I have been puzzling over some of the terms quoted in the recent article, “Keeping the Faith: Asheville Clergy Offer Wisdom in Election Aftermath” [Dec. 7, Xpress], namely “the godless, atheistic progressive agenda” and “biblical values.”And I find myself wondering: How did the term “progressive” come to be associated with atheism and godlessness? And, what exactly are “biblical values?”
What I understand is that progressives want what the founders of this country wanted for its citizens — “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” In other words, people should have what is necessary for life: adequate food, shelter, clothing, medical care, money, education, etc. And they should have the freedom to be themselves and live in ways that bring them happiness. Progressives work for policies that will create prosperity for the country and help everyone to benefit from it. I don’t see how this can be considered “godless” or “atheistic.” Seems like God would certainly want these things for his “children.”
I have read a fair amount of the Bible, especially the New Testament, and as far as I can see, “biblical values” are those that Jesus taught: Love your neighbor — even your enemy — feed the hungry, care for the sick, visit those in prison, comfort the oppressed and so on. Some say this is a Christian country, but, if so, we do not do very well at following Jesus’ teachings.
In fact, some who call themselves Christians seem to be working toward opposite ends — cutting food stamps, cutting funds for education, letting people go without medical care and so forth. This I do not understand. And then there are the Ten Commandments, which are regularly disregarded. Are there other “biblical values” that are more important than these?
— Susan A. Stone
Black Mountain
LOL, oh you mean excessive taxes and regulations, political correctness and banning of speech, micro aggression, banning of the flag, health insurance that went from affordable to outrageous, unchecked ILLEGAL immigration that has literally killed wages, scapegoated a certain sect of the population as racist, etc is progressive? Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness you say? But if 50% are pursuing it via the other 50% paying for it, who is happy and who isn’t? The way you make it sound, social security and welfare were started in 1783 but they weren’t. Nor did the founding of the country ever call for a handouts and a huge welfare state as you think. Maybe you’re talking about the USSR where the godless state provided such things as bread lines and gulags. Because you are at heart, a big fat communist.
One of the 10 commandments: Thou shalt not steal from Peter who works to pay Paul who doesn’t.
While Paul lives it up. Chases women, has kids by several of them, and then is coddled by communist loons. Along with his kids eating like Kings.
Peter ends up paying for paul’s kids regardless of the number of different mothers or one mother. The economics of mostly school tax is unaffected, and charter schools add insult to injury by cutting Peter out of representation over curriculum.
Tis the season to be a sour-faced misery who seeks out things to be upset with.
Bah, humbug.
Tis the time to wake up from your slumber and realize a huge welfare state along with huge deficit spending does not and will not ever, and I mean ever lead to progress.
What Lulz imagines anyone who disagrees with him is saying-
“Man these lobster tails and steak dinners have really put some weight on this godless ol commie’s waistline. I know I should look for a job, but it’s so much easier to mooch off lulz, as i have done my entire life- and that’s why Lulz never got ahead in life- hold on, I have a call on my free Obamaphone
I done told you woman, that kid ain’t mine! I don’t care what the paternity test says! What? What are we gonna do with him?
Just put him on welfare, the government will take care of him- it worked for us didn’t it? (hanging up phone)
Now I’m gonna settle back, take some drugs, use my pirated Netflix account and watch a movie made by Jews who own Hollywood!
Life is gooood!”
Don’t forget the Patron courtesy of EBT.
Yeah this is what Jesus was all about
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLTTX35LNJo
The average food-stamp participant in North Carolina receives $121 a month (four cents a day). http://kff.org/other/state-indicator/avg-monthly-food-stamp-benefits/?currentTimeframe=0.
How long do you think that Trump steak lasts?
Whoops. That should be four dollars a day.
It would be interesting to see how they compute that average. Do they consider those who only receive 3 months of assistance in a 36-month period participants in the program for the entire 36 months, or even a full year? If so that would skew the average figure downward considerably.
