero-like fear.

[MagusYanam]

Or, the Christians living in squalor in the South. The Christians that helped out the Katrina victims that is.

Don't kid yourself. Christians in the North helped out as much as we were able, housing people from New Orleans, sending money to help with getting supplies into the city, sending work crews down, et cetera. We just weren't as loud about it or as close to the cameras as the Southerners were.

I remember Jesus saying something about Pharisees who make a show of charity. It was not positive.

And now we CAN seperate the wheat from the chaff. Look at the people in Massachusetts that claim to be "Christians" and vote for anti-Biblical things time and again. One being a senator that murdered someone.

Are you referring to Ted Kennedy and the Chappaquiddick incident?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Ken ... paquiddick

To all appearances, he didn't murder Mary Kopechne. His actions at Dike Bridge correspond more to someone who didn't have a lot of common sense and probably did have one or two too many beers. Though he did leave the scene of the accident (which was foolish and irresponsible), that doesn't equal murder. That's just speculation on your part - not empiricism. And the courts never found him guilty of murder - the only ones who still claim that he did murder Kopechne are (tellingly) political toadies of the right.

Bearing false witness is forbidden, as you should know.

[AlAyeti]

AlAyeti wrote:
Or, the Christians living in squalor in the South. The Christians that helped out the Katrina victims that is.

Don't kid yourself. Christians in the North helped out as much as we were able, housing people from New Orleans, sending money to help with getting supplies into the city, sending work crews down, et cetera. We just weren't as loud about it or as close to the cameras as the Southerners were.

I remember Jesus saying something about Pharisees who make a show of charity. It was not positive.

How many unsung heroes of Christ did what they always do. Let us both not dishonor them on these boards.

AlAyeti wrote:
And now we CAN seperate the wheat from the chaff. Look at the people in Massachusetts that claim to be "Christians" and vote for anti-Biblical things time and again. One being a senator that murdered someone.

Are you referring to Ted Kennedy and the Chappaquiddick incident?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Ken ... paquiddick

To all appearances, he didn't murder Mary Kopechne. His actions at Dike Bridge correspond more to someone who didn't have a lot of common sense and probably did have one or two too many beers. Though he did leave the scene of the accident (which was foolish and irresponsible), that doesn't equal murder. That's just speculation on your part - not empiricism.

Umm, someone dying in a car because of negligence or alcohol, or because, you just didn't want to save them is murder. Please look up manslaughter laws. If you strike a person in the sidewalk and drive away and not report it until it is discovered; will get anyone not a Kennedy prison time. Let alone killing a person when you're drunk.

And the courts never found him guilty of murder - the only ones who still claim that he did murder Kopechne are (tellingly) political toadies of the right.

DID YOU read the wikipedia report? Pretty damning and certainly I know no one that runs wikipedia. The man went to his lawyer BEFORE calling the police. Please do not try to defend a Kennedy.

Whta "courts" are those Magus? In Massachusetts? C'mon even your "Leftist" leanings cannot whitewash that fact. The whole thing should make any decent person sick to their stomachs. The man is a bad person no matter what you think.

Bearing false witness is forbidden, as you should know.

Please judge me the way I judge Ted Kennedy. I'll pass that "test." I have stopped for starngers hurt on the side of the road multiple times and one that probably died under my jacket while lying in the street where a car ran him over. I would have never left a woman to drown in my car.

[MagusYanam]

Umm, someone dying in a car because of negligence or alcohol, or because, you just didn't want to save them is murder. Please look up manslaughter laws. If you strike a person in the sidewalk and drive away and not report it until it is discovered; will get anyone not a Kennedy prison time. Let alone killing a person when you're drunk.

DID YOU read the wikipedia report? Pretty damning and certainly I know no one that runs wikipedia. The man went to his lawyer BEFORE calling the police. Please do not try to defend a Kennedy.

As a matter of fact, I did read the Wikipedia article. And I agree, what he did was wrong, but please, let's call spades spades. Ted was a drunk and a fool, and Kopachne died as a result, but that doesn't make him a murderer. There's a difference - a big one - between killing someone by accident and killing one by intent. By all accounts, he tried to get Kopachne out of the car before even calling his lawyer under the slim chance that she was still alive. And considering that Kennedy was in the public eye, it's understandable that he'd want to cover his rear (but not excusable) - but this makes him no worse than a politician (though that is pretty bad).

I don't judge someone by what parents they were born to or what last name they bear, but on their actions. 'Kennedy' is what 'Kennedy' does - here it's not his family that shames the man. It's his drunkenness.

Whta "courts" are those Magus? In Massachusetts? C'mon even your "Leftist" leanings cannot whitewash that fact. The whole thing should make any decent person sick to their stomachs. The man is a bad person no matter what you think.

There's a difference between 'coward' and 'murderer'. Learn it.

Please judge me the way I judge Ted Kennedy. I'll pass that "test." I have stopped for starngers hurt on the side of the road multiple times and one that probably died under my jacket while lying in the street where a car ran him over. I would have never left a woman to drown in my car.

To be perfectly honest, if I were to judge you the way you judge Ted, you don't come off looking so good. We have only Ted's word to go on that he tried to save Kopachne before saving himself (and failed), just as we have only your word to go on for many of your... assertions. You claimed that liberals weren't tough enough on crime and that violent crime was increasing under liberal administration. That was unequivocally and undeniably false - the official statistics show otherwise.

Show some humility once in awhile, instead of just ranting and posturing, and equivocating when you lose the point. Humility is also a Christian virtue.