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 Evangelicals are expected to account for about 40% of the Republican vote on Tuesday's primary in Florida.
January 28th, 2012
02:00 AM ET
Florida Evangelicals a different breed of voter than brethren in Iowa, South CarolinaBy John Sepulvado, CNN (CNN) - Conservative Christian activist Ralph Reed has called the Bible Belt home for decades, but he grew up in Miami in the 1970s, when the city was emerging as a diverse megalopolis. Among his middle school friends were Jews, Catholics and Methodists. Then, at age 15, Reed's family relocated to the sleepy mountain town of Toccoa, Georgia, so his dad, a doctor, could take a better-paying job. “It was very conservative,” says Reed, who now lives outside Atlanta. “At first – as would be true of any 15-year-old – I didn’t like it. I think it was a culture shock.” Ultimately, the mostly evangelical residents of Toccoa shaped Reed’s faith, helping lead him to Jesus in his 20s. But in terms of his faith-based organizing, the well-known activist drew more on his experiences in hyper-diverse Miami. "Later on in life, when I became a leader in the Christian Coalition, I had a greater appreciation [for] ethnic and religious diversification,” Reed says. That could be good news for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. The former Massachusetts governor is looking to regain momentum from chief rival Newt Gingrich, after the former speaker’s upset in South Carolina, in Florida’s Tuesday primary. There are signs that Florida’s evangelical voters may be more forgiving of Romney’s past social liberalism than their Iowa and South Carolina brethren – and more willing to support a Mormon candidate. “I think Romney could do well in Florida,” Reed says. A more centrist evangelicalism As a percentage of GOP voters, there are fewer evangelicals in Florida compared to South Carolina and Iowa, where Rick Santorum won the presidential caucuses, according to CNN exit polls from 2008. In that year, evangelicals accounted for 40% of Republican primary voters in Florida, compared to 60% in the Iowa caucuses and South Carolina primaries. And compared to those other early primary states, Florida is much more religiously diverse. In the 2008 primary there, Catholics were nearly a third of the Republican vote, with other kinds of Christians, Jews and those with no religious affiliation each claiming a chunk of the vote. Still, evangelical Christians claim a bigger share of the Florida Republican vote than any other religious tradition. There also are signs they may be more tolerant of a Mormon candidate than born-again Christians in the Bible Belt and Midwest. In the South Carolina primary, Romney claimed 22% of the evangelical vote, compared to 44% for Gingrich, according to CNN exit polls. Florida’s evangelicals are “more open” to the idea of a Mormon in the White House, according to Orlando area pastor Joel C. Hunter. “Our nature, of being a fairly mobile state, with a lot of tourism and a lot of transcultural and transnational interaction really makes us boundary spanning, rather than sticking to our own affinity groups,” Hunter says. He leads a congregation of 15,000 at Northland, a Church Distributed, a nondenominational megachurch of the kind that are more popular in Florida than in Iowa or South Carolina. “For any independent church, you’re going to be open – necessarily open – to non-ready made boundaries, open to other religious groups,” Hunter says. “You’ll be more likely to partner with groups that aren’t necessarily like your own.” The pastor cites his church’s partnerships with local synagogues and mosques to help local homeless children. For Hunter, teaming up with different religious traditions follows the example of Jesus. “Jesus talked to the people, the religious leaders others wouldn’t talk to,” he says. “As an evangelical, I should be ready to talk to a lot of people that aren’t like myself, because that’s what I see in the life of Christ, and I’m looking to build relationships.” Mark I. Pinsky, the Florida-based author of "A Jew Among Evangelicals," says there are other key differences between evangelicals in Florida and those in Iowa and South Carolina. “In Iowa,” Pinsky says, “they tend to be rural and older. In South Carolina, they tend to be more fundamentalist, and more likely to be affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention,” a denomination that isn’t shy about pointing out theological differences with Mormonism. Pinsky says Florida evangelicals, especially in the central part of the state, are more likely to have Mormons as neighbors, compared to their brethren in South Carolina and Iowa. “Nondenominational evangelicals are less likely to demonize someone who is a real person,” Pinsky says. Less Preaching, More Teaching Even in smaller Baptist churches in Florida’s Panhandle, there are “notable differences” with Christians in more historically evangelical parts of the country, according to pastor Curtis Clark. “There’s still a lot of yelling from the pulpit in South Carolina,” says Clark, who leads a congregation of 2,500 at Thomasville Road Baptist Church in