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November 3rd, 2012
09:00 PM ET
My Take: On Election Day, proclaiming my loyalty to Jesus
By Mark Schloneger, Special to CNN It seems frivolous, even foolish. On Tuesday, as the world turns its attention to who will occupy the most powerful office of the world’s most powerful nation, hundreds of churches will gather across the United States to worship a servant. As votes are counted to elect a president, thousands of Christians will take the bread and the cup to remember their crucified Lord. As winners are projected and the electoral map is updated, Christians of many denominations will sing their praises and proclaim their loyalty to Jesus. It seems ridiculous, even silly.
After all, America is at a crossroads, and we are in the midst of one of the most critical presidential elections of our lifetimes. We know this because people have recited this same tired mantra before every presidential election. How the White House changed Barack Obama’s faith Our fears, our hopes, our worries and our struggles are the currency that buys our votes. And how do politicians and their supporters acquire this precious currency? They invest billions of dollars to foment fear, inspire hope, create worry and exploit our struggles. It’s a power play. Some of us are pawns, and some of us are participants. But some of us are choosing a different part. I initiated the Election Day Communion Campaign out of a concern that Christians in the United States are being shaped more by the tactics and ideologies of political parties than by our identity and unity in Christ. Out of this concern, a simple vision sparked the imaginations of congregations nationwide: the church being the church on Election Day, gathering at the Lord’s Table to remember, to give thanks for, and to proclaim its loyalty to Jesus. The making of a candidate: Mitt Romney’s faith journey Gathering for Communion on Election Day seems fitting, for the practice of Communion is an inherently political act. It is both a pledge of allegiance to Jesus and a declaration of independence from all other powers making claims on our bodies, minds and souls. Far too often, the church has abandoned its first love for the siren song of political parties promising protection, prosperity and peace. Far too many times, the church has ceded the practice of its faith to the spiritual and the private while leaving others to address matters of justice. And far too frequently, the church has attempted to speak truth to power while seeking and relying on that same power for protection. The bread and the cup are God’s antidotes to our fickle memories. As we eat and drink together, we remember that all things fall under the lordship of Christ. We remember our sin and need to repent. CNN’s Belief Blog: The faith angles behind the biggest stories We remember that God has lifted up the humble, filled the hungry with good things, and chosen to reveal God’s strength through our weakness. We remember that the only Christian nation in this world is the church, the holy nation that transcends all human-made walls, boundaries and borders. As we gather at the table, we remember that the power to redeem, to save, and to transform comes not from atop the seat of power but from within the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Follow the CNN Belief Blog on Twitter We will gather for Election Day Communion not because we think that the issues at stake in this election are unimportant or that our votes don’t really matter. No, we will gather for Communion because we think that the issues at stake in all elections are far too important to be relegated to our votes alone. The Lord’s Supper reminds followers of Jesus to practice the politics of Jesus. To me, practicing the politics of Jesus means working to protect the sanctity of all human life, whether it is found in the womb, in prison, or in countries at war against us. It means choosing the way of forgiveness and reconciliation rather than vengeance and violence. It means practicing an economy based on generosity and mutual aid. It means offering care and compassion to suffering people regardless of their immigration status, economic class or religious practice. It means being good stewards of God’s good creation. And, most of all, it means allowing God’s kingdom to break into the entirety of our lives, from the privacy of our homes to the politics we practice in public. The bread and the cup keep calling me back to the table inscribed with memory. There, I remember God’s choice for the transfer of power. There, I remember where to go with my fears, my hopes, my worries and my struggles. At the table, with my sisters and brothers, I am in the presence of the Holy. Though I’m interested in the outcome of the presidential election, I won’t be watching the projected results as they are announced. I’ve made a prior commitment. I intend to honor it. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Mark Schloneger. soundoff (3,435 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 Next »
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  About this blog
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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Editor's Note: Mark Schloneger is pastor of North Goshen Mennonite Church in Goshen, Indiana.
