Well here we are at one of my least favorite days of the year. The house is empty as the wife and kids have headed back to school. Going home for lunch isn't any great treat right now, as I have to get used to the empty rooms.
Life is moving so terribly fast! Suddenly I've got a kid in 10th and another in middle school. Gone are the days of waiting together for the bus to come. Present are the days of engaging conversations and occasional advice (and my kids are as likely to offer it as ask for it). I definitely enjoy these times with my kids, but it really does seem like the clock is accelerating and they are just a few breaths away from heading out on their own. I love my life too much not to get a little misty over the passing of eras. I am that blessed.
At the birth of my children so many of my elders said "hang on to these times and enjoy them. They are gone before you know it." Wisdom. Wisdom
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
This Just In: China Still China
From the Times Online, London:
Michael Sheridan, Beijing
The mystery of the half-filled stands at many events at the 2008 Olympic Games has been solved, according to Chinese internet users, who say it is the result of a policy to prevent the gathering of large and possibly uncontrollable crowds.
They claim ticket sales to the public were secretly restricted. Blocks of tickets went to government departments, Communist party officials or state-owned companies, which have quietly obeyed orders not to hand them out. “People are so angry because they slept all night outside ticket booths and got nothing and now they see this,” said one blogger, Jian Yu.
Official explanations eroded swiftly because internet insurgents have rapidly identified cracks in the perfect facade constructed for the Olympics.
In the nine days since Chinese leaders presided over a grandiose - and, it turns out, partly faked - opening ceremony, one fact after another has eluded the censors and fuelled public indignation at the costs and the charade. Protected, they hope, by online anonymity, some of China’s 1.3 billion people are daring to wonder where it will all end.
Related Links
Anger turns to uprising along the Silk Road
At some football matches in the northern city of Shenyang, only a third of the seats were taken. Even some gymnastics finals, usually one of the biggest attractions on the programme, were not sold out.
Nobody seems to have explained it to the International Olympic Committee, which is baffled by the empty seats, or to the sponsors, who are disappointed.
The policy meant that some British supporters have been deprived of the excitement of seeing the Games. Even parents of competitors, such as those of Rebecca Adlington, the gold medal-winning swimmer, have complained about being unable to get seats.
Jeff Hunter, group operations director for Sportsworld, the official travel and ticket agent for the British Olympic Association, said: “It is surprising that not all the venues have been as full as they could have been.”
Lower-ranking Chinese officials hastily bused in paid “volunteers” to populate the stands in Beijing, appreciating the embarrassment caused by leaving them half-empty, but public relations remain a matter of indifference to most guardians of public order.
Security has been heavy-handed from the start. As the film director Zhang Yimou’s extravaganza kicked off with a boom, I watched on a giant screen in a park, one of the few venues where ordinary Chinese people were allowed to gather.
They cheered as the fireworks exploded, few looking up to find that there were, in fact, none to be seen because the sequence was produced by software, not gunpowder.
They cooed at nine-year-old Lin Miaoke, hardly caring that her lyrics were obviously mimed, and as she sang they went into a patriotic delirium when goose-stepping soldiers raised the national flag. Yet even these loyal citizens could not be trusted. We were surrounded by dozens of police who locked the gates to keep us in and others out.
Chao Chanqing, an exiled journalist widely read on web-sites accessible in China, has accused Zhang, the director, of playing the same role as Leni Riefenstahl, who filmed an epic documentary for Hitler at the Berlin Olympics of 1936.
The director scorns the comparison but he admitted that a Chinese leader ordered him to make changes to the ceremony. “I had no chance to reject his opinion,” he told the Nanfang Weekend newspaper. Analysts said he was referring to vice-president Xi Jinping, heir apparent to the top job.
Government officials swept thousands of migrant workers out of Beijing – the very people who built the stadium, at least 10 of them paying with their lives. Police arrested hundreds of provincial petitioners who sought justice in the capital and sent at least 58 to labour camps for “reeducation”.
The sick were told that routine surgery was cancelled in every hospital and officials shut some psychiatric patients inside their wards.
Even as the nation is supposed to be keeping a keen tally of the gold medal count, dissenters are daring to raise the issue of how much the Games have cost the people of China.
For all its export might, China is still a poor, largely agrarian country with perhaps 700m farmers and 150m migrant workers. The size of its economy is huge but, measured by wealth per head, it ranks 109th in the world, comparable with Swaziland or Morocco.
It faces an acute crisis as its people live longer but fewer are born; the old lack pensions and healthcare must be paid for. Half the population does not have clean drinking water and 16 cities are among the most polluted on earth.
So why, asked the mainland Chinese writers in a Hong Kong magazine named Kaifang (Opening Up), did China blow more than £20 billion on the Games?
They calculate that the total costs may exceed £30 billion, more than the Chinese government will spend this year on education or public health or relief for the Sichuan earthquake. These are questions that would make any ruler nervous.
Chinese leaders prided themselves on the splendid reception for dignitaries and 10,500 athletes. They rejected criticism of their policies on Darfur, Burma and Zimbabwe, brushing aside foreign demonstrators complaining about Tibet.
However, they remain worried about political undercurrents among their people. These can be unexpected. Despite pervasive internet control, censors could not stop nationalist criticism about the diplomatic price China has paid for mounting the Games.
Exhibit one for the ultra-patriots was a border treaty signed on July 21 between China and Russia to settle disputes over their Siberian territories that led to armed clashes during the cold war. Official accounts of the treaty emphasised the return to China of 1½ islands in the icy Amur River that divides the two nations.
Online critics were enraged because the foreign ministry appeared to have recognised the 19th-century conquest of thousands of square miles of land by Tsarist Russia. “These lands belong to all the people of China,” a blogger called “Tiger” wrote. It was only on the day the treaty was signed that the attendance of Vladimir Putin at the opening ceremony of the Games was confirmed.
Exhibit two was an agreement on June 18 between China and Japan to embark on joint exploration for oil and gas in a disputed zone of the East China Sea. It was only after this agreement that Yasuo Fukuda, Japan's prime minister, confirmed that he, too, would attend the opening.
It may seem remote to the athletes and sports fans in Beijing, but national pride is central to the Olympic message that China's government has crafted for its own youth.
Few foreigners will make their way to the Stalinist palace in west Beijing that houses the national military museum, but thousands of schoolchildren were trooping through a new exhibition there last week.
They saw a version that traces their country's descent into poverty and chaos to British aggression in the 1840 opium war. "The imperial powers descended upon China like a swarm of bees, looting our treasures and killing our people," the exhibit reminded viewers.
There was no mention of the famines that may have claimed 30m lives after Mao's "great leap forward", of the decade of chaos in the Cultural Revolution, which killed 1m more, or of the democracy protests in 1989 which ended in the massacre at Tiananmen Square.
Despite the precise attention given to such a perfect display, somebody seems to have missed the bold headline on a student newspaper published in 1919, when China was in a ferment of idealism and its Communist party did not exist.
It stated: "Democracy - a government for the people, by the people and of the people - our motto."
Michael Sheridan, Beijing
The mystery of the half-filled stands at many events at the 2008 Olympic Games has been solved, according to Chinese internet users, who say it is the result of a policy to prevent the gathering of large and possibly uncontrollable crowds.
