Ok, so it was bound to happen eventually, right? I mean, I do write about a lot of things on this blog that I have strong opinions about, so it was going to happen sooner or later...right?
Anyway, here goes.
Growing up I was a dyed in the wool staunch Republican, complete with the obligatory Rush is Right t-shirt and the khaki pants button down shirt that went with it. I read Limbaugh's entire canon, and thought he was Ronald Reagan reincarnated. (Not really, we Republicans didn't hanker to no "re-in-car-nation.") That meant that I was pro-life, and any no-good, two-bit, lousy politician who didn't vote to get rid of Roe Vs. Wade was just asking to get voted out of office. No, seriously. I really did think that.
Well, going along with my discussion earlier about recognizing the complexity of certain issues, and realizing that there are multiple ways to look at things, I wanted to talk to you all (yes, both of you) about what being pro-life means to me now.
(Stipulation: Almost all of this can be found in the Jim Wallis book, "God's Politics: Why the Right Gets it Wrong, and the Left Doesn't Get It".)
Being pro-life means much, much more than thinking that the number of abortions committed in this country is a travesty. Being pro-life means attempting to hold on to a consistent ethic of the sanctity of human life--where ever that life may be. This has numerous ramifications, much more then the obvious abortion issue that gets focused on so much.
Being pro-life means that I want to eliminate the causes of, or perceived reasons for abortions in this country; rampant poverty, both generational and situational; a government that practices generous corporate welfare and cringes at the mere mention of government assistance for the poor as "socialism"; sky-rocketing health care costs, and a cultural acceptance of chauvinism and sexism that perpetuates the ideas that women are inferior and subject to the whim and desires of men. (Don't throw the Bible verses about women being subject to men in my face; if you've read those verses, don't stop there--the very next half of the verse talks about husbands serving their wives like Jesus serves the church, in humility, with compassion, and with a perfect and Godly love.) All of these issues combine to form a perfect storm of challenges that face too many families and individuals in this country. We Christians should be ashamed, utterly and totally ashamed that we are spending so much time and energy trying to stop women from getting abortions without paying any attention whatsoever to WHY they feel the need to get one. Instead of picketing Planned Parenthood and the various doctors who offer these painful and costly (both mentally and spiritually) procedures, we should be picketing the senators and congress-people who provide tax benefits to the wealthy but forget about the millions of Americans are working their asses off every day to make ends meet; we should be picketing the insurance companies who make it their goals to deny claims for health care, and exploit those who do not have the adequate resources at their disposal to fend for themselves. Until we focus on the causes of abortions, we should all be ashamed of ourselves.
But, as I was saying, a consistent ethic of the sanctity of human life doesn't stop at birth. Therefore being pro-life, for me, means believing that health care should in fact be a right, not a privilege. America is one of only two countries in the world that doesn't have some form of universal health care provided by the government. And, to the immediate cry of "socialism!" that I will hear, I say this: Either you have a private company, whose only objective is make a profit--NOT to provide the best health care it can, or you have a government, imperfect as it may be, which may slow things down a bit, but that will ensure that everyone, from the least of us, to the greatest of us, will be guaranteed basic and necessary health care. Again, until we as Christians make this a priority, we are not even close to hitting the mark set out for us.
Pro-life for me means that I can not support the death penalty. I do recognize and admit that there are numerous verses in both the Old and New Testaments that can be and often are used to support the idea of capital punishment, but my understanding of Jesus' words are that we are called to love those who hate us, and to forgive those who harm us. Therefore, I can only hope and pray that our nation--and, dare I say our world-- move beyond the idea of punishing someone into being better, and work towards loving people enough that they become better. I know, that is pie in the sky, but what is more "pie in the sky" then a God who loved the world enough...?
Being pro-life means that I am completely and totally against unjust and unrighteous wars. Being pro-life means that I believe in and acknowledge, and respect, and value the life of someone who I have never met, who lives very far away from me, has a different skin color, and who worships--or doesnt!--different than me. The civilian casualities in Iraq and Afghanistan are not "collatoral damage". They are devastating losses of life, no less devastating than that of the unborn child that most American Christian's pray for.
