Laura confessed that she saw yesterday’s subject line and got a little nervous. “The political entity known as the ‘Tea Party’ scares me,” she wrote. “I find more and more non-Christians figure that I’m at least a conservative Republican if not a ‘Tea Party’ booster — until I tell them I’m neither.”
It never occurred to me but of course it would be on many people’s minds. I’m sure Laura was not the only person who wondered about this. Me? I never thought about once. In fact I’m a little proud about having a tea party without any political ramifications, and not even realizing it.
It pains me to see Christians so stereotyped today. The degree to which Christians can be lumped together into one homogeneous cultural/political profile is the degree to which the gospel of Jesus Christ is being wasted on those who care more about power than service. This should not affect us, however, because we are not stereotypes, we are prototypes – seeking new ways to bring Christ to our culture
One of those ways is to have a tea party for the women without homes at the Isaiah House. It will be held on Wednesday, April 20, and we are calling it a Garden Party with teacups. And this is where you come in. We are inviting any who would like to take part in this celebration to send us a stray cup and saucer. We want every woman to receive her own mix and match cup and saucer with which to sip her tea, or plant her own small garden from the seeds we will be providing. Cups and saucers can be mailed to us at our SMMI address: 1278 Glenneyre, Laguna Beach, CA 92651.
Help us put on a tea party that is nothing more or less than just that – a tea party. Thanks in advance for your contribution.
John Fischer The Catch 
Once again, John, you have enlightened us, your readers, with your great thinking. I love the sentence “we are not stereotypes, we are prototypes.” Tha
Once again, John, you have enlightened us, your readers. Your statement “we are not stereotypes, we are prototypes” is the truth. If all Christians realized they are “prototypes”, more people would know the reality of Jesus Christ dying for them. Thank you so much for your insight.
John,
It is not a sin to be a conservative or to support a conservative group like the tea party therefore I do not feel it is necessary for you to stand up bravely stating that you are neither.
Your statement, and I quote;
“It pains me to see Christians so stereotyped today. The degree to which Christians can be lumped together into one homogeneous cultural/political profile is the degree to which the gospel of Jesus Christ is being wasted on those who care more about power than service.”
As I have told you before John, I am proud to say I am a follower of Christ (a Christian) and don’t feel my support of a conservative group of individuals lessons my support of Christ. Are we that say we are Christens not naturally prototypes of the original followers of Christ.
I didn’t think your statement was enlightening, I thought your statement was putting shame of a conservative movement that is composed of individuals that are following Christ and not necessarily seeking power – as you stated.
Sorry John, I think you opened a hornet nest.
RG Bud Phelps, It must be necessary for a man to have firm conviction enough that he does not support a secular group, but instead is a follower of Christ. It must be!
I will admit I am a recovering Republican. I once was caught up by every wind of doctrine that Bush, Fox News, and O’Reilly put my way via the television and speech. I was a hardened Marine Corps Officer Candidate and I was going to make sure no one could stand against the hard logic of the Republican Party. I knew we needed a strong leader president after 9/11, I knew the Republican party and limited government is what we needed. I knew so much that I could not see and yield to the Word of God on the issues.
Then one day a fellow believer asked me a simple question in response to my firm convictions and support of the good old party. He asked “why?”
So it is that I ask you. Why? Why do you believe it is ok to be a conservative? Why do you believe it is not ok to be “neither”? Why do you believe in a conservative group that has not placed glorifying God as their goal in both the means and the ends?
Why RG Bud Phelps? Why?
I do believe it’s OK to be a conservative, and I do believe that conservative principles; such as sanctify of life, it takes one man and one woman to make a Christian marriage, and we need conservative principles when it comes to governmental spending. Do I think all conservatives are Christian, NO! Do I think all liberals are not Christians,NO! But I do believe that we need to live our lives with both conservative and Christian beliefs.
I thank you for serving our country, and I praise God that you conduct yourself as a Christian man. Please don’t question my right to be a conservative Christian, and to express my Christian beliefs everyday in support of the rights of individuals.
I was just making a point that we cannot hold ourselves blameless because we say we are Christians – we must honor Christ in everything that we do.
