Some of you will remember 2008 SD-19 candidate Libby Szabo, who ran unsuccessfully against now-incumbent Sen. Evie Hudak of Arvada. It was an interesting race: Hudak, it can be gently said, doesn’t have the most commanding stage presence. Fortunately her opponent was Szabo, who, if you haven’t had the pleasure, has a voice even more nasal and grating than Craig Silverman.
Well, Libby Szabo is back this year, running against Sara Gagliardi in HD-27, and once again the focus of high GOP hopes.
Szabo was hurt in 2008 by a questionnaire filled out for Colorado Right to Life, where she indicated that she opposed all abortions–even in cases of rape. She strongly backed 2008’s “personhood” initiative and is expected to do so again this year. Her base of political support primarily revolves around Faith Bible Chapel in Arvada, one of the more influential evangelical megachurches in the northwest Denver area.
Everybody’s got freedom of religion, of course, and we’d say that religious belief should only become a political issue where someone applies religion to their politics. Libby’s husband Denes Szabo is an instructor at the Faith Bible Institute of Biblical Studies, and a selection of his lectures is available on the church’s website. Mr. Szabo’s specialty is “Israel and the End Times,” and on March 9th of this year, he had some interesting things to say about those “End Times”–and President Barack Obama. You, um, know where this isn’t going, don’t you? Audio excerpt, which you really have to hear to believe:
Can’t see the audio player? Click here.
So, apparently some people have made T-shirts with a picture of Obama with a halo, and that’s blasphemous, and the Anti-Christ is going to scare people by promising health care reform, and people are going to “fall for it hook, line and sinker,” and…uh…
Of course, Obama’s popularity has suffered in the last year and a half, making him a popular ogre for lots of disaffected people–sure. We get that. Despite this, we still tend to think if Libby or Denes say too much about Obama’s eerie similarity with “the anti-Christ” on the campaign trail, Libby’s candidacy for the House–at least among the majority of sane voters in HD-27–will get martyred about five minutes later.
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Oops, more blasphemy!
Particularly since I have never been able to download any audio before….obviously the devil is behind this…
Again, because the right wing wackos are not challenged, they swing wider and wider. What is the difference between calling Obama the Anti-Christ and caplis saying that Obama hates America and Americans or Beck saying that we are dealing, IHO, with radical Marxist revolutionaries (in the White House.)
What happens is that ordinary hate speech loses its shock value and so the anti-americans have to go further and further to get attention…
Be nice to Evie. That’s was an unnecessary crack. She’s a perfectly nice person and is a decent enough speaker fot being a citizen legislator–like all of our legislators. Not everybody can have Barack Obama’s “stage presence.”
I agree! Evie is smart and speaks well. Her “stage presence” is fine. Elected officials are not actors. S-19 and HD-27 are tough districts, always hard races. That comment was unnecessary. Good point Thilly..
on Gagliardi’s campaign that is in charge of checking out the Faith Bible Institute of Biblical Studies’ other fine lectures. Talk about a thankless job.
On the other hand, think how much money they could raise with supporters–just send a link every week to one of Szabo’s husband’s whacko audios, no text necessary.
I can’t stop taking THE LORD’S name in vain in this post! God dammit!
Judgement Day.
You know, about taking care of those less fortunate than ourselves?
Were the only source of charity for the poor that existed for thousands of years. What does that have to do with anything?
The serfs, the commoners were not served by the clergy, they mostly weren’t allowed into the buildings.
John Wesley, founder of what became the Methodist church, started his preaching career by speaking to the commoners who thought that they could never learn about Jesus. He preached outside, outside of the churches that excluded his listeners.
And Matthew 25 has everything to do with living a Christian life. In our modern age, that might mean paying taxes to help others.
You know that the early church, maybe 50 AD to 200 AD was communist, do you not?
As Kahlil Gibran (son of a Maronite priest) wrote:
“Jesus cam not from the heart of the circle of Light to destroy the homes and build upon their ruins the convents and monasteries. He did not persuade the strong man to become a monk or a priest, but He came to send forth upon this earth a new spirit, with power to crumble the foundation of any monarchy built upon human bones and skulls….He came to demolish the majestic palaces, constructed upon the graves of the weak, and crush the idols, erected upon the bodies of the poor. Jesus was not sent here to teach the people to build magnificent churches and temples amidst the cold wretched huts and dismal hovels….He came to make the human heart a temple, and the soul an altar, and the mind a priest.”
