progressive involvement

In honor of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall

UnChristian doctrines

Evangelist Changing started the idea, but Dan heartily improves on it with his list of five doctrines which are taught within the Christian church which he believes to be deeply unChristian:

1. The substitution of orthodoxy for faith. Faith is trust in God; orthodoxy is an intellectual assent to a series of statements about God. Too often the church teaches that doctrinal orthodoxy equals deep faith. Too often the church has taught that unorthodoxy is a lack of faith. Now I believe that creedal orthodoxy is beneficial in that it may lead to deeper intimacy with God, but it isn't faith and orthodoxy won't save anyone.

2. Being "born again": Yes, Jesus told Nicodemus that he had to be born again in the Gospel of St. John, but modern evangelicalism turns Christ's "born again" command into an emotional "warm fuzzy" experience that distorts the conversion experience altogether. Extreme versions of evangelicalism turn "the sinner's prayer" into a magical incantation that prompts God to save a sinner, turning God into the passive party in our relationship. Conversion and discipleship are rarely instantaneous processes, and God chooses to save whomever God chooses to save. The dark side of "born again" theology are the doubts that occur once the warm fuzzies go away and need to recreate the warm fuzzies in order to remain secure in ones' salvation.

Oddly interesting

 

See a collection of bank hold up notes here.

Lectionary blogging: Mark 13:1-8

As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!’ ²Then Jesus asked him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’

3 When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, ⁴‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?’ ⁵Then Jesus began to say to them, ‘Beware that no one leads you astray. ⁶Many will come in my name and say, “I am he!” and they will lead many astray. ⁷When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. ⁸For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.

Translation:  And as he went out of the Temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Teacher, behold what manner of stones and what buildings!"  And Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings?  There will surely not be left a stone upon a stone that will not be thrown down."  As he was sitting on the Mount of Olives over against the Temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew were asking him privately, "Tell us, when will these things be, and will be the sign that all these things are about to be brought to completion?"

But Jesus began to say to them, "See that no one may lead you astray.  Many will come on my name saying that 'I am', and they will lead many astray.  But when you hear of wars and reports of wars, do not be alarmed.  It is necessary to be, but not yet the completion.  For nation will be raised upon nation, and kingdom upon kingdom.  There will be earthquakes in places.  There will be famines.  These things are the beginning of birth pangs."

Random factoid

Percentage of the following ethnic groups who consider Fox news "reliable":  whites 46%, hispanics 11%, blacks 5%.

Harper's, Sep. 2009

Random factoid

The word "hoodlum" was coined in 19th century San Francisco to describe young men loitering on corners.

"Bible study" at St. Nicholas Church in Leipzig, Germany, October 9, 1989

First, it was only a few dozen.  Then hundreds, then thousands, came to protest against the East German government.  These Monday-night "Bible studies," centered each week on the Beatitudes (Matthew 5), toppled the government.  The participants on October 9 numbered about 100,000.  See Daily Beast's photo gallery of key moments in the fall of the Berlin Wall.  Photo:  AP

"You mean, aside from Hillary?"

Response of General David Petraeus when asked by reporter Joe Klein which candidate in 2008 had the best understanding of the military and military issues. 

If you counted blades of grass as people

Franklin Raff, producer of the G. Gordon Liddy radio show, says there were "about a million" teabaggers at the rally in D.C. this week.

2010 elections likely to be more Democratic than mainstream media thinks

Now that the off-off-year elections are over, which, according to the mainstream media, the Republicans won overwhelmingly, which, according to the same, puts the Democrats on the defensive, and will likely lead to their double-digit loss of seats in 2010.

Honestly, could they get any dumber?  In the first place, the winners of the governorships of New Jersey and Virginia tamped down their conservatism because they were smart enough politicians to know that teabaggers are a relatively small slice of the electorate and elections are won in the middle. 

For the Republican leadership--Limbaugh, Beck, Bachmann, and their minions--this kind of moderation is treason.  Sure, they'll happily claim victory in New Jersey and Virginia, but, in their heart of hearts, they would rather have lost both governorships if they could have won an ideological victory in New York's 23rd congressional district.

How much of a victory can it be when, at the close of election day on Tuesday, the Democrats had two more votes for health care reform, and two more votes for a public option?  One might also note:  Of the five special congressional elections held in the past year and a half, Democrats have won all five.

This is not to say that 2010 won't be a tough election for the Democrats.  Historically, the party in the White House almost always loses votes in the mid-terms.  If health care reform falls apart, the Democrats could lose up to 25 seats, and would deserve to lose them. 

If real health care reform passes, however, the Democratic Party, from top to bottom, will be energized.  The blue dogs, having voted for the least liberal bill that passes, will have to run on it, and they will more than likely win.  Health care reform can save them in spite of themselves.

Secondly, the jobs picture should be at least somewhat better a year from now.  Granted, the unemployment rate is 10%, and real unemployment is closer to 16%, the worst since Reagan.  Note, however, that job losses peaked in the last month of the Bush presidency and the rate of loss has fallen ever since.  A year from now, we should be gaining jobs instead of losing them.  That alone changes the electoral calculus significantly.

