I just read Jim Wallis's statement on the recent events in Egypt, especially the resignation of longtime President Mubarak. I can't agree more with Jim. I quote here just one paragraph of his excellent column, which I read on the Huffington Post. Wallis writes to the Egyptian people:
'You have changed the world. And what you have done has just begun. But now that you have won the hearts of the world, and signaled what your generation intends to do about democracy, the voices of the establishments, in both your country and mine, wish you would declare victory, go home and let them work out the details of "transition." Please don't do that. The leadership of both our countries have preferred "stability" to "democracy" for a very long time, and they do whatever is necessary to protect the former, even at the cost of the latter. To let them manage how democracy will come to Egypt is to risk it not coming at all, or only on their terms.'
President Obama's statement was much shorter, and I guess I understand why he didn't call us to task as did Jim Wallis -- he is an astute politician, and he knows that such a statement from him would draw much ire from many quarters. Still, as even yet something of an idealist, I wish he could have said something like that.
What I find most encouraging about the situation in Egypt is that this revolution has been largely nonviolent. And what both President Obama and Jim Wallis had to say was that this is just the beginning of a process for the nation of Egypt, which will certainly bring with it some hard times. Freedom, it seems, is never easy. We in the U.S.A., though we pride ourselves on our freedom, and we do indeed have more freedom that many of the peoples of the world, still have a long way to go before all our citizens are truly free. Until all are treated equally before the law, we are not truly free. We've made progress on some fronts, but we're not there yet -- and on some other fronts it seems to me that we've regressed.
Still, this is a day of celebration for the people of Egypt, and for us as we support them in their quest for democracy. It is my fervent prayer that their example will also spur on the U.S.A. to renew our own quest for democracy. In so many ways we seem to have put democracy on the shelf as we have championed capitalism instead. May God have mercy on all God's people.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
New Year's Thoughts
Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's have all gone by since I was in this place last. Too much busy-ness to have time to write anything but a Christmas Letter and Christmas cards, notes to a few long-time friends.
So, here it is, 2011. Amazing to me that I've lived this long. A part of me expected to die at 61 as my mother and maternal grandmother did. But I'm still here, and grateful to be here!
I'm concerned about what's going to happen with/to our nation now that the House of Representatives has been returned to Republican majority, and some, at least, of that majority are bent on undoing everything that has been done in the last two years. They talk of the "mandate" and "the people's voice" of the last election. They act as if the election of 2008 never happened at all! And they act as if the message from the electorate in 2010 was monolithic and perfectly clear.
What was (and is) clear to me is that the majority of Americans are upset -- and for many, their lives turned upside down! -- at the economy. So many out of work; so many who have lost their homes to foreclosure. But that doesn't mean we all want the rich to get even richer at the expense of the rest of us. For many the threshold between the middle class and the rich is at $250,000 income. Well, that level is almost 5 times my greatest annual income -- and I have a master's degree, and spent my adult life as a teacher and then as a minister. I know how fortunate I am -- and in retirement so far I've been able to keep up my mortgage payments on my modest little 1970's ranch.
Our large corporations have taken manufacturing jobs -- and in some cases MOST jobs -- to other countries. So they are able to make record profits (you can look it up!) while the American unemployment rate skyrockets. What is wrong with this picture? Everything!
Another thing that's bothering me is the reaction of some in the military that the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (which never did work that way at all!) will be so difficult to put into operation, and will take so much time. The military has rules about sexual behavior between heterosexuals -- why can't those rules simply be extended to homosexuals? Heterosexual men showering with homosexual men? This has been going on all along, guys -- contrary to the beliefs of some ignorant people, gay men are NOT out to seduce all heterosexual men. And I have noted that the women in the military have been silent about this. Could it be that only the macho men are nervous? I think so! And I say, "You're supposed to be tough, you guys. You'd BETTER be tough -- you're defending a whole country! So, since you're supposed to be tough, suck it up. You'll live through it -- and maybe even have your life saved by your gay (or lesbian!) comrade-in-arms."
