From the Top Down

When things come from the top down, there is friction. We chafe at the thought of being told what to do.  When we were kids, we hated getting punished by our parents.  As adults, we scream bloody murder when our governing bodies assume more control.

There seems to be something deep and primal about this kind of rebellion.

When we see governments getting too big and controlling, we revolt. When we get punished, we get angry.

Could this be because we are hard-wired against oppression?  Could it be that freedom is so absolutely essential to our existence as humans that regardless of our spiritual state, we recognize oppression for the evil it is?

Or is this post an entirely made up Western conservative social construct?

National Day of Prayer

Abba, Father, God,

We come to you today in prayer for our nation.  When our Founding Fathers began this great experiment, they believed that freedom was paramount to the human experience, indeed that our freedom was given to us by You.

They believed that no man should have to live in fear of another man, and that governments should rule only by the consent of the governed.

Today, Lord, we pray for those who govern for us.  We pray that they may have the strength to stand for what they believe, that they have the will to govern fairly, and that above all, they may have the heart of a servant.

When we pray for our nation, Father God, we remember those who have taken up the uniform of our armed services.  We ask for their safety and protection.

But more than that, Lord, we ask that they will diligently and honesty seek freedom for those who have had it taken from them.  We ask that they truly seek ways to love our enemies.

We recognize and mourn the fallen state of Creation.  We understand that in this imperfect world, all we have is imperfect solutions.  In the midst of all that, Lord, we ask that our leaders direct our dealings with other nations with respect to all life, including the lives of those who wish harm upon those around them.  We ask not for mere military strength, we ask not simply for an end to terrorism, we stand today and ask for Justice.  We pray that your Justice thunder down around and through us, silencing those who fill our ears with inane babble, and giving loud voices to those who need to be heard. 

We know what tension there is between Your Kingdom, and the state of Your Creation today.

We know that the world is not entirely as it was created to be.  We ask for your forgiveness for our failings in stewarding Your Creation.  We have not done the best with it, and we are truly sorry.

We pray that You would give us keen insight into how Your Creation works.  We praise you for the myriad ways You have demonstrated Your Glory to us through Your Creation.  We thank you for them, and we promise to use the knowledge we receive to better care for Your Creation.

We ask, Lord, that we may see clearly the path laid out for us by Jesus Christ.  We ask that you give us the strength and the will to choose the path of Christ over our political affiliations, over the expedient solutions, over the status quo, and over mere business as usual.

We pray, Lord God, that we recognize not only today, but every day, that you are Lord of Creation.  We desire to live so deeply into Your will that we will truly be free.

All of this, Lord, we ask for our nation, and our leaders:  that we will be a beacon of Your Hope, of Your Love, of Your Justice, for all people, and all nations.

In the Name of the Father who created and who sustains us,
And of the Son, who has redeemed us,
And of the Holy Spirit, who empowers us,

Amen.

The Obligatory Election Post, or Thank God it's Over.

This is probably the most you'll hear from me about the election. In the spirit of fellow blogger Jon Acuff from Stuff Christians Like, here is my "Obligatory Election Piece". Be warned, I am cynical and suffering from campaign fatigue.

Truth be told, I didn't find much difference in between the two, at least not enough to make my choice clear.

The major foreign policy issue cannot be solved from the White House alone, and to pretend otherwise is pure foolishness. Besides, both of them promised essentially the same thing: We will leave as soon as we can.

Ditto with their health care solution. There wasn't enough difference in the two plans to make me choose one over the other. They both sounded good and expensive. I recognize there is a problem, but I don't believe that nationalizing health care is any sort of good solution.

The economy, as much as anyone tries to tell you otherwise, is also not controlled by the White House.

In short, I guess Rush Limbaugh would classify me as a "spineless moderate". But I haven't listened to him since he bashed all over Michael J Fox for making that TV spot for stem cell research.