Sick things : I know who made the world. John 1:1-5
oh stop your bu11$h!t
@Christian
Where did god come from. Define infinite. What do you know. Nothing, same as me.
God created himself, and if you don't believe in Him, He will destroy you!
I am Muslim. My religion is the real one. you must convert or else. Anshallah
Christian
Do you believe everything that you read in a book? What evidence is there that this is true?
Christian
John 1:3 "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."
Yet, science has discovered that the universe was not "made" by anything, but was naturally occurring, so that really limits the things God supposedly made to animal sacrifices, priesthoods, the collection plate and human gullibility.
@ Ken: so your argument is that nature was "naturally occurring." that's self-referential. a tautology.
how do you get something out of nothing? even stephen hawking is attempting to fabricate an answer on this question and failing. scientists have a wide range of guesses here, but no definitive answers – certainly nothing has been "discovered" (as you assert) that answers this question directly.
Stevie; it's "bullshit", not "bu11$h!t". Is your keyboard broken?
Ken
Christian
John 1:3 "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."
Yet, science has discovered that the universe was not "made" by anything, but was naturally occurring, so that really limits the things God supposedly made to animal sacrifices, priesthoods, the collection plate and human gullibility.
Ken I hope you do realise that because of Genesis 1:1 no scientist worth his salt can disprove YHWH's existence. Also the Natural Sciences study the natural not the supernatural and as such have no say.
Nii. Noone can prove the existence of a god. No evidence of a god has been seen since the Big Bang and noone knows what if anything happened before. All creation myths are not accurate including the bible. The onus really is on the claimer to prove their claims.Ergo no god.
itsallaloadofbollocks
Nii. Noone can prove the existence of a god. No evidence of a god has been seen since the Big Bang and noone knows what if anything happened before. All creation myths are not accurate including the bible. The onus really is on the claimer to prove their claims.Ergo no god.
that's wholly untrue. The Bible and the other Creation myths and their interpretation is a subjective issue as evidence of God's existence. Where you may think its not another may think they are. For me the Mosaic Tabernacle's design which follows the functional architecture of the human brain is enough evidence for me as well as the way the Bible aligns with human psychology and psychoanalysis.
5 Worst Mistakes Women Make in Bed
Terra: they are the same person. Satan clause. He just rearranged the letters to get in the house easier.
I won the lottery!
Congratulations! Are you going to spend both dollars in the same place?
Funny, there is no substance or education of any kind behind the posts reacting to my very sincere and humbple posts. I am not educated? Wrong.
One only has to observe their own reality to see how little they know of truth. I can not educate yo in particle physics if you don not with to hear, but even then there are no anwsers for the human.
The infinate space.
what's your phone number? I want to talk to you in private.
Are you a cute asian babe lol?
I guess those teaching Physics are not interested in spelling.
well, I am now. You won't even know the difference
@Christian, I am not a scientist, just a humble human.
@hot asian babe, I like you shaved
yum
Science will set you free of your Religious nonsense
That is very true in once sense, our close inspection of the world around us and the natural processes has shown us that we have absolutely no way of understanding how life on earth first began.
We have science to thank for the understanding that our universe it not eternal in the past, it had a beginning. We also have science to thank for telling us that all of the matter in the universe, time and space itself were created at that beginning.
We have science to thank for giving us a clear understanding of how the universe is fine tuned for the building blocks of life.
So, science points to the existence of an external agent.
Dont put your trust in religions, put your trust in the author of life, the God of Abraham.
Amen!
Romney is a Mormon. Not a Christian.
Finally someone who speaks the truth.
Please educate yourselves:
Jesus Christ is the literal Son of God. His birth, life, death, and resurrection fulfilled the many prophecies contained in the scriptures concerning the coming of a Savior. He was the Creator, He is our Savior, and He will be our Judge (see Isaiah 9:6, 53:3-7; Psalms 22:16-18).
Under the direction of our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ created the earth (John 1:10; Hebrews 1:2).
When Jesus lived on the earth (approximately 2,000 years ago), He led a perfect life. He taught by word and example how people should live in love of God and others.
