Well, my friends, I voted today for the first time ever in my life. Yes, I'm 31, and I have never voted before today! South Africa's first free election was held in 1994 - 2 months after I left, and I only became a U.S. citizen this February. So today I fulfilled my civic responsibility (depite my dualistic Augustinian leanings) and voted. How did I vote on Prop.2? I voted Yes - but I really thought about it first. Yes, I know homosexuality is bad, but ammending the constitution deserves plenty of thought.
And now for some random thoughts:
Why I hate the media reason number 1: All week I've been hearing about "French youths" rioting. You mean little Pierre and Jacques and Marcel and Alphonse are upset over not being admitted to the annual fête de la pomme, du cidre et du fromage at the Place de la Marie? (translation: cheese eating contest.) No, no, no! These are Muslim youths rioting as part of a long-term strategy of testing French resolve because they believe all of "Christian Europe" ought to be Muslim. The French have been weighed on the scales of history, and they have been found wanting!
And about the obscene profits of "big oil." Just so you know, I worship at the altar of the free-market. I am a Libertarian, a member of the Acton Institute, and friends with members of the Cato Institute and the Federalist Society. HOWEVER, the oil companies do not operate in a free market. They are heavily regulated by congress, fuel is taxed through the roof, and six companies (Conoco-Philips, Exxon-Mobil, Chevron-Texaco, Shell, Total-Fina, and BP) collude with each other in what amounts to a virtual monopoly. Our economy is intertwined with the price of fuel. It costs about $4 to remove a barrel of oil, and it sells for $60. Don't give me supply and demand rationale. The oil market is artificially manipulated. When gas goes from $1.50 to $3 in the space of one year, and profits go up by 75% something ain't right! And don't forget one more thing. God is always on the side of the poor. Read Micah and Amos. Those are some real "family values" my Republican friends.
15 comments:
congratulations on voting.
I agree with you on the rioting youths and oil companies. So no real reason to comment.
I believe that "fête de la pomme, du cidre et du fromage" actually means "The celebration of apples, cider and cheese."
Ah, you can speak LeFrench - very interesting. I was really doing a sense for sense "translation", sort of like The Message, not really an ASV style word for work translation. Little "French youths" are still cheese-eaters.
Sort of like 'The Message' -- I love it!
Anyway, you are correct, we see the news media wringing their collective hands over the fact that France has been so negligent of their 'poor' and this is the reason for these riots.
Not a chance -- The reality is that the muslim community has invaded and been allowed to do so, and now the radicals are fanning the flames using the economic conditions...
The typical radical muslim cleric REQUIRES that his people be kept in bondage and poverty in order to fulfill his agenda. There is no freedom in this and anybody who thinks there is, simply cannot read, or think (I know, I left many Americans out on that one).
Just this week we again had two young girls attacked in Indonesia -- last week three were decapitated, and then this week two were shot in the face... Yes, I must admit I see where the muslim religion is a peaceful one...
I could see if there was one radical group in the entire world that caused problems, however what we actually see is that anywhere the muslim community has any influence at all there are killings, maimings, bombings, and riotings...
And finally -- I think the American public spoke yesterday regarding the 6 or so years of Republican rule. Arnold lost at the ballots on all four of his amendments, I believe that every governors race went to the Dems etc. I could not agree more with you on the oil and current state of the Union.
Why is it that everyone else has figured out alternative fuels and the USA can't seem to get it together? In Southern India their cars run on alternate fuels and they have begun to see a cleaner environment, and a much cheaper transportation cost...
Sorry for the length, but it has been quite a month so far and you just hit the right button! :-)
Sort of like 'The Message' - hilarious!
I'm subbing in theology today. I think were going to discuss the state of the modern church. How did we get to where we are and how can we get back to truth? - sort of thing.
Thanks for the comments gents. Ryan - I'm a little bit envious of you teaching theology today.
Congratulations! I'm not only glad about your new right-to-vote, but I happier that you use it. There are too many citizens that take this act for granted.
Today's question, and maybe your next blog, will you let your Christian views affect your political views? Oh, Im sorry, your not a Supreme Court nominee!
Chris G -- Yes, our Christian views should ABSOLUTELY affect our political views... :-)
Good book -- Total Truth - Nancy Pearcy
my .02,
Ray
Thanks Chris. I agree with Ray. I don't see how one's religious views cannot impact how you see politics. Only trouble is that people on the far left and the far right often have religious reasons for doing opposite things!
I can't believe what I am reading on here. I can only hope that the United Nations is allowed control of the web, and religiously intolerant, gay-bashing hate mongerers such as yourself, along with your cacaphony of supporters are cast off and not allowed to post this. It makes sense that you would choose a quote from and pay homage to someone as duplicitous as Thomas Jefferson, a man who never bothered to live any of the lofty words he plagerized from real men of genius. I'd like to know what church you're a so-called minister of, so I'll know what to avoid.
Hey anonymous -- If the UN gets control of the web, what makes you think you would be in any better shape?
And I am sort of confused by your comment... I am not sure where you picked up all of the gay-bashing, etc...
I find it interesting that your opinion and hatred are completely OK in your eyes, while the opinions of others are considered intolerant...
So, if the UN would take control of the web, then the people who ONLY agree with you, or it, will be allowed to post -- I see the tolerance there, sort of in a Stalin-esque way...
Ray & Ryan . .
Exactly my point! How can anyone ask one of our politicians to exclude his/her Christians views while performing a government job? No more than excluding your personal experiance? For most of us, our Christian VIEWS are a personal experiance and cannot be removed just because of a desire for a political position.
I also want to know how a Catholic Supreme Court Judge can vote for abortion rights, and still be considered in "The Church"?
And Ray, your comment to anonymous could not have had more clarity.
Chris G -- This is the problem I have with politics in general (I am no political analyst).
We should not, nay, cannot, abandon our Christian worldview if we determine that we are going to run for office. Part of the problem in the USA today is that many Christian's vote for professing 'Christians' whose worldview does not differ one iota from the lost.
The Republican party (the well-known saviors of the 'Christian way' in America) is no different in their worldview than the Dems when it comes down to brass tacks...
Just recently the Oil Executives (notice the capital letters, these are men of IMPORT!) testified before the Senate, and the Republicans voted down a move that would require them to testify under oath... Hmm, I wonder why?
It couldn't be that most of the Republican Senators and the party as a whole are in the back pocket of the Oil industry? Now, I am no Democrat lover either, they have equally biased opinions, and long ago gave the party over to the more radical element.
We have moved more towards a Big Brother style of government under Republican leadership than we have under Democratic...
Sorry for the rambling -- I feel very passionate about how W manipulates the Christian constituency, yet is nothing more than a common pragmatist... Much like pastors who espouse his methods in the church -- "Whatever works, we will do that"...
Hey Anonymous.
If you're going to come on here and support the very LAME and USELESS United Nations and bash others opinions, then please have the courage to not hide behind the equally LAME Anonymous moniker.
Dear "anonymous": I am a minister of the "Church of the Painful Truth" while you seem to have your membership in the "Assembly of the Hopelessly Intolerant, Ignorant, and Cowardly."
NEW RULE: NO ANONYMOUS POSTS ON THIS BLOG!
While I'm feeling fiesty, I agree with Ray - I'm so tired of "W" and other Republicons co-opting evangelical Christianity for political purposes. Their professions of faith sound as hollow as everytime they proclaim Islam to be a "religion of peace."
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