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That seems unlikely to me: Christian Charity effected through the payment of compulsory taxes.
Do you really think that involuntary giving to the government, lest you lose your property or your liberty, is a way to earn Grace ?
Unless, of course, Government is your God, and paying taxes is a sacrament in the church of the holy humanism.
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Terminator 2 is an awesome movie. Didn’t care for the third one.
Whoops- Ubaldo Jimenez is the anti-Christ.
No, wait – it was Elway.
No – it was Phil Esposito. (“Jesus Saves! Espo scores ont he rebound!” graffiti art on the wall in Boston Garden)
This barf ball is beyond belief.
“you can’t beat something with nothing”
FBC is a loving and God fearing community. I wouldn’t mock them on a day with thunderstorms.
The reality of Obama terrifies America. Some more than others, but what Mr. Szabo says actually makes a lot of sense!! Beware false prophets who offer to solve all of your problems.
GOP
basementwarrior is semi-officially knitting with only one needle.Obama may be many things, but he has never been prophet, anti-Christ, or any number of other over-the-top designation anyone has given him.
You idolized him, not us.
Anyone who stays at Ceaser’s Palace in Vegas is the anti-christ.
If you hadn’t noticed, Washington DC is completely awash in Greek architecture. Because our nation was fascinated with all things Greek and Egyptian back in the 1800s. It has nothing to do with the placement of gods.
what an utterly silly statement. Your party still idolizes “Saint” Ronald Reagan.
FBC is loving for those who think alike. I don’t have to ever go there, spend any time there. Those churches are all the same. They obviously have plenty of energy to hate, too. And just be whacko nuts.
You think this God entity gives a rats ass about America? With our levels of injustice and inequality and violence? Fat chance.
Why does the phrase “God fearing” give you a Willy? When I hear that I can not help but think some people need to become adults or maybe find a new god.
Spoken like a true deviant. Why does faith frighten the Godless left so?
You can leave me and millions of others on the left out of your ignorant generalization – and there are many posting here on the right who don’t follow “your” God.
Perhaps “your” God and “my” God, despite having the same names, the same stories, the same history, don’t share the same definition. See, “your” God is apparently something to fear; “my” God is something to stand in awe of and respect. I wonder – is “your” God an old white guy with a beard? Is “your” Christ a white guy? “My” God is beyond my comprehension, “my” Christ descended from the distinctly Middle Eastern Mary. And “my” Bible is a collection of books gathered over the course of hundreds of years and canonized by a group of Roman Catholic cardinals having a pretty strenuous philosophical debate about what to include and what to exclude, noting that some things left out were “authentic” but just didn’t fit the majority’s goals.
So, you can have “your” God, and you might wish that I consider Him (I have), and I’ll have “my” God and wish in my heart that you’ll hear Him in return. In the meantime, I have no authority to judge you on your religious and moral rectitude and hope you consider the basis for that thought when judging others here on the same basis.
Judged Sodom.
That you still don’t understand WHY Sodom was judged. And here’s a hint. It wasn’t for the reasons your distorted mind thinks it was judged.
gave us Tim Tebow. You’re right. You win.
see more Epic Fails
God is a god to be feared and a god to be loved. God is indeed beyond our understanding:
Job 36:25-27 How great is God-beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out.
And as soon as we think that we have understood him, we have taken away every thing that God is. We have placed him inside a box.
check out this funny video by a local Denver band explaining humorously what God is and what God is not. Some of you will enjoy the “repupublican” part:
http://vimeo.com/4856208
When people, mostly non-Christians think of “fearing God”, they think of someone who trembles in agony and horror when that person makes a mistake and fears that God will damn them to Hell. That is not the biblical fear, it’s a human fear. Our fear is a reverence and respect for God. As children, the fear of discipline from our parents no doubt prevented some bad actions. The same should be true in our relationship with God. We fear his discipline, and therefore seek to live our lives in such a way that pleases him so we can develop a better relationship with him.
