From Public Address... (http://publicaddress.net/default,2992.sm)
Claiming that God will be your judge is also, of course, only a hair away from claiming to be on a mission from God, which if I had my way would be grounds for instant dismissal from any significant position of secular leadership. The irony of the current face-off between the US and Iran is the shared millenalism of influential figures on both sides. In the US, it's dispensationalist Christianity (the rapture is coming, after the battle of Armageddon takes place in Israel; us heathens will be left behind; apart from the Jews, who will either be killed or converted), which has alarming penetration into the Republican Party. In Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is not only a crazed populist, but a believer in the return of the Mahdi, the Muslim prophet who will appear on earth during - you guessed it - the last days, which are imminent and will be ushered in by battle and bloodshed. In a nice twist, some believers in the return of the Mahdi think that once all the blood has been spilled and the unbelievers dealt to, Jesus and the Mahdi will live happily on earth together.

Now, if you could nominate the worst possible belief system for anyone with guns, bombs and authority (or to making environmental policy, for that matter), this is it. The last people you want to run the world are the ones looking forward to it being all over next Wednesday, or shortly thereafter.

Claiming that God will be your judge is also, of course, only a hair away from claiming to be on a mission from God

really?

that guy might be surprised to find out how many christians aren't looking forward for the world to end.

But the fact is that there are people out there that would only be too happy to start a global conflict to hurry along the 2nd coming.

the Second Coming is coming whether or not wars are purposely started or not.
It's laughable that anyone would think they have the power to "hurry along" the Second Coming.

SEE?

From Public Address... (http://publicaddress.net/default,2992.sm)
Claiming that God will be your judge is also, of course, only a hair away from claiming to be on a mission from God
Except that those two claims are not even remotely similar.

SEE?

not really. but this thread is humorous, so i'm glad you started it.

the Second Coming is coming whether or not wars are purposely started or not.
It's laughable that anyone would think they have the power to "hurry along" the Second Coming.

and you've had at least one homosexual experience... dun dun DUUUNNN!!

Except that those two claims are not even remotely similar.
you are kinda right here. "god will be my judge" is even more cowardly. because it kind of implies, that no one else has the right to judge him, or that no other judgement than the one by god does count for him.

both statements do have the problem though, that they show that bush as well as blair base actions wich affect hundreds of thousands of people on a belief system that is not shared by most of the people which are affected directly or indirectly and both push away the responsibility to an entity which can not be grasped or held responsible by any means. and all this despite the fact that one of the most basic principles of democracy is the division of religion and power...

ah well...

both statements do have the problem though, that they show that bush as well as blair base actions wich affect hundreds of thousands of people on a belief system that is not shared by most of the people which are affected directly or indirectly and both push away the responsibility to an entity which can not be grasped or held responsible by any means.

even if what you say above is correct, that they claim or believe to push it "away" really has nothing to do with the fact that their constituents will hold them responsible in one way or another....and if they don't, then they (the constituents) probably wouldn't hold them responsible under any circumstances, right?

you are kinda right here. "god will be my judge" is even more cowardly. because it kind of implies, that no one else has the right to judge him, or that no other judgement than the one by god does count for him.

both statements do have the problem though, that they show that bush as well as blair base actions wich affect hundreds of thousands of people on a belief system that is not shared by most of the people which are affected directly or indirectly and both push away the responsibility to an entity which can not be grasped or held responsible by any means. and all this despite the fact that one of the most basic principles of democracy is the division of religion and power...

ah well...
I always find it really strange that the mention of the word God sets people off so much that it distorts the meanings of entire statements. If someone said "history will judge me" I don't think you'd have nearly the same reaction. People wouldn't say that such a statement is a step away from someone claiming their destiny is to make history. The obvious sentiment being put across when someone says "God/history" will judge them is just that they hope that the actions they take in the present will turn out to have been the right ones in retrospect. Whether that judgment comes from God or history or whoever really doesn't matter. The point is that the speaker hopes that whoever ends up judging will do so favorably. Its not some creative way of passing the buck like you're making out.

Besides, if I was wanting to weasel out of being held responsible for my actions, and I was a God-fearing Christian, I think I would probably find a better way of doing it than putting my eternal soul on the line. If one really does think that God will be the judge of their actions, one could argue that such a belief would lead someone to make damn sure they made good decisions, lest they invite God's wrath.

Claiming that God will be your judge is also, of course, only a hair away from claiming to be on a mission from God
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