With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.  James 3:9

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.  James 1:22

Why this Post

Far more often than is good for me, I see people cursing other people on the internet. I see this most often on Twitter, but it happens everywhere (I just happen to be on Twitter . . . too much). Most disturbing, of course, are the instances of this that come from those who claim to be Christian. Now, I’m not referring to heat-of-the-moment squabbling. I’m referring to the pre-meditated and consistent cursing of people “other” than themselves, like conservatives calling liberals “libtards,” liberals calling conservatives “homophobes,” and liberals (mostly, from what I have seen so far) saying moderates are stupid and/or smug (apparently for rejecting them).

People have always had a problem with the “us vs them” mentality, so I don’t know if it’s worse now in the U.S. than before (it seems so), but, followers of Christ ought not to be in this worldly way. We are to reach people for Christ’s kingdom, not push them away. With these thoughts in mind, I have read conservatives curse people who have a concern for others, concerns and desires that God Himself commands us to share.   There are liberals who also curse conservatives for being pro-life and anti-gay, and no doubt this is why some conservatives can’t see anything good coming from the liberals. Part of it, though, is that some conservatives either don’t know the biblical teachings regarding the poor and wealth, or they choose to ignore them. This only serves to add fuel to the anti-Christian fire.

In fairness, however, “What homophobe said that?” will be posted as a separate article (due to length). Many liberals either ignore God’s teaching on physical love and marriage, or else try to explain it away (even some liberal Christians do this). However, God’s attitude toward homosexuality from the old to the new testaments didn’t change, and passages about its sinfulness are not taken out of context, despite what critics say. That article will include passages supporting the “pro-life” stance as well.

Here are “140 characters or less” quotes, but more often paraphrases (those entries with no quotation marks), of biblical passages along with the actual passage reference and who uttered them. Feel free to use them on Twitter or elsewhere, but it would be nice if you shared my article url.

“Which libtard said that?” Biblical passages from apparent libtards

• Someone hates you? Someone curses you? Mistreats you? Don’t act like them. Do good to them, bless them, pray for them. Give & give some more. Jesus, see Luke 6:27-29; see also Romans 12:14

• “We are homeless. We work hard . . . When we are cursed, we bless . . . when we are slandered, we answer kindly.” Paul, in 1 Corinthians 4:11b-13a

• “We go hungry . . ,
• we are in rags, we are brutally treated . . . We have become . . . the garbage of the world—right up to this moment.” Paul, in 1 Corinthians 4:11, 13b.

• Pagans store up; pagans worry, ever seeking food & clothes. But God will give those things to whoever seeks His kingdom & righteousness. Jesus, see Matthew 6:25-34

• You fool! God said to a man who profited much one year and who planning to live selfishly. But God took his soul. Jesus, see Luke 12:16-21

• “Sell your possessions and give to the poor.” Jesus, Luke 12:33a; see also Luke 18:22-23, Matthew 19:21-22, and Mark 10:20-21

• The first Christians “sold [their] property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.” Luke, in Acts 2:45

• “Your” things are God’s. “No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.” Luke, in Acts 4:32b

• The money from the voluntary sale of believers’ property was distributed to anyone who had need, so there were no needy among them.  Luke, from Acts 4:34b-35

• “If [your rich brothers] do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” Jesus, in Luke 16:31 (see Luke 16:19-31)

• Believers in humble ways, take pride in your high position. The rich, take pride in your humiliation-you will pass away like a wild flower. James, from James 1:9-10 “The rich will fade away even while they go about their business.” James, in James 1:11b

• “Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith & to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?” James, in James 2:5

• You, believers who show favoritism toward the wealthy, have dishonored the poor.  Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? From James 2:6

• “Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”  James, in James 4:4b, 6b (also, Proverbs 3:34)

• Woe to you rich! You withheld wages, gathered wealth, and lived luxuriously and self-indulgently while on earth. Not so afterwards. From James, in James 5:1-6 (see also Jeremiah 22:13)

• But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.  Jesus, Luke 6:24
  

• Where will you rich run or leave your wealth when the day of reckoning comes, from oppressing the poor & withholding justice? From Isaiah 10:1-3 (also Malachi 3:5, Zechariah 7:8-10 or especially Job 31:13-32)

• “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” Jesus, in Luke 12:15

___________

For more, a post with similar subject matter is What Does God Say About Employer Obligations, Worker Rights?