I think Kerry's biggest problem is that every few days, he says or does something which even in isolation marks him as unfit to serve as President (this is merely the latest example).

Although the media is doing yeoman's work to cover up and spin for him, I think an implosion is inevitable. I just hope it happens after the convention (though I think replacing Kerry before the convention wouldn't help the Dems much; it would make them look like bumblers).

I agree with you Scott. And I too hope the implosion happens after the convention.

Heresy! cries Mr. Hobbs.

Ah, well. Religious bigots have always interpreted and misinterpreted the Bible for narrow self-interests.

Folks like Jerry Falwell, Pat Roberson and Paul Hill made a living doing it.

And idiots who's only interests is garnering power for themselves at all costs decry religion at every turn. Of course, being a partisan leftist hack yourself I'm not suprised to see you attack religion, Jade.

Folks like Jerry Falwell, Pat Roberson and Paul Hill made a living doing it.

True. So, Kerry is now added to this list? Falwell, Robertson, & Kerry?

I don't see it.

In this grand drama, played out on the national stage, let he who is without sin stone the cast first.

"Salvation was accomplished on the cross 2,000 years ago (See: The Passion of The Christ). It is received as a free gift of grace when you profess your faith in what God did, period. Salvation is powered by God, not by any human action other than faith. It is the height of human arrogance to assert that a human work contributes to salvation. Real faith as it matures produces action, but your good works do not contribute to salvation."

Except for the fact that obedience to God's commands is absolutely essential for salvation. "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." (1 John 2:4-6)

Kevin, I appreciate your comment but I feel you are missing a crucial distinction. Obedience to God's commands are described in that verse as a product of "knowing" God - i.e., being saved. A saved person strives to do God's will - but one is NOT saved by doing God's will. One is saved by the blood of Jesus and the fact of Jesus' resurrection.

I grew up in, and grew out of, a Christian tradition that taught a works-based salvation. God gives you a bucket, you fill it with enough good works and enough avoiding of sin and you earn your way to heaven. You climb the ladder 99 percent of the way there and "grace" pulls you over the last step.

You follow a "five step plan" of salvation, as if sinful man can accomplish his own salvation by following a how-to brochure.

We were told that God's grace was the giving to us of the plan by which we could accomplish our salvation. Hogwash. God's grace was the giving to us of Jesus, crucified and resurrected.

There is no five-step plan of salvation. There is only salvation, accomplished, by God's plan, on a Roman cross outside of Jerusalem 2,000 years ago. You accept the free gift of salvation and let it change you - and that change produces a life of obedience and good works (though imperfectly) - or you reject it.

The verse you quoted says exactly that. A person that claims to know Jesus but does not follow God's commands does not really know Jesus - they are not saved. But it is not the lack of obedience that produces the lack of salvation. It is the lack of salvation that produces the lack of obedience.

The notion that any amount of our obedience, our good works, our command-keeping, can measure up to anything other than infinitesimal, insignificant and worthless compared to what Jesus did on the cross strikes me as the peak of human arrogance. Stack up all your obedience, all your theological understanding and doctrinally sound positions, all your good works, all your law-keeping, all your avoidance of sin, and stack it all up next to the cross. It is worth nothing compared to what He did - and you're no better and no worse than this world's Mother Theresas or Billy Grahams - or its Barabbas'es.

I echo Bill's comments.

Who exactly was it that claimed Jesus was his favorite 'political philosopher?'

I guess 'heresy' only applies if you don't agree their politics.

The larger point is, any religion will be co-opted by those for purposes of self-interest. Bin Laden does it; anyone who disagrees with his narrow interpretation of Islam is branded a heretic. Bob Jones and various fundamentalist rightwingers do it as well--causing them to label Catholics, Jews, etc. as 'heretics' or cults.

Mr. Hobbs is engaging in exactly the same manner of hyperbole. Why? Because it's in his self-interest.

Bill: I'm always encouraged to read you sharing the gospel on your site in such a precise and concise manner!

Credit for that goes to you Michael - I realized that I often read faith-related posts on your blog but rarely did on mine, and realized that God had given me the audience I have (and the journalistic skills, the PC, the money to pay for web space and bandwidth, yada yada yada) and that I had a responsibility to use at least some of my blog for a higher calling than opposing higher taxes. Plus, I'm about to turn 40 and no longer give a horse's patoot whether people like what I have to say or are offended that I say it.

Out of curiosity, Jade, how does saying that Jesus is one's favorite philosopher heretical? It may not give complete credit to all that Jesus actually is, but I don't see how its a contradiction to Scripture.

In contrast, there is a plethora of Scripture stating that salvation is by grace alone. Therefore, Kerry's implication is, in a very real sense, heretical (at least, to those of us in the Reformed tradition). And that's Bill's point.

Tom: I didn't say it was heretical. In fact, I don't go around crying 'heretic' about people I don't like.

You see--unlike Mr. Hobbs--I don't profess to know God's mind. I don't tell people I am the true arbiter of Biblical interpretation.

You see, in any religion--be it Christianity, Islam, Judaism, whatever--there are always those extremists who believe they--and they alone--know God's (or Allah's or Buddha's) will. And they use this belief as a weapon for what is inherently selfish reasons.

Jade, are you a Christian or an atheist or something else ?