Tallahassee. Clark says his congregation is split between Republicans and Democrats, that almost all the adults have college degrees and that the parishioners want to be led, not yelled at. “I try and teach, try and encourage,” Clark says. “Florida evangelicals are a little bit more educated, and have a broader experience.” Census figures from 2010 show Florida has a slightly greater share of college graduates than South Carolina. Both the Romney and Gingrich campaigns are reaching out to evangelicals to quell concerns about their candidacies. Both campaigns held conference calls with influential conservative religious leaders last week, discussing religion, personal and policy decisions. Many evangelicals have expressed concern about Romney’s past support for abortion rights and gay rights and over Gingrich’s failed marriages. But Romney doesn’t need to win big among evangelicals to take Florida, Reed says. Because evangelicals make up a smaller portion of Republican voters, Reed says Romney only needs to win a sizeable share of their support. “If Romney gets a third of evangelical voters” Reed says, “he wins the primary.” While Romney skipped meeting with some evangelical leaders in South Carolina, including officials at Bob Jones University, his campaign has started more aggressively courting pastors and religious community networks in Florida. The campaign has participated in multiple conference calls with religious leaders and activists. “In part, I think [the Romney campaign is] more open to outreach by virtue of the Florida demographic,” Reed says. That suggests the Romney camp suspects Florida’s evangelicals will be more open to his candidacy than other evangelicals in the primary states so far.
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no
So are Florida Christians on an acid trip.....CNN?
As far as the pastor who said Jesus talked to religious leaders others wouldn't talk to, check your gospels. The only religious leaders he talked to were Jewish. There is no mention of him talking to the Essenes, Samaritan religious leaders, or priests of the Roman temples. Romney may be a good family man, but Mormonism is not Christianity, according to the Apostles' Creed. Two quick points: Mormons do not believe in the Trinity and they use additional "scriptures" besides the Bible, the Book of Mormon. In our age of religious tolerance, people want to overlook differences, but these differences are important. This is not bigotry; it is simply pointing out facts.
You don't know much about Theology, do you? Check your "sources" and explain to me where did Jesus teach Trinitarian principles, or a closed canon of scripture. Greek concepts such as co-equal and consubstancial are nowhere to be found in original Christian teachings or writings, except those of later centuries influenced by the hellenistic philosophies, and these concepts are fundamental in explaining the Trinitarian tale... As for Mormons, well, "by their fruits ye shall know them" right?
Please cite your sources for these so called "facts".
@LDS-UN, The Bible categorically announces, in Jude 1:3, that we should "contend earnestly for the faith which was ONCE FOR ALL DELIVERED UNTO THE SAINTS". This means the Christian Faith is HENCEFORTH SEALED. Also, guess what language the NT was written in? Greek! So stop denigrating what you have no understanding of whatsoever!
I am old.
I have had an open mind my entire life, at some point you need to take your life experience and come to a conclusion.
With that being said:
Want to make an Evangelical Christian?
Mix 1 Part Sh!t with 2 parts of Self Righteousness and 3 parts arrogance. Shake up the mixture while slowly adding 1 part Fear and 2 parts prejudice and there you have it, an Evangelical Christian.
Have you reflected on the possibility that you might be part Evangelical Christian? You have judged them based on your prejudice and self-righteousness. The very things you find offensive in them. How is your judgment different than theirs?
People like you–and people in general–need to realize that what they hate is the dark parts of human nature. Self righteousness is part of you and me, not just a single religious group. Ditto prejudice. Ditto dishonesty. But people seldom point the finger at themselves. True Christians will actually be the first to admit that they are part of what is wrong with this world. You can read about G.K. Chesterton's response to a question in the paper asking "What is wrong with the world?" to which he replied, "I am."
Ah... but don't forget to throw in that 2 parts willful stupidity and ignorance into the mix or a well prepared Evangelical Christian you shall not have.
Whats sad is alot of Christians are mislead into thinking our involvement in the middle east has much to do about Israel ,that its more about Protecting our interests(which is oil)
I find it odd that so many Christians are so easily led by people who don't exemplify any of the Traits of Christ but merely give lip service.Being a Christian doesn't mean you have to allow yourself to be Led in ignorance.As Christians we need to be wise of the ways of the world and not be followers.
"and not be followers."
