05-09-2007, 09:35 PM
Believer wrote:<i>
Do you deny that Christians have started many worthy organizations and charities?</i>
Christians have indeed founded many worthy charities, and there are also many worthy charities that have not been founded by Christians. Christians do not own a monopoly on charity. In fact I would argue that if the US really was a Christian nation there wouldn't be a need for homeless shelters in the first place, as the poor and needy would already be well taken care of. FEMA actually was a functioning and useful government agency before the "faith-based" administration came into power, and gov't programs such as food stamps and Medicaid help huge numbers of people, no religion required. Whether our "faith-based" administration manages to gut those programs as well remains to be seen.
<i>
There are many who benefit greatly from the teachings of Christ, so why try to turn people against it</i>
But you don't need to follow any religion to get the benefits, many of the teachings in the Bible are good things to live by (such as not killing, not stealing, etc,) but you don't have to believe in a supreme being in order to follow them.
Do you deny that Christians have started many worthy organizations and charities?</i>
Christians have indeed founded many worthy charities, and there are also many worthy charities that have not been founded by Christians. Christians do not own a monopoly on charity. In fact I would argue that if the US really was a Christian nation there wouldn't be a need for homeless shelters in the first place, as the poor and needy would already be well taken care of. FEMA actually was a functioning and useful government agency before the "faith-based" administration came into power, and gov't programs such as food stamps and Medicaid help huge numbers of people, no religion required. Whether our "faith-based" administration manages to gut those programs as well remains to be seen.
<i>
There are many who benefit greatly from the teachings of Christ, so why try to turn people against it</i>
But you don't need to follow any religion to get the benefits, many of the teachings in the Bible are good things to live by (such as not killing, not stealing, etc,) but you don't have to believe in a supreme being in order to follow them.