They claim ticket sales to the public were secretly restricted. Blocks of tickets went to government departments, Communist party officials or state-owned companies, which have quietly obeyed orders not to hand them out. “People are so angry because they slept all night outside ticket booths and got nothing and now they see this,” said one blogger, Jian Yu.
Official explanations eroded swiftly because internet insurgents have rapidly identified cracks in the perfect facade constructed for the Olympics.
In the nine days since Chinese leaders presided over a grandiose - and, it turns out, partly faked - opening ceremony, one fact after another has eluded the censors and fuelled public indignation at the costs and the charade. Protected, they hope, by online anonymity, some of China’s 1.3 billion people are daring to wonder where it will all end.
Related Links
Anger turns to uprising along the Silk Road
At some football matches in the northern city of Shenyang, only a third of the seats were taken. Even some gymnastics finals, usually one of the biggest attractions on the programme, were not sold out.
Nobody seems to have explained it to the International Olympic Committee, which is baffled by the empty seats, or to the sponsors, who are disappointed.
The policy meant that some British supporters have been deprived of the excitement of seeing the Games. Even parents of competitors, such as those of Rebecca Adlington, the gold medal-winning swimmer, have complained about being unable to get seats.
Jeff Hunter, group operations director for Sportsworld, the official travel and ticket agent for the British Olympic Association, said: “It is surprising that not all the venues have been as full as they could have been.”
Lower-ranking Chinese officials hastily bused in paid “volunteers” to populate the stands in Beijing, appreciating the embarrassment caused by leaving them half-empty, but public relations remain a matter of indifference to most guardians of public order.
Security has been heavy-handed from the start. As the film director Zhang Yimou’s extravaganza kicked off with a boom, I watched on a giant screen in a park, one of the few venues where ordinary Chinese people were allowed to gather.
They cheered as the fireworks exploded, few looking up to find that there were, in fact, none to be seen because the sequence was produced by software, not gunpowder.
They cooed at nine-year-old Lin Miaoke, hardly caring that her lyrics were obviously mimed, and as she sang they went into a patriotic delirium when goose-stepping soldiers raised the national flag. Yet even these loyal citizens could not be trusted. We were surrounded by dozens of police who locked the gates to keep us in and others out.
Chao Chanqing, an exiled journalist widely read on web-sites accessible in China, has accused Zhang, the director, of playing the same role as Leni Riefenstahl, who filmed an epic documentary for Hitler at the Berlin Olympics of 1936.
The director scorns the comparison but he admitted that a Chinese leader ordered him to make changes to the ceremony. “I had no chance to reject his opinion,” he told the Nanfang Weekend newspaper. Analysts said he was referring to vice-president Xi Jinping, heir apparent to the top job.
Government officials swept thousands of migrant workers out of Beijing – the very people who built the stadium, at least 10 of them paying with their lives. Police arrested hundreds of provincial petitioners who sought justice in the capital and sent at least 58 to labour camps for “reeducation”.
The sick were told that routine surgery was cancelled in every hospital and officials shut some psychiatric patients inside their wards.
Even as the nation is supposed to be keeping a keen tally of the gold medal count, dissenters are daring to raise the issue of how much the Games have cost the people of China.
For all its export might, China is still a poor, largely agrarian country with perhaps 700m farmers and 150m migrant workers. The size of its economy is huge but, measured by wealth per head, it ranks 109th in the world, comparable with Swaziland or Morocco.
It faces an acute crisis as its people live longer but fewer are born; the old lack pensions and healthcare must be paid for. Half the population does not have clean drinking water and 16 cities are among the most polluted on earth.
So why, asked the mainland Chinese writers in a Hong Kong magazine named Kaifang (Opening Up), did China blow more than £20 billion on the Games?
They calculate that the total costs may exceed £30 billion, more than the Chinese government will spend this year on education or public health or relief for the Sichuan earthquake. These are questions that would make any ruler nervous.
Chinese leaders prided themselves on the splendid reception for dignitaries and 10,500 athletes. They rejected criticism of their policies on Darfur, Burma and Zimbabwe, brushing aside foreign demonstrators complaining about Tibet.
However, they remain worried about political undercurrents among their people. These can be unexpected. Despite pervasive internet control, censors could not stop nationalist criticism about the diplomatic price China has paid for mounting the Games.
Exhibit one for the ultra-patriots was a border treaty signed on July 21 between China and Russia to settle disputes over their Siberian territories that led to armed clashes during the cold war. Official accounts of the treaty emphasised the return to China of 1½ islands in the icy Amur River that divides the two nations.
Online critics were enraged because the foreign ministry appeared to have recognised the 19th-century conquest of thousands of square miles of land by Tsarist Russia. “These lands belong to all the people of China,” a blogger called “Tiger” wrote. It was only on the day the treaty was signed that the attendance of Vladimir Putin at the opening ceremony of the Games was confirmed.
Exhibit two was an agreement on June 18 between China and Japan to embark on joint exploration for oil and gas in a disputed zone of the East China Sea. It was only after this agreement that Yasuo Fukuda, Japan's prime minister, confirmed that he, too, would attend the opening.
It may seem remote to the athletes and sports fans in Beijing, but national pride is central to the Olympic message that China's government has crafted for its own youth.
Few foreigners will make their way to the Stalinist palace in west Beijing that houses the national military museum, but thousands of schoolchildren were trooping through a new exhibition there last week.
They saw a version that traces their country's descent into poverty and chaos to British aggression in the 1840 opium war. "The imperial powers descended upon China like a swarm of bees, looting our treasures and killing our people," the exhibit reminded viewers.
There was no mention of the famines that may have claimed 30m lives after Mao's "great leap forward", of the decade of chaos in the Cultural Revolution, which killed 1m more, or of the democracy protests in 1989 which ended in the massacre at Tiananmen Square.
Despite the precise attention given to such a perfect display, somebody seems to have missed the bold headline on a student newspaper published in 1919, when China was in a ferment of idealism and its Communist party did not exist.
It stated: "Democracy - a government for the people, by the people and of the people - our motto."
Thursday, August 14, 2008
A Mother's Cry
My Dear Friends,
I recently received an anonymous communication from a Christian parent with an unusual request. I have no way of knowing if or how this person is affiliated with our church, but I recognized a deep hurt, anxiety and confusion, so I will honor the request, which was to offer a Word this Sunday regarding the role of a Christian parent whose adult child has strayed in a particular manner.
Whoever you are, you rightly seek spiritual wisdom to lead you through a complex situation. I offer you this Word from the fourth Gospel:
John 8:2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them.
3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them,
4 they said to him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery.
5 Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?"
6 They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.
7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."
8 And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground.
9 When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.
10 Jesus straightened up and said to her, "Woman, where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?"
11 She said, "No one, sir." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again."
Concerned parent, whoever you are, I ask you to prayerfully reflect on this reading and the path Christ chose. He sheltered the individual from the harm others would inflict, regardless of guilt. He identified himself with and stood up for the sinner, no matter who was watching and what they might think. He did not condemn, but offered instead a steadying hand, quiet forgiveness, simple encouragement and the grace-filled freedom to move on and do better.
Whoever you are, you are in my prayers.
