Archive for 'Higher Powers'
each & EVRY1
October 17, 2007 by the.muse, under Higher Powers, Political Slants, Social Quandaries.
Just because I shared this story with my new grad school gal pals tonight over scrumptious Mediterranean food, I realized that I meant to post something earlier this week. Plus, it's not often that I get on a soapbox about the integration of faith and politics, but sometimes, there needs to be an intervention, whether divine or secular. 
Last April when I was getting my tag renewed from the state of Alabama, while I was still living in Washington, D.C., I chose to rid myself of my personalized tag and go with a standard tag. Upon that decision, the following conversation emerged:
vulcan's|muse's mother (mm): "They've got two kinds of tags now, which one do you want?"
vulcan's|muse (vm): "Two tags? What are they?"
mm: "Well, there's that old tag with the Stars Fell on something or another, and then there's the God Bless America tag."
vm: "I want the old one."
mm: "You don't want the God Bless America tag?"
vm: "No."
mm: "But why?"
vm: "I have no labels on my car, no stickers that suggest who I am… Having a tag like that in Washington, D.C. would lead others to believe that I'm a right wing conservative."
mm: "And what's wrong with that?"
vm: "Well, first of all, I'm not. And, there's plenty wrong with that… I don't need anything that points me out as one side or the other. I'd like to make it through intersections without being flipped off a few times."
mm: "Well, fine… I'll get you the old boring tag."
Well, here's the "old boring" tag: 
Here's the new religious "standard" tag: 
There are a multitude of sins that I could cover with this coercion of tag distribution that is going on in the state of Alabama, but I won't. But, there is one piece of this that just REALLY gets me steamed, and it lies in the bottom of the tag: God Bless America
Yes, I consider myself a person of faith. And yes, I hope that God does bestow blessings upon this country, but not on my country alone – to all of his creation. However, when this statement is made, it usually isn't made in the sense of God bless America, and everyone else too. No, it's God bless America, and sorry that you aren't apparently as "blessed" as we are.
There are a few fundamental questions that people should be asking themselves when they say or pray that God blesses America. When you pray for God's blessings on America, are you essentially praying that you will be more blessed than the person you meet on the street, speed by on the highway, or completely ignore despite their pain? Are you thanking God that you were "blessed" to live in America and not some other developing nation where they don't have the "blessings" of running water or heat and air? Are you deep down asking that God bless everyone, even the Iraqi insurgents, Saddam Hussein's followers, the terrorists in training to wreak havoc on America, Osama bin Laden? Because in all honesty, God gives everyone the same blessings. Our placement isn't blessing; it's geography. And, the last time I remember, Christ said that if you ignore a homeless man, despise an enemy, or petition for the death of an evil man, you are doing the same to Christ. In that way, we forsake Christ, our faith, and our "blessings."
So, seriously? Are you praying that God bless America? Or that God keep you safe from those that you are uncomfortable with or unable to handle? We are all God's children, and we are all given God's blessings… even those whom we feel don't deserve it. After all, it's not our place to judge.
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three-peat
February 12, 2006 by the.muse, under Higher Powers, Political Slants.
Chuck at Imitatio Christi received a letter from a friend who is a chaplain in Iraq. He posted it for reading, and it was really intense, especially in the chaplain’s poignant analysis:
It occurs to me how much help we could offer to the world if we really cared, but we spend our time fighting and securing our stability; staying on top, loaning money to poor countries and then entrapping them, invading countries with an overwhelming military without a moral reason, toppling governments and their leaders when they no longer serve the purposes for which we established them. When do we get our hands into things that are not in our lane? When do we come to the place where we have our noses into other people’s lives and ways?
I think the key to the defeat of Islamic militancy is to be different; show it for what it is and be different. Right now, we are raising the stakes, strike for strike, and escalation is the inevitable result.
Wow.
You can read the rest of the letter here.
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the good book
January 28, 2006 by the.muse, under Entertaining the Masses, Higher Powers.
Very quickly, I became an avid fan of “The Book of Daniel” on NBC. And, I have reasons o’plenty for enjoying the show. I work at a church… that stuff about pastors, clergy families, etc., it’s there. While the show’s creator Jack Kenny surely exaggerated things beyond what I know, he brings up an important thought to consider: people in the church, especially those who work in them, face the same kind of life – it’s hard for all of us. But, now, it has been cancelled.
