Are Any Christians Running for President? - by Roger S. Gottlieb
I hate to belabor the obvious, but in this time of crazy politics it might serve some purpose.
Are any of the Republican candidates -- for president -- Christian?
I know that all of them except Ron Paul have repeatedly said that they are. But is saying that one is Christian all it takes to be one?
By analogy, I can say (for example) that I am brave, that I believe in marital fidelity, or that I love animals. T
he test of whether or not those statements are true, however, is not just that I say them over and over. To see whether or not they reflect my personal reality, we would have to look at my behavior. Am I able to function despite great danger? Remain faithful to my wife even in the face of temptation? Refrain from eating even the juiciest steak -- or at least make some contributions to animal shelters and be patient when my cat scratches the couch?
To the extent that I can do those things, then my self-professed courage, fidelity and love for animals are real -- and to the extent that I can't, no matter how often I proclaim them, they just aren't there.
I myself am not a Christian, but even a passing examination of New Testament teachings reveals that
Christianity is an extremely demanding faith, one that requires virtues that are both rare and quite difficult. (And unless I missed it, I am pretty sure Jesus never said anything to the effect of: "All it takes to follow me is to say "I am a follower."
...............
the rest:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/roger-s-gottlieb/are-any-christians-runnin_b_1201611.html