I know that what I've typed here today is going to rub some of you the wrong way. I know that it may indeed anger some of you. I invite your comments, your criticisms, and your questions; I only ask that we keep any conversation civil.
Respectfully, and thankfully...
Tommy
Monday, October 27, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
The $150,000 Question...
I recently read a friend's blog post which was about the media's new found obsession with Sarah Palin's expensive wardrobe, and the media's pass on Barack Obama's record-shattering campaign fundraising. The argument goes, in a nutshell, that Barack Obama is spending bazillion's of dollars on his campaign, and that, in comparison, the relatively small amount Sarah Palin spent on clothes shouldn't matter.
Two thoughts:
1.) I think the reason I'm a little bit shocked by the amount Ms. Palin spent on clothes is that is was donated money; money that hard working people donated to the Republican ticket in hopes that it would be spent on something worthwhile in getting Senator McCain and Governor Palin elected. It is arguable whether or not $150,000 in clothes for the Governor actually respects the intentions of those donors. Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I did not donate to the McCain campaign, so it would be difficult for me to say definitively whether this is true or not. However, it would be my guess that most people donated to the McCain-Palin campaign, NOT to the McCain-Palin closet.
2.) The idea that Barack Obama is somehow in the wrong because more people then ever before have been energized and motivated to donate on a small scale boggles the mind. And, in the interest of full disclosure, I can say this definitively, because my wife and I have donated $100 to Senator Obama's campaign. (We did this in two installments, each of $50.) See, here's the thing, Senator Obama has inspired, motivated and encouraged so many people to see the need to contribute in any small way that they can. It actually brings to mind the parable of the widow in the Bible. For those of you not up to date on your New Testament stories, it goes like this: There once was this old lady who had practically nothing. She left the temple shortly after a rich man who gave a whole bunch to the church. As the old lady left, she put in a few pennies, worth practically nothing. However, the point of the story was that because the old lady gave from her "little", it counted for more then the big donation the wealthy guy gave, which didn't really matter to him, because he had plenty. And, what we have in the Obama campaign is a whole lot of people giving out of their "little" to the point where it has added up to more money then any candidate in the history of the United States has ever had available. This is a powerful concept. Across this great nation more of the little guys, not the Joe the Plumber's who are apparently raking it in to the tune of more then $250,000 a year, but the teachers and stay-at-home moms who are making $42,000 a year are donating to a cause they feel is going to change the world. Not just America, but the world.
So, Sarah Palin can go buy all the clothes she wants from the money that she and John McCain have raised. I don't know if that's what the donors wanted, but that's because my money is going to a candidate who I feel represents me and my desires for change. (Not a change of clothes.)
Thanks...
Tommy
Two thoughts:
1.) I think the reason I'm a little bit shocked by the amount Ms. Palin spent on clothes is that is was donated money; money that hard working people donated to the Republican ticket in hopes that it would be spent on something worthwhile in getting Senator McCain and Governor Palin elected. It is arguable whether or not $150,000 in clothes for the Governor actually respects the intentions of those donors. Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I did not donate to the McCain campaign, so it would be difficult for me to say definitively whether this is true or not. However, it would be my guess that most people donated to the McCain-Palin campaign, NOT to the McCain-Palin closet.
2.) The idea that Barack Obama is somehow in the wrong because more people then ever before have been energized and motivated to donate on a small scale boggles the mind. And, in the interest of full disclosure, I can say this definitively, because my wife and I have donated $100 to Senator Obama's campaign. (We did this in two installments, each of $50.) See, here's the thing, Senator Obama has inspired, motivated and encouraged so many people to see the need to contribute in any small way that they can. It actually brings to mind the parable of the widow in the Bible. For those of you not up to date on your New Testament stories, it goes like this: There once was this old lady who had practically nothing. She left the temple shortly after a rich man who gave a whole bunch to the church. As the old lady left, she put in a few pennies, worth practically nothing. However, the point of the story was that because the old lady gave from her "little", it counted for more then the big donation the wealthy guy gave, which didn't really matter to him, because he had plenty. And, what we have in the Obama campaign is a whole lot of people giving out of their "little" to the point where it has added up to more money then any candidate in the history of the United States has ever had available. This is a powerful concept. Across this great nation more of the little guys, not the Joe the Plumber's who are apparently raking it in to the tune of more then $250,000 a year, but the teachers and stay-at-home moms who are making $42,000 a year are donating to a cause they feel is going to change the world. Not just America, but the world.
