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June 14th, 2011
11:59 AM ET
Top evangelical to Anthony Weiner: Try JesusBy Dan Gilgoff, CNN.com Religion Editor (CNN) - One of the nation’s most prominent evangelicals has entered the debate over whether Anthony Weiner will benefit from therapy, encouraging the embattled Jewish New York congressman to try Jesus instead. Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, tweeted this message of the weekend: “Dear Congressman Weiner: There is no effective ‘treatment’ for sin. Only atonement, found only in Jesus Christ." The tweet set some tongues a wagging, especially because Weiner is Jewish. USA Today said the remark echoed Fox News' Brit Hume comment that golfer Tiger Woods, a Buddhist, should try Christianity after he became embroiled in a sex scandal last year. Mohler, who leads the flagship school of the Southern Baptist Convention - the nation's largest evangelical denomination - took to his blog Tuesday to defend himself amid the controversy, noting that his tweet “never mentioned Judaism.” “Rep. Weiner’s problem has to do with the fact that he is a sinner, like every other human being, regardless of religious faith or affiliation,” Mohler wrote. “Christians — at least those who hold to biblical and orthodox Christianity — believe that salvation is found through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and in him alone.” Mohler called the controversy over his tweet “another sign of how politically incorrect biblical Christianity is becoming in our times.” What do you think? Is Mohler simply stating Christian doctrine? Or is it improper to suggest that members of other religious traditions who are facing crises try Jesus? |
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team. |
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What am I chopped liver?
Christ said to preach the gospel to all creatures
Weiner qualifies as a "creature," so there you go.
try being more discreet...
Salvation is definately someone own business. But if you found a blind deaf man in front of a bus, wouldn't you try to help that person become aware of reality? If we haunt the person night and day and don't leave him to make his own decision, I woulld agree wth you, but this is just a blog and the preacher has only made a recommendation.
He just wants to get some texts from him...
@Chris
Hey -Chris...
You Said: "But if you found a blind deaf man in front of a bus, wouldn't you try to help that person become aware of (reality)?"
Your statement/question above, by stating it as such, couched within the ana-logy you are using, especially by using the word "reality" *infers* that you *know* what "reality" is.
Please be careful of assuming your 'beliefs' as if they are facts.
Respectfully,
Peace...
I
Peace2All, if someone is about to be hit by a bus, that was the "reality" that I was inferring to make a point. Don't mean to offend you, but when you have faith that has been proven to you, out of love you try to help the lost. Weiner is someone who qualifies as lost (as we all do) and he is in need of help (as we all are) and I personally know that our Lord will take away all perverse temptations.
yes but this is the equivalent of speaking and pointing to communicate with the deaf, blind person. hello?! christ is irrelevant to non-christians. what about not christian does this guy not understand? insane.
Chris, that argument is used all the time. It's out-of-touch 101. Pushing your belief on others is irritating, whether or not your motivation is "out of love".
@Chris
Hey again, -Chris...
You Said: "Peace2All, if someone is about to be hit by a bus, that was the "reality" that I was inferring to make a point. Don't mean to offend you, but when you have faith that has been proven to you, out of love you try to help the lost. Weiner is someone who qualifies as lost (as we all do) and he is in need of help (as we all are) and I personally know that our Lord will take away all perverse temptations."
Yes, I was aware of your using the ana-logy of a deaf/blind man to being hit by a bus = to (paraphrase for brevity here)... "saving someone's soul." You are *inferring* your (beliefs) 'as if' they are "reality" or "fact."
They are certainly 'not' the same thing. Your 'beliefs' are not 'fact.' here. Yes, of course... you 'may' 'possibly' be right in your beliefs, but let's not state them, or act as if they are (proven facts) here.
Oh, and BTW- thank you for being civil, you certainly did not 'offend' me here.
Regards,
Peace...
Maybe Weiner was just trying to represent all those twittards and Fecebookers in a more demonstrative way.
But he should have changed his name before going into politics. Keeping a pathetic name like Weiner is totally stupid.
If you can't be normal on your own and need to try Jesus, avoid the priests because there's usually more scandals involved there.