I recently received an anonymous communication from a Christian parent with an unusual request. I have no way of knowing if or how this person is affiliated with our church, but I recognized a deep hurt, anxiety and confusion, so I will honor the request, which was to offer a Word this Sunday regarding the role of a Christian parent whose adult child has strayed in a particular manner.
Whoever you are, you rightly seek spiritual wisdom to lead you through a complex situation. I offer you this Word from the fourth Gospel:
John 8:2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them.
3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them,
4 they said to him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery.
5 Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?"
6 They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.
7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."
8 And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground.
9 When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.
10 Jesus straightened up and said to her, "Woman, where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?"
11 She said, "No one, sir." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again."
Concerned parent, whoever you are, I ask you to prayerfully reflect on this reading and the path Christ chose. He sheltered the individual from the harm others would inflict, regardless of guilt. He identified himself with and stood up for the sinner, no matter who was watching and what they might think. He did not condemn, but offered instead a steadying hand, quiet forgiveness, simple encouragement and the grace-filled freedom to move on and do better.
Whoever you are, you are in my prayers.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Materialism and Corporate America
“I know a man, he lost his head. He said: 'The way I feel I'd be better off dead.' He said: 'I've got everything I've ever wanted, now I can't give it up...It's a trap. Just my luck.' ” -- Laurie Anderson, Monkey's Paw, from the album Strange Angels, (C) 1989, Warner Bros.
I see where the Pope spoke to young people in Australia, challenging them to abandon the headlong pursuit of material wealth. I assume he then flew his private jet back to his palatial apartments alongside the opulent, gold-, silver- and marble-filled St. Peter's Basilica. (I am not anti-Catholic. I am pro-irony.) I can only imagine what the humble fisherman-turned-itinerant servant of the Gospel would think of the towering, multi-billion dollar structure that bears his name.
The love of money is the root of much that is evil, Paul warned Timothy (1 Timothy 6:10). I must admit, if I don't love money, I am at least exceedingly fond of it. We don't get nearly enough time together, money and me. But I cherish every moment we spend.
For the thinking, self-examining American Christian, it is difficult to reconcile anti-materialistic Gospel messages with our hotly promoted civic shopping duties in this consumer culture. It is a struggle to wave bye-bye to all of the voices alternately whispering and screaming “BUY BUY.” But many of us view this American life as hopelessly perverted from the pursuit of happiness to the pursuit of MORE.
I believe we as a nation have lost our moral compass. Deregulation has been the mantra of the past four administrations, with devastating results. I provide as evidence the state of our supposed “free-market” economy: The deregulated media has bought out and shut down all competing and minority voices and given us pap in place of substance. The deregulated energy industry has given us the likes of Enron and oil companies that jack up profits to obscene margins as they rape the earth and consumers alike. The deregulated banking industry has given us mortgage and credit crises far worse than anything this nation has ever before seen. The deregulated investment industry has given us Bear-Stearns and many others whose uppermost executives fly off with their millions, immune to the common folks who have seen their retirements flushed down the drain. Deregulated airline industry? A poorly maintained fleet, lousy service and bankruptcies. Deregulated food industries? Outbreaks of food-borne illnesses, reprehensible land and animal stewardship, and brutal labor practices.
Deregulation will only work if the deregulated are willing and able to police themselves. This requires an awareness of – and allegiance to – a higher moral authority. But the current leaders of the corporate world in general seem to suffer from spiritual bankruptcy, doing things to boost stock prices that undermine our lives, our communities, our government and nation.
A for-profit corporation as a legal entity is an artificial person, born selfish and self-absorbed. A for-profit corporation “lives' to make as much money as possible. Such corporations love mammon, as it is the full defining measure of success and self-worth. A corporate entity has no conscience beyond that which its human handlers carry in their Armani briefcases. What's best for the stock price is seldom equivalent to what is best for humanity. But what's best for the stock price is inevitably the focus of the for-profit corporation.
The current state of for-profit America hearkens back to the days of the robber barons, doing whatever it takes to corner markets and eliminate the competition, regardless of what is best for the nation and her citizens. We are encouraged to remain addicted to that which does not satisfy. We are encouraged to help spread the disease of rampant consumerism to every foreign shore. We are encouraged to adopt the every-man-for-himself approach of the soulless corporation.
There is nothing inherently sinful in honestly pursuing prosperity. But I strain to find honesty in today's marketplace. How about you?
I see where the Pope spoke to young people in Australia, challenging them to abandon the headlong pursuit of material wealth. I assume he then flew his private jet back to his palatial apartments alongside the opulent, gold-, silver- and marble-filled St. Peter's Basilica. (I am not anti-Catholic. I am pro-irony.) I can only imagine what the humble fisherman-turned-itinerant servant of the Gospel would think of the towering, multi-billion dollar structure that bears his name.
The love of money is the root of much that is evil, Paul warned Timothy (1 Timothy 6:10). I must admit, if I don't love money, I am at least exceedingly fond of it. We don't get nearly enough time together, money and me. But I cherish every moment we spend.
For the thinking, self-examining American Christian, it is difficult to reconcile anti-materialistic Gospel messages with our hotly promoted civic shopping duties in this consumer culture. It is a struggle to wave bye-bye to all of the voices alternately whispering and screaming “BUY BUY.” But many of us view this American life as hopelessly perverted from the pursuit of happiness to the pursuit of MORE.
I believe we as a nation have lost our moral compass. Deregulation has been the mantra of the past four administrations, with devastating results. I provide as evidence the state of our supposed “free-market” economy: The deregulated media has bought out and shut down all competing and minority voices and given us pap in place of substance. The deregulated energy industry has given us the likes of Enron and oil companies that jack up profits to obscene margins as they rape the earth and consumers alike. The deregulated banking industry has given us mortgage and credit crises far worse than anything this nation has ever before seen. The deregulated investment industry has given us Bear-Stearns and many others whose uppermost executives fly off with their millions, immune to the common folks who have seen their retirements flushed down the drain. Deregulated airline industry? A poorly maintained fleet, lousy service and bankruptcies. Deregulated food industries? Outbreaks of food-borne illnesses, reprehensible land and animal stewardship, and brutal labor practices.
Deregulation will only work if the deregulated are willing and able to police themselves. This requires an awareness of – and allegiance to – a higher moral authority. But the current leaders of the corporate world in general seem to suffer from spiritual bankruptcy, doing things to boost stock prices that undermine our lives, our communities, our government and nation.
A for-profit corporation as a legal entity is an artificial person, born selfish and self-absorbed. A for-profit corporation “lives' to make as much money as possible. Such corporations love mammon, as it is the full defining measure of success and self-worth. A corporate entity has no conscience beyond that which its human handlers carry in their Armani briefcases. What's best for the stock price is seldom equivalent to what is best for humanity. But what's best for the stock price is inevitably the focus of the for-profit corporation.
The current state of for-profit America hearkens back to the days of the robber barons, doing whatever it takes to corner markets and eliminate the competition, regardless of what is best for the nation and her citizens. We are encouraged to remain addicted to that which does not satisfy. We are encouraged to help spread the disease of rampant consumerism to every foreign shore. We are encouraged to adopt the every-man-for-himself approach of the soulless corporation.
There is nothing inherently sinful in honestly pursuing prosperity. But I strain to find honesty in today's marketplace. How about you?
