I agree with 90% of your post. Where we part in opinion is I said in "some" areas the majority will not vote for an Atheist. I can tell you that in most parts of Oklahoma you won't find an atheist in office. They just can't bring themselves to vote for an atheist. An atheist to them equals satan. And as far as presuming to know a mans heart, I certainly disagree and so would Jesus. The bible says "They will know you by your fruit" and that is certainly true. You can tell me all day long you are a good person, but if you are constantly breaking into homes, robbing convenience stores, and dealing meth, I can use some deductive reasoning to determine you really aren't. In regards to Trump, as Josh McDowell used to ask, or maybe it was C.S. Lewis, "if you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" and I think Trump would walk on those charges.
Actually you said, "in
many areas the majority" and "many" is more than "some" but, hey, who's counting? Either way I will concede the point that anyone running for political office will be at a considerable disadvantage because; as much as atheist and those on the Left like to deny it, unless it suits their agenda (like now), this is still a predominantly Christian country founded on Judeo/Christian ethics.
And though you presume to speak for Jesus only Jesus knows what's in a man's heart. You give an example of how you can determine one's heart by their behavior -- their fruit, as it were. Yes, you can
judge a person's behavior but not necessarily their heart -- their intention. Their motivation.
I really doubt that Pol Pot or Hitler got up every morning and said to themselves, "OK, so how can
I make the world a more miserable place? How can I increase human suffering?" They believe they were making for a better world. Killing 1 out 3 of his own people was a price that Pol Pot was willing to pay.
Probably more harm has been done in this world by people convinced they were doing good. "The road to hell is pave with good intentions" is indeed a truism.
That's why I would defend Mike O'hearn here for his charity work. People here are convinced that he is
doing it just to promote himself and his reputation and as an excuse to display his triceps. Maybe they are right. I don't know. I don't know what is in his heart. All I do know is that he is making a positive
difference in other people's lives. Far, far more than those who do nothing but criticize him. Who cares if a doctor wants to find a cure for cancer just so he can win a Nobel prize and have a legacy even if he really doesn't give a crap about people with cancer?
I would much rather have someone do a good thing for selfish reasons then bad things with the best of
intentions. Obviously we all want pure thoughts and pure actions but since I don't presume to know what's in a man's heart I always judge a person by their actions and leave their soul to God.
