Tom Delay: Political hack, or nutjob? You decide.

[€uroMeinke]

Originally Posted by Nephythys

I just love it when we can call someone who believes Christianity is the only way as a nut.

Christian Nutjob

[Ghoulish Delight]

"Definitive" "Comprehensive"

Someone who uses those kinds of adjectives to describe ANY religion, I don't care what it is, has a seriously distorted perspective.

[Prudence]

I have zero problems with someone holding those sorts of personal views -- even "definitive" and "comprehensive". What our nation struggles with is the boundary between personal moral code and The Moral Code. Some people hold a moral code that compels them to establish standards to which they would hold all citizens -- not merely standards they themselves try to follow to the best of their own individual abilities. That is what makes me nervous. And moral codes can vary widely even within a group such as, say, Christians. Many Americans are adverse to what they see as paternalistic behavior.

It's an uneasy balance and the boundaries are not well defined. But once drawn they're difficult to alter. I think we need the system of checks and balances to make sure the boundaries aren't placed hastily and without contemplating potential ramifications.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Prudence

IAnd moral codes can vary widely even within a group such as, say, Christians.

Exactly, so how does that make it "definitive" if no one can even agree on what it is?

[Prudence]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

Exactly, so how does that make it "definitive" if no one can even agree on what it is?

It could be definitive for the individual; it's the application to a group that's problematic.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Originally Posted by Prudence

It could be definitive for the individual; it's the application to a group that's problematic.

I believe that is what DeLay is saying-- that Christianity is definitive for all. "Christianity is the only... answer." That's a closed-minded statement, in my estimation.

[Prudence]

Originally Posted by LSPoorEeyorick

I believe that is what DeLay is saying-- that Christianity is definitive for all. "Christianity is the only... answer." That's a closed-minded statement, in my estimation.

And I guess I don't have a problem with him believing that. He's welcome to think that his brand of Christianity is the answer -- even the ONLY answer. Neither he nor anyone else is welcome to require me to live as if his or her brand of Christianity was the only answer.

Stated another way -- he's welcome to believe that wearing lederhosen on Thursdays is the only possible way to ensure eternal salvation. He might believe that anyone NOT wearing lederhosen on Thursdays is doomed to burn in the eternal hellfires. That alone wouldn't necessarily prevent him from being a good legislator. But don't expect me to run off now and change into short pants because it's for my own good, dammit.

Besides, I'd look awful in leather shorts. I'll bet they chafe.

[Not Afraid]

Ladies and gentlemen, Christianity offers the only viable, reasonable, definitive answer to the questions of 'Where did I come from?' 'Why am I here?' 'Where am I going?' 'Does life have any meaningful purpose?' " DeLay said. "Only Christianity offers a way to understand that physical and moral border. Only Christianity offers a comprehensive worldview that covers all areas of life and thought, every aspect of creation. Only Christianity offers a way to live in response to the realities that we find in this world -- only Christianity.

Is this from a scary 3 am infomercial? Believing in something is all well and good, but his lack of respect - and apparent lack of knowledge - of other forms of worship and belief is astounding and frightening.

[Name]

Ladies and gentlemen, Christianity offers the only viable, reasonable, definitive answer to the questions of 'Where did I come from?' 'Why am I here?' 'Where am I going?' 'Does life have any meaningful purpose?' " DeLay said. "Only Christianity offers a way to understand that physical and moral border. Only Christianity offers a comprehensive worldview that covers all areas of life and thought, every aspect of creation. Only Christianity offers a way to live in response to the realities that we find in this world -- only Christianity.

I would say the nutjob aspect comes from the implied idea that christianity is the only answer and will save the world....I seem to recall another nutjob that has similar views about the muslim faith, he was so radical about it that he had some planes fly into some really tall buildings. I swear, if people were more tolerant of other faiths and thought about it a bit to look at the similarities in them all, the crap that goes on in this world would be greatly diminished.

I will not respond to attacks about this post, the comparing of Delay's comments to Usama are only there to give some perspective to the words uttered by both and the dangers of such idea's. I in no way intend to say that Delay is the same as Usama, however the idea's that other faiths are wrong is a dangerous one and an idea that has us in the predicaments we are in right now.

[Ghoulish Delight]

There's an old joke. It's written from a Jewish perspective, but me thinks it would translate just as well to Christianity (necessary vocabulary - shul: Yiddish word for synagogue):

After a shipwreck, a young Jewish man managed to survive, stranded on a deserted island. He spent several years, building shelters, foraging for food, and learning the art of survival as he went. Miraculously, he was one day able to catch the attention of a military ship that passed by the remote island and was rescued.

Once recovered from his ordeal, he returned to the island with a camera crew filming the story of his survival. The shelters he had built were still in tact and he began to give the crew a tour. "Over here is where I slept," he said, pointing to a small but sturdy lean-to structure. "Behind it is where I stored my food," gesturing towards an ingenious pantry that he had built half burried to keep things cooler. "And most importantly to me, is this building, my shul. It was with God's help that I managed to survive." He continued the tour, pointing out the smaller immenities he had set up for himself. After a while, the crew noticed that he had not mentioned one large building, just down the beach from his shul. "What's the one?" one of them asked. "That?" he responded. "Feh, that's the other shul, I wouldn't be caught dead in there!"