I completely agree with davegeorgia and Mohler that Christ is the only way but tweeting about it in the open was in the wrong. As much as i agree that it would be better off that all of our deepest and nastiest of sins should be broadcast on the evening news, The more professional and loving way to approach it should have been through a personal email or correspondence.
It is just as "improper" for Mohler to tell Weiner to "try Jesus" as it is for anyone else who tells Mohler not to. This is an absurd article, CNN.
Suggesting that a Jew convert to Christianity? Isn't that anti-Semitic?
I thought Jews got a free pass to heaven.
yup we do
and to David Vitter and the C Street gang and Mark Sanford, Larry Craig, John Ensign, Mark Foley...some of whom actually broke the law and engaged in bribes...TRY Jesus again and way harder with more feeling?!
The concept of sin was introduced by the Jesus-freaks. Can't these demagogs stop harassing the rest of the population with their "Jesus is the answer"? Tell me why priests are pedophiles of the worst kind? Instead of phony religion we should teach common decency.
OUTSTANDING RESPONSE!
Hopefully it's a concept you can grasp someday for we are all sinners.
I fail to understand the connection between Jesus and priests.
Preisthood is a profession. By the way the religious of Jesus time were against him.
Jesus was referred to by them as a friend of sinners.
I think you should read up about JESUS for yourself, not just what the prfessional priest tells you, so that you can get to know JESUS for yourself. He advocates love, compassion, faith, and m any positive attributes. Leave the Jesus freaks and priests alne they do not always form a good representation of JESUS. Find out or yourself at least before you slander him.
Priests are profeessionals, just like lawyers and politicians, and accountants. Not all of them have the best credentials cause they are human.
Why not try Jesus? That worked out so well for David Vitter, John Edwards, John Ensign, Newt Gingrich, etc., etc....
because jesus' weiner is way bigger than weiner's
The sad things is that he WOULD try Jesus if he thought that it would save his sorry A S S...
You don't need Jesus or religion to "atone". Whatever happened to forgiveness? I'd say that takes precedent over telling someone they are in need of salvation (which is personal, and none of anyone's business).
Forgiveness? Well, Jesus can take care of that as well.
Matthew 11:28-30
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
I wonder how Albert Mohler (and other Christians like him) would feel if someone tells him that to address his sins
" There is no effective ‘treatment’ for sin. Only atonement, found only in Mohammad."
LOL I can only imagine what he suggests to Christians who sin.
I don't want him to send a picture of ... himself to my twitter either.
Micheal Mason, how do you know this?
It is INSULTING that this person would tell weiner to TRY JESUS. Weiner is jewish It would insult a christian if a muslim said Try allah or if a buddist said try buddah. ITs wrong on so many levels.
How do you know? Jesus might like text messages with weiners in them, heck he might even send a pic back.
True I don't believe for a second that weiner will be helped by this exchange, but why can't he spread his weiner joy all over the place?
I couldn't agree more. "Try Jesus". How ridiculous. If these evangelical idiots would do a little thinking and a little research, they would find that Judaism and Christianity are fundamentally identical. I think that "try Moses" is equally as applicable.
Judaism and Christianity are anything but "identical."
Jews reject the divinity of Christ, the central tenet of Christianity.
while I agree with the pres Al of the SBTS of what weiner should do, the weiner is an opportunistic islamic convert for political gain, a complacent muslim wife, and $$$ from paki lobbyists. the confession of lies and personal failure was a start on the road to recovery for the weiner, but there are many that doubt the sincerity of those confessions, especially since he will not resign his position, later disgraces will be more severe if he does not truly make a repentant "about face", everyone needs Jesus and even with the obstacles the weiner faces, all things can be made new
You really need to move off of conspiracy lane
Dave,
Wow...please read this and get help
.
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that makes it difficult to tell the difference between real and unreal experiences, to think logically, to have normal emotional responses, and to behave normally in social situations.
As the illness continues, psychotic symptoms develop:
• False beliefs or thoughts that are not based in reality (delusions)
• Hearing, seeing, or feeling things that are not there (hallucinations)
answer three questions Dan and Artist: is the weiner married to a practicing muslim from pakistan? does the weiner worship with his wife? does the NY imam support the weiner (btw a muslim bashin weiner)? the answer to all those questions is yes. If you can't refute the facts, you can't dismiss them as fiction