Through His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and by giving His life on the cross—that is, by performing the Atonement —Jesus Christ saves us from our sins (1 Peter 2:21) as we follow Him. Because of the Atonement, you can be forgiven of your sins when you sincerely repent (Book of Mormon, Mosiah 26:30).
Through His Resurrection, Jesus Christ saved us from death. Because He overcame death, we will all be given the gift of resurrection, that is to say our spirits will be eternally re-united with our bodies (Acts 24:15; 1 Corinthians 15:22). When life on this earth is over, Jesus Christ will be the final Judge (Acts 17:31; John 5:21-22; Acts 10:42).
why you gotta call romney a moron?
looks like Mormons are Christians, since they believe in the guy.
Mormon: the book of Mormon says Jesus and Satan are brothers
You are following a different Jesus. Burn the Book of Mormon. You were on track until Satan deceived you into believing the lies he wrote in that book.
I though Satan and Santa Claus were brothers. Now I'm confused.
I believe Rom is a Muslim!!!
No one tells you that you must believe in the bible or its truths. The big thing in this election is for all to have the right to Religious Freedom, this country is going away from God. If you are not a believer that is your right but if I do believe that is my right, only thing is the unbelievers want to take away the rights of those who believe. I think also for those of us who are believers and are Pro Life this election is big because we know Oboma would put in liberal Supreme court justices. that would be very bad for America. Why I ask, did this country ever allow for a Mom to take her babies life, One out of four kids is missing in the class room. Maybe could have been your best friend, wife or husband. A Nation who kills its unborn is a Nation without hope. To whom much has been given much more is expected, this Country is a great Nation, we have so much, but we will loose if we do not change the course we are on. Vote for helpless little babies, VOTE LIFE!!!!!! Please
its truths? What truths. that fairy tale is written by MEN. It's opinions at best.
I just don't want you hypocrite fanatic religious nuts to shove YOUR beliefs down MY throat. You get it?
No one is shoving beliefs down your throat.
Bob bales sucks sweaty balls
Bob Bales. I want to stuff somethng down your throat.
"If you are not a believer that is your right but if I do believe that is my right, only thing is the unbelievers want to take away the rights of those who believe"
Which rights of yours are being taken away?
"No one is shoving beliefs down your throat."
When there is an attempt deny other citizens their civil rights, that is certainly shoving beliefs down the throats of non-believers
What does any human being on this Earth know that I don't know? Please. Tell me.
John 14:6
you peoples is crazy
I know the first to be a lie and the second to be true. next.
you are as nutty as they come. does the mental hospital know you are using one of their computers?
Sick things is a lazy reader. He speaks without taking time to read the Scriptures.
@Christian
Well, I would ask you why you say I am a lazy reader, but since your statement is without merit I will address the larger issue. You have no credibility. You don't anything more about his world than I. Period.
Theists make me sick. Absence of evidence is evidence of absence.
@ Mickey:
You exist. You didn't make yourself.
If anything, the more we learn, the more we realize how *little* of the known universe we can see – much less understand.
And yet you are so SURE there's nothing greater than you that "theists make you sick."
"absence of evidence is evidence of absence." sounds like you are hoist by your own petard.
you are confusing "absence of evidence" with "evidence of absence"
Your statement "Absence of evidence is evidence of absence " is the logical fallacy known as:
Arguments from ignorance Drawing a conclusion based on lack of knowledge or evidence without accounting for all possibilities
The evidence is absent, so let's make up stuff. Yeah, that's the ticket.
"Arguments from ignorance Drawing a conclusion based on lack of knowledge or evidence without accounting for all possibilities"
Sounds like theism
Science will set you free of your Religious nonsense. There is no GOD.
Psalm 14:1
Don't let God know your deceiving ideals for a tear will fall from His eye and roll down His cheeks to fall upon the clouds and mingle with the angels' sorrowful tears ever to fall as rain upon the lands.
