en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/644073 Comments by idkate http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/lgrin/2011/02/19/sanity-and-sanctity-the-ennobling-fantasy-of-j-r-r-tolkien-part-1/#IDComment129293602 Every year around October for the past few years I've made it my tradition to read LOTR. It's my way of annually meeting up with a dear old friend. Thank you, Mr Glin for sharing your passion for Tolkien with the rest of us. Sat, 19 Feb 2011 22:51:20 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/lgrin/2011/02/19/sanity-and-sanctity-the-ennobling-fantasy-of-j-r-r-tolkien-part-1/#IDComment129293602 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jjmnolte/2010/09/23/never-let-me-go-review/#IDComment100548899 Reading about the plot of Never Let Me Go made me think of 1984, and I think most of us know how that story turns out. What these SF stories typically portray is a world where God's grace does not exist. To an an unbeliever these premises of a world where grace and mercy do not exist seem like very real possibilities but as believers we know that where evil abounds His grace abounds even greater which makes these stories of quiet acceptance repugnant and silly. Thu, 23 Sep 2010 16:26:17 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jjmnolte/2010/09/23/never-let-me-go-review/#IDComment100548899 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment80134353 Yes, Jesus stood up to RELIGIOUS LEADERS, not GOVERNMENT LEADERS. BIG BIG difference. Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:53:54 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment80134353 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment80134150 Let me fill you in on something. I am mad as hell at what our government is and has been doing! I stood front and center at my local Tea Party. I called my congressperson before the Stimulus and Obamacare votes and demanded he vote NO! I vote and I take a stand when and where I can against the insidious socialism that is creeping into our society. What I don't do is invoke the name of Jesus when I am on a political campaign. Why? Because unfortunately we live in a secular society and to use His precious name to make a political point gets you NO WHERE and I firmly believe that it only does harm to the Body. If you can't understand that and want to go on and call me a "troll" and a non-Christian go right ahead. Sticks and stones etc...I also believe you CAN be a devoted disciple of Jesus and choose not to engage in politics. It is just that simple but if you cannot agree with that point then we will just have to agree to disagree and I guess we'll find out in the next life which one of us was right. Amen! Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:51:50 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment80134150 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment80060649 Are you drunk? First of all, this debate is about 4 days old so GET A LIFE! Second, lindava had commented that instead of "love" she was going to be sure she had a shotgun therefore I took that to mean she was purporting the use of force. In my other comments I was dialoguing directly with Common_Man and my comments were directed at that discussion only. Cheer up! It only goes downhill from here but Jesus is coming back! Mon, 14 Jun 2010 07:19:43 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment80060649 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79413925 You know what? I'm really sorry I began this argument. I believe like all earthly things that politics can make it way too easy to lose sight of the things that really matter. I've seen Christian brothers and sisters about come to blows because of political differences and it breaks my heart. These are not salvation issues so why do we allow them to divide us? The argument in a previous thread that made me sick was some guy claiming that if you aren't slugging it out with the liberals then you aren't a Christian at all and he has a lot of people here agreeing with him! I agree 100% that it is right to take a stand against the people in power that are wrecking this great country. Just leave the name of Jesus out of it. I also agree that if a Christian chooses to stay out of politics and instead puts their energies into reaching the world for Jesus one person at a time that doesn't make them any less of a Christian. Thu, 10 Jun 2010 05:15:42 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79413925 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79410068 Not a mind reader, didn't know you meant self defense when you wrote that you're keeping the shotgun in lieu of fighting with "love" to win people. I was employing sarcasm to make my point about Jesus, albeit inartfully. I'm all about showing the love. I'll leave the down and dirty political fights to the rest of you. Cheers! Thu, 10 Jun 2010 04:31:30 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79410068 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79389019 Ditto to everything you just wrote. You could have saved me about 3,000 words if you had only stated this at the outset but it's been great practice honing my arguments. Thanks brother! Thu, 10 Jun 2010 01:50:16 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79389019 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79379365 I would suggest you read Thomas Middleton's thread which is directly below this one. Last time I checked he had 6 thumbs up and as a Christian I find that very disturbing. This world is too temporary and this life we are given too short to spend it arguing over the things that don't last. If you want to wave the banner of Christ while fighting in the political arena then by Jove have at it! There is no one to stop you. Enjoy your evening. Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:16:45 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79379365 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79374515 Is this the only comment thread you've read and commented on? You're missing out buddy! The overall tone I'm detecting in most of these comment threads is that liberals are the enemy and that we must as Christians ("waving the banner of Christ") go to battle with them in the public arena. This is the argument I've been addressing in my posts today. Once again, by ALL means debate and fight for what is right and true but when it comes to the public arena, we should leave the name Jesus out of our political debates. Wed, 9 Jun 2010 23:36:46 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79374515 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79370187 "Life is a mission field. Politics is just one small slice of life. Waving the banner of Christ in the political arena is just as important as waving it on a mission trip to Mexico or Haiti, or waving it in a jungle in Africa. Let’s put Jesus back into politics. He can fix it. He can fix anything." Now how did I get "off track"? Did you read Thomas Middleton's comments which originally got my feathers up? He said that Christians that choose not to get involved in the political arena are cowards or slothful and not Christians at all. That is the message that I am disagreeing with. You can be a Christian and choose not to delve into the underworld that is our political system. You can even be a Christian and choose to take on that fight but it was my suggestion (and I seem to be alone here) that Christians shouldn't make going against leftist ideals a holy crusade. Like I've said before you can't win over unbelievers that way. Wed, 9 Jun 2010 22:57:37 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79370187 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79363777 Yep and that crazy Guy from Nazareth went around with a gun blasting those who disagreed with Him, right?... What?! Do you mean to say that while we were yet sinners He laid down His life for us? And we are supposed to be imitators of Him? That is insane! Wed, 9 Jun 2010 22:03:06 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79363777 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79358870 I don't know of any secular liberals that would take kindly to their ideas of taxing the rich to give to the poor being called "a sin" do you? I'm all for cutting taxes and bringing down the size of government and I will argue those issues with reasoned arguments, i.e., smaller government and free markets make for greater economic prosperity. That is something an unbeliever can understand. I don't believe Christians should invoke the name of Jesus to make a political point, not in a fallen world that desperately needs His message of salvation. Wed, 9 Jun 2010 21:20:05 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79358870 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79357305 Good luck with that. I'm sure God will be able to use you to win over many people to Himself ;-) Wed, 9 Jun 2010 21:05:09 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79357305 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79355977 My disagreement here is with the Christians who say it is un-Christian to choose to stay out of politics or God forbid, vote democrat. What matters is that Jesus came to Earth, He died on the cross for the forgiveness of sins, rose again and will return someday for His church. That is the message that Christians should be spreading. I'm all for political activism just leave Jesus out of it. Wed, 9 Jun 2010 20:53:04 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79355977 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79353924 Let's say I have a friend that believes Jesus came to earth, shared the message of salvation, died on the cross for the forgiveness of sins, then rose again and is coming back again someday to reclaim His church. She believes this and shares it with everyone she knows who will listen. On the same token, she voted for Obama and believes the democrats have the right answers for our country. Should I stop being friends with her? Should I tell her how wrong I think she is to believe this way? Many of the commenters here today would shout a resounding YES! to that question and I happen to disagree. I don't see the need to make our earthly government the end-all be-all litmus test for who is just and righteous in the eyes of the Lord. I'm all for political activism I just don't think Christians should go about it foolishly like some soldier of God proclaiming it is God's will that a conservative be elected when who the heck are they to say they know what God's will is??? Leave Jesus out of earthly politics. It turns unbelievers off when as Christians we put so much effort into getting people to vote the way we want them to instead of winning them over to Jesus! Wed, 9 Jun 2010 20:42:54 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79353924 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79347380 Et si habuero prophetiam, et noverim mysteria omnia, et omnem scientiam: et si habuero omnem fidem ita ut montes transferam, caritatem autem non habuero, nihil sum. Wed, 9 Jun 2010 19:56:27 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79347380 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79340471 I'm all for it, I just plead with my brothers and sisters in Christ not to look on it as a matter of God vs. the democrats. These are all very earthly matters and when Christians enter the political arena as the Moral Authority it tends to backfire and turn unbelievers off to what it really means to be a disciple of Jesus. Wed, 9 Jun 2010 19:14:26 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79340471 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79339435 By all means vote, attend Tea Parties, campaign for conservative candidates, call your congresspeople and demand they repeal Obamacare, go to school board meetings and demand our children be taught American exceptionalness. I'm for all of that! What I'm against is Christians calling other Christians cowards and slothful because politics is not their cup of tea. For some Christians seeking out the lost in gentleness and love is what God has called them to do and you can't do that when you are filled with this vitriol and hate for people who don't see things the same way you do. Wed, 9 Jun 2010 19:06:37 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79339435 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79336675 I bet in your view only the King James version is the TRUE Bible. Am I right? I've never been called a "typical liberal" before. My agnostic liberal democrat sister will get a real kick out of that! Good one, Thomas. Wed, 9 Jun 2010 18:45:10 +0000 http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/vjackson/2010/06/09/im-mad-at-christians/#IDComment79336675