Political Punch

Mstessyrue - What does that have to do with this blog, and secondly this country does more to stop poverty then any other. It is the socialist environmentalists that are in the way of country's developing.

So you want to let the terrorists kill innocent people?

From what little of the essay is quoted here, it seems to focus on Jindal's condemnation of the schisms that have molded Christianity as a whole since Martin Luther nailed his thesis to the door of the church. It's more about his very specific viewpoint that what unites us can only make us stronger, in this case, the Catholic doctrine that forms the basis of even Protestant faiths (it all started somewhere).
You can't blame the guy, after he was told he was going to hell (by a Protestant) because he was the "wrong" religion. You won't hear a Catholic tell anyone that.

So who is injecting their religious beliefs into this political debate? Bobby Jindal who wrote an academic paper about his religious beliefs in school; or the Louisiana Democratic Party who paid for a Campaign TV ad focusing on Jindal's religious beliefs? I think the answer is pretty clear, and I do not approve one bit.

Everyone believes that what they believe is superior to any other belief, or else they would not have settled with it. The atheists are as guilty of this as The Bible thumpers, so many use what they believe to separate themselves and establish an individual lifestyle choice yet also manage to "hate" any differing ideology.

Dividing and accusing across denominations of Christianity is as potentially dangerous as what we see happening in Iraq between the Shiite, Sunni and Kurds -- their differences are tearing them apart and claiming too many innocent lives. Here at home, it does seem that many, many delight in their belief that any other way of believing is going to land someone in Hell.

Biggest trouble is, this has to be kept out of politics. We do not elect people to run and defend our country, make policy, and secure and protect us based on their individual faith. What politicians are required to do is non-denominational, period. Freedom for the individual is what this country was built on, and while it is fine to "hate" every last everybody whose views differ, it is *not* fine to let such "hatred" be used to sensationalize what our nation needs from an election.

Hate who you want, it's a personal lifestyle choice, but do not elect anyone who campaigns on hate -- soon enough *you* will be who is hated and used as a pawn, vilified for being "wrong".

My absolute favorite kind of controversy: one over an individual's claim that his religion provides the correct interpretation of the bible, a work of fiction. Maybe there should be a war to sort it all out. This stupid record has been skipping for thousands of years. Enough.

Despite all evidents, President Bush and his administration are still arrogant and blinded by the Iraq War. The people of this country are fed up with Bush’s senseless war and the lack of domestic policies. There are much more important issues in this world that the US should be taking part in, such as global poverty. According to the Borgen Project, whose goal is to fight global poverty, US are one of the nations pledged in the Millennium Development Project. MDP is aimed at eliminating world poverty in half by the year 2015. However, this country has done anything but reducing poverty. The war on “terror” has created more poverty, more hunger and more violence within Iraq and the United States. It is time for this country’s president to rethink the direction where this great nation is going. Put aside the political gain and stop the Iraq war and stop global poverty now.

>>>Jindal was raised Hindu but converted to Catholicism after a Southern Baptist friend told him that “you and your parents are going to hell."<<<<

Anyone who votes for Jindal after this is hell of a dumb arse.

This all reminds me of one of my favorite jokes...Man dies, goes to heaven...Peter is giving him the grand tour...All the hosts of heaven are in groups and generally having a grand old time..."Here's the Episcopalians, there's the Presbyterians...over there are the Unitarians" 'Who are they?" asks the man, pointing to a group huddling by themselves in the corner..."Oh, those are the (insert religion of your choice)" Peter said. "They think they're the only ones here."

Liberals DON'T hate Christians...many of us ARE Christians, even Catholic...we just hate the way some people are trying to codify their religion into law...

by the way, Jesus said to take care of those less fortunate than us and to give up our worldly possessions and follow him...sounds like a liberal to me...

Religion is such a pivotal part of secular issues, which makes things very difficult to please people who are unrelenting in their beliefs. Afterall, it is their right to feel that way, but it definitely makes it difficult. It is still never okay to bash on other peoples religion, though.

Jindal was raised Hindu but converted to Catholicism after a Southern Baptist friend told him that “you and your parents are going to hell."

... to a lot of Southern Baptists, Catholics are going to hell too ... but... just where in the heck is hell other than in the minds of people who have let religion distort their belief in God's ever-lasting Love for Its Creation?

I do see why any good, decent, loving, American would vote for one of those kind! Tell you truth, I can't see a good Southern Baptist voting for this Jingo guy. Let Harry, Bubba or Tom run for office for God Sake!

Jindel is not bringing religion into debate this item he talked about before he was a congressman, first and also it seems he was talking about something he read.

See the Democrats are trying to push an agenda that they are religious so they can get Christians to vote for them. They are trying to cover-up their hatred of people of faith, this is fact, they said it themselves.

Sounds like Jindal knows more about religions than most. Though I'm a Christian, I don't believe religion should have any place in politics. I respect people who take their time, do research and soul-searching before making a religious commitment. I doubt this guy, as bright as he is, had one of those epiphany conversions because someone told him he was going to hell. I tend to question sudden, born again transformations anyway. Always good to check back with those people in a decade or so and see if they're still walking the walk because talk is cheap.

"...the alternative is to trust individual Christians, burdened with, as Calvin termed it, their 'utterly depraved' minds, to overcome their tendency to rationalize, their selfish desires, and other effects of original sin..."

What else is the bible good for now a days other than be used as a tool to defend the many sins of men?
I'm a Christian... and a Christian only. Don't divide me. That should be the true Christian motto.

Praise be to the Lord

Because of this President, I'm guessing everyone's forgotten that we're not voting for a leader to lead and spread their religion. We're voting for a political leader to lead a state and/or country.

This is not just typical Louisiana politics, this is typical left-wing politics. Jindal is what he is, a Catholic ... the dems seem want to blame him for the spanish inquisition. Its disgusting. I will be voting for Jindal in 08.

I am not sure that Jindal is bringing his religion into this debate. It sounds to me like someone is bringing it up in the hopes of portraying Jindal as intolerant. By that definition, anyone who chooses a religion is intolerant. You must think that your religion is better than everyone elses, because you chose it instead of another one. Right, I get it. All religions say that they have something to offer that other religions don't. I think the way to discuss those differences is in an academic setting (like Jindal did), not in a political setting, like this Campaign TV ad. No wonder Americans are so divided. This is the worst-kind of anti-Catholic-bigotry-baiting that I have seen in a long time. Don't fall for it. Talk about religion in school. Talk about public policy in the TV Campaign ads. I don't particularly like Jindal, but even I can see through this.

More fun with religion, and further proof that religion is more often used to divide and segregate than it is to unite and congregate! It would seem that Mr. Jindal is making his argument from a theological viewpoint, one which will no doubt be misinterpreted by most people and will be made a political target, as the Dems in Louisiana have done.

In the midst of a "dialogue of understanding" with various Protestant denominations including the Evangelicals mentioned, the Pope issued a statement several weeks ago explaining that all Protestant religions were flawed, since they did not have the apostolic succession of the Catholic Church, thereby dooming them to apostasy. (Some understanding, huh?) He later backed off, to no small resentment of those denominations he was talking to. Maybe Mr. Jindal is relying on the Pope's guidance.

It's been said that a convert to anything is "more royal than the king." If, as Mr. Jindal asserts, "the Catholic Church is the one source to be trusted when interpreting Scripture," he does a grave disservice to important theologians like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Wesley, who have furthered religious understanding and thought. More importantly, would he also put his faith in the Catholic Church's past interpretations of theology like the sale of indulgences, which was later abandoned?