The show gave me so much more faith in humanity… just with the idea that there are people in the secular world who understand Jesus for who he is, and not what the Conservative Coalition has painted him out to be. God is not a dictator, not even a totalitarian being at choice – yes, he could strike down the world at any moment, I’m sure, but that’s not the point. I applauded Kenny’s work, and loved how it showed real life in faith. To me, it made Christianity more relevant to others. Just because you claim to have faith, your life doesn’t automatically become worry/stress/disaster/terror/fear/anger/confrontation-free. It’s a sick, disgusting lie that I’m tired of hearing… I’m also furious that people passed (and many are guilty of continually passing) judgment on something they have no idea about. One of my friends from college told me that she called her NBC affiliate and showed support for cancelling it, because it portrays Christians in a bad light, and it was an attack on Christian morals. However, when I asked her if she had ever seen it, she replied, “No, and I never plan to.”
Message to the Conservative Christian Coalition:
• Stop being pharisees! You’re the exact kind of people that are destroying the Christian faith – not only are you pushing away those who have none, but also those who had great faith.
• Quit making your hateful banner one that spans the entire Christian world. There is no heirarchy of Christians.
• And for the love, God is not a Republican… or a Democrat. So, get off your high horse and realize that faith is not politics.
Don’t get me wrong… I’m glad they have faith. I’m glad that they are excited about the church. But, when you start condemning people for their acts of ‘immorality’ that you claim, I only ask that you tell me why you have the authority to do so. As Jesus so humorously hints to us, get the two-by-four out of your eye before you tell me I’ve got a sawdust speck in mine.
Case in point: I’m tired of feeling embarrassment for being a Christian because of these out-of-hand zealots that are trying to bring on Sodom & Gomorrah for themselves, instead of letting God be God. I realized this more than anything when I was messing around on the boards at website for “The Book of Daniel”. I was appalled at how so-called Christians were touting some and condemning all for watching the show. They carried on the same persona that they did during the 2004 elections. This time, instead of saying that you couldn’t be Christian and vote for Kerry, they’re saying you can’t be Christian and watch this show. I’m sure they’d be completely shocked to know that many of my clergy friends loved it.
According to the right-wing, I guess we should begin preparations for eternal damnation…
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fed up
December 27, 2005 by the.muse, under Higher Powers, Ins-and-Outs, Political Slants, Sharing Our Nation's Cap-i-tal.
First of all, I realize… I suck at updating, but I’m trying to get back in the habit. Seriously, you guys. Now, on to my thoughts…
I’m absolutely sick of hearing about Iraq. I know that is probably insensitive. I have a cousin stationed in Baghdad… I’m so tired of hearing about a new marine death… a possible death to my cousin. And, why do I keep worrying? Because I keep hearing about Iraq, and what is going wrong, what isn’t going as well as expected, and why we’re not letting our troops come home.
I’m sorry to say, but it is time… get our boys home. They are fighting a battle for freedom that has been falsely exalted.
The fact that we went into Iraq under false pretenses is fully known. I’d still love to hear our executive say something to that effect, though. But, here’s the thing… even though we went in, we did help the Iraqi people out by ridding Saddam Hussein of his reign of terror. From a humane perspective, it is good, I suppose.
But, here is what I don’t get. It’s been almost 3 years. Seriously… if the people in Iraq want to have a ‘democracy’ as we claim to be getting for them, they need to quit sitting on the sidelines and take the reigns. No one should have to sit around and babysit them. Now, don’t get me wrong… I know that insurgencies are keeping things from happening. But I also believe that they are being allowed to happen. If all Iraqis really want peace and justice, they would make it happen. It happened here more than 200 years ago. If you want freedom, you have to really believe it is possible. It is up to the Iraqi people to put down the rebellion, to find a common belief, to accomplish a common goal. They won’t be able to withstand anything if it is done for them.
A commentary this morning on Morning Edition discussed why we should stay the course, that the country will implode if we leave. I’m sorry, but I don’t see the need to stay. It is up to Iraq to decide what they want, not the US. We have economic reasons to be there… we want to ensure a quick ally… we need oil so we don’t have to drill here. But, I don’t understand why we have to put our own lives on the line for one administration’s selfishness. I don’t see where Iraq is a threat… unless we stay longer. Insurgencies have only grown stronger. More lives are lost on roadside bombs than the initial bombing of Baghdad. Tell me why we should stay… one good reason to stay that isn’t economic, that isn’t based on false claims of terrorism.
