Oh, that's a nobrainer. Pres. Obama is a gracious, educated and deeply thoughtful gentleman. The current occupant of the White House is an embarrassment to whatever asylum he escaped from!
It has been my long-standing observation that when a phenomenon appears in the comic strips, it has attained a significant level of social recognition and/or importance. This morning the Mother Goose & Grimm [Click] comic strip refers to something completely outside my realm of experience; can anyone else here verify it?
We are into another warm spell here. Predicted high today is 108 F. The river level looks to be around six feet lower than it was a while back (but by no means low), and the reservoirs are all around 100% of capacity.
Yes, I am certainly no millennial but I stopped watching most TV a good while ago. It is commercial after commercial about medications, urging you to ask you doctor about them. Then at the end, in a low hushed voice they rush through the list of possible side-effects. Death is usually among those effects. Other than that you have car commercials, mattress commercials, bank and loan company commercials and shampoo commercials. My habit is to record shows I want to see because then I can fast-forward through all the commercials.
And don't forget the laxative commercials, which always seem to come on when you're eating, and which are nowadays quite explicit about the products' effects. When I was young such commercials were, if not tasteful, at least more or less discrete.
So the "vast wasteland" has continued to waste. I haven't seen much TV since I left home to finish college in the Fall of 1966. Never could see spending good money on cable TV, even when I became able to afford it. I remember the first time we saw a TV set (in the front window of a radio shop), and also (several years later) when the first TV channel became available in our area.
"Just ask around. People outside the Church will tell you: love is no longer our calling card. It is now condemnation, bigotry, judgment and hypocrisy. In fact, the Christianity prevalent in so much of America right now isn’t just failing to draw others to Christ, it is actively repelling them from him. By operating in a way that is in full opposition to the life and ministry of Jesus—it is understandably producing people fully opposed to the faith that bears his name."
Sunday seemed like an especially appropriate day to share this.
One of my theories is that Christians in general have lost their fear of punishment for misbehavior; couple that with the belief that they actually ARE capable of harming others without DIRECTLY harming themselves--that an intermediary is necessary--and any kind of misbehavior is possible. That said, I have come to understand why my ancestors became Methodists despite the legal liabilities; and I have a strong sympathy with the Holiness Church. I think Thomas Jefferson had it right: if a religious person is good, s/he must have a good religion. (I paraphrase from memory.)
*shaking head* That premise makes no sense to me. But then I've always had empathy. No idear whether that's nature or nurture. The faith I was taught emphasizes love over hate. Presumably that accounts for my lifelong difficulty understanding hatred, bigotry, warfare and violence generally. Or maybe I'm just not too bright. :P
Maybe religion is like communism. In theory both are good and uplifting. When they get applied on the ground, they get twisted out of all recognition into ugly, destructive things. By their fruits shall you know them. If the actions of a so-called Christian are evil, for example, then the faith he professes (and calls Christianity) is corrupt.
Bear in mind that atheists and anti-Christians are not the same thing; the latter are as strongly tied to Christianity as the most fervent believer. There are Christian atheists, Moslem atheists, Jewish atheists, in addition to others including general old a-theists. And the whole issue is further compounded by different understanding of what God/Deus/Theos is/means. It's enough to motivate a person to relax on the porch with a bit of distilled or fermented relaxant and consider that mountain across the valley.
Oh, what a great read. Don't miss this one, Susan!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bluedotdaily.com/pastor-explains-when-white-folks-say-obama-was-an-embarrassment-here-is-your-response/
Oh, that's a nobrainer. Pres. Obama is a gracious, educated and deeply thoughtful gentleman. The current occupant of the White House is an embarrassment to whatever asylum he escaped from!
Delete(Susan is First!)
ReplyDeleteIt has been my long-standing observation that when a phenomenon appears in the comic strips, it has attained a significant level of social recognition and/or importance. This morning the Mother Goose & Grimm [Click] comic strip refers to something completely outside my realm of experience; can anyone else here verify it?