“There are no limits to how long you can get SNAP if you have children/dependents living in your household or are under age 18 or over age 50. If you are a single, able-bodied adult without dependents in your home, you can only received SNAP for 3 months in a 36-month period.“
And btw, that’s only food stamps. … free housing, free healthcare, free food… free clothes.. All ya gotta do is f… ahem! … work hard, and 9 months later you’re getting the big bucks.
LOL, you forget about WIC and SNAP. Plus if one is on them, they’re usually getting other assistance as well. Not too mention the tax refunds per a child that most have not contributed into.
Again, why are people forced to subsidize those that should not have children on the basis of financial instability. And who in the hell thinks that in doing so, it’s progress?
Well, now I see why you dislike Muslims so much. Did you know they have a whole, one-month holiday called Ramadan where they fast during the day to remind themselves how awful it would be to let anyone go hungry during the rest of the year? Will these progressives stop at nothing to shame the righteous?
Muslims are not progressives, even though some number of them may vote democrat, And, of course, a typical derogatory mischaracterization on your part. I never said I don’t like Muslims, but that kind of narrative is necessary for the identity politics you are addicted to.
Your caveats are noted. Don’t want you to melt.
I guess I should have said you dislike Islam (in some forms). Better?
Yes, much netter. t/u
Good. Your position has been clarified, identity politics have been banished, and my joke stands unmolested. All is well.
“why are people forced to subsidize those that should not have children on the basis of financial instability.”
Ah, the “pro-life till birth” position. Shouldn’t you be cheering for every abortion, lulzy, since every child is potentially costing you a few cents more in taxes?
He absolutely should be cheering abortions like I do, and Nancy Pelosi once brought up that the Obamacare contraception mandate would save school tax only to be suppressed by Obama. Though it’s not worth the mandates in Obamacare for fertility treatment, prenatal, maternity and pediatric care which all raise school tax. Which is why Provincetown MA shows that gay neighbors can save us all.
enjoy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nohQReM7BpI
Geez man, you are one angry fellow and sure all those items you named fail to be fully thought out positions, merely accusations, and can be turned back on you. Of course, there really isn’t any sense discussing as you have made up you mind. Thanks for voting in the anit-Christ and now let’s see how you feel supported by El Trumpo the world’s greatest billionaire victim. Poor, poor white man….don’t want to share with anyone.
LOL, so how come if I want to keep more of my wages I’m greedy yet if the government wants to take more to be wasted, they’re not? What on Earth makes anyone think they are entitled to labor of others without putting in the same effort to create their own pay? Typical of the loon mentality. You can’t shame people that are working to pay taxes and their quality of lives are less than those who receive the money. But it takes someone who can rationalize instead of vilify to recognize that.
You can rationalize anything, LOL.
And I mean the “you” in the second-person singular.
That wouldn’t be true if progressives got their way, they would tax the rich and the rich have vastly higher quality of life than the recipients. Only the GOP has insisted on taxing working class trailer dwellers.
The bible also says to let those who don’t work starve.
Now your’e quoting from a book of fairy tales which ripped off established religions of the Bronze Age?
Classy.
But the fairy tales of the modern day left where they claim former communist regimes weren’t really communist but some form of right wing government is truth lulz. And that they know how to implement true communism now by not making the same mistakes of the past LOL. Yet if given the chance, will end up doing the same via state force and the outcome will again, be the same.
I didn’t hear you lulz- did you agree the bible is a made up book of fairy tales or not?
Hey genius, the LTE author quoted from the bible. Make sense now?
A book of fairy tales- yes it does and has made sense for a few days now.
Oh, it’s the Basement Theological College Professor of Religious Studies.
‘For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’
If Snowflake saw an unemployed carpenter named Jesus hanging round town with a bunch of swarthy part-time fisherman, a few prostitutes and a leper, he’d call the cops, then the FBI, then ICE and finally Homeland Security.
Refer back to context and whom Jesus was referring to. He wasn’t talking about every Joe Blow on planet Earth. He was talking about his brothers in the faith.
John 11:35.
Tell us how Jesus paid for his food and lodging, and no, the Bible does not imply that he was doing trim work on the side or that he had a trust fund.
Jesus and his disciples survived through the giving of others, not through the taking from others.