God help us all. I am normally an optimist, but I'm having a hard time this time around looking at this new year as the beginning of things looking up. I know that God is ultimately in charge, but a lot of trauma and tragedy can go on before the triumphant end of times. No matter what that supposed "Christian" group says about the world ending on May 21, 2011. Oh gosh. Another subject for another blog.
So, here it is, 2011. Amazing to me that I've lived this long. A part of me expected to die at 61 as my mother and maternal grandmother did. But I'm still here, and grateful to be here!
I'm concerned about what's going to happen with/to our nation now that the House of Representatives has been returned to Republican majority, and some, at least, of that majority are bent on undoing everything that has been done in the last two years. They talk of the "mandate" and "the people's voice" of the last election. They act as if the election of 2008 never happened at all! And they act as if the message from the electorate in 2010 was monolithic and perfectly clear.
What was (and is) clear to me is that the majority of Americans are upset -- and for many, their lives turned upside down! -- at the economy. So many out of work; so many who have lost their homes to foreclosure. But that doesn't mean we all want the rich to get even richer at the expense of the rest of us. For many the threshold between the middle class and the rich is at $250,000 income. Well, that level is almost 5 times my greatest annual income -- and I have a master's degree, and spent my adult life as a teacher and then as a minister. I know how fortunate I am -- and in retirement so far I've been able to keep up my mortgage payments on my modest little 1970's ranch.
Our large corporations have taken manufacturing jobs -- and in some cases MOST jobs -- to other countries. So they are able to make record profits (you can look it up!) while the American unemployment rate skyrockets. What is wrong with this picture? Everything!
Another thing that's bothering me is the reaction of some in the military that the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (which never did work that way at all!) will be so difficult to put into operation, and will take so much time. The military has rules about sexual behavior between heterosexuals -- why can't those rules simply be extended to homosexuals? Heterosexual men showering with homosexual men? This has been going on all along, guys -- contrary to the beliefs of some ignorant people, gay men are NOT out to seduce all heterosexual men. And I have noted that the women in the military have been silent about this. Could it be that only the macho men are nervous? I think so! And I say, "You're supposed to be tough, you guys. You'd BETTER be tough -- you're defending a whole country! So, since you're supposed to be tough, suck it up. You'll live through it -- and maybe even have your life saved by your gay (or lesbian!) comrade-in-arms."
God help us all. I am normally an optimist, but I'm having a hard time this time around looking at this new year as the beginning of things looking up. I know that God is ultimately in charge, but a lot of trauma and tragedy can go on before the triumphant end of times. No matter what that supposed "Christian" group says about the world ending on May 21, 2011. Oh gosh. Another subject for another blog.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Making Harmony Together
Last night we in Lake Luzerne had our annual Thanksgiving service at the Hadley-Luzerne Wesleyan Church, and it was a festive, sometimes rollicking, sometimes thoughtful, service. The Community Choir sang "We Give Thanks" -- and it was good to be singing together in worship again. I'd been away from the Community Choir for awhile, as I served churches in other communities, but I'll lend my voice (tenor this time, usually alto) to the choir for the Christmas Concert on Dec. 5.
I keep thinking of Dan Berggren's song "Alice" about Alice who started a community chorus up in the north country -- Dan's from Minerva, so it was somewhere thereabouts. It was Alice's conviction that anybody could "sing along" and the world would be a better place. I agree.
We have fun in community choir. Randy, the director, is a genuine character with a somewhat wacky sense of humor, and the choir responds accordingly. But we also work hard -- and the work pays off. Our concerts are always well done, presented with faith hope and love, and also well-received.
This year the cantata is a modern one called "The Star Still Shines." But it doesn't matter a whole lot what the music is as long as it's faith-full, has some traditional and some contemporary aspects, and expresses a simple but profound faith. That's pretty much what our community choir is about -- that, and blending our voices together in a harmonious whole -- something from which our society -- in particular, our political process -- could take lessons!
