Posted by M. Wright | Filed in: Religion
Freedonian is happy to agree with the majority in this CNN poll, saying they picked the “right” answer, and he questions whether those choosing other options had even read the Bible.
I was stunned, but not at the fact that the overwhelmingly most popular answer was the right one, “poverty”, but at the fact that nearly 2,000 of the 12,683 responses were homosexuality and abortion.
Have these people even read the Bible??? Surely, they can point to a place where Jesus even mentioned those things, can they not?
The poll is worthless. For one thing, as Christians believe, Jesus is alive, and his purpose is clear. None of these options are Jesus’ top priority.
Jesus is most interested in the salvation of mankind, and that was and remains his top priority in the world.
Second, Jesus mentioning or not mentioning certain words is a total cop out; for just a few reasons why, see points 1-4 in a post I wrote about a year ago.
Of course, I would agree that Jesus is interested in the poor and diseased, in our stewardship of the earth, in our compassion for the lives of others and especially children, and in the righteousness of our sexual conduct. But Jesus did not come to Earth for any of these things, nor would he return today for any of these reasons alone.
April 14th, 2007 at 10:04 pm
Well, Jesus did say something about always having the poor with us…
Whether he meant that poverty would be his primary challenge in the 21st Century is another question entirely.
April 15th, 2007 at 3:09 pm
Ahh, yes. This question appeared on a Hermeneutics final at Carter-Wallis-McLaren Seminary. Freedonian being an adjunct professor for the course.
April 15th, 2007 at 7:16 pm
“Jesus is most interested in the salvation of mankind, and that was and remains his top priority in the world.”
I agree, Mick!!!!!
April 16th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
“Global warming”. Yes, modern Jesus would surely be on Gore’s Gulfstream flitting around the globe peddling carbon offsets. I’m still rolling around on the floor laughing. That might mean I’m going down to the hot place, but I just can’t help it.
April 18th, 2007 at 6:39 pm
I believe that salvation was and always will be Jesus’ first priority…that poll doesn’t let you vote for the appropriate answer.
April 19th, 2007 at 10:25 am
I guess it depends on what you mean by “salvation of mankind”.
April 19th, 2007 at 7:50 pm
“Jesus is most interested in the salvation of mankind, and that was and remains his top priority in the world.”
That sort of begs the question, doesn’t it? According to Jesus, how is man supposed to achieve salvation? By invading countries under false pretext, killing tens of thousands and displacing many more in the process? Holding and torturing thousands without the protection of any laws? Screwing the planet? Invading privacy? Discriminating against the poor to give tax breaks to the wealthy? Murdering doctors? Lying to Congress? Repealing the Constitution? The list seems endless. Would none of these things matter to your Jesus because he is only focussed on “salvation?” Is it every man for himself because the end days are coming anyway?
April 19th, 2007 at 7:56 pm
The topic is Jesus’ top priority, not whether “things matter” to him. I’ll give you points for excellence in scare words and bumper sticker ideology, though. Next.
April 20th, 2007 at 8:28 am
Man, you are good at this. You mean something can be Jesus’ top priority without being one of the “things [that] matter” to him? The logic escapes me and I love it cause it shows me I still have things to learn in this life.
[/sarcasm]
April 21st, 2007 at 6:05 am
Bob,
One certainly does not “achieve salvation” by any means. It is the free gift of God. He achieved it through the sacrifice of his Son.
Adherence to a series of liberal political positions is not part of the process of accepting that gift.
April 22nd, 2007 at 6:24 am
The most important thing is that we are saved.
We are already saved.
We do not need to do anything to be saved. Jesus already did.
Therefore: Sin away, all ye right-wing nuts!