“The bible also says to let those who don’t work starve.”
— ‘flake, Distinguished Professor In Theology I Pulled From My Butt
OK believe whatever you want.
2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
10 In fact, when we were with you, this is what we commanded you: “If anyone isn’t willing to work, he should not eat.”
11 For we hear that there are some among you who walk irresponsibly, not working at all, but interfering with the work of others.
12 Now we command and exhort such people by the Lord Jesus Christ that quietly working, they may eat their own food.
If they faint before they starve, is it okay for a taxpayer-funded crew to roll them into the gutter? I can’t believe Our Lord would have wanted to make good, pious people step over them.
I know the fricking verse, flakester. That’s Paul the bureaucrat telling churchy types how to balance the books, and I was asking about the homeless and jobless Jesus who told people to sell everything, give up material possessions, and wander around with him. Try again.
You come up with extrajesus like that, and I’m the flake? mkay. Where did you read that? Salon?
Uh, Matthew 19:21 says something along those lines.
Or perhaps “Snowflake’s” point is that scholars generally view Second Thessalonians not as the work of Paul but as a forgery written under a fake name by some clod who just made stuff up to vindicate his own prejudices.
And, while we are doing exegesis, where does “Snowflake’s” quote say that anyone should let anyone else starve? It merely says that certain people “should not eat” — that is, they should fast — during certain times of idleness. There’s a difference between giving others advice about what they should voluntarily avoid doing at certain times and designing public policy for benefit of an entire country.
Perfect example of extrajesus.
Matthew 6:25-34
I always forget that for certain self-satisfied christian types, being forced to read the words attributed to Jesus in the gospels is a shock.
But the shock wears off. Proverbs 26:11.
I think Proverbs 26:11 refers to progressives who flee the democrat run messes they helped create, and then come here and vote democrat. A definition of insanity is continuing to do the same thing expecting a different result.
Where do you live?
Sorry I’m not gay and not interested.
You used the word “here.” Where do you live?
Luther, to answer your question, Snowflake lives in Illinois.
You can’t remember where you live? That’s a shame. The rest of us might like to avoid that place of insanity.
When I said ‘here’ I meant Asheville and the surrounding mountains. Yes you definitely need to avoid where I live.
You still haven’t said that you live in Asheville or the surrounding area, and I’ll take that evasiveness under advisement. But now that you say your comment was referring to Asheville, your professed doubt about the sanity of transplants makes no sense.
Despite its non-partisan elections, Asheville’s government has been dominated for some time by Democrats and progressives who rely on their values (religious and otherwise) to inform public policy. If someone moved to Asheville solely because she thought that the overall quality of life was superior to the quality of life where she currently lived, and she thought that local government significantly influenced that circumstance, then logically she would vote to preserve the political status quo, particularly when the opposition is so lame and crabby and devoid of ideas. However, your factually unsupported premise about what motivates people to move from one city to another is likely incorrect. When you did your survey, how many people gave “fleeing” as their reason for relocation? Lots of people move to the Asheville area for climate, and only Democrats and progressives fight to keep that from changing for the worse.
PR – interesting commentary. Speaking for myself, the local govt had zero to do with my reasons for moving to AVL and, overall, it probably doesn’t have much impact on my life here. I’m a balance person – the good old yin & yang is what I value so would prefer to see a better balance of views in local govt.
As far as people fleeing other places — YES, I’ve very much heard that from newcomers, myself included. They were ditching some combination of: congestion and the intense attitudes that go with it, high taxes and cost of living, weather, were bored with the place they’d lived for a long time, ETC. For them, AVL is an improvement on all of those plus it offers some unique characteristics.
This I can also share, I’ve met LOTS of newcomers and most don’t know much at all about the history of the area, neighborhoods, local govt and culture and on and on. I remain surprised about that as it indicates such uninformed decision-making and is contrary to my approach. But, indeed, many have mentioned the ‘liberal’ mindset as one of the reasons for choosing AVL; they appear to prefer echo chambers.