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Progressive Christianity and Dr. Dobson
“Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” -Mark 3:35
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle editorial page recently had a great take on James Dobson's ham-handed political Bible-thump, and “signs that Christians who may not share the political views of fundamentalists...are no longer taking a back seat” (Dobson's Monopoly?, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Thursday, June 26). It was accompanied by an excellent piece by Susan Estrich (Most of the Faithful are Also Tolerant and Open), in which she shared the results of a recent national poll which showed that most Christians are far more open minded than the few big mouthed cowboys-for-Christ who always seem to find a microphone.
The upshot of the whole Dobson-related editorial was the simple fact that a few media-loving, overbearing “Christian” commentators are finally seen to be far less than the spokespeople for Christ and Christianity. It turns out Dobson, Robertson, et al. don't speak for most of us, and even many conservative evangelicals are turning away from them! WHO KNEW?!? Well, lots of us did.
Christ was the model of compassion, reason and inclusion, and progressive Christians have been a major force of positive – dare I say evolutionary – change ever since. We fight to free the oppressed. We serve the poor. We cared for the earth when green was a mere color, not the hot new destination. In this country, we were the Spiritual push behind public education, independence, abolition, temperance/women's suffrage, fair labor standards, the Civil Rights movement and so much more. We were among the first on the scene in New Orleans, China and Myanmar, and will most likely be among the last to leave. We started the School of the America's protest and Habitat for Humanity, as well as founding Princeton, Harvard and Yale Universities. Some of us are gay. Some of us are blue-eyed, or left-handed, or from Gdansk. Millions of us know our Bibles, vote our consciences and live our faiths gently, with conviction, though not necessarily in 100% agreement. Some of our brethren disown us and claim we will rot in hell, but God is still speaking to us and through us.
All of this without 1-800 numbers, the wholesale demonizing of people we don't understand, or the use of the words God and hate on the same placard. Sure, we've occasionally taken a back seat, but only to offer another child of God their rightful place at the front of the bus.
We are followers of Christ! Doers of the Word!
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle editorial page recently had a great take on James Dobson's ham-handed political Bible-thump, and “signs that Christians who may not share the political views of fundamentalists...are no longer taking a back seat” (Dobson's Monopoly?, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Thursday, June 26). It was accompanied by an excellent piece by Susan Estrich (Most of the Faithful are Also Tolerant and Open), in which she shared the results of a recent national poll which showed that most Christians are far more open minded than the few big mouthed cowboys-for-Christ who always seem to find a microphone.
The upshot of the whole Dobson-related editorial was the simple fact that a few media-loving, overbearing “Christian” commentators are finally seen to be far less than the spokespeople for Christ and Christianity. It turns out Dobson, Robertson, et al. don't speak for most of us, and even many conservative evangelicals are turning away from them! WHO KNEW?!? Well, lots of us did.
Christ was the model of compassion, reason and inclusion, and progressive Christians have been a major force of positive – dare I say evolutionary – change ever since. We fight to free the oppressed. We serve the poor. We cared for the earth when green was a mere color, not the hot new destination. In this country, we were the Spiritual push behind public education, independence, abolition, temperance/women's suffrage, fair labor standards, the Civil Rights movement and so much more. We were among the first on the scene in New Orleans, China and Myanmar, and will most likely be among the last to leave. We started the School of the America's protest and Habitat for Humanity, as well as founding Princeton, Harvard and Yale Universities. Some of us are gay. Some of us are blue-eyed, or left-handed, or from Gdansk. Millions of us know our Bibles, vote our consciences and live our faiths gently, with conviction, though not necessarily in 100% agreement. Some of our brethren disown us and claim we will rot in hell, but God is still speaking to us and through us.
All of this without 1-800 numbers, the wholesale demonizing of people we don't understand, or the use of the words God and hate on the same placard. Sure, we've occasionally taken a back seat, but only to offer another child of God their rightful place at the front of the bus.
We are followers of Christ! Doers of the Word!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Jesus' Tasty Fish Sandwiches!
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God; to draw near to listen is better than the sacrifice offered by fools... -- Ecclesiastes 5:1
I received two interesting “religious” mailings last week.
One came from a mega-church in Oklahoma, whose name I will not mention to avoid giving them any sort of publicity. The mailing included several pieces, the centerpieces of which were a small, paper “prayer rug” and a sealed envelope containing “my very own, personal prophecy.” (The instructions insisted I not open the prophecy until I had knelt on the prayer rug (or I could “simply touch it to my knees”) and contacted the church via phone or return card...so I, of course, ripped the prophecy envelope open immediately. Turns out God is waiting for me to step forward in faith so HE can RICHLY REWARD ME! At the bottom of the SACRED PROPHECY were detailed instructions for “stepping forward in faith” through a generous donation.) Also included was a picture of a gazillion squeaky-clean, Sunday-best, Southwestern white folk standing in front of their arena/sanctuary, fairly blinding the cameraman with their Pepsodent smiles. I don't know if they all swallowed this idiocy, or were only hoping I would. The whole piece was screaming the question: WHAT CAN GOD DO TO HELP ME HERE????
I have grown so tired of slick Prosperity Gospel hucksters. I liken them to those folks who were following Jesus for the tasty, miraculous fish sandwiches (John 6:26 - after the loaves and fishes miracle, a throng seeks out Jesus in Capernaum and he says to them: "...you are looking for me not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.") Just look at what we can get from God! Praise the Lord and pass the tarter sauce!
The second mailing I received was a humble, computer-generated newsletter from Ecclesia Ministries of Newburgh (New York). Full disclosure: this ministry is master-minded by UCC-ordained clergy...one of our guys. The newsletter was filled with stories of recovery and rehabilitation. One of the group's board members was pushing a shopping cart full of empty cans around Newburgh trying to buy his next drink just two years ago. He and several others have been sent through reputable rehab programs and are now rebuilding their lives as they help others do the same. The mailing focused on a building they are reclaiming for street ministries and shelter space. There were two “asks” in this piece. The first was an invitation to come learn how street ministry is done: visit them and spend a weekend in ministry in September (“we hope that as many as ten of you will join us...”) so you could go back to your own city and set up a similar ministry. The second ask was for money, of course, but not to enter some sort of Holy Ghost lottery that would bring about a jackpot for yourself. No, they asked for money to help them finish the shelter, support and expand outreach ministries, and rescue more addicts and misfits from the streets. The whole piece was screaming the question: WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP GOD HERE???
So you tell me, which of the above questions is the more faithful to ask?
The primary focus of the follower of Christ must be on feeding the flock, not feeding the face.
P.S. Ecclesia Ministries of Newburgh, P.O. Box 1621, Newburgh NY 12551-1621
www.Ecclesia-Newburgh.org
I received two interesting “religious” mailings last week.