Lots of things can happen in a year, but my guess is that the Democrats will do all right in 2010.  If the teabagger wing of the GOP is successful in driving off all moderates, the Democrats may even gain seats.  The GOP is the party of choice for cranky middle-aged white people who watch Fox news, but that is a much smaller slice of the entire electorate than they think. 

Delicious irony watch

Right at the tail-end of Dana Milbank's report on the latest teabagger rally, he had these little nuggets:

Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) asked for the Pledge of Allegiance because "it drives the liberals crazy" to hear the "under God" part (his bravado was premature, for he left out the word "indivisible").

By the time it was over, medics had administered government-run health care to at least five people in the crowd who were stricken as they denounced government-run health care.

Man sees Jesus, shrugs, goes to Winn-Dixie

Jim Stevens of Jonesborough, Tennessee wakes up and sees Jesus nearly every morning lately.  Somehow, the morning dew forms into the image of the Lord.  From the looks of this photo from the Johnson City Press, it's a good likeness.

It kind of reminds you of the Sunday School class that was studying images of Jesus.  As they were studying one popular painting, the teacher said, "Boys and girls, nobody really knows for sure what Jesus looked like."  One little girl said, "Well you have to admit, this looks a lot like him."

We should give Mr. Stevens credit.  He doesn't know why the image is there.  He hasn't fallen down and worshipped it, or sold tickets to people who would like to, though he has apparently shown it to the folks at the grocery store. 

As of today, it's been there every morning for two weeks.

The other quote of the day

You know that you've created God in your own image when God hates all the same people you do.

Anne Lamott

Quote of the Day

"One feels in fact, when talking to him (the fool), that one is dealing, not with the man himself, but with slogans, catchwords, and the like, which have taken hold of him."

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Judy Shepard receives the first-ever Edward M. Kennedy National Leadership Award

On October 10, the 10th anniversary of her son's death, Judy Shepard received the Human Rights Campaign's first Edward M. Kennedy Award.  The award is named for the legendary late senator, a champion of gay rights, and honors “a unique and valued leader” in the community.  Here, Congressman Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), son of the late senator, gives the award to Judy and Dennis.

Judy heads the Matthew Shepard Foundation and leads the “Campaign to Erase Hate,” making it her mission to “replace hate with understanding, compassion, and acceptance.”  She is also the New York Times best-selling author of The Meaning of Matthew: My Son’s Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed.  Shepard is one of the most visible human rights activists in the United States. 

Photo:  Logan Shepard
 

Congratulations to the Shepard family and the Matthew Shepard Foundation on the success of their effort to pass the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act

Dennis and Judy meet the President at his Inauguration in January.

One of the many pens used by the President to sign the legislation.

Photos:  Logan Shepard

Sudden Aspen Decline (SAD)

Add Colorado forests to the victims of global warming.  About one-fifth of the Aspen groves in Colorado's Rocky Mountains are afflicted with Sudden Aspen Decline (SAD). 

Two factors appear to be at work, both influenced by global warming.  Large stands of old aspens are no longer sending out "suckers" to regenerate their groves.  This may be caused by an increase in parasites, which are fluorishing in a warmer cliimate.

The phenomenon was first noticed in the San Juan mountains of southwest Colorado in 2002.  The affliction has grown from 30,000 acres in 2005 to over 500,000 acres in only four years.  Today, the Boston Globe picked up the story:

“It’s just rolling through the forests,’’ said Wayne Shepperd, an aspen specialist at Colorado State University, said of the aspen decline. Noting the number of other changes to western vegetation due to warmer, drier temperatures, he added: “Everything’s happening all at once.’’

Better than a tractor pull

Former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush will debate each other at Radio City Music Hall in February.

Piddly little election means little

Republicans were quick to claim that yesterday's election was a rejection of Pres. Obama, but, in truth, there were only three races of real national interest and only one of them had anything to do with Obama. 

Picking up the Virginia governorship was a big plus for the GOP, but, then again, Virginia is still a red state and it appears the Democrats fielded a weak candidate.

Corzine's defeat in New Jersey was just that, Corzine's defeat.  This should suggest to Democrats that having worked at Goldman Sachs, and made a fortune there, is not the kind of resume bullet point that appeals to voters. 

Maine turned back marriage rights for gays, but the margin was narrow, 53-47.  Two open Congressional seats were up, and these two races were the only ones in which national politics could really be said to matter much.  The teabaggers lost a conservative seat in New York, which was stunning, and Democrats won an open seat in California, which was not.

Read the headlines and then forget about it.  This little election had little to say.

Pyrrhic defeat

The Democrat has apparently won the 23rd congressional district seat in New York.  The district had been solidly Republican for over 100 years.  In fact, the best a Democrat had done in the past 50 years is 38%.

As everyone now knows, key Republicans were in a rush to endorse the Conservative Party candidate, thereby abandoning Dede Scoffafava, the Republican candidate, who subsequently got out of the race and endorsed the Democrat two days before the election. 

Even at that, it's surprising that the Democrat won, which is good for them, but even better for the Republicans.  Some day, the word "moderate" will not be anathema in the Republican Party.  That day might have been hastened by a minute or two with the Conservative Party defeat in New York's 23.  A few more such defeats--it's likely to take awhile--and the GOP will be on the road back.