Archive for the 'Religion' Category

Comments Not Made…

Published at 20 November 2006 in Politics Pisses Me Off, Religion and Society, et al. 0 Comments

I’ve been conspicuously absent as of late, I know… I could drivel on about how busy I’ve been, and I have. Yet, in all honesty, if I took twenty minutes out of my news reading addiction per day, I could in fact manage to post more often… RSS feeds are worse than drugs, at times I feel as though I’ve lost precious parts of my non-virtual life to them. Regardless, I feel I should finally comment on all the things I’ve missed. Since I haven’t posted in quite a while, I’ll do so in list format for ease of reading.

  1. November 7th
    Democrats regain control of the House and Senate for the first time in 12 years. Does it really matter? Probably not, considering as how days later the infighting began and the party of new ideas began looking like the party of the same old bullshit. Democrats have an opportunity here: Put forth legislation that works for the majority of Americans, the lower and middle classes.

    • Tax breaks for Joe Average, tax hike for oil companies and the upper 25% earners. Bring down the debt and stop deficit spending. Cut earmarks and pork barrel spending.
    • Propose election and ethical reforms.
    • Don’t cut and run from Iraq. Iraq must be stable before we leave. We broke it, and consequently, we bought it.
    • Work forcefully with the insurance industry to provide affordable, subsidized insurance for the uninsured. Increase taxes on corporations who either do not provide insurance or do not pay high enough wages for employees to become insured.
    • Propose an increase to the minimum wage, while leaving the death tax alone for estates over $1 million and abolishing the death tax for estates under a million. With exceptions for family farms.

    Even if these don’t pass the narrowly divided congress, they will show America that the Democratic Party is at least making some half-hearted attempt on their behalf. Responsible governance is the one sure-fire way to win elections. Pandering to one faction or another (read: the extreme right or left) only alienates the majority of those who still vote. I predict we’ll find that the congressional majority cycle will continue to shorten as Americans buy into the new sound bite political culture.

  2. Bishop Carlton Pearson
    I heard Carlton Pearson’s story on NPR’s “This American Life,” you should listen to the podcast. Bishop Pearson gives me hope for the Evangelical community.

So that’s it for now… But I’ll be back soon (and more frequently, too)

Places that Scare Me: Bob Jones University

Published at 25 April 2006 in Religion and Society, et al. 1 Comment

Bob Jones, Sr.
Bob Jones University

I’ve never been. Chances are, I’m going to avoid the place at all costs. I suppose I’m not much of a fan of places that can’t seem to accept the inevitable forward march of time. It just reflects poorly on Christianity, I mean, really? What would Jesus do?! Do you think a man that hung out with whores and drunks would prohibit interracial relationships without parental consent? And hell, it only did that in 2000. Figure, if you were black, you weren’t going there until 1971. And the whole Catholics being a cult and the Pope the antichist? That’s a bit over the top, don’t you think? For a religion that preaches a love of your neighbor, these guys are pretty noninclusive.

So how does this look from the outside? Probably to more enlightened folks it’s reminiscient (if on a less volatile scale) of the challenges facing Islam. They wrestle with the inclusion of women. We wrestle with the inclusion of anyone different, be they colored differently, their sexual orientation different, whatever.

What scares me most about Bob Jones University is how long it has taken for them to move forward with the recognition of basic freedoms. Whoever created us, be it evolution or God, endowed us with free will. The right to choose who we are- morally, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Religion’s place is to help people grow, not to stifle them.

Is this an Electoral Map?

Published at 20 April 2006 in Religion and Society, et al. 1 Comment

U.S. Religious Overview MapI noticed this little gem today on CNET News. It was a small blurb linking to a study that shows the Map of Religion in the US.

The maps, organized by religion, show the membership percentages of each religion for each county in the United States. The results, from 2000, aren’t too surprising. It kind of plays out like an electoral map, the most religious states are in the South and Midwest, the South being predominantly Baptist and the Midwest having Episcopal leanings. The Roman Catholic church has the Northeast on lock, as well as a large swath of the Southwest. And we all know which way Utah leans (Mormon).

So what is surprising? Well, the number of Amish in Illinois, for one. Or maybe that the Quakers are still kicking… I won’t ruin it for you… Check it out, its about 30 minutes of graphically represented statistical fun.

On Strong Beliefs and Blind Faith

Published at 14 March 2006 in Politics Pisses Me Off, Religion and Society, et al. 1 Comment

Strong beliefs kill.

As an example, look no further than 9/11 or at the last time a doctor was killed for performing an abortion. Yes, I have picked rather glaring examples. But really, anyone can partake on a smaller scale: the 55% of the country that supported sending American troops into Iraq despite the administration’s shaky reasoning, for example.

Take for example, George Bush’s strong evangelical beliefs, on everything from abortion and gay rights to the worldwide sale of democracy, which prevent him from considering any opposing points of view. Evangelicals like George Bush and the blatantly prejudiced Jack Chick and Fred Phelps aren’t the only examples of how beliefs harm people. Three prominent American Cardinals recently pontificated about Catholic politician’s responsibility to stand against abortion, the death penalty, and gay rights. A politician is not beholden to the church, rather an electorate of vastly different ideals. It is his or her responsibility to protect the rights of the individual, not only the majority, but the under-represented.

A person has the right to control over their body, be that through abortion, drug use, or assisted suicide. The imposition of conservative Christian ideals in a melting pot only alienates those who don’t share those beliefs, anymore than the Muslim residents of France who spent the better part of the fall rioting. The responsibility of citizens, politicians, and religious leaders alike, is too show tolerance for the ideals of each other. What is right for you may not be right for me, or vice versa.

My entire point is that strong beliefs, be them under the guise of political or religious affiliation, rabid nationalism, or overt prejudice does massive harm to societies. Beliefs, primarily strong ones, don’t change- look at George Bush’s bull-headed instance on the existence of WMDs in Iraq… Or Dick Cheney’s refusal to acknowledge his daughter’s right to choose who she wants to marry (whether she personally supports her rights or not). Even the refusal of Governors to commute death sentences in the light of incomplete evidence or the mounting numbers of exonerated death row inmates.

Ideas are open to change. Ideas save. Call them flip-floppers, say they lack clarity and resolution if you like, but I always considered it a hallmark of an intelligent person to be able to reevaluate information and change course based upon new information. Tunnel vision and resolute stubbornness seem indicative of ignorance… Blind faith will lead you over off the edge of a cliff before it will deliver you to heaven. If indeed a superior being is responsible for the Big Bang, we evolved with free will and the capacity for thought, and surely it wouldn’t want us to waste that?