One came from a mega-church in Oklahoma, whose name I will not mention to avoid giving them any sort of publicity. The mailing included several pieces, the centerpieces of which were a small, paper “prayer rug” and a sealed envelope containing “my very own, personal prophecy.” (The instructions insisted I not open the prophecy until I had knelt on the prayer rug (or I could “simply touch it to my knees”) and contacted the church via phone or return card...so I, of course, ripped the prophecy envelope open immediately. Turns out God is waiting for me to step forward in faith so HE can RICHLY REWARD ME! At the bottom of the SACRED PROPHECY were detailed instructions for “stepping forward in faith” through a generous donation.) Also included was a picture of a gazillion squeaky-clean, Sunday-best, Southwestern white folk standing in front of their arena/sanctuary, fairly blinding the cameraman with their Pepsodent smiles. I don't know if they all swallowed this idiocy, or were only hoping I would. The whole piece was screaming the question: WHAT CAN GOD DO TO HELP ME HERE????
I have grown so tired of slick Prosperity Gospel hucksters. I liken them to those folks who were following Jesus for the tasty, miraculous fish sandwiches (John 6:26 - after the loaves and fishes miracle, a throng seeks out Jesus in Capernaum and he says to them: "...you are looking for me not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.") Just look at what we can get from God! Praise the Lord and pass the tarter sauce!
The second mailing I received was a humble, computer-generated newsletter from Ecclesia Ministries of Newburgh (New York). Full disclosure: this ministry is master-minded by UCC-ordained clergy...one of our guys. The newsletter was filled with stories of recovery and rehabilitation. One of the group's board members was pushing a shopping cart full of empty cans around Newburgh trying to buy his next drink just two years ago. He and several others have been sent through reputable rehab programs and are now rebuilding their lives as they help others do the same. The mailing focused on a building they are reclaiming for street ministries and shelter space. There were two “asks” in this piece. The first was an invitation to come learn how street ministry is done: visit them and spend a weekend in ministry in September (“we hope that as many as ten of you will join us...”) so you could go back to your own city and set up a similar ministry. The second ask was for money, of course, but not to enter some sort of Holy Ghost lottery that would bring about a jackpot for yourself. No, they asked for money to help them finish the shelter, support and expand outreach ministries, and rescue more addicts and misfits from the streets. The whole piece was screaming the question: WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP GOD HERE???
So you tell me, which of the above questions is the more faithful to ask?
The primary focus of the follower of Christ must be on feeding the flock, not feeding the face.
P.S. Ecclesia Ministries of Newburgh, P.O. Box 1621, Newburgh NY 12551-1621
www.Ecclesia-Newburgh.org
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
It's been more than a month since I posted! Here is a piece that responds to one of those chain e-mails. I get a lot of these from folks in my church. Sometimes they are looking for my response. Sometimes I think they just want to tweak me!
Anyway, here is the chain letter from "Angry Woman," purportedly a New Jersey housewife. I print it in its entirety, followed by each section of the letter, with my response attached. It's a bit of a slog, but I look forward to responses and dialogue after...
WOW! WHAT A LETTER! Letter from one 'Angry Woman'
I don't know who wrote it but they should have signed it. Some powerful words. This woman should run for president.
Written by a housewife from New Jersey and sounds like it! This is one ticked off lady.
Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was it or was it not started by Islamic people who brought it to our shores on September 11, 2001? Were people from all over the world, mostly Americans, not brutally murdered that day, in downtown Manhattan , across the Potomac from our nation's capitol and in a field in Pennsylvania ? Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning or crushing death that day, or didn't they? And I'm supposed to care that a copy of the Koran was 'desecrated' when an overworked American soldier kicked it or got it wet?...Well, I don't. I don't care at all. I'll start caring when Osama bin Lade n turns himself in and repents for incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11. I'll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start caring about the Holy Bible, the mere possession of which is a crime in Saudi Arabia I'll care when these thugs tell the world they are sorry for chopping off Nick Berg's head while Berg screamed through his gurgling slashed throat. I'll care when the cowardly so-called 'insurgents' in Iraq come out and fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in mosques. I'll care when the mindless zealots who blow themselves up in search of nirvana care about the innocent children within range of their suicide.
I'll care when the American media stops pretending that their First Amendment liberties are somehow derived from international law instead of the United States Constitution's Bill of Rights. In the meantime, when I hear a story about a brave marine roughing up an Iraqi terrorist to obtain information, know this: I don't care. When I see a fuzzy photo of a pile of naked Iraqi prisoners who have been humiliate d in what amounts to a college-hazing incident, rest assured: I don't care. When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank: I don't care.
When I hear that a prisoner, who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and fed 'special' food that is paid for by my tax dollars, is complaining that his holy book is being 'mishandled,' you can absolutely believe in your heart of hearts: I don't care.
And oh, by the way, I've noticed that sometimes it's spelled 'Koran' and other times 'Quran.' Well, Jimmy Crack Corn and-you guessed it-I don't care!! If you agree with this viewpoint, pass this on to all your E-mail friends. Sooner or later, it'll get to the people responsible for this ridiculous behavior! If you don't agree, then by all means hit the delete button. Should you choose the latter, then please don't complain when more atrocities committed by radical Muslims happen here in our great Country!
And may I add: 'Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem' -- Ronald Reagan I have another quote that I would like to add AND.......I hope you forward all this. 'If we ever forget that we're One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under' Also by.. Ronald Reagan
One last thought for the day: In case we find ourselves starting to believe all the Anti-American sentiment and negativity, we should remember England 's Prime Minister Tony Blair's words during a recent interview. When asked by one of his Parliament members why he believes so much in America , he said: 'A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in.. And how many want out.
Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you:
1. Jesus Christ
2. The American G. I. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO PASS THIS ON,
AS MANY SEEM TO FORGET BOTH OF THEM.
AMEN!
Now, Corey's response:
Good morning, everybody. At first I just hit the delete button on this e-mail. But, after sleeping on it I realized how many of the people on this list of recipients I know and respect, especially the lovely lady who sent it to me. I also thought of my father-in-law, involved in 11 invasions in the Pacific Theatre in World War II, and how this angry woman questions HIS patriotism under her wide, dark net of anger. So, meaning no offense, this is one proud American's response. As I read through her whole letter, will you read through mine and respond as you see fit?
WOW! WHAT A LETTER!
Letter from one 'Angry Woman' I don't know who wrote it but they should have signed it. Some powerful words. This woman should run for president. Written by a housewife from New Jersey and sounds like it! This is one ticked off lady.
'Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was it or was it not started by Islamic people who brought it to our shores on September 11, 2001? Yes, we are fighting terrorism...but "the War on Terror" is a mere slogan if you use as a cover to simply kill Arab Muslims, regardless of their involvement in the 9/11 atrocities. Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. This is not a matter for debate. It is a simple, irrefutable FACT. Saddam Hussein and Wahabi Muslims HATED each other. There was no connection. Those boys were mostly from Saudi Arabia, which HATED Saddam Hussein. The sick minds who planned and promoted the whole thing continue to hole up in Afghanistan and Pakistan. If you want to fight a war on terror, don't open up new fronts away from and unrelated to the battle!
Were people from all over the world, mostly Americans, not brutallymurdered that day, in downtown Manhattan , across the Potomac from ournation's capitol and in a field in Pennsylvania ? Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning or crushing death that day, or didn't they? Yes, they were and they did...and it was a terrible tragedy. They were killed by a group of hateful, evil, deluded men (mostly Saudi extremists) who, with their evil leader of the same extremist sect, have embraced murder and mayhem as the best way to get their point across. We Americans know better than to behave like that in the world, right?