So far it doesn’t sound like GOPwarrior’s God did anything kind for anyone or cares enough to send the very best.
As you note, and I probably poorly tried to convey, God is beyond our understanding; if you believe, and stop to think about God for a bit, you’re left feeling completely inadequate to comprehend Him/Her.
The feeling is perhaps best summed up in a Bablyon 5 quote:
GOPwarrior’s God still loves him. None of us should be quick to judge others beliefs, but it seems like that’s all were doing on here. You’re quote is pretty accurate regarding a deistic God. Or one that simply hangs out in Heaven and rejects the notion that God intervenes with humans. That is not the case though, we know a little smidge of God based on what he did by becoming a human as Jesus Christ.
Perhaps GOPwarrior’s God loves him – perhaps his God is merely there to be feared (in the human way you describe) since that seems to be the way he describes Him.
I think even hanging on the acts of God through Jesus in molding our image of Him is limiting, and I think you’re vastly misinterpreting my belief system based on a very few limited posts.
Regardless, my original post was in rebuttal to GOPwarrior’s claims of the Left as anti-Christian; like many Christians, I believe my faith is better represented by my actions than by hardcore proselytizing, and I’ve said more in this thread than I think I have in all my years on this blog. I’m going back into religious lurker mode…
I believe certain denominations are often able to manifest that false fear of God over others.
It is limiting if that’s ALL we see in God. I guess, essentially only looking at how God works in the NT? Perhaps that is somewhat limiting. Such as calling God only a God of love and not a God of justice and what not.
You are right about GOPwarrior’s claims of the Left as anti-Christian. I am a Republican, but I don’t think God “prefers” one side over the other, nor do I think one side is “more” Christian and one is “anti”.
Thank you. I DO deviate from your narrow, self-congratulatory, religious views.
I tried your brand of Christianity and reject it out of hand. It comes nowhere near the teachings of Yeshua ben Yosef of Nazareth; all “you” care about is creating that “us” (saved!) and “them” (True deviants!) divisions.
That conservative churches conflate nationalistic jingoism with the teachings of Jesus is an abomination. I think that alone will get you an interview with Jesus, and he won’t be happy.
Faith doesn’t frighten me, or many of us lefties. I am active in my faith community which, thank God (get it?) doesn’t spew the hatred and division most fundie churches do.
BTW, I have a masters in theology so it’s not like I’m iggarent about religions.
In fact, you can thank the religious left for most of the things you hate and despise–like the welfare system, civil rights laws, and child labor laws.
I, on the godless left, will continue to break bread with my friends on the godless right and sit together to watch you people on the religious left and right duke it out over who’s God is kewler.
The attributes to look for. Does Obama,a really fill the bill?
The 27 Characteristics of the AntiChrist
Know how to recognize the beast and not be swayed into believing that someone is the AntiChrist who doesn’t match the biblical characteristics.
1. He comes from among ten kings in the restored Roman Empire; his authority will have similarities to the ancient Babylonians, Persians, and Greeks [Daniel 7:24; Rev 13:2 / Daniel 7:7]
2. He will subdue three kings [Daniel 7:8, 24]
3. He is different from the other kings [Daniel 7:24]
4. He will rise from obscurity…a “little horn” [Daniel 7:8]
5. He will speak boastfully [Daniel 7:8; Rev 13:5]
6. He will blaspheme God, [Daniel 7:25; 11:36; Rev 13:5] slandering His Name, dwelling place, and departed Christians and Old Testament saints [Rev 13:6]
7. He will oppress the saints and be successful for 3 ВЅ years [Daniel 7:25; Rev 13:7]
8. He will try to change the calendar, perhaps to define a new era, related to himself [Daniel 7:25]
9. He will try to change the laws, perhaps to gain an advantage for his new kingdom and era
[Dan 7:25]
10. He will not be succeeded by another earthly ruler, but by Christ [Daniel 7:26-27]
11. He will confirm a covenant with “many”, i.e. the Jewish people [Daniel 9:27]
This covenant will likely involve the establishment of a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem
[see Dan 9:27; Matt 24:15]
12. He will put an end to Jewish sacrifice and offerings after 3 ВЅ years and will set up an abomination to God in the Temple [Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15]
13. He will not answer to a higher earthly authority; “He will do as he pleases”[Daniel 11:36]
14. He will show no regard for the religion of his ancestors [Daniel 11:37]