ReplyDeleteWe are into another warm spell here. Predicted high today is 108 F. The river level looks to be around six feet lower than it was a while back (but by no means low), and the reservoirs are all around 100% of capacity.
--Alan
Yes, I am certainly no millennial but I stopped watching most TV a good while ago. It is commercial after commercial about medications, urging you to ask you doctor about them. Then at the end, in a low hushed voice they rush through the list of possible side-effects. Death is usually among those effects. Other than that you have car commercials, mattress commercials, bank and loan company commercials and shampoo commercials. My habit is to record shows I want to see because then I can fast-forward through all the commercials.
DeleteAnd don't forget the laxative commercials, which always seem to come on when you're eating, and which are nowadays quite explicit about the products' effects. When I was young such commercials were, if not tasteful, at least more or less discrete.
DeleteSo the "vast wasteland" has continued to waste. I haven't seen much TV since I left home to finish college in the Fall of 1966. Never could see spending good money on cable TV, even when I became able to afford it. I remember the first time we saw a TV set (in the front window of a radio shop), and also (several years later) when the first TV channel became available in our area.
Delete--Alan
http://johnpavlovitz.com/2017/06/04/the-christians-making-atheists/?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=facebook_page&utm_medium=John+Pavlovitz
ReplyDeleteFrom the article:
"Just ask around. People outside the Church will tell you: love is no longer our calling card. It is now condemnation, bigotry, judgment and hypocrisy. In fact, the Christianity prevalent in so much of America right now isn’t just failing to draw others to Christ, it is actively repelling them from him. By operating in a way that is in full opposition to the life and ministry of Jesus—it is understandably producing people fully opposed to the faith that bears his name."
Sunday seemed like an especially appropriate day to share this.
So I'm not the only one who has noticed this. *sigh*
DeleteOne of my theories is that Christians in general have lost their fear of punishment for misbehavior; couple that with the belief that they actually ARE capable of harming others without DIRECTLY harming themselves--that an intermediary is necessary--and any kind of misbehavior is possible. That said, I have come to understand why my ancestors became Methodists despite the legal liabilities; and I have a strong sympathy with the Holiness Church. I think Thomas Jefferson had it right: if a religious person is good, s/he must have a good religion. (I paraphrase from memory.)
Delete--Alan
It was my 9 year old son's observation that men probably HATE Hanes that made me wonder if Mad Avenue hadn't outfoxed itself. . . .
ReplyDeleteThen, there's this: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/danthropology/2015/11/study-finds-that-children-raised-without-religion-show-more-empathy-and-kindness/
ReplyDelete*shaking head* That premise makes no sense to me. But then I've always had empathy. No idear whether that's nature or nurture. The faith I was taught emphasizes love over hate. Presumably that accounts for my lifelong difficulty understanding hatred, bigotry, warfare and violence generally. Or maybe I'm just not too bright. :P
DeleteMaybe religion is like communism. In theory both are good and uplifting. When they get applied on the ground, they get twisted out of all recognition into ugly, destructive things. By their fruits shall you know them. If the actions of a so-called Christian are evil, for example, then the faith he professes (and calls Christianity) is corrupt.
Read both sides:
DeleteNo, atheist kids are not more altruistic than religious kids - Click
Bear in mind that atheists and anti-Christians are not the same thing; the latter are as strongly tied to Christianity as the most fervent believer. There are Christian atheists, Moslem atheists, Jewish atheists, in addition to others including general old a-theists. And the whole issue is further compounded by different understanding of what God/Deus/Theos is/means. It's enough to motivate a person to relax on the porch with a bit of distilled or fermented relaxant and consider that mountain across the valley.
ReplyDelete--Alan
Alan, I suggest that in the case of "Christian atheists" etc, the word you may be looking for is "agnostic" rather than atheist.
ReplyDelete