In order to sing in harmony, each singer, and each vocal part, needs to listen to all the others and hear how all the parts fit together. If they don't fit together, we have to do more listening, practice, and then keep trying again until they do. The best singers in the world don't necessarily make the best CHORAL singers. Instead, those who can keep on tune and learn to blend together make the best music together. This is a good lesson for life, too.
I keep thinking of Dan Berggren's song "Alice" about Alice who started a community chorus up in the north country -- Dan's from Minerva, so it was somewhere thereabouts. It was Alice's conviction that anybody could "sing along" and the world would be a better place. I agree.
We have fun in community choir. Randy, the director, is a genuine character with a somewhat wacky sense of humor, and the choir responds accordingly. But we also work hard -- and the work pays off. Our concerts are always well done, presented with faith hope and love, and also well-received.
This year the cantata is a modern one called "The Star Still Shines." But it doesn't matter a whole lot what the music is as long as it's faith-full, has some traditional and some contemporary aspects, and expresses a simple but profound faith. That's pretty much what our community choir is about -- that, and blending our voices together in a harmonious whole -- something from which our society -- in particular, our political process -- could take lessons!
In order to sing in harmony, each singer, and each vocal part, needs to listen to all the others and hear how all the parts fit together. If they don't fit together, we have to do more listening, practice, and then keep trying again until they do. The best singers in the world don't necessarily make the best CHORAL singers. Instead, those who can keep on tune and learn to blend together make the best music together. This is a good lesson for life, too.
Monday, November 1, 2010
The Rally
I left with some trepidation. After all, I am not a twenty-something. I remember when Eisenhower was president (well, I don't remember all that much, but I do remember that he was president. My brother and I had two turtles, named Ike and Dick...). Not only am I not young, normally I don't like crowds. And since I've been having trouble with sciatica, walking isn't as much fun as it used to be, and I knew there would be a lot of walking. It seemed to me that the very fact that I, at my age, was off to a Rally to Restore Sanity meant that I really needed my sanity restored.
I came back home tired, with sore feet and back, flaring sciatica, but full of hope. The whole experience was, as the kids say, AWESOME! Stewart and Colbert outdid themselves, as did everyone else connected with the event.
We left Albany, NY, by bus, somewhere around midnight. The buses were chartered by Northeast Public Radio, WAMC (my friend Val and I won the trip as promotion for donations during the fall fund drive), and there were six buses of WAMC members and staff. We arrived in Washington, DC, near the Lincoln Memorial, at about 7:00 am. I got some great pictures of the Washington Monument at sunrise. We stayed there, waiting for the rest room to open, until a little after 8:00.
The whole group of WAMC folks, including President and CEO Alan Chartock and my favorite radio personality Joe Donahue, assembled on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for pictures. Somebody had a banjo, and we all sang the telephone number song from fund drives, and then a bit of "This Land is Your Land" before we all went off on our own to explore the National Mall. Some folks went to museums. Val and I took pictures as we strolled our way down the Mall.
The crowd was growing and growing. At about 9:30 we settled on a spot on stage left, to the side and a bit behind the Jumbotron and waited there for the festivities to begin.
The CBS estimate of attendance is "over 200,000." However many of us there were, everyone was well-behaved and polite. It was hard going trying to leave the Mall (Val and I, trying to get up to the Lincoln Memorial end in time for the buses'departure scheduled for 4:30 ...) but even then, everybody was polite. Amazing!
The only mishaps as far as we were concerned: Val left her brand new 3-legged stool on a bench somewhere beyond the Washington Monument, and when she went back to it maybe ten minutes later, it was gone. And somewhere I lost my pedometer, which had been clipped onto my jeans.