15. He will not believe in any god at all [except for himself] [Daniel 11:37]
16. He will have “no regard for the desire of women”: He will either be asexual or homosexual
[Dan 11:37]
17. He will claim to be greater than any god [Daniel 11:37; 2 Thess 2:4]
18. He will claim to be God [2 Thessalonians 2:4]
19. He will only honor a “god” of the military. His whole focus and attention will be on his military. He will conquer lands and distribute them [Daniel 11:39-44]
20. His arrival on the world scene will be accompanied by miracles, signs and wonders [2 Thess 2:9]
21. Either he, or his companion [The False Prophet], will claim to be Christ [Matt 24:21-28]
22. He will claim that Jesus did not come in the flesh, or that Jesus did not rise bodily from the grave
[2 John 7]. He will deny that Jesus is the Messiah [I John 2:22]
23. He will be worshipped by many people [Rev. 13:8]
24. He will hate a nation that initially will have some control over his kingdom, but he will destroy this nation [Rev 17:16-18]
25. He will appear to survive a fatal injury [Rev. 13:3; 17:8]
26. His name will be related to the number six hundred and sixty six-but not necessarily in an obvious fashion [Rev 13:17-18].
27. He will be empowered by the devil himself [Rev. 13:2]
http://www.eadshome.com/antich…
Hmm, so besides the return of the Jews to Israel as it existed at the height of its alleged widest dominian we also have to restore the Roman Empire before we can have endtimes and antiChrist? Geeze…
embarrassment to an true Christian who follows and understands the living example that Christ set for his followers. FBC, like all mega-churches is more intetested in their riches and the judging of others than of teaching the love of Christ (I note your use of the phrase “God fearing”). How many mega-churches did Christ feel compelled to start when he was here? On the contrary…he saved his harshest rebuke for the “God fearing” Pharasees and actually spoke only one time in achurch during his ministry. So save your “holier than thou” defense of FBC…it is filled with modern day Pharasees that wouldn’t recognize Christ if he were the homeless person they drove past on the way to Sunday service…
What makes you any different from these so-called “destructive mega-churches” when you’re the one assuming that they are ALL BAD? Can you prove that?
What about Christ speaking and handing out bread and fish to 5,000 people? Is that not the equivalent to a modern day mega church?
New Life Church gives away 80% of it’s tithing’s to local Colorado Springs Ministries, as well as non-profits in Africa. The high school group, Tag, raised $15,000 in one night to fund a school to be built in Africa. Christ did not specifically tell us to “go and build mega churches”, but he did tell us to “go and make disciples of all nations” which was The Great Commission.
“How many mega-churches did Christ feel compelled to start when he was here?”
That is irrelevant in a fast and modern society unlike that of biblical times where we live in suburbs and cities and mega-churches are often the most efficient way to gather mass-groups of believers.
could do much more good if they were to invest their money in supporting missions instead of, say, building their globe sculpture that FBC has at their entrance….or perhaps dispensing with the indoor fountain that they have in their entryway.
Perhaps Heritage Christian Center would be serving Christ better if they were to dispense with their “Rock Show/Laser Light Display” and send that money off to feed the poor in Appalacia.
I’m not exactly sure how the Christ that I worship is served by fountains, sculptures, laser light shows, rock concert quality sound systems or multi-million dollar salaries for pastors, but then I could be wrong.
What was Christ’s salary when he handed out bread and fish to the 5000? Did he arrive on a chauffer driven ass and have body guards? Was his hair sprayed stiff and was he wearing make-up so that the light reflected him well?
I’ve visited a number of these “churches” and while they are selling something (usually several things if you wander into their book stores)…it isn’t remotely related to the Jesus Christ that I know.
Are you really seeking “efficiency” in your relationship with Christ? Well, a Big Mac is “efficient” food, but it isn’t the best source of nutrition.
is donated. The entire sound system at my church was donated by Guitar Center and various other audio companies. Now I have not attended a service at FBC so I wouldn’t know what to think of their fountain. Maybe it just serves as symbolism. Maybe we should get mad at all those catholic churches who “waste” purchasing stained glass windows and massive crosses to display…
It’s not a sin to decorate, but it is to worship false idols, if that’s what you think the fountain serves as.
