What type of Government Would Jesus Approve?

BrianCalgary

To start things off I will quote Irish Bob from another thread and ask your opinion. Not what you would like, but what do you think Jesus would like?

Irish Bob Said:
while some christians would claim that jesus would be on the right wing side
those are neo christians or as i like to call them fox news christians
those who belive that donald trump getting a tax hike is just as cruel as betsy a working mother in the projects having to work 3 jobs to make ends meet

if you are someone who belived in telling the truth and i mean the truth about jesus , then you will know that jesus was clearly of the left politically
jesus preached all the time about the rich giving what they didnt need to the poor
he invited the wrath of the rich pharisees for theese beliefs
in case im not being frank enough , jesus was a socilist
that is not to say that capitalists are wrong and socilist are right
i am talking within the context of the topic you raised
and i am telling you that jesus based on his teachings was a socilists
of course if your a neo christian or fox news christian , you might belive that jesus were he alive today would approove of wal-mart
this was actually a headline on fox news one night , i kid you not

gosimeon

Interesting question. I feel that few political issues are truly spiritual issues. As an example, personally, I prefer lower taxes. The Bible does not endorse low taxes, all it says is that we are to pay our taxes honestly (Romans 13:6-7; Matthew 22:15-21). Taxes, and many other issues (social services, healthcare, education funding, transport, etc.) are not spiritual issues the Bible specifically addresses. As a result, Christians can in good conscience have disagreements on these issues.


The Bible teaches that a leader in the church should be a godly, moral, ethical person (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:6-9). I believe this should apply to political leaders as well. If a politician is going to make wise, God-honouring decisions, he or she must have a basic morality on which to base the decisions they are going to have to make. So, if there is a clear moral distinction between candidates, I believe we should choose the more moral, honest, and ethical of the candidates.

Edit: As Irish Bob stated, Jesus was more left than right.


No matter who is in office, whether we voted for them or not, whether they are of the political party we prefer or not – the Bible commands us to respect and honour them (1 Peter 2:13-17; Romans 13:1-7). We should also be praying for those placed in authority over us (Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17). We do not have to agree with them, or even like them – we do have to honour and respect them. Politics is always going to be a difficult issue for Christians. We are in this world, but are not to be of this world (1 John 2:15). We can be involved in politics, but we should not be obsessed with politics. Ultimately, we are to be heavenly minded, more concerned with the things of God than the things of this world (Colossians 3:1-2). As believers in Jesus Christ, we are all members of the same political party – monarchists who are waiting for their King to return (Revelation 19:11-16).

Scofflaw

Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.

cordially,
Scofflaw

Victor

gosimeon wrote:

Interesting question. I feel that few political issues are truly spiritual issues. As an example, personally, I prefer lower taxes. The Bible does not endorse low taxes, all it says is that we are to pay our taxes honestly (Romans 13:6-7; Matthew 22:15-21). Taxes, and many other issues (social services, healthcare, education funding, transport, etc.) are not spiritual issues the Bible specifically addresses. As a result, Christians can in good conscience have disagreements on these issues.

I see taxes as a form of charity and therefore the state providing reasonably for all its members is a Christian thing.

Some of us were given talents, we must share them.

hairyheretic

gosimeon wrote:

The Bible teaches that a leader in the church should be a godly, moral, ethical person (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:6-9). I believe this should apply to political leaders as well. If a politician is going to make wise, God-honouring decisions, he or she must have a basic morality on which to base the decisions they are going to have to make. So, if there is a clear moral distinction between candidates, I believe we should choose the more moral, honest, and ethical of the candidates.

That narrows it down to, well, none of them really.

There's also the matter that morality is separate from religion, but I think we've thrashed that out in a few threads aleady.

gosimeon wrote:

No matter who is in office, whether we voted for them or not, whether they are of the political party we prefer or not – the Bible commands us to respect and honour them

I disagree. Respect is earned, not automatically granted. I will not respect, let alone honour, anyone who has not proven themselves worthy of that accolade.

And to be honest, I subscribe to the Billy Connolly theory of political thought. "The fact that someone wishes to enter politics should automatically bar them from ever doing so."

Victor

foyc wrote:

As Jesus' family were meant to have been re-written by the gospels, his actual history is likely to have been very distorted by the chinese whispers of thousands of years and the influence of the church.

While the possibility exists, the Dead Sea Scrolls from c50 BC indicate there was no revising of the Old Testement. While the Gospels weren't written immediately, they might be quite accurate, except for the discrepancies between each other.

panda100

Just did a political compass on Jesus.

He was:
Economic Left/Right: -3.63
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -0.82
Almost at the exact same place as Gandhi on the political compass.

While some of the questions were easy to answer such as:
'Sex outside marriage is usually immoral'
some of the answers I wrote what I thought Jesus would answer such as for 'It is a waste of time to try to rehabilitate some criminals' I disgreed as Jesus pardoned the thief on the cross.
Also for 'Marijuana should be legalised' I said agree cos jesus did turn the water into wine at Cana so is up for a bit of craic!

JimiTime

He would approve of only one form of Goverment, a heavenly one, Fact! Trying to have a discussion about if he'd be left or right, is ludicrous.
Man will govern itself to its injury.

Victor

JimiTime wrote:

He would approve of only one form of Goverment, a heavenly one, Fact!

Then why did God give us free will?

JimiTime

Victor wrote:

Then why did God give us free will?

Not that I see the relevance of free will in the self governance question, but free will allows us to love. No free will, love does not exist. Love is the key to peaceful and happy existence. Love God, Love your neighbour, on these two things the laws and the prophets hang.

mymind

I like the post from Gosimeon.

I would like each to be excercised in the way of politics. With voting or choosing what if I vote Republican and you choose Demacrat? Which one would have the mind of Christ? For what do we vote? Will the father in heaven take care of our needs or must we vote? We all know who will rule for a short time what if we vote him in? I have voted already and I only had to do it once.

Have faith and be exercised.