I feel for the people of Iraq who have been burdened by the terror of former regimes. It hurts me to know that people are dying everyday because they don’t have their needs sufficiently met. But, I also believe that something as great as freedom is something to fight for and to refuse less. They will never fully own their freedom if they don’t earn it themselves.
Regardless if the US leaves now or later, there will be a civil war in Iraq. We are only deferring it right now. It will happen. It will be merciless. And it will grow worse the longer we stay… our alliance with our ‘preferred’ Iraqi people will only make the cause for civil war even more extreme. The greatest fear that I have is that if we stay, we will be involved in a greater civil war than even Vietnam saw in the 60s. But, slowly and surely, Iraq is becoming my generation’s Vietnam.
So, all I ask is…
How many more lives will we sacrifice for a cause that only one administration believes in?
How much more money will we spend on something that can never be attained while we have homeless families that will die of malnourishment?
How many programs will we cut that will cause our own people to fall below the poverty line just to help a cause that still to this day, 3 years into war, hasn’t been defined?
How is it that you wave a flag of moral righteousness and believe your cause is greater than the one you fight, when they believe the same thing, and claim they are wrong?
How much longer are you willing to believe that the United States has the right to do as it pleases, disregarding legal and moral issues along the way, and not expect for someone to finally confront us?
How many Americans will be punished in the long run because of your foolishness, Mr. President? Is their freedom and our economic gain really worth the eventual (and already happening) downfall of the once renowned strength and integrity of this country?
I don’t think you, Mr. President, have really thought all of this out, have you? To you, it was a simple game of chutes-and-ladders… but, what you were really trying to do is play God. To me, it seems as though you have become your own demise. But, I refuse to let you speak for me, or to take me down with you. I don’t believe your lies. More than that, I don’t believe you. It’s time for you to start acting out the ‘moral’ platform you stood for, and start living out your call as a Christian, moreso a Methodist… for peace… for open hearts, open minds, and open doors. It’s time to start acting like a president, and not some puppet.
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update to date
November 27, 2005 by the.muse, under Entertaining the Masses, Higher Powers, Ins-and-Outs, Political Slants, Voices of the Past.
I know, I know… I’m absolutely the worst updater in the world. But, nothing cheesy this time like ketchup. I promise.
A few things to mention as of late…
1. Thanksgiving: to properly admit what I am thankful for, you must realize what I have missed in the past few semesters of school… film. I am thankful for Thanksgiving in itself because it usually holds good theatre at some part. So, without further adieu, I give you 3 movies you should see:
Good Night, and Good Luck. (documentary of the on-air battle between Edward R. Murrow and Senator Joseph McCarthy regarding ‘Communist infiltration’ in the mid-1950’s)
Walk the Line (an absolutely fabulous portrayal of the life of J.R. ‘Johnny’ Cash)
Rent (if you loved it on stage, you’ll love it on screen… ‘La Vie Boheme!’)
‘We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine. And remember that we are not descended from fearful men, not from men who feared to write, to associate, to speak, and to defend the causes that were for the moment unpopular… Good night, and good luck.’
-from Good Night, and Good Luck.
Murrow’s thoughts in real life:
‘If we confuse dissent with disloyalty — if we deny the right of the individual to be wrong, unpopular, eccentric or unorthodox — if we deny the essence of racial equality then hundreds of millions in Asia and Africa who are shopping about for a new allegiance will conclude that we are concerned to defend a myth and our present privileged status. Every act that denies or limits the freedom of the individual in this country costs us the . . . confidence of men and women who aspire to that freedom and independence of which we speak and for which our ancestors fought.’
–Ford Fiftieth Anniversary Show, CBS and NBC, June 1953
I can’t help but wonder how much I would like Murrow in today’s times. I’m a history nerd… how could I not go this route. If you want another interesting Murrow read, check out his ‘This I Believe’ narrative on NPR in 1951.
OK, back to my few things…
2. Sleep: If I have lost much of it since this semester started, I could have possibly gained it all back (even thought it’s not medically possible) this weekend for Thanksgiving. I have slept so much it’s not funny. And, I’ve loved it. I’d be asleep right now if I didn’t feel the obsessive need to update while I have time, or if the Advent service didn’t start in an hour. Sheesh… don’t ever let anyone tell you that the life of a Type A personality is an easy one. It’s not.