And I'm supposed to care that a copy of the Koran was 'desecrated' when an overworked American soldier kicked it or got it wet?...Well, I don't. I don't care at all. Well you should. You're an American, aren't you? You should care that our American soldiers are overworked and under-equipped. You should care that they have been stretched to the limit. You should care that they are being placed in hazardous duty without adequate training or a clear mission. You should care that anyone in the world should see America as anything but tolerant of religious freedom. You should care that American's would hold men in prison without trial for five or more years. We're Americans. We're the ones who care about human rights!
I'll start caring when Osama bin Laden turns himself in and repents for incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11. That's not how it works. The bringers of justice never set justice aside. Lovers of liberty never fail to respect it. Americans should never tie their behavior to the actions of the likes of Osama bin Laden. That would be un-American.
I'll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start caring about the Holy Bible, the mere possession of which is a crime in Saudi Arabia This, too, lowers you to the level of the fanatic. The terrorists are angry at a few, so they'll lash out at anybody under the same flag. You're angry at a few, so you'll lash out at anybody under the same religion.
I'll care when these thugs tell the world they are sorry for chopping off Nick Berg's head while Berg screamed through his gurgling slashed throat. Again, a sick, terrible thing, but do you really want to sink to that mindless level? It is not only the terrorists who are dying, but tens of thousands of innocents! The terrorists weren't in Iraq. They came there to fight us, tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi men, women and children are dying. They had a terrible time under brutal Saddam Hussein, but they are suffering mightily under our occupation, too!
I'll care when the cowardly so-called 'insurgents' in Iraq come out and fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in mosques. Oh! You were so close to getting this right, but your anger blinded you! Much of the Muslim world is incensed at the actions of these few radicals. If you and I care about the innocent Muslims and the sanctity of their faith, THEN we will be seen as heroes and liberators. If we continue to make everyone suffer for the crimes of the few, we'll just be lumped in with the terrorists. If you're waiting for extremists to change before you will show any compassion, then you have just become an extremist yourself. CARE NOW!
I'll care when the mindless zealots who blow themselves up in search of nirvana care about the innocent children within range of their suicide. The mindless are incapable of caring. To tie your actions to their thinking only makes you mindless, too.
I'll care when the American media stops pretending that their First Amendment liberties are somehow derived from international law instead of the United States Constitution's Bill of Rights. And I would say the American media has given the Bush Administration and the congress a pass on this whole Iraq War. I would say the mainstream media is not free -- it is bought and paid for by the military-industrial complex Dwight D. Eisenhower warned us about. The Main Stream Media was fairly giddy about the buildup to war, what with all their flashy graphics, their spiked ratings, and their "embedded" reporters. They failed us, and the many who gave their lives for a free and independent press.
In the meantime, when I hear a story about a brave marine roughing up an Iraqi terrorist to obtain information, know this: I don't care. Care about the Marine and the honor code he swore to and believes in, but which he has been ordered to disregard.
When I see a fuzzy photo of a pile of naked Iraqi prisoners who have been humiliate d in what amounts to a college-hazing incident, rest assured: I don't care. Care for American justice and our reputation in the world. Humiliation at gunpoint and in front of snarling guard dogs under people who have the very power of life and death over you is unlike any hazing incident of which I have ever heard. Beyond that, when I was in college, I avoided the kind of alcoholic,frat-house idiots who pulled hazing rituals. Please don't suggest the men and women of our armed forces are simple, frat-boy jerks, or under-estimate the power of American ideals in this world by excusing inexcusable behavior...especially when the suits and officers who gave the orders stepped back and let the enlisted men and women take the hit on the whole sordid mess! Care about the soldiers who were abandoned by their leaders and had their military careers and lives ruined for this! Care about the Muslims who were trying to support us and our cause, but then had to explain how the "liberators" could do such things to people who hadn't even been brought to trial, and in the very same prison infamous for Saddam Hussein's evil deeds of like nature! Wake up and care about the world beyond your nose!
When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank:I don't care. Care about the soldier forced to make such a terrible decision in the heat of battle. I have a nephew who went to this war an upstanding, upbeat young man, and who came back from this war scarred and troubled. You should care about what our boys and girls have to do over there to survive. We knew this was going to be a chaotic bloodbath before we went in:
"I would guess if we had gone in there, I would still have forces in Baghdad today. We'd be running the country. We would not have been able to get everybody out and bring everybody home.
"And the final point that I think needs to be made is this question of casualties. I don't think you could have done all of that without significant additional U.S. casualties. And while everybody was tremendously impressed with the low cost of the conflict, for the 146 Americans who were killed in action and for their families, it wasn't a cheap war.
"And the question in my mind is how many additional American casualties is Saddam (Hussein) worth? And the answer is not that damned many. So, I think we got it right, both when we decided to expel him from Kuwait, but also when the president made the decision that we'd achieved our objectives and we were not going to go get bogged down in the problems of trying to take over and govern Iraq..."
-- Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney, August, 1992, when asked why President George H. W. Bush didn't march on to Baghdad.
When I hear that a prisoner, who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and fed 'special' food that is paid for by my tax dollars, is complaining that his holy book is being 'mishandled,' you can absolutely believe in your heart of hearts: I don't care. Care and be proud that that prisoner knew enough about our nation to expect better from Americans. I do, too.
And oh, by the way, I've noticed that sometimes it's spelled 'Koran' and other times 'Quran.' Well, Jimmy Crack Corn and-you guessed it-I don'tcare!! In all your anger, you don't care about much, do you? People are different. Places are different. You can't "bring freedom to the world" without recognizing and respecting these differences. Don't make the mistake of considering willful ignorance a sign of strength and patriotism. That's the flaw of the extremist.
If you agree with this viewpoint, pass this on to all your E-mail friends. Sooner or later, it'll get to the people responsible for this ridiculous behavior! If you don't agree, then by all means hit the delete button. Should you choose the latter, then please don't complain when more atrocities committed by radical Muslims happen here in our great Country! Your methods give them new excuses and recruitment videos. You want to create new terrorists? Tell the world you don't care about the Muslim faith, imprisonment without trial, torture and the death of tens of thousands of innocent civilians who were never in any way connected to 9-11. Good God, wise up, Angry Woman!
And may I add: 'Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem' -- Ronald Reagan
I have another quote that I would like to add AND.......I hope you forward all this.
'If we ever forget that we're One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under' Also by.. Ronald Reagan
Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.
Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.
The ultimate determinant in the struggle now going on for the world will not be bombs and rockets, but a test of wills and ideas -- a trial of spiritual resolve: the values we hold, the beliefs we cherish and the ideals to which we are dedicated.
-- You guessed it, all quotes from President Reagan!
One last thought for the day: In case we find ourselves starting to believe all the Anti-American sentiment and negativity, we should remember England 's Prime Minister Tony Blair's words during a recent interview. When asked by one of his Parliament members why he believes so much in America , he said: 'A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in...And how many want out.'
Those who insist on holding America and Americans to the very highest standards are the true patriots. As Americans, we are born not simply privileged. We are born RESPONSIBLE. Care for the world and its people is the first, best test to determine a true American... and a true follower of Christ, for that matter!
Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you:
1. Jesus Christ He did not die for our anger and ignorance. He died FROM our anger and ignorance.
2. The American G. I. The least we could do is uphold the high ideals they died for!
One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.