"Don't let God know your deceiving ideals for a tear will fall from His eye and roll down His cheeks to fall upon the clouds and mingle with the angels' sorrowful tears ever to fall as rain upon the lands."
............and then the rain will form a tsunami, and a hurricane and kill all those evil horrible 2 month olds, and waste their land from under them, and the lord will sit in his heaven and laugh upon their misery, and plan for yet, forsooth, yeah verily, shall I not plan yet more of these same inflictions for the innocents yet unborn ? Oh yes, saith the almighty man. They have pi.ss.ed me off, and I will make the fools pay. Verily . Amen. Alleluia.
Science cannot tell me whether or not there is a God.
"Science cannot tell me whether or not there is a God."
That is not the place of science
Who cares ?
Keep your Jeebus in your pants.
This is NOT a theocracy.
If people in 2012 want to proclaim their insanity about their invisible friends, great.
Keep you children away from these idiots.
uh?
Who among us can gaze at the stars and, beyond what we know from science thus far, claim any knowlidge. None.
What???
what?
LOL
Christians and ass-es, you are not hearing me. The infinite is not known to us. In fact, we have not the faculties. Why then proclaim knowledge in the face of obvious ignorance?
Outerspace is but a Cosmos yet unfinished in its' works while Innerspace is a Cosmos finished and complete in its' works
God's Oldest Dreamer = Clown shoes.
Why make statements with no evidence or proof? You know nothing.
Science knows rather well that there are two Cosmos and two kinds of space. InnerSpace and OuterSpace and science even knows there are two Cosmos. The InnerCosmos and the OuterCosmos. Don't believe it you say? Then you are not believing science facts.
Try to exist without truth absolute, constant, self sufficient, if you can, hindu's, ignorant s, not for a blink of an eye, and truth absolute is GOD, foundation of existence, proven by science. Every one and every thing ever existed, has been dependent on truth absolute to be, one dependent on truth absolute GOD can never be a deity deny truth absolute GOD, if you can, no one ever has and no one ever will be
More great bible verses:
Numbers 31: 17-18
17. Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.
18. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
From book of Mithra ism, savior ism, called bible.
But anyone who says 'You fool!' will be in the fire of hell." (Jesus) Mat 5:22
Manuel – read the whole Bible Fool!!!!! Psalm 14:1
The author writes:
Our fears, our hopes, our worries and our struggles are the currency that buys our faith. And how do preachers and their supporters acquire this precious currency? They invest billions of dollars to foment fear, inspire hope, create worry and exploit our struggles.
It’s a power play. Some of us are pawns, and some of us are participants. But some of us are choosing a different part.
The bible also says that it's ok to own slaves. Nice.
Book of hinduism, racism.
I bet whoever gave you your name is a Christian.
Nice article , Mark .
...NOT!
the AnViL wrote me on November 4, 2012 at 8:39 pm, declaring thusly, "there is absolutely no evidence of an even, orderly distribution of galaxies. your fractal cosmology is lovely science fiction but bears no resemblance to reality. there's absolutely no evidence of gods. your use of the latin word "ergo" betrays a deficit in education. mentally challenged people like yourself shouldn't be allowed to have internet connections."
"there is absolutely no evidence of an even, orderly distribution of galaxies." Your point being?
http://www3.amherst.edu/~rloldershaw/menu.html may well be the 'most' informative site regarding 'Fractal Cosmology' being a 'self-similar cosmological paradigm'/
"your use of the latin word "ergo" betrays a deficit in education" And your 'unwillingness' to capitalize betrays one's laziness.
Your calling me 'mentally challenged' is an insult protraying your actions to be immoral and unjust since you hardly even know me for in my little knowledge of you, I sense you to be case-hardened and rude not to mention a bigot who wears vanity on your lips.
Lettuce Love,
Let Us Love,
G.O.D.
coo coo
Tu eres pato
🙂 Lol
Philosophy. Who taught you that. They are your God.
Philosophy gives you questions you cannot answer. Religion gives you answers you cannot question