3. Glasses: I finally got a new pair. I’m not sure why you needed to know, but I’m telling you anyway. So, you’ll just have to bear with me.
4. Advent: this is the time of year when I begin to hate the claws of commericalism and capitalism. Christmas was pushed long before Thanksgiving even started. I think I saw some beginnings of red and green just after Thanksgiving. Let me tell you why this is wrong… Advent. Advent is a time for preparation for Christmas. At least get through half of it before you spoil the story… seriously.
So, that’s all I have. No politics today, because I just feel like I’d be saying the same thing over and over. By the way, anyone see any strange similarities between Nixon and Dubya these days? Just wondering…
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affiliation
October 20, 2005 by the.muse, under Higher Powers, Political Slants.
Today is one of those days where I’m incredibly happy to be Methodist… Why?
General Board of Church and Society calls for withdrawal from Iraq
If thousands of ministers with hotlines to God make this statement, why can’t our national government hear the same message? Makes you wonder…
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reponsiveness
October 13, 2005 by the.muse, under Higher Powers, Political Slants.
Out of anger in the previous post about Roy Moore’s “ability” to run for office, I decided to submit my feelings to the editorial department at the Birmingham News:
Moore’s values questioned
While many Christians are jubilant to see ousted Alabama Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore running for governor under the promise of leadership with “values,” one must wonder how these values are observed. His condemning and offensive views explicitly contradict the theology of love and justice he claims to hold. He is also unable to distinguish codified law from his personal views. In refusing to remove the Ten Commandments monument, he blatantly defied an edict that was based upon every citizen’s constitutional right, not just his own. Regarding religious right, this country has yet to define a national religion, and until such has been done, all religions must be acknowledged and respected, whether we agree with them or not. The same right requires that government shall not forward the establishment of religion. In both aspects, Moore violated rights of citizens across the state, thereby disengaging himself from morality and a call to public service.
Moore’s defiance to individual rights, law and precedent is proof that he cannot justify a successful, just and moral gubernatorial office. A governor has a responsibility to see that all laws are executed in a reasonable manner. When morality is based upon ability to refrain from misconduct or disobedience, how could we expect a governor to enforce the law if he denounces it?
The idealism that a candidate claiming divine right will dedicate himself to campaign promises while maintaining honesty if elected not only causes disillusionment when said “moral leader” fails, but it polarizes much of the state if they do not claim the same faith mandate. In the election of any official, church and state should not coalesce. Even our founding fathers stood on that principle.
I doubt it will make the paper. If it does, I’ll be more than excited. We’ll see… regardless, I feel like I’ve vented. There will be more to come for sure.
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laid back?
October 13, 2005 by the.muse, under Entertaining the Masses, Higher Powers, Ins-and-Outs, Political Slants, Social Quandaries.
If only it were possible to actually believe that maybe I took some time away to enjoy it. Oh, if only… Too bad I’ve been up to my eyeballs in everything under the sun. Don’t be fooled, the life of a full-time student, full-time employee is not and will never be glamourous. In fact, it’s pretty upsetting and on the verge of reclusive. But, I keep telling myself, it’s only until December… Breathe… it’s only until December. OK, I think I’m better now.
So much has happened since my last post. Where to start? Or should I even bother?
Well, I am a little upset to know that due to my complete out-of-it-ness, I missed the chance to hear Wesley Clark speak at Workplay on Monday night. Had I known it before 30 minutes prior to the start, I would have made arrangements to go. But, here again, I’m a ultra-scheduled freak, it seems.
Before I go on, I just have to say… GO CARDS!
“The Lion King” arrived on my list of things to do last night. Can I just say that it was fabulous??? I mean, it’s not RENT, but seriously, the costumes blew my mind. And, who could turn away from a chance to see young Simba do the worm across stage. Pure genius. I love it when shows admit they know they are shows, instead of polarizing themselves from the crowd.