Did I say it was awesome? the signs were wonderful ... the music was great ... and the crowd was all ages. Someone reported we were "predominantly ages 18-39" and that might be accurate. But there were plenty of folks in our 40s, 50s, and 60s, and some that I daresay were in their 70s (the ones I look at and say, "Ah. Older than I am."
Herein lies my hope: so many people ostensibly advocating and actually demonstrating "reasonableness" -- and people of all ages coming together in peace, hope, and humor. Some of us found ourselves explaining to the young folks in our midst about Father Guido Sarducci and Kareem Abdul Jabbar and a few other references. The youngsters thanked us! When Kareem came out, I remarked to Val "I wonder how many in this crowd remember what his name was before" but there would have been a good number, I'm confident. I don't know whether the crowd was an accurate microcosm of America race-wise, but there were enough people of color there that it was obvious it wasn't a "whites only" event. People with disabilities were represented, and people of all genders and sexual orientations. One almost universal: of those not wearing costumes, almost everyone else was in jeans.
Since arriving home at 2:00 Sunday morning, I've looked at a lot of pictures of the Rally, laughed at some of the signs I missed on Saturday, and read commentaries on the event. Those who were surprised at Jon Stewart's serious statement at the conclusion of the Rally have missed some of his interviews, during which he often asks serious, probing questions. And those who think his main point was criticism ONLY of "cable media" or even media in general, missed his critique of the parody of democracy our political discourse and process have become.
Some of my favorite "sound bites" from Jon's statement:
"... we live now in hard times, not end times. And we can have animus and not be enemies."
"If we amplify everything we hear nothing."
About the cars funneling into the tunnel: "Concession by concession. You go. Then I'll go. You go. Then I'll go..."
"Sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel isn't the promised land. Sometimes it's just New Jersey. But we do it anyway, together."
Jon's point about the media is that the unhealthy things, the bad things, the lousy things about us are magnified by our "24-hour political pundit perpetual panic conflictinator" while the good things seem not to exist, even though we Americans live with the good as well as the bad every day of our lives.
Somebody has written that if things really turned around as Jon would have them according to his closing statement on Saturday afternoon, he'd be out of a job. Sure. And if everyone took Micah's advice "to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God," and Jesus' command to love one another, even to "love your enemies," then I -- and every other minister, rabbi, imam and other religious leader would be out of a job, too. I pray for that day to come, even though I know that the chances of it happening mean that Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert and all of my colleagues of whatever religious stripes will not have to find themselves another line of work.
The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or fear (sorry I haven't done Stephen Colbert justice in this blog -- maybe another time.) He was also awesome, in character, and he definitely sings better than Jon. He also managed to let Jon have the last word, seriously, without interjecting his own often rather insane brand of humor.
From the opening music of the Roots (my only criticism, that opening sequence was rather too long!) to (good grief!) 84-year-old Tony Bennett, the entertainment by Stewart and Colbert's guests was just what the crowd needed. There wasn't much room for dancing on the Mall, but most of us managed to move with the beat anyway.
The experience was, how can I say it? Ah. AWESOME.
I came back home tired, with sore feet and back, flaring sciatica, but full of hope. The whole experience was, as the kids say, AWESOME! Stewart and Colbert outdid themselves, as did everyone else connected with the event.
We left Albany, NY, by bus, somewhere around midnight. The buses were chartered by Northeast Public Radio, WAMC (my friend Val and I won the trip as promotion for donations during the fall fund drive), and there were six buses of WAMC members and staff. We arrived in Washington, DC, near the Lincoln Memorial, at about 7:00 am. I got some great pictures of the Washington Monument at sunrise. We stayed there, waiting for the rest room to open, until a little after 8:00.
The whole group of WAMC folks, including President and CEO Alan Chartock and my favorite radio personality Joe Donahue, assembled on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for pictures. Somebody had a banjo, and we all sang the telephone number song from fund drives, and then a bit of "This Land is Your Land" before we all went off on our own to explore the National Mall. Some folks went to museums. Val and I took pictures as we strolled our way down the Mall.
