Not a Christian. Just a fan of Jesus. Nothing more.

Obviously not a Christian, no matter what he calls himself.

I was once a staunch republican. I firmly believed that the successful simply worked harder than the poor and downtrodden. I took pleasure in comparing my own accomplishments to the misery that exists at the bottom of the economic ladder. I viewed with great suspicion, anything foreign or “socialist.” In short, I was a Class A asshole.

As I write this, I have been a true blue democrat for about twenty years. So what changed my mind? There were two events that changed my world view. The first was that I was laid off from a job which I had held successfully for nearly a decade. I wasn't laid off because I slacked off or fucked up. I was caught up in a battle between two senior Vice Presidents of my company, and I happened to be on the losing side. For the first time in my life, I experienced months of unemployment. .

During the Xmas holiday season of that year, my wife was doing charity work for the local chapter of Kiwanis. That year, as every other year, my wife was assigned to deliver food and toy baskets to the needy in our community. She got assigned to deliver to some particularly “sketchy” parts of town, so she asked me to accompany her on her errand of good will. I had been feeling rather sorry for myself, and my wife said it would do me some good to get out and embrace the holiday spirit. Of course, these days, the spirit of Xmas has more to do with acquiring more swag than the next person. Being unemployed felt like my reason for enjoying the season had been revoked.

We went to parts of our city (Modesto, CA) that I had NEVER been to. The first stop was a broken down trailer park. My wife knocked on a door there, and a young woman who walked with the aid of a cane answered the door. My wife identified us as Kiwanis Santa patrol, and the woman invited us in. Her home was spartan, but clean. Two small children stood quietly at the far end of the room. My wife handed over the food and toys, and the children’s eyes lit up. The look of gratitude on that woman's face was something I will never forget. She thanked us profusely, and we left to get back on our route. The next ten homes were pretty much the same thing. The level of poverty was overwhelming. I was suddenly forced to confront the fact that even in the self proclaimed “greatest nation on earth” many people were barely getting by. By the end of our route I was overwhelmed with emotions. I was forced to confront the reality that anyone can fall on hard times, and in the good old US, and that there wasn't much in the way of a “safety net “ to help you get back on your feet.

As we drove home, my wife could sense that something was troubling me. She asked what was wrong. As I replied, I could feel my eyes filling with tears. I blurted out “I never realized how lucky I've been! I can't believe how grateful those little kids were for a few cheap toys.” Kellie looked at me realizing I'd had a big change of perspective. “Now do you see why I do this every year?”

The effect of that Xmas played out over the next few months. Even though I eventually got a job paying more than my last one, I never forgot the people we met during our “Santa Run.” I came to realize that the Republican Party was little more than a mutual admiration society of well off people who pretended that making the lives of poor people even harder would drive those people towards success. Those left behind, “deserved what they got.” That was a belief system I now knew to be 100% false.

So that's how one republican wound up becoming what my dad calls “a bleeding heart liberal.” I've never felt in better company.

The deacon sounds like he's bought into the Prosperity Gospel. More power to him. The Prosperity Gospel is likely one of the factors leading to the surge in 'Nones' noted by pollsters. It provides a powerful argument for atheism/agnosticism.

I’ve noticed a lot of solid people who might be considered poor, all I want is enough to survive. The sick among us, trump’s lot ...that bucket of deplorables never have enough. They’ll strip mine the planet in order to acquire ..just enough more than the other guy … allowing them to feel or proclaim superiority… They are the bane of Humanity, and religion is their tool of justification.

Sad.

Deacon X is one of those a**hats that make me wanna barf. A christian in name only who makes me glad I shook the dust of the church off when I left.

If you believe in a god who tests us, then wealth is as much of a test as poverty is. Those who are wealthy are tested to see how they will use their good fortune. Will they use it for the betterment of mankind and to help those who are less fortunate, or will they use it for self centered and greedy pursuits?

If there is a god, and the pearly gates and a judgement at the end of days and all that, then it seems to me as though people like this pastor of yours are in for a very unpleasant surprise when their judgement comes down.

Someone once said, what so ever you do to the least of you, that you do unto me. Wonder who it was said that? Hmmmmmm......

Just lovely. I also know of New Agers who have the same attitude. "Bad Karma" they say. "They attracted poverty into their life."

It's just an excuse to be compassionless and selfish. "Look at me, I'm blessed with wealth cuz I'm so deserving of it!" Sick, really.

Sounds a lot like Joel Osteen

I'd have replied, "And that's why I'm more moral than you and your God."

Well he'sa moron that knows nothing about the bible and Jesus, there is a ton of scripture like this in the second testament.

Deuteronomy 15:11
For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’

[openbible.info]

What article?
I think he's Deacon Asshole (6)
This is someone I usually refer to as a so-called Christian.