So, Sarah Palin can go buy all the clothes she wants from the money that she and John McCain have raised. I don't know if that's what the donors wanted, but that's because my money is going to a candidate who I feel represents me and my desires for change. (Not a change of clothes.)
Thanks...
Tommy
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Special Comment (not by Keith Olberman)
I just wanted to let you all know why I deleted the comment in the previous post, by someone who calls themself "Rocky2". I don't normally believe in censorship, as a rule, and I do support the right to speak your mind. However, I do want to uphold a certain level of intellectual integrity, and when I think your comment is a spam comment half way through, and then all sense of coherence and logic flys out the window, I don't feel that your comment meets the needs of this blog.
Having said that, I do indeed welcome any and all comments given in good faith. You don't have to agree with me, but, as I tell my students...you do need to prove it to me.
Commence discussing...
Having said that, I do indeed welcome any and all comments given in good faith. You don't have to agree with me, but, as I tell my students...you do need to prove it to me.
Commence discussing...
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Don't Stop...Believin'...
So, why did I make the title of this post the title of a song from a 70's and 80's rock band? Because! I've realized that life is a Journey. (Get it?!)
I know, that was cheesy.
Anyway, I actually do have a reason for this post. I don't know if you guys realize, but there is an election coming up. And, as so often happens with politics, the national dialogue has become very passionate, very heated, very polarized. That almost seems inevitable, doesn't it? I mean, there are very legitimate, very distinct differences between "positions" in this country. But, I have hope...hope that this isn't so inevitable...so, unavoidable. (Hence, the title...?)
As I have discussed and debated with friends and coworkers, family members, and random people I meet on the street, this division between positions has become more and more obvious, more and more pronounced. Don't even get me started on the talking heads that dominate the political culture on tv and radio. With very few exceptions, the distance between us is emphasized far more then that which connects us. And, the reality of this life is, that we are absolutely NOTHING without that connection between us.
Now, a little disclaimer here, I'm about to talk about religion. So, if you are one who thinks that religion and politics should remain separated, please be warned.
I'm a born-again Christian. I believe the Bible is indeed the word of God. Having read the Bible, a couple of times, I am comfortable "admitting" that there are troubling spots, passages that "seem" contradictory, that seem to...almost lend themselves to a variety of interpretations. I wouldn't have always allowed for that possibility...when I was younger, I was much more a "black and white" kind of a guy. (Just ask my family...!) However, as I've grown older, experienced more of life, read more, seen more, and grown to understand God more, I have realized that it is the gray areas that we should EMBRACE...not hide from. These gray areas are a very integral part of human existence...and, because I believe that God became human and hung around down here, I think God understands what human existence is like. I think God "gets it".
In fact, I kind of think it's part of God's plan.
Stay with me here, if you're still here at all.
If you look at the broader themes of the Old and New Testaments, there is an underlying progression that is deceptively simple, but complex, none the less. In the Old Testament, God was an angry God. Fire and brimstone, eye for an eye, laying waste to whole countries, and entire peoples. Pretty graphic; almost like a Tarrantino movie, you know? But, in the New Testament, we get this seemingly abrupt change, where Jesus talks about forgiveness, and loving your neighbor, and so on.
To me, this speaks of a bigger concept. As we humans go through our lives, it is our ultimate goal that we move beyond black and whites to much more complex ways of living our faith, our philosophy. Jesus' words were so much more then just "think good thoughts". Jesus issued a challenge that is much more difficult, and therefore much, much more meaningful then what actually happens for MOST of us. What does LOVING your neighbor mean?
I think it means that if our neighbor has a McCain-Palin sign in their front yard, I need to understand that there are probably very sincere and heartfelt reasons behind that choice. If I am truly "loving" them, I will not diminish the ideas they have by saying they are red-neck, gun-toting, hillbillies, who are dead set on taking away the rights of individuals, who are all out to bash gay people, and who probably want to make us all bow down in the same pew at church. That, to me, isn't being very loving. (It doesn't, of course, mean that I have to agree with them.)