The bible says many things, like bestiality, sexuality, rape…:
http://www.salon.com/2014/05/31/11_kinds_of_bible_verses_christians_love_to_ignore_partner/
Susan…having all those niceties is great, but NOT a other taxpayer’s expense… there’s a LIMIT and we are WAY past it.
help make America GREAT again, Susan, and NOT at taxpayer expense.
Is this a reference to the 1950’s when the US disparity of wealth was a fraction of what it is today and the top tax rate was 90%? Those were the good old days alright.
Different beliefs in GOD are the number one justification for mass murder and killing in the world today and throughout human history. I say God Damn all religions and especially those true believers who use GOD to justify their inhumanity.
Really? Ask the victims of Stalin and his numerous purges. Oh you can’t, Or how about Mao and his purges. My guess, at least a 100 million plus dead in under 40 years combined just by those two alone.
Oh and let’s not forget our own little piece of murder inc. of 60+ million children to progress the theory of SUBSIDIZED female sexual independence.
“And the haters’ gonna hate, hate, hate.” — 1 Swift 19:89
Beats the false profits that call the left believers in God yet stand with abortion. Can’t have it both ways loon.
La la la change the subject because white evangelicals lost every moral argument over the past fifty years.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2016/03/11/this-is-what-abortion-politics-is-for/#
What a sad sad hater you are.
lulz is right there. pro-choice people can NEVER allow disputes over race or economic system to eclipse abortion rights, especially in West Bank Israeli settlements or Hillary’s anti-choice alliance with Saudi Arabia. Abortion makes the cold war into childs play and is a far bigger issue than slavery ever was. Public schools tax the environment too.
Buncombe County provides abortions up to 12 weeks, one week less than Asheville Planned Parenthood. Why aren’t both sides outraged? why do other issues EVER upstage this one at County Commission meetings?
Woo hooo, I knew this was going to be a good thread!
“Because you are at heart, a big fat communist.” — ok, that was a total LOL. It makes no sense relative to the letter writer’s inquiry but then her letter wasn’t coherent either. Good ‘ole Asheville.
The letter writer implies that everyone is entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Even if their efforts are through the labor and taxation of others. And as we’re experiencing now, half the population is taxed to pay for the other half. Half cannot pursue anything else besides more hours at work because their money is increasingly being taken and redistributed to the other half.
How long that last is anyone’s guess. But do not think for one second that a half the nation, including fat cat worthless government employees, can continue to live above the standards of those that are taxed will lead to happiness.
Yes, I see your point. I read the letter in the print edition last week and didn’t re-read it til just now. It’s still garbled.
I do fundamentally disagree with this statement by the letter writer, “Progressives work for policies that will create prosperity for the country” — that is a bit of sheer absurdity. Liberals, overall, are CLUELESS about business (which is what creates prosperity, obviously). I was so puzzled about that 15 years ago or so that I gave it good think and realized that 90% of the Democrats I knew were employed in: non-profit, academia, government, the arts or an operations-type job rather than on the front lines, which is where the rubber meets the road. It was a useful exercise in that at least now I understood WHY they had no practical understanding of how excessive regulation hurts sales, basic wages at levels too high will ultimately cost jobs and cause employers to look increasingly towards automation, ETC, ETC. Problem is — even if all that is plainly explained, the epidemic denial pattern kicks in again. Why? I can only deduce that they just don’t care. Their prophets tell them it is A-ok to take from others (Bernie…the King of Grab n Go Prophets!) and the moral backbone doesn’t otherwise exist to counter the greedy, self-serving messages they are getting.
Hhhhmm, perhaps that’s why the “godless” labeling occurs. Not sure.
“Liberals, overall, are CLUELESS about business”
Posted during office hours, while you’re playing with your stapler.
Thank you for proving my point, Luther.
P. S. Think of me about 2AM when I’m pushing some paper around my desk.
Check this out, guys: http://www.truthrevolt.org/news/chart-compares-occupations-republicans-vs-democrats.
I liked the contrast between floral decorators and exterminators, but there’s a little something here for everyone.
This political specialization is a big problem for political towns like Ave Maria FL, where are they going to find teachers? where will Asheville find cops? In both those cases they are optional because towns can do without, but where will Asheville find plumbers? Who will fix the precious water system? in Flint too!
