These Two Things
Faith and trust. Both are being besmirched by policies and centers of power, and next week I will not chose to continue this for another four years.
Deceptive words come from those who would speak on issues of national policy ostensibly through the lens of my Christian faith; distortions come from those who speak the "truth" of science constrained, coerced or wooed by profit or political ends.
Science and faith: these two pillars are central to my understanding of what the world and the cosmos are fully about in a material and spiritual sense. And both have fallen into the hands of those who see both these realms of human understanding as tools that can be morphed to their needs of the hour.
I recommend the following articles that express some of my concerns on these critical matters.
Confessing Christ in a World of Violence "Faithfully confessing Christ is the church's task, and never more so than when its confession is co-opted by militarism and nationalism." ...from Sojourners Magazine.
The War on Science: White House disinformation in the face of unwelcome facts threatens everyone. From Orion
Comments
I understand not everyone will agree with my point of view. I'd very much like for this not to devolve into a rancourous exchange among those from both sides of the political aisle who I count among my reader-visitor-friends.
I grieve that this coming election has become so devisive and shrill. I hate it that I feel reluctant to be fully honest on matters of great importance. I am tempted to just smell the roses and post pretty pictures.
But this is denial and delusion. We live in gravely serious times. And I do have opinions on things other than maple leaves and green snakes. This is one of the rare occasions, for my mental health, I must not be silent on matters going on outside of Floyd County and the Blue Ridge.
Posted by: fred1st | October 28, 2004 8:03 AM
You go, Fred.
Posted by: Reno | October 28, 2004 8:26 AM
Carmen Rice,
Brokerage Clerk: "That's it. I'm voting for the candidate who would flip-flop on sending my son to die, rather than the one who'd do it without hesitation." - The Onion
Perhaps inappropriate humor for such a serious matter, but there's truth in that statement also.
(p.s. feel free not to approve this one.)
Posted by: fletch | October 28, 2004 2:37 PM
Unfortunately for the high-sounding purpose of the Orion article, it contains only generalities. As an engineer with 47 years of experience, I learned that the truth is what works, not what some Phd proclaims for political purposes.
Ignoring the realities of the current international scene to carp about the government ignoring some pet project is like allowing the ship of state to sink while we fuss with polishing the brasswork.
We have a dedicated force of insane killers attempting to undermine our way of life. We can twiddle our thumbs and agonize about the unfairness of it all, or we can set things right so we and our children will be able to build a better America.
Kerry wishes to work with those who were bribed by Saddam's oil for food money (France, Russia, Kofi Annan of the UN). Bush has had the courage to hold firm and as a result, Iraqis will be holding elections in a few months.
Defending ourselves from the insanity of Islamic terrorism requires hard work and patience. Get that done and we have the time to clean up our environment. Fail to do so and we won't be in a position to worry about our environment.
The pacifist course suggested by the Sojourners article is based on based on highly selective use of passages from the bible and will be of great amusement to the mullahs who work against us. You should read a few more blogs from Iraq. Riverbend does not represent a majority view.
Posted by: David St Lawrence | October 29, 2004 10:24 AM
Too late, Fred, it's done devolved! But this old woman will hang in there with you. (I've written about 10 different sentences with which to end this comment, but deleted each as likely to incite more vitriol. Peace be with you.)
Posted by: Cop Car | October 31, 2004 8:27 PM
It is so hard to refrain from offering my own words and opinions here. But since I too wish we could see past each other's political differences, I offer these quotes to stand in for my own:
"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind"
-Ghandi
"Peace cannot be kept by force, it can only be achieved through understanding"
-Einstein
"Until there are no longer first class and second class citizens of any nation there is a war."
-Bob Marley
Posted by: Mara | November 1, 2004 8:19 AM