The flipside is also true. I am, as I said, a pro-life born-again Christian, who is absolutely dying to cast my vote for Barack Obama as the next president of the United States of America. Now, unlike what was recently said on my wife's blog, I am not voting for Senator Obama because I want to kill babies. Seriously, I really don't. I have read Mr. Obama's direction on abortion, and feel like he understands the complexity of this issue.
Two things--one, did you notice I've used the word complex a lot? These issues are complex...they are not simple. They are NOT black and white; and, two, did you notice that I used the word "direction" instead of "position"? I kind of feel like that's what we should have...directions...not positions, or stances. Abortion is a horrible, awful, painful, difficult, and ugly thing. And, more often then some of us would like to admit, it is seen as necessary by those who choose it.
Our goal should not be to eliminate the ability for women to have an abortion. Our goal should be to eliminate--in as much as we can--the NEED, perceived or otherwise, for abortions. Now, who among us can't agree with that? Are you seriously going to stand (or sit) there, and tell me that you don't really care to address the needs of the women who feel pressed into this difficult spot? So, we have common ground. We ALL want to make abortions as unnecessary as possible. Now, the discussion can continue as we express how we want to go about doing this. But, we can all keep in mind that, Democrats or Republicans, Socialists or Capitalists, Evangelicals or Atheists (and everything in between), we all have a goal in common...and this makes solving our problems much, much more possible.
There are more issues that could be discussed, but I want to leave you tonight with a summing up of my point, which is that, regardless of who you are voting for, regardless of WHY you are voting for that candidate...there is ALWAYS common ground to start from in our conversations...and there is always a connection between us as humans. I think that this commonality is that we are all connected to God. Some people call it the Divine Spark, some call it the Holy Spirit, some would quote Jeremiah, the Old Testament prophet who said that before we were born, God knew us. That doesn't refer to SOME of us...it means that God hand-made ALL of us, and therefore, we all have God in us, and it is that "God-in-us" that we should ALL strive to see.
As the Sikh teacher Siri Singh Sahib said, "If you can't see God in all, you can't see God at all."
Thanks, and God bless us...ALL of us.
Tommy
PS: Oh, and JNo, although I don't think Hulsof is horrible, Jay Nixon has my vote, for two reasons: Health Care and Education; in particular his desire to expand the A+ program to include two years AFTER the two years at community college. I think he's got good ideas.
I know, that was cheesy.
Anyway, I actually do have a reason for this post. I don't know if you guys realize, but there is an election coming up. And, as so often happens with politics, the national dialogue has become very passionate, very heated, very polarized. That almost seems inevitable, doesn't it? I mean, there are very legitimate, very distinct differences between "positions" in this country. But, I have hope...hope that this isn't so inevitable...so, unavoidable. (Hence, the title...?)
As I have discussed and debated with friends and coworkers, family members, and random people I meet on the street, this division between positions has become more and more obvious, more and more pronounced. Don't even get me started on the talking heads that dominate the political culture on tv and radio. With very few exceptions, the distance between us is emphasized far more then that which connects us. And, the reality of this life is, that we are absolutely NOTHING without that connection between us.
Now, a little disclaimer here, I'm about to talk about religion. So, if you are one who thinks that religion and politics should remain separated, please be warned.
I'm a born-again Christian. I believe the Bible is indeed the word of God. Having read the Bible, a couple of times, I am comfortable "admitting" that there are troubling spots, passages that "seem" contradictory, that seem to...almost lend themselves to a variety of interpretations. I wouldn't have always allowed for that possibility...when I was younger, I was much more a "black and white" kind of a guy. (Just ask my family...!) However, as I've grown older, experienced more of life, read more, seen more, and grown to understand God more, I have realized that it is the gray areas that we should EMBRACE...not hide from. These gray areas are a very integral part of human existence...and, because I believe that God became human and hung around down here, I think God understands what human existence is like. I think God "gets it".
In fact, I kind of think it's part of God's plan.
Stay with me here, if you're still here at all.
If you look at the broader themes of the Old and New Testaments, there is an underlying progression that is deceptively simple, but complex, none the less. In the Old Testament, God was an angry God. Fire and brimstone, eye for an eye, laying waste to whole countries, and entire peoples. Pretty graphic; almost like a Tarrantino movie, you know? But, in the New Testament, we get this seemingly abrupt change, where Jesus talks about forgiveness, and loving your neighbor, and so on.