And can I just say that I think the straight party section on every ballot should be destroyed and never ever acknowledged again? Ditto for the electoral college, but that's a different post.

So with that out of the way, I would like to move on to what I would like to not see Wednesday, Thursday, the rest of the week, the rest of the month...actually, I would be perfectly happy not seeing any of this again until about 2011.

I would not like to see:

Conservatives moping around like their dog just died. It's a new president. It happens at least once a decade, sometimes even twice. And come on, are you really that surprised that your grumpy old man candidate lost to a younger, charismatic person? Especially after what has happened the last eight years? I ran into a guy at work, and he was walking slower, slouched over with his hands in his pockets like a relative died or something. It was pathetic.

I would also not like to see any more liberals running around celebrating like they just won the lottery. Do they really, honestly, truly believe that this candidate is that much different than all the other politicians in DC? Do you really believe that all the promised change is going to happen? And do I have to remind you who is going to pay for all his changes?

I would also be pleased if Evangelicals and the Christian Right stopped right now with the "end-of-the-world" attitude. Please, for the sake of all of us, stop with the sore loser bit right now.

Stop sighing and quoting Romans 13 as if the government has just been handed over to Beelzebub himself.

And stop with the fear mongering. My wife heard an ad on a radio station on the way in to work the other day that said that a vote for Obama is the same as killing an unborn child.

That makes me barf. And not just a little in my mouth either. It's "Christians" like that who make me not want to tell anyone that I'm a Christian.

Whatever happened to Romans 14? Is the political leaning of American Christians seriously too big for the Unity of Christ? Because that's what those ads are saying.


What we should all do right now is celebrate the fact that we are witnessing history. It is a beautiful thing, no matter where you happen to be on the political spectrum.

What we should all do right now is stop living in fear and panic. I think Jesus called that sin, if I'm not mistaken.

What we should all do right now is thank the LORD that we live somewhere that we can vote, and the worst we have to deal with is a long wait. Not suicide bombers or people with guns "asking" you to vote for their guy.

And Thank the LORD it's over.


wingnut

"Peace" through indignity.

I was up early (for me) with Eli this morning, and happened to catch the morning news shows that wake America up and point her in the right direction.

In their fine tradition of making something out of nothing, most outlets were talking about the San Francisco Olympic Torch riots....or lack thereof. It seems that the Torch Committee, totally within their power, chose at the last minute to alter the route the torch took through the beautiful city on the bay, disappointing many ordinary people out to witness history, and convincing all in the Haight-Ashbury District that they are once again sticking it to The Man. One protester, obviously disappointed in the cancellation of her Fifteen Minutes, said "This just proves that they're scared of us. Even though we're here peacefully, they're scared."

I'm not quite sure who the "they" in question is, but I am sure it wasn't the Chinese Government. According to one journalist in China quoted in a USA Today story that I can't seem to find anywhere at the moment, news footage of protests were censored, and official word is that these protests are from small separatist groups, not widespread.

And I think the history of this torch relay has proven that the protesters are not there peacefully. Paris cut short it's run because of rioting, and in London the same thing happened, with fire extinguishers being used.

Even on the truncated route through San Fran, I watched file footage of a protester waving a Tibetan flag in the face of a police officer, while that officer was riding on his motorcycle. That's not peaceful. If your protest actions could potentially lead directly to injury of another person, and you call that peaceful, you deserve your can of pepper spray.

I watched as another idiot with too much free time tried to push an officer off his motorbike. That's assault. You'd better get ready for your nightstick.

Later, I saw pictures from San Fran, including one man (I think?) being dragged off by four police, his hair wet with what I assumed to be pepper spray. Here's a bit of advice for those of you who would like to protest, but need some guidance: If you're being dragged off by four police officers dripping with pepper spray and mace, you have done something less peaceful than sitting somewhere. MLK never needed to be dragged kicking and screaming away from his sit-ins by multiple law enforcement officers.

