Where are the Compassionate Conservatives? (Eugene Robinson)

[OneGrassRoot]

<snip>

Blitzer turned to Michele Bachmann, whose popularity with evangelical Christian voters stems, at least in part, from her own professed born-again faith. Asked what she would do about the man in the coma, Bachmann ignored the question and launched into a canned explanation of why she wants to repeal President Obama’s Affordable Care Act.

According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus told the Pharisees that God commands us to “love thy neighbor as thyself.” There is no asterisk making this obligation null and void if circumstances require its fulfillment via government.

Bachmann knows a lot about compassion. She makes much of the fact that she and her husband took in 23 foster children over the years. But what of the orphaned or troubled children who are not lucky enough to find a wealthy family to take them in? What of the boys and girls who have stable homes but do not regularly see a doctor because their parents lack health insurance?

Government can reach them. But according to today’s Republican dogma, it must not.

FULL ARTICLE HERE: http://www.nationofchange.org/where-are-compassionate-conservatives-1316357831

[dkf]

1. If Christianity worked as Jesus envisioned we wouldn't need government programs.

God Calls Us To Show Mercy and Compassion to Our Fellow Man

Warnings on Taking Advantage of Others In Need


Deuteronomy 14:28-29
At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.

Deuteronomy 15:7, 11
If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.

Leviticus 23:22
When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.

Isaiah 58:6-7;10
Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? ...and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.

http://encouragingbiblequotes.com/versesmercya.html

I am an agnostic and the above is one reason why I am. We rarely see behavior as described above.

[Andy823]

2. They have found a new voice

The voice of Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck, and the other clowns who preach "hate". They still "claim" to be compassionate christians, but they seem to only have that so called "compassion" for those who "THINK" like they do, who have the same warped views on life, and on their fellow humans. They have learned to "hate" everyone else from listening to the clowns on talk radio, and actually believe that Jesus would NOT those in need, but make them fend for themselves.

Problem is when they are down and out they go for the same benefits they condemn others of using, get the same help from the "government", but if it's them, or their family or friends that need that help, well that's OK because they are "real" christians, even if in there day to day life they don't act like one.

[COLGATE4]

3. She really didn't take in 23 foster kids, as we commonly understand

the term. She and her hubby took in teenage girls with eating disorders, each for a few weeks time. For that she was quite well paid by the State. It is highly misleading to imply that she raised and brought up 23 children. Just more Republican lies.

[OneGrassRoot]

4. +1 n/t

[mwooldri]

5. The news is that this guy has lots of Compassionate Conservatives around...

... just look at the pictorial evidence for yourself.

Apart from Ron Paul, I guarantee you that the room is packed to the rafters with compassionate conservatives.

[madrchsod]

6. one of the last ones died last week..

the 91 yr old illinois senator chuck percy.

john anderson is still alive...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_B._Anderson

i`m sure there`s a few old ones still hanging on.

[madamesilverspurs]

7. "Compassionate conservative"

seems to have become an oxymoron. Frankly, there weren't that many to begin with.


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[mmonk]

8. Compassion. That and human empathy are in short supply in the US.

The conservative movement is now an extreme or radical movement backed by billionaires and propagandized to by billionaires, their bought politicians, and Fox snooz. Until the ugliness hits a recognizable level to conservatives I'm afraid, it won't turn around.

[OneGrassRoot]

9. I officially give up on trying to find common ground.

I didn't want to believe that so many of the people I know actually agreed with the cheering crowds at those debates.

But they do.

There's no common ground to be found with people like that.

I'm sickened and disgusted.

Oh, they all claim to be Christian, of course.

:(

[mmonk]

11. Christianity without the Jesus has always been confusing to me.

It's become a pick and choose religion.

[Zoeisright]

10. Compassionate conservative is an oxymoron.

Just like "giant shrimp" and "conservative christian".