To me, this speaks of a bigger concept. As we humans go through our lives, it is our ultimate goal that we move beyond black and whites to much more complex ways of living our faith, our philosophy. Jesus' words were so much more then just "think good thoughts". Jesus issued a challenge that is much more difficult, and therefore much, much more meaningful then what actually happens for MOST of us. What does LOVING your neighbor mean?
I think it means that if our neighbor has a McCain-Palin sign in their front yard, I need to understand that there are probably very sincere and heartfelt reasons behind that choice. If I am truly "loving" them, I will not diminish the ideas they have by saying they are red-neck, gun-toting, hillbillies, who are dead set on taking away the rights of individuals, who are all out to bash gay people, and who probably want to make us all bow down in the same pew at church. That, to me, isn't being very loving. (It doesn't, of course, mean that I have to agree with them.)
The flipside is also true. I am, as I said, a pro-life born-again Christian, who is absolutely dying to cast my vote for Barack Obama as the next president of the United States of America. Now, unlike what was recently said on my wife's blog, I am not voting for Senator Obama because I want to kill babies. Seriously, I really don't. I have read Mr. Obama's direction on abortion, and feel like he understands the complexity of this issue.
Two things--one, did you notice I've used the word complex a lot? These issues are complex...they are not simple. They are NOT black and white; and, two, did you notice that I used the word "direction" instead of "position"? I kind of feel like that's what we should have...directions...not positions, or stances. Abortion is a horrible, awful, painful, difficult, and ugly thing. And, more often then some of us would like to admit, it is seen as necessary by those who choose it.
Our goal should not be to eliminate the ability for women to have an abortion. Our goal should be to eliminate--in as much as we can--the NEED, perceived or otherwise, for abortions. Now, who among us can't agree with that? Are you seriously going to stand (or sit) there, and tell me that you don't really care to address the needs of the women who feel pressed into this difficult spot? So, we have common ground. We ALL want to make abortions as unnecessary as possible. Now, the discussion can continue as we express how we want to go about doing this. But, we can all keep in mind that, Democrats or Republicans, Socialists or Capitalists, Evangelicals or Atheists (and everything in between), we all have a goal in common...and this makes solving our problems much, much more possible.
There are more issues that could be discussed, but I want to leave you tonight with a summing up of my point, which is that, regardless of who you are voting for, regardless of WHY you are voting for that candidate...there is ALWAYS common ground to start from in our conversations...and there is always a connection between us as humans. I think that this commonality is that we are all connected to God. Some people call it the Divine Spark, some call it the Holy Spirit, some would quote Jeremiah, the Old Testament prophet who said that before we were born, God knew us. That doesn't refer to SOME of us...it means that God hand-made ALL of us, and therefore, we all have God in us, and it is that "God-in-us" that we should ALL strive to see.
As the Sikh teacher Siri Singh Sahib said, "If you can't see God in all, you can't see God at all."
Thanks, and God bless us...ALL of us.
Tommy
PS: Oh, and JNo, although I don't think Hulsof is horrible, Jay Nixon has my vote, for two reasons: Health Care and Education; in particular his desire to expand the A+ program to include two years AFTER the two years at community college. I think he's got good ideas.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Weekend Update
Hey everyone. More will come, but I really wanted to let people know about my wife's most recent post. It's an open letter to Governor Sarah Palin, and it can be found at mamasense.blogspot.com.
I would give it a preface and context and all that, but, well, she's a much better writer then I am, so it seems a bit redundant, and a waste of your time. So, go on over there and check it out. The title of the post is: "Real Amerca: Letter to Sarah Palin".
And, I'm not posting on this site again until ALL of you go check it out.
Seriously.
I'm not kidding.
Tommy
I would give it a preface and context and all that, but, well, she's a much better writer then I am, so it seems a bit redundant, and a waste of your time. So, go on over there and check it out. The title of the post is: "Real Amerca: Letter to Sarah Palin".
And, I'm not posting on this site again until ALL of you go check it out.
Seriously.
I'm not kidding.
Tommy
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