Ed: And what about policy decisions that lead to unnecessary death, like opposition to universal healthcare or the repeal of environmental regulations? Was it an attack on Christian beliefs when the police killed George Floyd?
There are important nuances to the question of universal health care – the extent of what and who it covers. But, generally speaking, Christians SHOULD favor policies that protect the desperately poor and those without basic ability to receive healthcare. But we can’t cover EVERYONE cradle to grave – nor should we. Those that CAN pay, should. But this forum isn’t designed for constantly debating wonky policy nuances, and nor will I. But we are to have compassion for those who can’t help themselves or can’t afford it. And, BTW, besides many other considerations, how we limit the numbers of who we let let – both legally and illegally – impacts our collective ability to take care of those truly in need, that are already here.
Ed: When an evangelical Christian supports the death penalty is that an attack on Christian beliefs?
If you knew Scripture, you’d know that in it, God Himself mandated the death penalty! Even in the New Testament, the power of the state to attached that punishment to certain murderous crimes is affirmed, and certainly not refuted / done away with: From the BBC on Christianity and the death penalty:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religion ... nt_1.shtml
Ed: … he (Fea) knows that attacking Roe v Wade is a costly battle that cannot be won.
But “if” God has created life and has mandated its sacredness – if this is true, then Christians have the moral right to stand against it – regardless of the financial costs. We aren't to choose what is right to stand up for based only upon the costs involved.
Ed: Since I don't believe in gods that whole idea is meaningless to me. Even if gods were real, as long as you have the option to select between a bunch of different "objective" moralities your choice can't help but be a subjective one. Thus your values are the ones you picked or that your parents taught you, same as mine.
Ed, there is a reality behind this universe and time – either God exists and has come in the form of Christ, or He has not. And “if” He has, then whatever religious myths and false gods invented by man are irrelevant and thus there CAN be just one God and His laws of morality. And ONLY IF Christianity was just a series of fabrications, would you then be correct – as none of it’s teachings would matter one bit. But, then again, neither would your moral sense of things, mine, or anyone else’s either!
Ed, I don’t believe you have even evaluated the evidences of the God of the Bible. Yours seems a constant emotional response disguised as being intellectual in nature. There is much, very detailed, fulfilled prophecies to look at. There is common sense that a sophisticated universe couldn’t just pop into existence immediately, with such extraordinary things we can’t even really understand them but faintly, and JUST the right things or incredible designs immediately became physical and operating with breathtaking precision – you have no answer to that and NO reason to believe that “it could just happen.” And you sure can’t tie the “given enough time” belief to something that occurred instantly! No billions of years involved for blind, non-intelligent processes to do anything at all – because, at the Big Bang, what was instantaneously created was a functioning, complex, interactive universe obeying precision laws that still govern us today. Everything that instantly came into existence, within the first minutes of the Big Bang, checks every possible box for amazing things that require intelligence! And the belief that non-intelligent things could ever create themselves, or even if eternally existing, given enough time, become intelligent and create and do extraordinary things. What is it about blind, non-intelligent - not to mention previously non-existing things - do people not get???
In fact, Ed, you never seem to substantially discuss any of the evidences put forth for our belief in God. You only seem to be here year in and out trying to disparage Christian beliefs and pushing political solutions. WHY? It just makes no sense. Go to one of a million political chat rooms for such stuff. You’re a lot like Kenny, who spent years arguing for his unbelief and atheism. I’ve never seen either of you convince anyone of your anti-theistic, atheist-influenced beliefs! It's like you're continuously looking to prove what you cannot to people (Christians) who already and totally disagree with your core worldview beliefs, or to insinuate they are hypocrites. Why keep torturing yourself? And please don't think I'm saying you don't have the right to be here - as you most certainly do. And it's certainly not personal - I'm sure you're a nice chap. But the collective thrust of your posts are beginning to look extremely redundant, as well as the motivation, is, well, bewildering.