Liberals clueless about business- hmmmmm
Yet the progressive Jews still own the banks and Hollywood (in your mind) and are only getting richer-trying to have it both ways again?
Gimme a break. Even a famous liberal politician couldn’t get Wall Street to pay but a quarter million for a whole speech. Well, more of a meet-and-greet really, but still. How much can they know about business?
HAHAHAHA, Boatie – you don’t have the slightest understanding of that crowd. Sure, “progressive”, that’s what they are. LOL, lulz, LOL! Trust me, they know today what you’re going to be “thinking” in Feb.
Since I am a person of goodwill, as PR mentioned, I’ll tell you why. Because they know what you want to believe and are masters of subliminal messaging. No one else holds a candle.
Ooops, do not pass Go, do not collect $200. Try again.
Remember, keep chains out of downtown. Make sure government intervenes for us because we can’t compete.
Downtown chains are the only way to boycott HB2 because all NC based business, meaning everything but chains, are subject to the boycott. Buying local is OUT!
It’s not half. it’s about 3/4 that are taxed to pay for 1/4. Those numbers need to be reversed. the occupy movement chose 1%. tax them to pay for 99%, and they would be right if breeding wasn’t involved, but if you subsidize breeding with maternity care, it will crush even the billionaires.
Interesting list, Pierre. And largely supports what I deduced many years ago.
Surprises – higher numbers of Prof Poker Players and Carpenters are Democrats? Whoda thunk?
May RW soon require the services of any of the professions he disparages. For extra fun, when you meet them (face to face mind you), be sure you tell them what you think of them as ‘the hired help’ voting for the wrong party.
Especially teachers, flight attendants, bartenders, taxi drivers, chef, psychiatrists. medical services, legal services, mental health professionals, or any other profession you obviously could not perform their duties better than.
You’ll be surprised how quickly your armchair expertise grows by leaps and bounds!
I can’t believe the mods removed my particularly clever and accurate response to Titanic. Gee, so sensitive.
The only person disparaging occupations is Boatie. Not cool.
And what do I do for a living again, oh shrieky righty Trump apologist toddler?
I await your response.
xoxo
You’re not getting into the spirit, boatman. As I told Le Vrai Monde, there’s something here for everyone. Notice who’s got the used-car salesmen? And the yoga instructors? This is the kind of thoughtful online analysis that we need to help bridge the divide.
By the way, the poker-player thing shouldn’t be a surprise. Trump won the pot at his table and his “tell” was opening his mouth.
Pyotr – you do recall he won the pot on the Repub ticket, right? Apparently, it’s the Dems that are the swanky poker players. I understand they are also tops at racial division, class warfare, making lousy nuclear deals, “community organizing” and, best of all, kicking the 2 most bad azz world leaders right in the shins. Hhhmm, smart or crazy? I think the latter. Outgoing POTUS has got stones, I’ll give him that.
I recall that the Republican players folded in the face of an obvious bluffer while they were still trying to figure out how he got in the game. It’s true that the sharp players were all at the Democratic table. Their problem was that the hands were being dealt off the bottom of the deck.
By the way, Comrade, with everything I’ve seen in the papers these many months, you might want to rethink the Russian schtick. Some low-hanging fruit in that orchard.
Yes, I see. He did Trump them in the primaries, indeed. Well, in the general too.
I’m assuming you are making a funny with the remainder of your comment. Bernie — well he might be sharp. B/c he got massive name recognition he couldn’t have acquired otherwise and moved into a newly-purchased for cash, 600K property on the shores on Lake Champlain less than 2 weeks after the Dem Convention. The 3rd home for our “man of the people”. My, he really knows how to stretch a Senator’s salary! Right-o. A gift from HRC. I believe he’s writing a book now and will acquire some solid coin from that too. All excellent strategic planning, Bernie — for yourself, that is. I’d rather read a book about what the h*ll his wife was thinking when, as Prez of Burlington College, she saddled that small school with 10 million in debt! They went defunct in 2016.
