Despite a majority of citizens who passionately care about important issues, I see this country as a place which includes increased levels of capital punishment, polarized populations of very rich and very poor, healthcare needs that have raised our infant mortality rates to embarrassing levels, a failing penal system with a recidivism rate that is untenable, a government awash in self-serving corruption and a hawkish desire for war. I can't help but ask myself, "Has this country lost all sense about its purpose as spiritual beings?"
I don't have any issues about mixing God and politics, but when the elimination of the separation of church and state bring us to a time where we're more concerned with abortion than feeding our poor, or executing our criminals than helping our children grow up to be educated, productive citizens, my frustration is beyond description.
I urge you as progressives or as democrats, or even as conservative republicans, to be thinking people when it involves our society at large. To take as much action as you are able to make this country be a place of promise, and one that meets your own personal ideals of integrity and love.
I actually think there's room in the Christian Left's agenda for both feeding the poor and resisting all the Bush garbage on a larger scale. Praying and working for what is right does not take more time than we have (especially if we turn off the television).
Queer Joe proves beyond anything that he is "one of us" with this quote:
It turns out that I only had to pick up 822 stitches.
It's a knitting thang. You wouldn't understand.
Wanted to give a special thanks to Pat for all the help with the Blue Gal banner hack. Douglas has the nicest (and smartest) friends.
Have a nice weekend.
I totally agree, but at what point did people throw out spirituality along with religion?
ReplyDelete(Post your own pet theory here)
I wouldn't call myself religious by any stretch of the means, but I definately would call myself spiritual.
I think in large part the long-term decline in "religion" per se can be directly tied to a decline in infant mortality in the West. The death of a child creates a pain so great that religion seems the only (and a very necessary) opiate. Since most people in the West do not have that pain to experience (whereas in the 19th cent. and before most people did have that pain) I suggest the "need" for religion has decreased. But interestingly enough, the "need" for spirituality continues.
ReplyDeleteReading a most *interesting* book "The Republican War on Science" by Chris Mooney.
ReplyDeleteTho' it's about the realm of science and knowledge in relation to public policies and getting changes to happen for the betterment of people - it's also a *history* on topic of *How We Got From Here To There* in terms of some of these lost progressive values and ideas. It also shows this take over by the religious right - in conjuction with BIG Business interests to prevent any information from getting to the public that they don't want.
There should be both a spiritual value but also a scientific knowledge-value as the sound basis for making critical government decision about helping people and setting policy for the Nation. But that is NOT happening and has been degraded in the past 15-20 yrs. in the hostility towards science.
This book has a lot to say about the abuse of both the policy making and the science *expertise* which is harming everyday people further into all kinds of everyday policy decision.
Here is Chapter 1 of the book (if ya is interested.)
Going on my Karen's list of *MUST READs*
"I don't have any issues about mixing God and politics, but when the elimination of the separation of church and state bring us to a time where we're more concerned with abortion than feeding our poor, or executing our criminals than helping our children grow up to be educated, productive citizens, my frustration is beyond description."
ReplyDeleteYou are right--the whole purpose of the American experiment IS to separate church and state. In the history of our country, religiosity and secularity have competed for the dominance of society. When the supposedly more compassionate morality of Christianity has been in the ascendant it has coincided with some of the most ruthless and intolerant periods in our history. Where did the temperance movement come from? Where did the historical justifications for slavery come from? Imperialism was encouraged by activist Christians as lustily as it was by soot-stained plutocrats in the 19th century, as a means to save "barbarian" souls through military and religious coercion. And the "visible elect" theory of the Calvinists (which equated worldly achievement with moral superiority) has had much to do with the hard-hearted attitudes many Americans have towards welfare. Their doctrines relating to the concept of predestination didn't result in many social progressives emerging from their sect.
GW Bush is cynically using religion as a means of assuring himself absolute loyalty from a significant percentage of Americans. Those religious types who support him are the ones who have been conned most thoroughly of all. Then again, he is trying to turn US imperialism into a national crusade...at certain angles he looks like Pope Urban II at the Council of Clermont.
Also--interesting point on the decline of infant mortality playing a role in the decrease of religious activity. I put some stock in the idea that rampant materialism has helped, along with human disillusionment at the incessant wars of religion.
Does that mean you can now teach me how to customize my header?
ReplyDelete;o)