Another picture showed a group of protesters jumping up and down on a bus, that happened to be a decoy. Again, not peaceful. If you want to stop a bus and make a point, just sit. No need to jump in it and start yelling and screaming and throwing stuff.

In short, Miss Disappointed Protester, yes, they were scared. But you're scaring the wrong people. A runner chosen to carry the torch dropped out after witnessing the protests in Europe. Let me tell you what an honor it would be to carry the torch, and how scared I would have to be personally to drop out. My wife's cousin got to carry the torch when it was in New York City last time around, and he is extremely proud of that. It was a very special moment for him and his family, and I can't imagine how upset we all would have been had he been assaulted in his run. Or ride, rather. Cousin Johnny is in a wheelchair because of Muscular Dystrophy.

In this blogger's humble opinion, this whole situation is being handled all wrong. The original decision to hold the Games in Beijing was controversial, and I admit that I was against it. China is no gleaming beacon of Truth, Peace, and Justice, and it seemed that they were being awarded an honor they did not deserve.

With a long list of human rights abuses, oppression of their citizens at home and support of oppression abroad, China does indeed have some major work to do in order to become a truly open and free society. Indeed, the decision to hold the Games in China was rooted in part in an attempt to extend a "hand up" of sorts. We're inviting you to this party, and it's time to behave like you belong at the party. Unfortunately, it seems even the prestige of the Games was not a big enough carrot.

We can no more stop the Games from being held in Beijing than we can stop ocean waves. But we need to view this as an opportunity. Not simply an opportunity for protest, to say what we feel. Not an opportunity for boycotting, because that will ultimately only destroy the dreams of those athletes lucky and skilled enough to enter the ancient arena and compete in this oldest of athletic competitions.

No, this will be an opportunity unparalleled in history to showcase the real China. There will be censorship, of that I am certain. There will be Chinese oversight and control of broadcasts. But in this Internet age, the capacity for information to flow freely is unprecedented. The Truth(you all know why I capitalized it) will be made known.

I feel with all the media scrutiny that will descend on China in the next few months and then during the Games, we will get a more complete glimpse of what happens inside the borders of this reclusive communist nation. And I also feel, with that glimpse, China will be the target of increasing worldwide popular pressure for change.

In all, the Beijing Olympics have immense potential for a positive outcome. Will they live up to that potential?

Only if those who protest stop making asses of themselves and the causes they believe in.


wingnut

GRRRRRRRR

“But what a sad and melancholy decision this is for me and many other conservatives. Should Sen. McCain capture the nomination as many assume, I believe this general election will offer the worst choices for president in my lifetime. I certainly can’t vote for Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama based on their virulently anti-family policy positions. If these are the nominees in November, I simply will not cast a ballot for president for the first time in my life. These decisions are my personal views and do not represent the organization with which I am affiliated. They do reflect my deeply held convictions about the institution of the family, about moral and spiritual beliefs, and about the welfare of our country.”

Dr. James Dobson, founder, Focus on the Family



Dear Doctor Dobson,

I respect your opinion and your right to it, Doctor. I appreciate the way your ministry works to strengthen the families worldwide, and I can see your genuine passion for your ministry, your beliefs, and your concern for this country and the world.

But I am amazed that a man of your influence in this nation, and in this nation's government, is throwing a hissy-fit because your political party is about to choose the "wrong" candidate.

It seems to me that you are all at once disgusted with the status quo, with business as usual in Washington DC, but too comfortable with it to really attempt to create lasting change. Governor Mike Huckabee seems to nearly mirror your stances on many issues, but he does not get even a mention.

Could this be because he is not a leading candidate? Could it be that you do not want to abandon your party for a long shot? Wouldn't want to hitch your wagon to a horse that doesn't move, would you?

I am honestly surprised it took you this long, Doctor, to bemoan the fact that there are no worthy candidates running for office. The rest of us out here in "fly-over country" have been complaining about that since Reagan. Especially the last three election cycles.