The crowd was growing and growing. At about 9:30 we settled on a spot on stage left, to the side and a bit behind the Jumbotron and waited there for the festivities to begin.
The CBS estimate of attendance is "over 200,000." However many of us there were, everyone was well-behaved and polite. It was hard going trying to leave the Mall (Val and I, trying to get up to the Lincoln Memorial end in time for the buses'departure scheduled for 4:30 ...) but even then, everybody was polite. Amazing!
The only mishaps as far as we were concerned: Val left her brand new 3-legged stool on a bench somewhere beyond the Washington Monument, and when she went back to it maybe ten minutes later, it was gone. And somewhere I lost my pedometer, which had been clipped onto my jeans.
Did I say it was awesome? the signs were wonderful ... the music was great ... and the crowd was all ages. Someone reported we were "predominantly ages 18-39" and that might be accurate. But there were plenty of folks in our 40s, 50s, and 60s, and some that I daresay were in their 70s (the ones I look at and say, "Ah. Older than I am."
Herein lies my hope: so many people ostensibly advocating and actually demonstrating "reasonableness" -- and people of all ages coming together in peace, hope, and humor. Some of us found ourselves explaining to the young folks in our midst about Father Guido Sarducci and Kareem Abdul Jabbar and a few other references. The youngsters thanked us! When Kareem came out, I remarked to Val "I wonder how many in this crowd remember what his name was before" but there would have been a good number, I'm confident. I don't know whether the crowd was an accurate microcosm of America race-wise, but there were enough people of color there that it was obvious it wasn't a "whites only" event. People with disabilities were represented, and people of all genders and sexual orientations. One almost universal: of those not wearing costumes, almost everyone else was in jeans.
Since arriving home at 2:00 Sunday morning, I've looked at a lot of pictures of the Rally, laughed at some of the signs I missed on Saturday, and read commentaries on the event. Those who were surprised at Jon Stewart's serious statement at the conclusion of the Rally have missed some of his interviews, during which he often asks serious, probing questions. And those who think his main point was criticism ONLY of "cable media" or even media in general, missed his critique of the parody of democracy our political discourse and process have become.
Some of my favorite "sound bites" from Jon's statement:
"... we live now in hard times, not end times. And we can have animus and not be enemies."
"If we amplify everything we hear nothing."
About the cars funneling into the tunnel: "Concession by concession. You go. Then I'll go. You go. Then I'll go..."
"Sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel isn't the promised land. Sometimes it's just New Jersey. But we do it anyway, together."
Jon's point about the media is that the unhealthy things, the bad things, the lousy things about us are magnified by our "24-hour political pundit perpetual panic conflictinator" while the good things seem not to exist, even though we Americans live with the good as well as the bad every day of our lives.
Somebody has written that if things really turned around as Jon would have them according to his closing statement on Saturday afternoon, he'd be out of a job. Sure. And if everyone took Micah's advice "to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God," and Jesus' command to love one another, even to "love your enemies," then I -- and every other minister, rabbi, imam and other religious leader would be out of a job, too. I pray for that day to come, even though I know that the chances of it happening mean that Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert and all of my colleagues of whatever religious stripes will not have to find themselves another line of work.
The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or fear (sorry I haven't done Stephen Colbert justice in this blog -- maybe another time.) He was also awesome, in character, and he definitely sings better than Jon. He also managed to let Jon have the last word, seriously, without interjecting his own often rather insane brand of humor.
From the opening music of the Roots (my only criticism, that opening sequence was rather too long!) to (good grief!) 84-year-old Tony Bennett, the entertainment by Stewart and Colbert's guests was just what the crowd needed. There wasn't much room for dancing on the Mall, but most of us managed to move with the beat anyway.
The experience was, how can I say it? Ah. AWESOME.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Campaign Fatigue
I am getting really tired of all the campaign ads on tv. I tend to "mute" them. I started by using the mute button on those who were advertizing the rivals of those candidates I know I favor. By now, two weeks before the election, I'm muting them all.