I’m sure that you do honor Christ and I am not trying to be judgmental of individuals because they are neither conservatives or liberals, but as Christ honored both the clean and the unclean we need to be very careful that we don’t put ourselves in a box of perfection. We still need to live in this world, and to lead as many as we can to Christ.
Those are not conservative principles as if the Republicans came up with them all by themselves. Those are biblical principles.
I’m not questioning your belief any more than you are questioning Mr. Fischer’s abstaining from a secular party affiliation. I’m asking you to dig way down into your belief system and see the inconsistencies of supporting a secular party.
We are called as idealists not realists. Taking the best of the republican party or tea party doesn’t make it right to believe in them or support them. Realism didn’t get the Hebrew’s out of 4o years in the wilderness.
So why do you say we “still need to live in this world” as if living according to the bible is some how unrealistic?
It is a shame Christians are usually stereotyped as: conservative, republican, pro-war, etc. It is a shame the world has seized terms like gay, tea party, etc. and twisted them into new crude meanings.
It is a shame that Christians end up following godless movements spurred on by social media. Godless conservatism has failed America. Why can’t we see that as Christians?
Until we live a life brought on by discipleship in Christ we are never going to impact culture around us with a secular movement such as the tea party, which unfortunately has hijacked the term describing a very good social gathering.
I don’t understand how Christians can be a part of the tea party movement. There is nothing biblical about it!
We need to start living like we trust God. Throw away the condoms. Throw out the television. Toss the genetically modified food and chemical carrying vaccines for a better lifestyle! Wake up oh men of God! Let your daily reading be in Scripture– not the newspaper or that science fiction novel. Let pouring your life into your children be the most important thing to you next to ensuring your own election and calling!
I’m with Bud Phelps on this one. Frankly, I am disturbed by the tone that some of the responders are taking in this discussion. I will say I am a Christian first, but then I am a VERY RIGHTWING conservative & proud of it. It is NEITHER UnChristian nor unAmerican to be such, and I object to some of the extreme characterizations of us and our movement as that. Notice I didn’t mention Republican above, though I am VERY much so. I am frankly sometimes bothered with my party’s wimpiness and compromises on some key issues, but in general it still FAR greater reflects a more “Christian” & certainly conservative attitude than the other s”so-called” party (which I think is nothing but a tool of Satan designed to bring down this country). As to the Tea Party, I am not a “card-carrying member”, but in general I support much of the prinicples the group seems to uphold & promote. Laura, I was also bothered by your comments about the Tea Party (and ESPECIALLY Majestic’s statement that he can’t understand how any Christian can be part of that movement, that there is nothing Biblical about it). Also that she was NEITHER a conservative Republican or a TP member – does that mean you are a LIBERAL democrat? And Majestic, I submit that there is even LESS Biblical about the Demos or being, or being a liberal in general. John, I am with Bud on this one – very disappointed in your comments, but then artists in general tend to take a more “socially-conscious” attitude (i.e. liberal) about the world in general, even Christian ones sometimes. But the ones who responded are even more out there than you, and that is what truly disturbs me more. (I suppose that my comments will probably be edited or perhaps not included since they are so critical or right-wing in nature.) Like Bud, I am a proud right-wing conservative, but also a STRONG believer, and those 2 positions/beliefs are NOT exclusive or contradictory, in my humble opinion. God bless you, Bud for standing up for the TRUTH, as much as it might hurt or offend some…… Andrew J. Persac
Thanks Andrew, it’s refreshing to have someone in this group understand where I’m coming from. God Bless!
Andrew, I think you are getting caught up in the left right paradigm. There is truth and it has little to do with politics and vying politicians.
Just because one party is better than the other or more “right” doesn’t make it right. That is justifying the means with the end result and thus creates a bad means to your so called just end.
This is a silly example, but consider what I am trying to convey to you. What if I offered you brownies. Man they smell great and they just came out of the oven and you want one. I tell you they are homemade, but there is just a spec of dog poop in the ingredients. They taste more right than wrong Andrew. Why would you hold off? For the very same reason you should abstain from giving your loyalty to a secular party that has done nothing on its own accord to further the kingdom of God.
Take for example my earlier statement: There is nothing biblical about it. And your response is to simply say “well in general it far greater reflects” a Christian attitude? You are right there. It reflects American Christian attitudes. That we do not trust God on the hard issues. What does Christian conservative have to do with biblical, Andrew? Christian conservative has very little to do with the bible these days. The movement has been snatched up by the secular authors.