There is no-one on any ticket that I really would want to vote for. Apparently, Doctor, you are feeling the same pain as many of us. You are experiencing the same disillusionment as us. Your quote could come from the lips of many of my friends and family.

Doctor, you are one of the most influential people in America. I recommend that you use your influence to effect real change. That means endorsing a candidate truly in line with your values, not boycotting the election. Let party affiliations fall by the wayside if you truly care about these values.

wingnut

Not to be confused with...

I was bored last night.

Here I am, waiting for my last airplane to arrive, and I thought I would Google stuff. Not bad stuff, you naughty doggies, just random things that pop into my mind.

So I googled the term "wingnut". The first entry was from Urban Dictionary, which is a repository of slang terms and their definitions. You can vote up or down on each entry, and it displays them in ranked order from best to worst. Kinda neat, but don't enter just any word. Some of the stuff there is really gross.



Okay, most of the definitions are really gross.



Okay, don't even go to the site, just take my word for it. And I know because of someone at work.



Anyway, according to the top four definitions of "wingnut", the term means someone of ridiculously conservative political or religious views, usually outspoken, and always annoying. Apparently, it's a shortened form of the phrase "Right-wing nut job".

There was also a blog that was hit on my Google search that was talking about his estranged family's crazy views, and this person bemoaned the fact that he was from a "wingnut family".

Nowhere did anyone mention aviation. This saddens me.

I certainly do not want people to make assumptions about my political or religious views because of what my online moniker is.

Today at lunch, I told my wife these distressing findings. After about five minutes of hysterical laughter, she told me that I shouldn't care what people think about me.

She did, however, think it was strangely coincidental, since we were talking about that the other day. A few weeks ago, actually. She likes to point out the fact that she thinks I'm more Republican than I think I am. It's a source of endless debate, that usually ends in me insisting, to the point of raising my voice, that I am NOT like those politicians or those people on TV.

She just giggles and continues to insist that I am. At least more than I think.

I continue to insist that no-one in the government has my blind approval.

I admit, I used to think along those lines. I also admit that my views do trend towards the conservative side of the aisle.

But I don't really like anyone in Washington. My stance in both 2000 and 2004 was that I was reluctantly forced to choose the lesser of two evils. At the time, I tended to agree more with Bush than either of his opponents, and I guess I still do, but I am becoming increasingly more disillusioned with the administration, for a variety of reasons.

I really don't want to get into details, I hate keeping track of politics like that, never been very good at it anyway. Suffice it to say that the foreign policy is not as effective as it should be, nor as flexible as it needs to be. Domestic policy is not even there, really. No-one is working on fixing Social Security, and the immigrant debate is so polarized that it's paralyzing everyone. I don't mean to suggest that these are easy fixes, if that were the case, they wouldn't be problems anymore. But for crying out loud, do something, not just talk.

Don't even get me started on how everyone in the media is cramming the next election down our throats, and it's still over a freakin' year away!

It's no wonder that only about 30% of the population votes anymore. And if you deconstruct it a bit, we know that only the really outspoken people, the ones who are really passionate about their views are in that 30%. And usually, the more passionate you are about your ideas, the more radical you tend to be. I mean, who's ever heard of a passionate moderate?

Only 30% of the population votes because only 30% of the population can really get behind a candidate anymore. That leaves the rest of the nation to follow along, not really liking any of their choices enough to be passionate about them.

I have a hunch. It's a long shot, and a long way away, but I think this is the beginning of decentralizing government in the US. If things in Washington continue the current trend, state legislatures will begin to assert more control, simply because federally, the government is increasingly out of touch with reality. A better way to say it is probably that the diversity of opinion in the United States no longer lends itself well to centralized control. Or maybe the diversity of opinion in Washington DC (or at least the major parties) does not anymore mirror the opinion of the vast majority of citizens.

I'm not a very good "Wingnut", am I?

wingnut