I'm wondering just when it became not only accepted but de rigeur to lie about someone from the other party. I know I often knew I was being lied to during the George W. Bush years when one or another politician would say "We never linked 9/11 with Iraq" or the like -- things that were refuted by videotapes of what I had watched live just months before. But it's gotten out of hand. If it's not an outright lie, it's a misinterpretation of something the interpretation of which should be without question. Reference for example President Obama's birthplace, and his self-identification as a Christian.
I keep waiting for, hoping for, SOMEONE to say to his or her rival, "That's a LIE." Now, of course some have said that -- but it also comes from people who SAY "That's a LIE" when they're accused of saying something that I heard them plainly say! Sometimes I think politicians are bent on making me think I'm crazy.
So I will be VERY happy to go to the polls on Nov. 2 and then have it over and done with. I do have little patience with those -- even my close friends -- who say they won't vote at all because of their disgust with most politicians. If you don't like either candidate for an office, and there's a third party with whom you find agreement, vote for the third-party candidate. If there isn't a third party candidate, try to choose the one who has a couple of issues on which you agree, and vote for that one even if he/she has done or said some things you don't like. Not voting is making a choice -- and letting others choose for you. So vote. We'll get through this campaign season somehow. I trust.
I'm wondering just when it became not only accepted but de rigeur to lie about someone from the other party. I know I often knew I was being lied to during the George W. Bush years when one or another politician would say "We never linked 9/11 with Iraq" or the like -- things that were refuted by videotapes of what I had watched live just months before. But it's gotten out of hand. If it's not an outright lie, it's a misinterpretation of something the interpretation of which should be without question. Reference for example President Obama's birthplace, and his self-identification as a Christian.
I keep waiting for, hoping for, SOMEONE to say to his or her rival, "That's a LIE." Now, of course some have said that -- but it also comes from people who SAY "That's a LIE" when they're accused of saying something that I heard them plainly say! Sometimes I think politicians are bent on making me think I'm crazy.
So I will be VERY happy to go to the polls on Nov. 2 and then have it over and done with. I do have little patience with those -- even my close friends -- who say they won't vote at all because of their disgust with most politicians. If you don't like either candidate for an office, and there's a third party with whom you find agreement, vote for the third-party candidate. If there isn't a third party candidate, try to choose the one who has a couple of issues on which you agree, and vote for that one even if he/she has done or said some things you don't like. Not voting is making a choice -- and letting others choose for you. So vote. We'll get through this campaign season somehow. I trust.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Blogger Friends
I have a few blogs that I read semi-regularly, and two I want to recommend especially. Neither one writes every day, but they both write often enough so that I can keep up with at least some of what they are doing and thinking. Both are pastors, one an American Baptist and the other an Episcopalian.
The Baptist is quirky, at turns funny and then intense. I know his parents and one of his sisters quite well, too, and they are all interesting people, all delightful, each unique, firmly Baptist. Try out the Theological Snob at http://theosnob.blogspot.com
The Episcopalian is compassionate, passionate about social justice and about Jesus Christ. She is intimately connected with El Salvador though she lives in Vermont, is a caring pastor with an attention to liturgy, and is a dedicated hiker and mountain climber. Have a look at Caminante, No Hay Camino at http://caminantesi.blogspot.com
This testimonial started out because Theo Snob cited MY blog as one he reads. But both of these blogs stimulate thought. Enjoy!
The Baptist is quirky, at turns funny and then intense. I know his parents and one of his sisters quite well, too, and they are all interesting people, all delightful, each unique, firmly Baptist. Try out the Theological Snob at http://theosnob.blogspot.com
The Episcopalian is compassionate, passionate about social justice and about Jesus Christ. She is intimately connected with El Salvador though she lives in Vermont, is a caring pastor with an attention to liturgy, and is a dedicated hiker and mountain climber. Have a look at Caminante, No Hay Camino at http://caminantesi.blogspot.com
This testimonial started out because Theo Snob cited MY blog as one he reads. But both of these blogs stimulate thought. Enjoy!