Laughing at your words 🙂
Not sure whats so funny? When i say to not be followers,I mean not to be followers of the ways of this world, which assume the only way to get ahead in Life is to see it as a dog eat dog world,where might makes right and having no concept of Mercy or what it is to be Meek,Yet still be bold as a lion in the things of Righteousness.
So to your knowledge you think these ideals were passed down from your god? That's so funny.
Robert, I imagine someone as smart as you would not limit himself to reading only Christian doctrines or contemporary writers. But, at some point in life, regardless of trauma and the sum of experience, I have to wonder why reading anything prosaic and "holy" offers more than listening to your own body and spirit, and those around you.
You already no my answer.Your Problem is your so arrogant in your own perceived wisdom that you refuse to allow yourself to question the possibility that everything you understand in Life,May not be the actual reality of what things truly are.I'm not going to debate with you because you have your opinion and i have mine,I merely wish to express my opinion to fellow Christians who put a misguided trust that politicians are representing there interests.
I wish you would rewrite your statement so that it would make sense. Do Christians believe we are in the middle east for oil or for Israel? Actually it is both. Oil is essential to our way of life. Without home heating oil. many people in the northeat would freeze to death. Without gasoline for fuel food, clothing and medicine would not reach the people who need these items. Our economy runs on oil and without it we will perish. So when a country like Iran, with their crazy (lets bring on the last Caliphate) ideas threaten the world oil supply, we need to defend against their nonsense.
Ya see, Answer, Robert said no such thing. You did, all by yourself. And apparently you're proud of your ability to drag all sorts of red herrings and non-issues into the conversation because that's what you do. You enjoy trolling. Robert, nice courteous answer. But save yourself the trouble because Answer is clearly content stumbling around in the darkness. He's so far gone that he no longer recognizes or even thinks he needs light.
@ Annie
Christians are mislead into thinking our involvement in the middle east is to protect Israel .
We don't need the oil in the middle East.Theres more than enough here in The U.S. ,but we wont drill here because environmentalist have convinced Politicians that its to environmentally risky to drill.(odd they seem to have no problem drilling in the middle east).
We are only dependent on Middle East oil because we allow ourselves to be.
@ Annie
As far as the Iran thing.People are getting too caught up in this paranoid frenzy that unless we attack first we wont have the edge.As much as a idiot Ahmadinejad is, hes not insane.All he is ,is a loud mouth.Too commit our troops to another War on the possibility of a perceived threat is insanity at its finest.
Iran knows that if they ever attacked Israel or the U.S. we would wipe them off the face of the map in a week.I see there reason in going after the Nuke as a Defensive one.I think they see how aggressive we were with North Korea until they got the Nuke and low and behold all the rhetoric of going to War with them stopped.
War isn't the solution to all our problems.Diplomacy is a lost art America needs to rediscover.
Either of them could win through voting errors....
Could someone explain why the candidate with the most vicious morals is the one who is getting the most support from those who love to preach their version of morality? Perhaps they could stop pretending their familyy values are valued by anyone's family. It's obnoxious.
Sounds like you are morally offended at the same time you reject the morals that aren't being followed. Do you even understand your own views?
Between a cheating christian and a theiving mormon, I'll take an honest, good hearted, and intelligent Kenyan Muslim, if one ever runs.
For now, Re-Elect President Obama.
The thing that scares me the most is that there are so many people that actually believe this crap for no other reason than that their parents and sunday school teachers told them to believe.
Can anyone, ANYONE, point to anything besided the bible to justify their believe in a mythical man in the sky?
Second question, can anyone, again ANYONE, point to anything, again other than the bible, to show that the earth is only 6000 years old?
Talking bushes and snakes don't count unless you heard them personally.
Everyone's reality is based on some reference point. It's really hard to change one's reference point when everything they have experienced throughout their life revolves around their interpretation of reality.
Well, can you explain why you feel confident rejecting written eyewitness accounts of miraculous events when you were not there personally to verify them?
So don't believe,no ones pressuring you
Nowhere in the Bible does it say that the Earth is 6,000 years old. A lot of Christians (such as myself) believe the Earth is a lot older (millions of years). Yes, there are some people who just 'believe' everything they hear, but don't lump as all into one group.
I don't accept "miraculous" events, especially if I"m not there to see them.
I accept science, and science is based on the laws of physics, experimental observation, and logical extrapolations from those laws and observations.
Albert Einstein predicted that gravity would curve light. It was an unproven theory until the total eclipse of 1919.