This morning I was reading yesterday’s paper (yes, I had to have time to catch up to it), and I saw the following in the opinions section (grab something, you might get sick):
Moore does what he says he’ll do
Today’s politicians speak of values and convictions but tend to abandon them when it becomes politically expedient to do so. There is no better illustration of this than Gov. Bob Riley’s attempt a few years ago to pass the largest tax increase in Alabama’s history. During his run for governor, Riley bragged he has never voted for a tax increase as a U.S. Representative in Washington. Yet shortly after being elected governor, he caved to political pressures and abandoned his “conservative principles” by supporting an increased tax burden rather than trimming the fat. His promises of state financial ruin if his tax package failed were not only wrong but also revealed how he differed little from his tax-and-spend opponents.When Roy Moore ran for chief justice of Alabama’s Supreme Court, he promised to return integrity to our courts. He said he would erect the Ten Commandments and defend it. He kept his promise even when it cost him everything. The value of his principles outweighed the value of his office.
Perhaps the reason so many politicians fear Moore is not because of his Christian zealotry but his unwavering devotion to principle. Moore has proved he is a man whose words can be trusted. Can that be said of any other candidate in the hunt?
See, this is the kind of attitude that keeps Alabama in the situation that it is. The South in general is too concerned with the convergence of church and state. What’s worse? Alabama has the tendency to want to always side with church, regardless of the insanity of its decisions. What? Homosexuality is a sin? The Southern Baptist Church is boycotting Disney? Well, by gosh… let’s put a double ban on homosexual marriage to make sure they can feel like even less of a citizen? Why? Well, the Bible said it’s wrong. That’s why…
Sheesh, people. What about the greatest commandments that Jesus gave? Love God… love others. Hmm, maybe we should get on that.
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social integration
September 25, 2005 by the.muse, under Higher Powers.
I used this phrase in a comment in my friend Jill’s journal, just in reference to the fact that I had not gotten to actually hang out with anyone lately because of my hectic schedule.
Today, especially in my reading last night regarding the theory of social gospel, the phrase took a spiritual meaning. I went to a different church this morning, just in the need to feel enlightened, as I have not been so in the past few months. Church has seemed sore and hardened lately. My theory was that I may have just missed a traditional liturgical service. Not that I don’t love contemporary worship, but there are only certain formats that are appealing to me, and they usually fall along the post-modern and emergent paths. I like the contemplative mood… I think that is why I like traditional liturgy.
Anyways, I went to First Church downtown. I was a little worried… just because it is a very old church, and I wasn’t so sure about the pastor… He just seemed like he might be like the rest of his generation, one of the warm toasty sermon styles that just spill over about the goodness of God. Yes, God is good… but that doesn’t explain the human life and relationship to a deity. This morning, I was blown away by the pastor’s message of the impact of a social gospel. He brought in contexts of the here and now, and challenged traditional thought. The text was simple. It was Jesus’ message to love God with all of our mind, heart and soul, and love our neighbor as ourself. I’ve never heard it preached the way he did it. It was moving… I haven’t felt that moved to action in such a long time.
But, my favorite thing that he said was about going against the grain, feeling as though you are even against the flow of mainstream Christianity (boy, shouldn’t that be contradictory). He said:
Don’t worry about having a bleeding heart… the only heart that isn’t bleeding is dead.
Wow. It hit me like a tons of bricks. In being referred to as a liberal bleeding heart, I no longer feel defensive. It makes me feel alive. It justifies my concern for the needs of those who have none.
I will never see that passage the same again.
I will visit First Church again… next Sunday. I loved seeing a minister unafraid of stirring thoughts or feelings. He didn’t sugar coat the gospel. But at the same time, he was never condemning or reaching a hell-fire-and-brimstone speech. It was the gospel alive and well. Convicting. Compelling. Merciful. Compassionate. Disciplined. Challenging.
That is what faith is about. Faith compels us to action, regardless of stereotype, race, gender or kind, continuing through suffering and strife but through joy and love. It is constant. It is truth.
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free at last…
September 24, 2005 by the.muse, under Higher Powers, Political Slants.
One of the greatest semi-Wesleyan scholars (who actually made his living as a Baptist preacher/social activist) is an essential to the continual spiritual formation of any strong Methodist. Martin Luther King; made his ministry from the social gospel, transferring Biblical stories into modern day prophecies and teachings that transformed the 1960s and made the modern world as we know it (of course, there is always some question as to whether it has really taken effect in some cities like Birmingham, New Orleans, etc.).
Of course, you have to love his rousing words from the Washington National Mall, or even his letter from the Birmingham jail. But, this is pure MLK, from his sermons pre-movement, but they continued throughout his life, even to his assassination, in which he became a martyr for the same social gospel he believed:
We must love the unlovable. Love the hell out of them.
-Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.