Why the negativity towards the Christian faith?

It just has NO place here. I don't want to hear about private religious beliefs here. Keep it to yourself please. Go to the religion forums to talk about it.

Religion has no place in politics.

Why not concentrate on what unites us (Ron Paul), rather than what divides us (religion, race, gender, etc.)?

The Democratic Party it the party of group politics, if you are so worried about groups, why don't you go there. I'm sure they will be more than happy to divide and conquer you, just like the rest of this nation.

My reason. 60% of Kansans voted for Mike Huckabee, mostly because of the abortion issue. I absolutely hate this issue. I wish it would go away, but it never will! It will always be an issue. It comes up every election cycle, and it is as if it was the most important issue. But, it's not. Yet, election after election, the Christian conservative base is energized into a frenzy to vote, and it pretty much always comes down to abortion.

Case in point. There were people in line at the Kansas Caucus with duct tape over their mouths with the word "LIFE" written on it, and they were supporters of Huckabee. Huckabee was in Kansas drumming up the religious vote, and most of these folks believe it is their civic duty to vote. For most of them, the only issue they look at is whether or not the candidate supports abortion. Nevermind, if they are in favor of continuing the occupation of and bombing of innocents in Iraq to the tune of over a million dead.

Abortion is a horrible practice, but as a libertarian, I don't pretend to know what is best for someone else. My libertarian views lead to the idea that only you know what's best in your life, whether the issue is abortion, drugs, whatever. Ron Paul has a position on the issue as a doctor, and I respect his view on the issue. Ron says that we should not have a federal ban on abortion, just as we should not have a federal law allowing it. It's not an issue for the federal courts to decide, and it should be left up to the states.

When Ron Paul announced his candidacy, I thought here is a candidate that is pro-life but has a reasonable position on the issue that both sides could agree on. I thought, this should be a states' rights issue. If California wants to allow it they can. If Kansas wants to ban it, they can. But let's let each state decide. I thought that we could FINALLY have an election that was not decided solely on a candidate's stance on this issue. I have pro-choice Democratic friends that disagree with Dr. Paul on the abortion issue, but they respected that his position came from a principled view based on his interpretation of the Constitution. For them, it was a non-issue, because they agreed that there were much more important issues (economy, national sovereignty, loss of civil liberties, respect for the Constitution, etc etc.). And, I thought that the Christian base could be motivated to support Dr. Paul's unflinching pro-life views.

I was obviously wrong. Apparently, it's not enough to have a consistent pro life candidate. It's not enough that this candidate is an OB-GYN that delivered over 4,000 babies. It's not enough to have the endorsement of Jane Roe. No, it seems that most of these people will not stop until all abortion is banned at the federal level.

But, face it, they are hypocrites. If you are truly pro life, then you should be like Ron Paul and support life in all its forms, whether it is the right of the unborn, or the right of a foreigner to not be bombed by our empire, or the right not to be put to death by your government. Who would Jesus bomb? No one. Jesus wouldn't be bombing innocent civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. How any person can claim to be a Christian and support killing of any life is beyond me. Why isn't the protection of life in all forms their issue?

After all, it's not like these Christian conservatives stop buying Chinese products at Wal-Mart. China has a one child policy that leads to back alley abortions of unwanted female children. Some even resort to cannibalism of the aborted fetuses in the poorer regions. China has an atrocious human rights record. They harvest organs of Falun Gong practioners and have mobile execution vans. An atrocious anything-but Christian country. But, most of these so-called Christians conservatives still shop at China Mart.

I would also submit that some of these people are for abstinence only education, which is naive to think their teenagers will not have sex. Numerous studies have shown that children of religious parents are just as likely to engage in premarital sex. Many of them become pregnant and are afraid to tell their parents, so they have abortions. 1.2 million abortions last year in the U.S. That is a ridiculous number, and it is sad to me. But, if your goal is to truly prevent abortions, shouldn't you want to encourage people to use birth control, condoms, etc?

Also, for people that are supposed to understand the metaphor of the wolf in sheep's clothes, these are the same evangelical voters that brought us George W Bush. Here is a guy that started a war with Iraq, is hell bent on going to war with Iran, is shredding the Constitution, and says torture is acceptable, yet people voted for him solely on his claiming to be "born again."

I have a strong respect for all persons that consider themselves to be spiritual, and I respect anyone that has a desire to understand why we are here and to understand the meaning of life. But, I have a disdain for those who believe they know what's best for me. I disdain those that want to impose their view of morality on others. If they were truly God fearing Christians, then they should also know that only God can judge me. So, my disdain is towards those that say they'll "pray for me" just because I have a different interpretation than they do. A friend of mine was told this very thing by a Huckabee supporter just because my friend said he was going to vote for Dr. Paul.

So, to me, to answer your question, it is the latter that I have an issue with.

Pro-war christians have a warm seat in hell waiting for them....there will be no forgiveness for the deaths of the innocents.

If he walked into the Vatican.

Say what you want, but don't mess with Santa Claus or you'll get a lump'o coal in your stocking.

It's not about Christianity in general (of which I count myself as one) it's about the Evangelical/Fundamentalist sector that has pervaded the faith and blindly attached itself to the Neoconservative movement in this country. They do not think as much as follow and therefore many Christians feel their faith has been "sold out" by these people.

I might take some heat for this, but I stand by my experiences. Please keep in mind that does not apply to all believers, this has just been my experience.

I became a believer about 9 years ago. Notice I didn't say Christian or born again, more on that later....

After spending time in several "churches" and even working in a "Christian" school for a couple of years as a teacher, I have come to realize some things:

1.) The true believers and followers of Christ are far and few between.
2.) Many people who claim to be "Christians" do nothing more than judge, condem, and act as if they, by the grace of God, are holier than others.
3.) Some want nothing to do with non-believers.
4.) Many "Christians" want this war with Iraq and to spread more wars in the middle east. Since when is God in the business of making war?

Since becoming a beleiver, I have:
1.) witnessed Christians that gossip with the best of them.
2.) been part of a church where the "Pastor" had an affair.
3.) Seen people kicked out of a church and the school if those people didn't conform to the exact way things are "supposed to be done" even though they really did nothing wrong.
4.) I have had professing Christians lie right to my face and I have witnessed them lie to others.
5.) met "Christians" that turn out to be the most hypicritical people I have ever met. I know athiests that are more honest.

.
.
I do not consider myself "Born-again" because I have no right to make that claim. I have no right to claim that my soul has been saved. Only God has that right. It is His decision, not mine. The arrogance of some to say they are in God's grace because they said a prayer of forgivness, go to church, raise their hands in worship, or read the Bible is beyond me. I have witnessed others that say a sinner's prayer and nothing changes in the way they live their lives, yet they walk around claiming they are "saved". They have no right to claim that they are saved.

I believe in the Lord and why He was sent here. I do my best to follow his ways and could only hope I will be in His grace one day.

I expect violent responses from "believers"

___________________________________________________
A perfect God is not made imperfect by imperfect people.