You know, sometimes when I worship, I prefer it at a house surrounded by a group of friends and acoustic instruments. Other times I enjoy the “rock show” type setting. For one thing, it brings a lot of teens and young adults a new level of worship different from the “traditional church” that may have scared them away in the past. Just a thought.
I do agree with you that pastors should not be making millions of dollars. I am no mega church expert, since the church I go to now has a little over 60 people. However, the ones I have attended in Colorado did not match your “image” of the “evil mega church”. Like I said, most (over 80%) of New Life’s money is sent to various non-profits and missions. A lot of their equipment is donated to them, and all of their money from their book store is recycled back into the church, not the employees salaries (matthew 21:12-17).
No. Seeking efficiency is no different than seeking religion. I seek a genuine relationship, and I can still seek that relationship and make that relationship stronger while attending a mega church every once in a while. Your prejudice towards mega churches just doesn’t make sense when you look at at least the potential of how much money can be raised and sent out of these places. Such as Tag raising $15,000 to buy a school in Africa in one night.
is that the “message” that they are supposed to be sending is often replaced by the personalities of those who lead it….the pastors become the message instead of the message of Christ that they are using to promote themselves. Far too often, all of the “decorations” and the “show” is designed only to promote the pastor….not to promote Christ. Again, the message of Christ’s love and his example of how we should live our lives did not need to be “packaged” as a product to be sold when he was here and it should not need to be now. As I said upstream, these churches are selling something, and it is not Christ.
You used the word “efficient” to describe it earlier, and I think you are correct. It may be more “efficient”, but there are certain things that cannot be made “efficient” and still be healthy…such as food and one’s relationship with their God.
You can say that about every presidential candidate – from both major parties.
a whole lot of Obama worship going on these days, certainly not on the left.
It seems as though no one likes Obama. First midterm is a referendum on the President.
Maybe you lose both chambers of Congress then?
We were talking about the anti-Christ thing. And remember, in political time, it’s still years until November. All kinds of fun stuff can happen. But you don’t strike me as someone fond of fun.
but why are folks so obsessed with end-times and “figuring out the anti-christ”?
It is a very dangerous subject, especially for Christians involved in politics. Look at Westboro Baptist Church (though I wouldn’t call them Christians).
Jesus spoke of the end times, as well as the prophets, and the Apostle John who wrote Revelations. However, speaking of and obsessing over the end times to make irrational claims was not Jesus’ intent on coming to Earth. Jesus came to restore humanity and offer a revolutionary lifestyle of serving all and loving all through our love for Jesus.
Somehow we as Christians often warped Jesus and the Bible into something worse than its original intent. So on behalf of all Christians, I would like to apologize about everything they (including myself) have said or done that does not glorify the Creator. Such as irrationally claiming that Obama is the anti Christ…
I guess its the thought that counts so appreciate the spirit of your apology. To each his own where religious parables, rules and regs, myths and legends are concerned. As long as you don’t claim any of them deserve to take government endorsed precedence over any others. Our constitution clearly forbids our government to favor yours over mine or anyone else’s. And you don’t have to be Godless to be floored by the concept of grown ups taking these things so literally.
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Um, maybe not.
The author of the Book of Revelations was indeed named John. However, he may not have been either the Apostle named John, nor the author of the Gospel of John. These last 2 may or may not be the same person.
While there is considerable disagreement on this matter among scholars, I personally think that John of Patmos, whose famous book was written about 100 years after the Crucifixion, was probably born after Jesus bodily left the Earth.
I question whether someone 120+ years old could really have lived as a hermit in a cave and taken care of himself ? On the other hand, I can very easily believe that someone that age could have the sorts of visions described in the Book.
.
Brian: I’m not the Messiah! Will you please listen? I am not the Messiah, do you understand? Honestly!
Girl: Only the true Messiah denies His divinity.
Brian: What? Well, what sort of chance does that give me? All right! I am the Messiah!
Followers: He is! He is the Messiah!
Brian: Now, fuck off!
[silence]
Arthur: How shall we fuck off, O Lord?