I would add a third: the American Activist, who died for our freedom and our weakest members (who the Apostle Paul instructed us to honor the most). It is the activist who keeps our government honest, our citizens aware and inspired, and our outcasts welcomed into American society with all its freedoms and responsibilities. It is the American Activist who won Angry Woman her right to vote. It is the American Activist who insisted on freedom and a voice for all citizens. It is the American Activist who integrated our military. It is the American Activist who demanded body armor and armored vehicles for our soldiers. It is the American Activist who is demanding better care for our wounded veterans and A NEW G.I. BILL. We have already seen what happens if we blindly entrust the care of our veterans, National Guard and enlisted soldiers to our government: budget cuts, under-equipping and unnecessary death and injury. Thank you, American Activist, for truly supporting our truths (and troops), not just slapping a ribbon on your car and pretending you've done something to help!
YOU MIGHT WANT TO PASS THIS ON,
AS MANY SEEM TO FORGET BOTH OF THEM.
AMEN!
I wish you all peace as only God can give. Pray for our world. Work for its well-being.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed through the renewing of your mind in Christ Jesus. -- Romans 12:2
Rev. Corey Keyes
Anyway, here is the chain letter from "Angry Woman," purportedly a New Jersey housewife. I print it in its entirety, followed by each section of the letter, with my response attached. It's a bit of a slog, but I look forward to responses and dialogue after...
WOW! WHAT A LETTER! Letter from one 'Angry Woman'
I don't know who wrote it but they should have signed it. Some powerful words. This woman should run for president.
Written by a housewife from New Jersey and sounds like it! This is one ticked off lady.
Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was it or was it not started by Islamic people who brought it to our shores on September 11, 2001? Were people from all over the world, mostly Americans, not brutally murdered that day, in downtown Manhattan , across the Potomac from our nation's capitol and in a field in Pennsylvania ? Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning or crushing death that day, or didn't they? And I'm supposed to care that a copy of the Koran was 'desecrated' when an overworked American soldier kicked it or got it wet?...Well, I don't. I don't care at all. I'll start caring when Osama bin Lade n turns himself in and repents for incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11. I'll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start caring about the Holy Bible, the mere possession of which is a crime in Saudi Arabia I'll care when these thugs tell the world they are sorry for chopping off Nick Berg's head while Berg screamed through his gurgling slashed throat. I'll care when the cowardly so-called 'insurgents' in Iraq come out and fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in mosques. I'll care when the mindless zealots who blow themselves up in search of nirvana care about the innocent children within range of their suicide.
I'll care when the American media stops pretending that their First Amendment liberties are somehow derived from international law instead of the United States Constitution's Bill of Rights. In the meantime, when I hear a story about a brave marine roughing up an Iraqi terrorist to obtain information, know this: I don't care. When I see a fuzzy photo of a pile of naked Iraqi prisoners who have been humiliate d in what amounts to a college-hazing incident, rest assured: I don't care. When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank: I don't care.
When I hear that a prisoner, who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and fed 'special' food that is paid for by my tax dollars, is complaining that his holy book is being 'mishandled,' you can absolutely believe in your heart of hearts: I don't care.
And oh, by the way, I've noticed that sometimes it's spelled 'Koran' and other times 'Quran.' Well, Jimmy Crack Corn and-you guessed it-I don't care!! If you agree with this viewpoint, pass this on to all your E-mail friends. Sooner or later, it'll get to the people responsible for this ridiculous behavior! If you don't agree, then by all means hit the delete button. Should you choose the latter, then please don't complain when more atrocities committed by radical Muslims happen here in our great Country!
And may I add: 'Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem' -- Ronald Reagan I have another quote that I would like to add AND.......I hope you forward all this. 'If we ever forget that we're One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under' Also by.. Ronald Reagan
One last thought for the day: In case we find ourselves starting to believe all the Anti-American sentiment and negativity, we should remember England 's Prime Minister Tony Blair's words during a recent interview. When asked by one of his Parliament members why he believes so much in America , he said: 'A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in.. And how many want out.
Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you:
1. Jesus Christ
2. The American G. I. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO PASS THIS ON,
AS MANY SEEM TO FORGET BOTH OF THEM.
AMEN!
Now, Corey's response:
Good morning, everybody. At first I just hit the delete button on this e-mail. But, after sleeping on it I realized how many of the people on this list of recipients I know and respect, especially the lovely lady who sent it to me. I also thought of my father-in-law, involved in 11 invasions in the Pacific Theatre in World War II, and how this angry woman questions HIS patriotism under her wide, dark net of anger. So, meaning no offense, this is one proud American's response. As I read through her whole letter, will you read through mine and respond as you see fit?
WOW! WHAT A LETTER!
Letter from one 'Angry Woman' I don't know who wrote it but they should have signed it. Some powerful words. This woman should run for president. Written by a housewife from New Jersey and sounds like it! This is one ticked off lady.
'Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was it or was it not started by Islamic people who brought it to our shores on September 11, 2001? Yes, we are fighting terrorism...but "the War on Terror" is a mere slogan if you use as a cover to simply kill Arab Muslims, regardless of their involvement in the 9/11 atrocities. Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. This is not a matter for debate. It is a simple, irrefutable FACT. Saddam Hussein and Wahabi Muslims HATED each other. There was no connection. Those boys were mostly from Saudi Arabia, which HATED Saddam Hussein. The sick minds who planned and promoted the whole thing continue to hole up in Afghanistan and Pakistan. If you want to fight a war on terror, don't open up new fronts away from and unrelated to the battle!
Were people from all over the world, mostly Americans, not brutallymurdered that day, in downtown Manhattan , across the Potomac from ournation's capitol and in a field in Pennsylvania ? Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning or crushing death that day, or didn't they? Yes, they were and they did...and it was a terrible tragedy. They were killed by a group of hateful, evil, deluded men (mostly Saudi extremists) who, with their evil leader of the same extremist sect, have embraced murder and mayhem as the best way to get their point across. We Americans know better than to behave like that in the world, right?
And I'm supposed to care that a copy of the Koran was 'desecrated' when an overworked American soldier kicked it or got it wet?...Well, I don't. I don't care at all. Well you should. You're an American, aren't you? You should care that our American soldiers are overworked and under-equipped. You should care that they have been stretched to the limit. You should care that they are being placed in hazardous duty without adequate training or a clear mission. You should care that anyone in the world should see America as anything but tolerant of religious freedom. You should care that American's would hold men in prison without trial for five or more years. We're Americans. We're the ones who care about human rights!
I'll start caring when Osama bin Laden turns himself in and repents for incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11. That's not how it works. The bringers of justice never set justice aside. Lovers of liberty never fail to respect it. Americans should never tie their behavior to the actions of the likes of Osama bin Laden. That would be un-American.
I'll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start caring about the Holy Bible, the mere possession of which is a crime in Saudi Arabia This, too, lowers you to the level of the fanatic. The terrorists are angry at a few, so they'll lash out at anybody under the same flag. You're angry at a few, so you'll lash out at anybody under the same religion.
