My docs say that I’m supposed to stay away from things that might over excite me for a week or so. They even took away my fire department pager. That pretty much left it to convention coverage as I dozed in and out of whatever it was that they were giving me. The one thing I’ve been wondering about is the disappointment expressed by so many pundits that no one has brought out the pit bull to tear apart McCain and the Republicans, and that people such as the Clintons and Biden were just not hitting the home run ball of slash and burn politics.
To be sure, our centuries are filled with outrageous attacks and counter attacks during presidential campaigns, but there is a huge difference today. Today we have instantaneous, twenty-four hour news coverage flowing out to all people everywhere with increasingly little reserved judgment, or even competent analysis, from so-called journalists. Moreover, at least in some parts of the country, hard-core right wing radio, and some television, dominate the airways with gross distortions of truth mixed in with entirely made up ‘facts,’ vomited out by commentators unafraid to vilify anyone with whom they disagree.
Have we sunk so low that “Swift Boating” is the expected norm for presidential politics? Have presidential politics become the place for setting up and then destroying another candidate’s reputation, honor, dignity and humanity? I hope not, and the speeches and crowd reaction at the Democratic convention proved otherwise. Perhaps the Republican convention will do likewise. We saw a taste of that grassroots change in our own community just a few weeks ago in a non-partisan race for Superior Court Judge. One candidate and his supporters came out swinging with a small town version of Karl Rove political action. The other simply presented himself with honesty and forthrightness. The latter won by a landslide. Maybe that’s a hint that the American voting public is tired of being duped by vicious, malicious political manipulators.
Hope you are OK, CP. I will keep you in my prayers.
In speaking with friends over lunch yesterday of politics and religion and other touchy conversation subjects that we find avoided in even close circles of friends – I find it a shame that our cynicism, our lack of patience, our own self-ego prevents us from truly, truly listening to another\’s views. How can we call ourselves disciples of Jesus Christ, who listens to us unceasingly, if we cannot even listen objectively to the simplest of heartfelt beliefs even though different from our own. In this important year of political decision making, I pray that I personally may listen objectively to the candidates and to my friends with opinions other than my own in order to make a decision that has been rationally reached not just through my own observation and personal prejudice but through a genuine sharing of concerned persons desiring a \”more responsible campaign season\” with the results being a responsible government and citzenry.
Well said, sunrise sister.
I am very glad to see that you are up and feisty again! By the way, you seem much more outspoken and frank on political matters than I can remember your being during all your sermons while you were a rector! You seem freer to speak your mind.
I am very glad to see that you are up and feisty again! By the way, you seem much more outspoken and frank on political matters than I can remember your being during all your sermons while you were a rector! You seem freer to speak your mind.
I am very glad to see that you are up and feisty again! By the way, you seem much more outspoken and frank on political matters than I can remember your being during all your sermons while you were a rector! You seem freer to speak your mind.
I am very glad to see that you are up and feisty again! By the way, you seem much more outspoken and frank on political matters than I can remember your being during all your sermons while you were a rector! You seem freer to speak your mind.
Greeting Dr. B.In my sermons I tried to present the gospel in a way that made it clear that God is not oblivious to political morality and that Jesus\’ teachings establish some pretty high standards. But I also tried to frame them in a way that would encourage worshipers to prayerfully reflect on their own politics without pushing them this way or that. I think one of the few times I really laid into it with gusto was when I sharply criticized right-wing radio commentators, notably Limbaugh and Savage, for their blatant racism and hate filled language. Not everyone cared for that sermon, and I don\’t even recall the issue at hand, but it seemed to me that I could not ignore how blatantly offensive they were to fundamental Christian morality while, at the same time, cozying up to conservative evangelicals.CP
I apologize that my comments somehow got sent 4 times! Just a glitch! I realize that you only touched on politics in your sermons when some important ethical matter was concerned, and your comments are non-partisan. But as you said about Limbaugh et al., some conservative commentators tried to clothe themselves as evangelicals in sympathy, while just being sensational and untruthful. I too hope for a more civil discourse in this presidential campaign, but the experience of the 2000 and 2004 elections does not give much hope!