Lets examine a few of the issues of the godless conservative movement and see how biblical and “right” they are:
1.) Does the party seek to glorify God? — Never once Have I heard George Bush, Sarah Palin, Good old Newt, Mitt Romney or any of the other leaders pray “in Jesus name” or let alone in their personal lives ever mention that Jesus Christ is LORD. Yet we assume they are bible believing, born again, followers of Christ? Are we really going to have change when just another “conservative” gets in the office? No.
2.) On the issue of Sanctity of Life? — More babies died a bloody death under George W. Bush than did Jews under Hitler. To add to the list of blood letting lets look at the countless thousands of civilians that died in illegal and unjust wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan. What sanctity of life, conservitive?
3.) On the issue of biblical finances and becoming free of debt. — More money was spent than ever, government exploded under GOP “conservative” rule. Debt had never seen such height than under our last “conservative” whose very campaign stance was on limited government, no foreign interference, cut the budget. What a liar! And we fell for it as Christians because he was the “lesser” of two evils. No such thing! No such thing as the lesser of two evils! You are good or you are evil– end of story.
I could go on. Do I need to go on, Andrew? I will go on if you can give me one issue that tea partiers, conservatives, or republicans have taken up that makes any of the above justified. Not going to happen.
I don’t understand why conservative/republicans can be some of the most judgemental and elitest group to think that anyone who is not loyal to the GOP or secular conservative movements is some how in the wrong. What in your walk with Christ makes you come to that conclusion? What in the BIBLE makes you come to this conclusion, Andrew and RG?
I am afraid there is a little bit of poop in everybody’s brownies!
Yes I know it. I’ve got to hold myself to the same standards I preach about. I am as much a clay vessel as the next man.
You win Majestic, I’m out of here – you are just too full of poop.
Note to Laura: I understand and respect that you don’t want to be stereotyped. As a “tea party conservative,” and your sister in Christ, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t stereotype me, either. I promise you, I’m not a scary person. 🙂
There is no black and white, left and right to me anymore.
There’s only up and down, and down is very close to the ground.
I’m trying to go up without thinking about anything trivial
such as politics.
Bob Dylan
The world so desparetly wants to label things…people. The label we should strive to “own” is “followers of Jesus”… To which I fall woefully short.
John-Thought this was a great idea for each woman to plant her own Isaiah Garden:
Clydette Alsup-Egbers, as reported in the Orange County Register, is not only leading a serious research project in home gardening, she’s doing all she can to put fun back into gardening.
By planting directly into a big plastic trash bag containing potting soil, you can create an instant “garden” that is neat, cheap, quick and ready to thrive anywhere the sun shines. Place the bag in the location you wish, plant into it and cover it with mulch. The mulch can completely cover the bag and hide it from view.
Here are the advantages of Clydette’s no-dig gardening method:
It’s cheap. All you need is a 10- to 15-pound bag of potting soil like Miracle-Gro, a box of garbage bags and seedlings or seeds. Clydette warns against using your native soil in this kind of bag gardening, as topsoil compacts easily and may not drain well. And, it might be nutrient-needy, too. Commercial potting soil is the right mix for this kind of growing.
It’s easy. Load up the bag with potting soil and cinch up the ties to close the open end. Now lay it down on its side, slit drainage holes in the sides and bottom and cut a few openings on the top for your plants. You’ve created a raised-bed “garden.”
It’s weed unfriendly. Because you are starting out with good, sterile potting soil, you will not be plagued with weeds trying to choke out your tomatoes, lettuce and beans. We’re talking nearly weed-free gardening.
It’s vertical. If you stand that bag vertically so the open end becomes the place where you do your planting, you will eliminate the need for stooping or bending. This is an excellent option for things like tomatoes and potatoes that have deeper root systems.
It can be indoors. Okay, this might sound crazy, but it’s a definite possibility. Use very small bags to grow flowers. Once in full bloom, the entire thing can make an attractive centerpiece inside your home. You can easily disguise the bag by placing it in a pretty box or other vessel and covering it with sphagnum moss from the craft store.
It’s kid-friendly. Gardens in bags are perfect for kids, the next generation of home gardeners.
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