Friday, September 10, 2010
More on the Islamic Center
The op-ed piece in the New York Times by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf
is impressive. HE is impressive. The man has indeed spent his time
and energy on building bridges between Islam and other religions,
which is what makes the furor over the community center even more
execrable.
The flames of the furor have been fanned by extremists in this
country, and by politicians that ought to be more responsible and more
thoughtful (I suspect to foment more opposition to President Obama and
all Democrats who support the constitutional rights of the Islam
community). The facts that get lost in the cacophony of voices are 1)
all adherents to Islam are NOT extremists any more than all Christians
or Jews are extremists; 2) Muslims, too, died in the 9/11 attack; 3)
freedom of religion means freedom of ALL religions, not just yours or
mine; 3) the proposed community center will take the place of a
derelict building last used as the Burlington Coat Factory; 4) if
ground becomes "sacred" because someone died there, then ALL ground,
it seems to me, must be sacred, since probably someone, sometime, died
there; 5) if all this ground is "sacred" what are businesses like a
porn shop, bars, and a tanning parlor doing there?! 6) the proposed
community center is at least two blocks away from "ground zero" which
in NYC is two neighborhoods away; and 7) it has now been 9 years since
the 9/11 attack, and still nothing in the way of permanent memorial
has been erected there.
The furor is all about xenophobia, and the fact that some of us need
someone to hate -- and Muslims are the chosen ones. Frankly, I'm
getting sick of my compatriots and the general lack of compassion,
human understanding, and logic.
The whole incident surrounding the misguided Florida church and the threatened buring of the Q'uran never should have happened, and never should have gotten all the publicity it did. Still, we are free to say whatever we want to say, no matter how many people it may hurt. If the pastor changes his mind again and decides to go through with the book burning, I hope the local police find some legitimate reason to arrest him and anyone who might be aiding him. This intolerance and hatred is not at all Christian.
is impressive. HE is impressive. The man has indeed spent his time
and energy on building bridges between Islam and other religions,
which is what makes the furor over the community center even more
execrable.
The flames of the furor have been fanned by extremists in this
country, and by politicians that ought to be more responsible and more
thoughtful (I suspect to foment more opposition to President Obama and
all Democrats who support the constitutional rights of the Islam
community). The facts that get lost in the cacophony of voices are 1)
all adherents to Islam are NOT extremists any more than all Christians
or Jews are extremists; 2) Muslims, too, died in the 9/11 attack; 3)
freedom of religion means freedom of ALL religions, not just yours or
mine; 3) the proposed community center will take the place of a
derelict building last used as the Burlington Coat Factory; 4) if
ground becomes "sacred" because someone died there, then ALL ground,
it seems to me, must be sacred, since probably someone, sometime, died
there; 5) if all this ground is "sacred" what are businesses like a
porn shop, bars, and a tanning parlor doing there?! 6) the proposed
community center is at least two blocks away from "ground zero" which
in NYC is two neighborhoods away; and 7) it has now been 9 years since
the 9/11 attack, and still nothing in the way of permanent memorial
has been erected there.
The furor is all about xenophobia, and the fact that some of us need
someone to hate -- and Muslims are the chosen ones. Frankly, I'm
getting sick of my compatriots and the general lack of compassion,
human understanding, and logic.
The whole incident surrounding the misguided Florida church and the threatened buring of the Q'uran never should have happened, and never should have gotten all the publicity it did. Still, we are free to say whatever we want to say, no matter how many people it may hurt. If the pastor changes his mind again and decides to go through with the book burning, I hope the local police find some legitimate reason to arrest him and anyone who might be aiding him. This intolerance and hatred is not at all Christian.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)