I'll care when these thugs tell the world they are sorry for chopping off Nick Berg's head while Berg screamed through his gurgling slashed throat. Again, a sick, terrible thing, but do you really want to sink to that mindless level? It is not only the terrorists who are dying, but tens of thousands of innocents! The terrorists weren't in Iraq. They came there to fight us, tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi men, women and children are dying. They had a terrible time under brutal Saddam Hussein, but they are suffering mightily under our occupation, too!
I'll care when the cowardly so-called 'insurgents' in Iraq come out and fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in mosques. Oh! You were so close to getting this right, but your anger blinded you! Much of the Muslim world is incensed at the actions of these few radicals. If you and I care about the innocent Muslims and the sanctity of their faith, THEN we will be seen as heroes and liberators. If we continue to make everyone suffer for the crimes of the few, we'll just be lumped in with the terrorists. If you're waiting for extremists to change before you will show any compassion, then you have just become an extremist yourself. CARE NOW!
I'll care when the mindless zealots who blow themselves up in search of nirvana care about the innocent children within range of their suicide. The mindless are incapable of caring. To tie your actions to their thinking only makes you mindless, too.
I'll care when the American media stops pretending that their First Amendment liberties are somehow derived from international law instead of the United States Constitution's Bill of Rights. And I would say the American media has given the Bush Administration and the congress a pass on this whole Iraq War. I would say the mainstream media is not free -- it is bought and paid for by the military-industrial complex Dwight D. Eisenhower warned us about. The Main Stream Media was fairly giddy about the buildup to war, what with all their flashy graphics, their spiked ratings, and their "embedded" reporters. They failed us, and the many who gave their lives for a free and independent press.
In the meantime, when I hear a story about a brave marine roughing up an Iraqi terrorist to obtain information, know this: I don't care. Care about the Marine and the honor code he swore to and believes in, but which he has been ordered to disregard.
When I see a fuzzy photo of a pile of naked Iraqi prisoners who have been humiliate d in what amounts to a college-hazing incident, rest assured: I don't care. Care for American justice and our reputation in the world. Humiliation at gunpoint and in front of snarling guard dogs under people who have the very power of life and death over you is unlike any hazing incident of which I have ever heard. Beyond that, when I was in college, I avoided the kind of alcoholic,frat-house idiots who pulled hazing rituals. Please don't suggest the men and women of our armed forces are simple, frat-boy jerks, or under-estimate the power of American ideals in this world by excusing inexcusable behavior...especially when the suits and officers who gave the orders stepped back and let the enlisted men and women take the hit on the whole sordid mess! Care about the soldiers who were abandoned by their leaders and had their military careers and lives ruined for this! Care about the Muslims who were trying to support us and our cause, but then had to explain how the "liberators" could do such things to people who hadn't even been brought to trial, and in the very same prison infamous for Saddam Hussein's evil deeds of like nature! Wake up and care about the world beyond your nose!
When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank:I don't care. Care about the soldier forced to make such a terrible decision in the heat of battle. I have a nephew who went to this war an upstanding, upbeat young man, and who came back from this war scarred and troubled. You should care about what our boys and girls have to do over there to survive. We knew this was going to be a chaotic bloodbath before we went in:
"I would guess if we had gone in there, I would still have forces in Baghdad today. We'd be running the country. We would not have been able to get everybody out and bring everybody home.
"And the final point that I think needs to be made is this question of casualties. I don't think you could have done all of that without significant additional U.S. casualties. And while everybody was tremendously impressed with the low cost of the conflict, for the 146 Americans who were killed in action and for their families, it wasn't a cheap war.
"And the question in my mind is how many additional American casualties is Saddam (Hussein) worth? And the answer is not that damned many. So, I think we got it right, both when we decided to expel him from Kuwait, but also when the president made the decision that we'd achieved our objectives and we were not going to go get bogged down in the problems of trying to take over and govern Iraq..."
-- Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney, August, 1992, when asked why President George H. W. Bush didn't march on to Baghdad.
When I hear that a prisoner, who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and fed 'special' food that is paid for by my tax dollars, is complaining that his holy book is being 'mishandled,' you can absolutely believe in your heart of hearts: I don't care. Care and be proud that that prisoner knew enough about our nation to expect better from Americans. I do, too.
And oh, by the way, I've noticed that sometimes it's spelled 'Koran' and other times 'Quran.' Well, Jimmy Crack Corn and-you guessed it-I don'tcare!! In all your anger, you don't care about much, do you? People are different. Places are different. You can't "bring freedom to the world" without recognizing and respecting these differences. Don't make the mistake of considering willful ignorance a sign of strength and patriotism. That's the flaw of the extremist.
If you agree with this viewpoint, pass this on to all your E-mail friends. Sooner or later, it'll get to the people responsible for this ridiculous behavior! If you don't agree, then by all means hit the delete button. Should you choose the latter, then please don't complain when more atrocities committed by radical Muslims happen here in our great Country! Your methods give them new excuses and recruitment videos. You want to create new terrorists? Tell the world you don't care about the Muslim faith, imprisonment without trial, torture and the death of tens of thousands of innocent civilians who were never in any way connected to 9-11. Good God, wise up, Angry Woman!
And may I add: 'Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem' -- Ronald Reagan
I have another quote that I would like to add AND.......I hope you forward all this.
'If we ever forget that we're One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under' Also by.. Ronald Reagan
Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.
Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.
The ultimate determinant in the struggle now going on for the world will not be bombs and rockets, but a test of wills and ideas -- a trial of spiritual resolve: the values we hold, the beliefs we cherish and the ideals to which we are dedicated.
-- You guessed it, all quotes from President Reagan!
One last thought for the day: In case we find ourselves starting to believe all the Anti-American sentiment and negativity, we should remember England 's Prime Minister Tony Blair's words during a recent interview. When asked by one of his Parliament members why he believes so much in America , he said: 'A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in...And how many want out.'
Those who insist on holding America and Americans to the very highest standards are the true patriots. As Americans, we are born not simply privileged. We are born RESPONSIBLE. Care for the world and its people is the first, best test to determine a true American... and a true follower of Christ, for that matter!
Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you:
1. Jesus Christ He did not die for our anger and ignorance. He died FROM our anger and ignorance.
2. The American G. I. The least we could do is uphold the high ideals they died for!
One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.
I would add a third: the American Activist, who died for our freedom and our weakest members (who the Apostle Paul instructed us to honor the most). It is the activist who keeps our government honest, our citizens aware and inspired, and our outcasts welcomed into American society with all its freedoms and responsibilities. It is the American Activist who won Angry Woman her right to vote. It is the American Activist who insisted on freedom and a voice for all citizens. It is the American Activist who integrated our military. It is the American Activist who demanded body armor and armored vehicles for our soldiers. It is the American Activist who is demanding better care for our wounded veterans and A NEW G.I. BILL. We have already seen what happens if we blindly entrust the care of our veterans, National Guard and enlisted soldiers to our government: budget cuts, under-equipping and unnecessary death and injury. Thank you, American Activist, for truly supporting our truths (and troops), not just slapping a ribbon on your car and pretending you've done something to help!
YOU MIGHT WANT TO PASS THIS ON,
AS MANY SEEM TO FORGET BOTH OF THEM.
AMEN!
I wish you all peace as only God can give. Pray for our world. Work for its well-being.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed through the renewing of your mind in Christ Jesus. -- Romans 12:2
Rev. Corey Keyes
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