There are no facts or theories that explain god. But being a scientist, I'm will to consider "facts" not faith on this issue.
Robert – "no one's pressuring you." To the contrary, evangelicals are pressuring the federal government to impose their beliefs on my on a daily basis. Just look at the uproar about teaching evolution.
American will never compete if it capitulates to expulsion of science from the class room.
Fair Tax, I have to agree with your assessment. The blind faith of the evangelicals really disturbs me. Yes, I have been called the doubting Thomas on many an occasion, but the fact remains, if it is all true then show me the proof. I don't mean the words from the bible, becuase as shown by many different religions, those words can be made to mean anything you want them to.
@peick
There is a huge difference between historical eyewitness accounts of a great wars, assassinations, natural disasters, revolutions, etc. and historical eyewitness accounts of supernatural events. The former can and do occur and therefore can be witnessed. A supernatural event cannot be witnessed because it exists "outside" of our natural realm therefore SUPERNATURAL. How can anyone possibly see what cannot be seen. Please try and exercise a little critical thought in these matters!
And yet much of Einstein's findings have been found to be false, just as were Newton's, yet you still believe in science?
Actually ill agree with you Fair Tax,as a Christian i feel its not my responsibility to enforce my morals on the rest of the world.Im only concerned with my household.Ill let God judge the rest of the world and only worry about my household.
Thats why i think Ron Paul is the best Candidate regardless of your belief.Hes a Christian but doesn't try to enforce his belief on everyone else.
Brain washing from birth!
How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge. (Proverbs 1:22).
Amen.
Thank you to CNN for actually characterizing diversity among this group known as "evangelicals."
There is a lot of diversity among evangelicals– in theology, practice, and in politics. "Sojourners" has given this liberal Presbyterian exposure to like-minded evangelicals who agree that God does not care who or what group feeds poor people– as long as poor people are being fed. There is a lot of diversity in our Christian family– explore it!
How does one really know that feeding the poor is a part of god's plan?
One consults one of the various books on which one's religion depends. They mostly agree on feeding the poor.
Oh yes, diversity is great.
This is why we have Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny and.... a plethora of imaginary deities.
So some nutjobs are accepting of other lunatics, what a surprise. My invisible pink unicorn is just as real [maybe more so].
Until most of them agree on it, I'm going to assume that all of them are wrong. Every religious group believes they are right and everyone else is misguided, why should I believe any of them?
@answer: god isn't feeding the poor, so apparently not.
Billions of people have had personal encounters with God, but they are all crazy and you arent?
Whatever. It's still mythology.
Can you define mythology?
Mythology – A body or collection of myths belonging to a people and addressing their origin, history, deities, ancestors, and heroes
Myth – A traditional, typically ancient story dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes that serves as a fundamental type in the worldview of a people, as by explaining aspects of the natural world or delineating the psychology, customs, or ideals of society
But there are some of you who do not believe. (John 6:63).
Not believing dictates not understanding (2 Corinthians 4:4).
"You love evil more than good...." (Psalm 52:3).
"How long, O you sons of men, will you turn my glory to shame?
How long will you love worthlessness and seek falsehood?" (Psalm 4:2-3).
"All those who hate me love death.” (Proverb 8:36).
Amen.
I wonder about the word "hell"...
Thus I have a question for you believers: when you type out the word "hell" do you feel anxious? Nervous? Or afraid of the very word?
Why do you feel so strongly in using this nonsensical word?
HELL no
So shouting it out makes it easier for you to get rid of the fear of the word..
Noted.
Go screw yourself some more
You can't get an accurate answer to that question, perhaps. It's probably just a matter-of-fact thing that people spit out or type and for them, it seems like an effective way of expressing something, but many religious people probably can't understand why "Hell" means nothing to non-believers.
If there were 10 Jesus Christs disrupting the status quo today, I imagine all 10 of them would be condemned widely by those who call themselves Christian. Post-mortem punishment is also a way to keep people in line.
Hiding once again 'just sayin'?
Your kind are so laughable.
Not really sure what you are after. Hell was spoken of as a real place by Jesus, according to the written record we have of his words. If you believed in hell and did not fear it, you would be a fool. So you must not believe in it. Jesus did believe in it, and you don't. Which of you is more likely be correct, and why?
@thereturn
So true.
no.
Answer .. excellent point. Subtle, deep and very very true. It takes a lot to break the bonds of a lifetime of indoctrination when just a word can evoke fear and discomfort.
