Capitol Hill Blue Forums Life and Moral Issues Religion and Philosophy Questions Surround TV Preacher Inquiry

OK, got to thinking after the reference to 'Little Tin God', I'm not sure he'd have to re-write it at all for Bush, or even the current topic:

Little Tin God

A new age is dawning On fewer than expected
"Business as usual" Thats how the headline read
Some shaky modern saviors Have now been resurrected
In all this excitement You may have been misled

People want a miracle They say "oh lord, can't you see us?"
We're tryin' to make a livin' down here And keep the children fed
But, from little dark motel rooms To six flags over jesus
"How are the mighty fallen" So the Bible said

You don't have to pray to a little tin god
Step out of the way for a little tin god
You might fear the reaper, you might fear the rod
But you never have to get down on your knees
You don't have to holler "please, please"
No, you never have to get down on your knees
For a little tin god

The cowboy's name was jingo, And he knew that there was trouble
So in a blaze of glory He rode out of the west
No one was ever certain What it was that he was sayin'
But they loved it when he told them They were better than the rest

But you don't have to pray for a little tin god
Step out of the way for a little tin god
You might hate to system, hate the job
But you never have to get down on your knees
You don't have to holler "please, please"
No, you never have to get down on your knees
For a little tin god


Throw down a rope from heaven And lead the flock to water
The man in the middle would have you think That you have no other choice
But to wander in the wilderness Of all the upturned faces
If you stop and listen long enough You will hear your own small voice


But you don't have to pray to a little tin god
Step out of the way for a little tin god
You might fear the reaper, fear the rod
But you never have to get down on your knees
You don't have to holler "please, please"
But you never have to get down on your knees
You don't have to holler "please, please"
You never have to get down on your knees
For a little tin god

The story of the rich man asking Jesus what he must do to obtain salvation is one of the most ignored, but most important points in the Bible. It is repeated with only slight variations in Matthew 19, Mark 10, and Luke 18, and each of these accounts include identical quotes of Jesus's words.

Jesus tells him to keep the commandments and the rich man (ruler in Luke) says that he has kept the commandments. Then Jesus tells him that he must also sell everything he owns and give to the poor and then come and follow him. The man leaves saddened because his wealth means more to him than his salvation. That is when Jesus remarks to his disciples that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

But I think the point of the story is not that money is evil. It is that wealth is seductive: When you become addicted to money and possessions, you lose sight of everything else. But Jesus didn't tell him to throw his gold into the sea and burn the rest of his stuff. He told the rich man to do something good with it for the community. So the Gates and Warren Buffet should be examples for the prosperous Christian, because they are each using their wealth to do good.

Then there is the subversive verse in this very same story. In both Mark 10:18 and Luke 18:19, the interaction with the rich man begins with him addressing Jesus as "good".

"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone."

So Jesus denies his divinity in two of the four gospels of the Bible.

Jesus the collectivist?

Must be a mistranslation. He probably told the rich man to invest his money in the community, not merely give it away. Those early Christian Communist Subversive Collectivists altered the wording, I'm sure of it.

(sarcasm alert)

Sarcasm? says you steve, but not "Republican Jesus (tm)

Not so much a "mistranslation" as it is a standard misuse. Note that Jesus did not order the rich fellow to do anything, force him to do anything, or take the rich fellow's riches and give them away for him.

Instead, he offered the rich fellow advice and choice, which the rich fellow was free to accept or reject of his own individual volition. Hardly collectivist in the political sense, wot?;-)
Yours,
Issodhos

Yes, a choice. Either you do this, or you will die.

Some choice.

I think the threat here is not collectivism, but selectivism. As in, "we're going to be very selective in which portions of the Bible we follow, and which we ignore..."

There is no evidence that Jesus set out a political agenda. There is, however, pretty good evidence that the early church was significantly collectivist compared to society at large.

Well they ain't collectivist now!
BTW I was under the impression that most churches today ARE
501(c)3 nonprofits.

Am I wrong on this?

JeffH in Occupied TX

Yes they are