HRC – she’s definitely sharp. Like a snake. Of course, it’s easy to be clever when rules and laws do not apply in your world. Not to mention having good friends in very deep, dark places who will do your dirtiest work. (RIP Seth Rich).
“everything I’ve seen in the papers these many months” — Ahhh yes, some of the primary bastions of fake news. Ditch ’em, PR — you’re being programmed. Whatever integrity and decent intent they may have had many moons ago has not been the case for at least the past 2 decades. Propaganda. See how they kept you so accurately informed about what was happening in the elections? Go cold turkey — you can do it.
Yes indeed, BO and HRC would just be going nuts right now about Russia is she had won. Wouldn’t they? Frauds.
Propaganda like this? http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/29/us/politics/russia-election-hacking-sanctions.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=span-ab-top-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0.
We’ll see what happens with that. Bushy said there were WMD’s in Iraq and just a couple months ago BO said “our elections are NOT rigged”. Hehheh, that was before what the Detroit recount evidenced. Then, notice how they stopped counting.
Our leaders are liars and they all cheat. I’m worried for anyone over 40 who hasn’t figured that out. I propose a forensic examination of the 2016 and 2012 election’s. Bring it. (too costly to go further back and these 2 would be example enough) I have no illusions about what would be found but maybe it would finally wake-up some of the dreamy people.
NY Times is all about the propaganda and people know it. They’ve been losing readers, subscribers and advertisers for a good while and really tipped their hand this year. Which is why they just moved out of 8 floors in their HQ building and put them up for lease. They need the money!!
I coulda sworn Trump made yuuuuuge $ registered as a Dem before the early 2000’s, huh.
Oh my, where’s my sparring partner Real World for this statement?
It suddenly is sooo quiet in here.
Let’s get this thread back on track.
There’s nothing wrong with being an agnostic, and not voting GOP.
Period.
And nope, sorry, not on any gub’mnt assistance ever.
Remember posters, until The Moral Majority, most Christians were pretty apolitical as in they voted for the best candidate, and did not blindly
cast their vote for brand name loyalty, preferring instead to adhere to actual positive parts of Christian fairy tales.
You know, raising a family, enjoying life in a 1st world country, etc.
PS please remember the root word of progressive is progress.
Progressive progress
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLTTX35LNJo
So sad, Snowflake can’t even fish for a new rap video to use as ‘proof’.
He recycles his ‘proof’.
I thought I was worth more than that.
Funny, for a cockroach not afraid of the light, he’ll go the Chuck Berry music vs Elvis, who like Bill Monroe robbed from the best.
Bill Monroe and Elvis= poor white trash who stole, surprise.
Isn’t that precious. The guy that is forever prattling off-topic want to re-direct the thread b/c the truth about the Dem fraudsters just hurts too much. Priceless!
Let’s wait until Jan 21, RW, then we can talk about fraudsters. Will you be willing to own up to your party’s faults or merely keep shrieking about a lady who is no longer involved in the governance of our country? We’ll see I suppose.
LOL, they be enlightened. Even holding such left wing loony bastions as California as enlightened. You know, the same place that just made underage prostitution legal. So of course, they’ll jump on the bandwagon now too. And as they always do, without thinking it through or even criticizing it.
Legalized underage prostitution in CA, eh Lulz?
Ok, I’ll bite- post a credible and verified source for that one.
It’s “be fruitful and multiply” and everything that follows from that, that destroys progress and perpetuates hunger and homelessness.
If one is so certain in their convictions they would post their real name and photo. Anonymity is for cowards, like the ones that wear bedsheets and hoods.
I don’t use my photo as a courtesy to all.
And like left wing protesters who wear masks, hoodies and bandanas.
Fortunately, you can always recognize the righty protesters for their 1488 neck tattoos and jailhouse tat swastikas on their forehead.
Nowadays worn with 3 piece suits. So quaint.
I’m only surprised nobody has pointed out a similarity in Spencer’s haircut to another historical figure.
I also noticed numerous cases of police at various anti cop violence type protests for the past year or so being filmed refusing to give their name or badge # and covering up their badge with their hand while on camera.
Guess it works both ways.