The fundamental thing about people in various degrees of delusion can be summed up by their pathological fears. So thus one can inquire why you religious types are so fearful of life. And the word hell – the "post-mortem" punishment.
I like to point it out as a very "Pavlovian" response to their conditioning.
One of the many upsides of not believing in the existence of a god, is not believing in the existence of a hell, too.
While the religious among us seem convinced that, if they stay true to their doctrine, they will inevitably reach what they perceive to be a nirvana of sorts, they also tremble at what they perceive to be the dire consequences of not following what they have been taught – voluntarily or otherwise.
I find that this thinking is unfortunate since it is based on a proposition that assumes all humans are inherently selfish. Would the people who occasionally show up at my front door trying to spread the "goodness" of their beliefs do so if they knew there would be no ethereal reward at the end of their neighborhood crusade? I highly doubt it.
I am quite comfortable in believing there is no utopian pastures waiting for me at the end of my lifetime. But I also live without the fear of being toasted for all eternity for accepting that reality.
LOL. Actually, the word hell in the Bible means garbage dump.
Too funny.
What you should ask is about the lake of fire.
Amen.
Romney could be a Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian all wrapped up in one and he would NEVER get my vote. He has no problems telling a lie with a straight face. Exhibit A – the video where he calls a blind trust a ruse (saw it on CNN) and yet he attacks Newt and claims he had no control over his investments in his blind trust!!! Also, he has made more flip flops than an Alibaba.com factory!!! He has the personality of an angry doormat, with the grace and look of Herman Munster meets Guy Smiley. GOP in Florida and everywhere else – IF YOU FALL for what the LEFT wants you to fall for and put this man as our nominee then get ready for four more of Obama!!! Obama will chew up Romney and spit him out with a smile on his face and without breaking a sweat. The liberal media, liberals, Marxists, socialists and communists of this nation want you to vote for Romney so that Obama can beat him!!! If they praise him then you do not want to vote for him – they did not praise Herman Cain, Newt and others – they don't want you to vote for him which is why they attack him – a page out of the playbook of Saul Alinsky RULES for RADICALS!!! Also, since we are talking southern here – it also puts me in the mind of Br'er Rabbit – “Whatever you do,” cried Br'er Rabbit, “Don’t throw me into the briar patch” (because he knew he could escape the briar patch) Obama is the rabbit and Romney is the briar patch – WAKE UP GOP!!!
you should try living outside the U.S. for while. good luck getting a better intellect in your next life.
Sadly, there really isn't another candidate in the G.O.P.I really wish we had a different batch of potential president to choose from...
Many people are too weak to resist their parents' obessive-compulsive behaviors. Thus, religion persists. Add technology and globalization to this, you get polarization of people and a lot of OCD religious people who have superficial dedication to spreading their OCD while spending very little time exploring their own egos, shortcomings, and psychology.
If there is a war on religion it is coming from evangelicals who make up rumors about Mormons.
I am surprised and sad that evangelical christians, who are good and believe in just God Christ, support such people as Gingrich and Cain, two of the most immoral and crazy people I have read about. Why do they not have the courage to support the good family loving people like Romney and Obama?
I'm an evangelical Christian but I don't support Cain or Gingrich. I also can't support Romney, not because he's a Mormon but because he flip-flopped and comes across as a used car salesman. I'm glad the governor of my state who humiliated himself dropped out – saved us all an embarrassment.
I won't vote for Obama, not because of the usual GOP rhetoric but b/c I honestly don't see me and my family better off than 4 years ago. I nearly lost my job as a teacher and the price of things has increased. I respect him as the President and as a family man. I don't think he's a villain or the devil like some of the GOP do. I just don't think he's shown strong leadership – emphasis on strong. He leads, but its weak b/c his own party undermines him and acts like babies when the GOP wants to reach out. However, the GOP in Congress give in and act like babies too. He can't win with Congress, both the Dems and GOP in power. He's not strong enough.
So...I'm an independent now. Please don't be sad for all of us evangelical voters. Most of us are just taking a long look at who to vote for. I'm still waiting. After all, its a long time till November. Lots could happen. Maybe Obama could turn the ship around and maybe Gingrich/Romney/Paul/Santorum will screw up royally or vice versa. But don't write us all off yet.
For they same reasons they support executions and sport wars. The Right has perverted religion for political gain. You think they'd like Jesus were he alive today? A socialist community organizer interested in feeding the poor? They'd run him out of town.
Insert divisive, religious material here.
Fight amongst yourselves, slaves. Ra Ra Ra!
Bill, Bill, Bill ... How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge. (Proverbs 1:22).
Amen.
Left... Right... Centrist...
Christian... Muslim... Jew...
It's all just a different way to spread the brainsick nonsense that defines all religions.
A CHALLENGE TO ALL CHRISTIANS OF ALL DENOMINATIONS! :
Whichever denomination can show and convince Moslems of their wrong view of Jesus, they're the one that's upholding true Christianity.
huh?
i think he meant "Muslims".
He wants everyone to try to convince a Muslim that his imaginary friend is better that their imaginary friend. Because they believe some wrong information about his imaginary friend.
That's a great idea. All Evangelicals of all persuasions can band together for this great cause. Is there a web site that can organize this?
The red horned devil who lives in Hades, oh woops Hell, is a Greek construct. Greeks influenced Christian theology as contact with the Greeks accelerated in the Levant. Hell is an absence of God, in if story. Quite evident in scripture, quite evident in the world today.
I know of converted Muslims in the Catholic faith (the original, only Christian faith OLDER than the Muslim faith). IT IS POSSIBLE.
This sounds like a very good cause. All Evangelicals from all denominations can contribute to this. Muslims do know enough about Jesus to possibly bring them over to the true Jesus.
There must be a web site that has attempted this already to some extent.
This has been tried several times in history... we call it the Crusades. Western European Christians sent soldiers and priests to "reclaim" the "holy land". We slaughtered innocent Muslim men, women, and children, in the name of god. Then held a sword to their throat and asked them to convert. We did it THREE times. It's kinda why they hate us.
Leave them alone, your imaginary friend isn't any better than their imaginary friend. Lets keep it peaceful for a change.
@Cyle in Dublin
Obviously, I meant it as an intellectual exercise if that's not to much to fathom these days.
How ironic that believers are crying "tolerance! tolerance!", While they preach that their god will send non-believers to hell to burn forever. If they really believe it, and still worship this god, that must mean they feel it's perfectly OK for non-believers to burn in hell for refusing to believe as they do. And they wonder why non-believers are offended and fed up.
You're assuming you're a non-believer if you're fed up. So, you don't believe in LOVE? God is love. 😉
You will be sending yourself to hell, God and HIs believers have made every effort to see that doesn't happen. Hell will be your own personal choice.
Amen!
Hell only exists for christians to go to.
@ Just Sayin: Hell is indeed a personal choice.. in fact, its a personal CREATION. Whatever you believe, shall be manifested by you, since you contain a spark of the Creator, and have His powers. But don't think you can decide what happens to any other soul... you cannot. That choice is theirs. You should stop trying to impose your belief on others, as that is a violation of the Creators law of Free Will.
Funny how a tiny nutball sect of Judaism could eclipse the truth of words like "hell" an extrapolation of 6 misinterpretations. The context is lost, but that doesn't make Christianity true, especially when you mix Jesus and Empire. Fail.
@ms
God is Love? – lots of love shown during the Noah Myth when he supposedly killed 99% of all life on earth, love during the story of how he helped the Jews slaughter the Cananites, love when he made a bet with the devil to allow Job's family to be slaughtered and Job to be tortured, love when he ordered abraham to kill his son only to stop him and say "that was just a test... kidding"
That's the type of "love" a psychotic shows as he beats his wife and kids... you can keep it.
@Just sayin: You are basically saying "If you "choose" to not believe what I believe, you deserve to burn in hell forever".
When I go to Hell, I plan to take a nice long nap.
What was said, was clearly said to twist it to your way of thinking would be the work of a total ass hole.
God is watching! Christians read the Bible, and do what it says...Do not take the words for your preacher as fact...Christianity is by faith and not things seen....So I've never seen or talked to my God, and its my decicison to follow Christ as a servant....And if you don't believe what I believe then fine....Its a free country....And TV evangelist will all have to face judgement...And so will the prosperity preachers....In 1st Timothy it reads in later days they will preach that godliness is a means to finiancial gain...With them do not hang out with...And it goes on to say be content with food and clothing because our Kingdom and rewards are not of this world...I can understand the hate for Christians...! People are being hearded like cattle and because they don't know the word they believe anything any good speaker puts in front of them....
Whole lot of rubbish in your rant.
So says one of the cattle ...
Amen James