Dr. Broun's Medicine

I don’t enjoy having to do things this way but in the case of my US congressional representation I must do this.  I am sharing with anybody inclined to read my blog my disappointment  in his  so called representation.  Check his web page (if you must) and look especially at his Survey.  

Follow he link and you will find yourself being asked ONE question.  

Here it is, “As the illegal immigration debate resurfaces, I’d like to know if you think the 12+ million illegal immigrants currently in the USA should be granted amnesty and citizenship.”  Check Yes or No.  

Some survey.  

Jesus and the Money Changers

Temple practices that hooked the poor on high interest credit and drove them into debt were the target of Jesus' anger. I knew that his cleansing wasn't simply a reaction to monied interests too close to the Holy of Holies. It makes more sense to understand his tirade as giving Sabbath a "fighting chance." Rev. Thistlewaite's development of this idea is an excellent interpretation that should never be avoided when preaching this Gospel.

A Formula for Fun-damn-mentalisn*

In an excellent critique of Gov. Palin's stumble following Charlie Gibson's question about the Bush Doctrine, James Fallows provides the basic formula for the current crop of hard right conservatives and religious right believers in America. Episcopalians would call this the three-legged-stool of fundamentalism.

1. Ignorance
   
2. Lack of curiosity
   
3. "Decisiveness"
   

Palin's and Bush's "ignorances" are equal to each other and analogous to those of any "believer" who doesn't know how the collection of writings called the Bible came together, for instance.  In both political and religious veins the result is a fallacy of "unitary" authority.  Loyalty, sincerity and zeal replace wisdom and knowledge as first requirements for membership.  One rises to ceremonial leadership by exposing their own emptiness. (Don't forget who really pulls the strings.)

It takes about one second of inspection to recognize fundamentalism's lack of curiosity.  It has all kinds of expressions .  One is the striking similarity between fundies disdain for an "educated clergy" and the folksiness of Bush and Palin.  

Check here and click on the FAQ link (you'll need a flash player) to marvel at what Palin's church's Masters Commission graduates call a curriculum.   NO Greek, NO Hebrew, NO documentary hypothesis, NO historic criticism, NO multiple translations, NO church history.  Yet from this training are sent men into their version of ordained leadership. I can't find any evidence that women graduates are allowed the same authority status.  Apparently, study is not meant to cultivate or even allow curiosity but to limit it to a pre-ordained simplification that is repeated in a one size fits all mantra.  In this world Palin's folksiness becomes MC Crew with spray paint and laptops.  

Fallow's three part formula becomes a three cornered web as "Decisiveness" describes the balancing between real experience and doctrine.  It is an imitation of resolve which "doesn't blink."  It answers back before the questions are finished with a mantra or a snicker.  It maintains the ignorance so important to daily management in a world that once expected and in some more liberal circles still expects knowledge and wisdom of its leaders.  Decisiveness asserts itself before all the answers are in, holding at bay the curiosity that is so cumbersome and even dangerous to the unitary character of authority.  In the end both fundies and conservatives have to keep repeating themselves whether what they are saying is true or makes any sense at all. 

Jesus was a Community Organizer

The recent events orchestrated in St. Paul, MN to mock Barack Obama's pre-law school work in Chicago's Southside to help unemployed steel workers to find jobs, to set up childcare for poor families so they can work, or to find healthcare for the uninsured were offensive to many of my fellow Athenians, especially those who have performed similar acts of community service here in one of Georgia's poorest counties. 

Why the snide and cynical remarks from Mayor Giuliani and Govenor Palin?  Except to lower the bar for themselves and those who would vote for their candidate, there is no good reason.  Rovian scoffing that turns shrill from the lips of Governor Palin and just plain disingenuous when Giuliani asks "what's that?" has lost its currency along with the US dollar.  It will not work for much longer to keep acting like the world is too bad to be helped by the good done by teachers, coaches, "Y" directors, social workers of all stripes, legal services providers, pregnancy counselors, drug counselors, CASA workers, visitation supervisors. 

Saying that "Jesus was a community organizer" makes no claims to Obama being a Messiah or the One as those same cynics have tried to box him and his supporters.  (The Charlton Heston image was ironic at best if not plain offensive.)  Instead, the reminder of the work of the first century rabbi  properly recognizes and claims for many voters the very hope that gets us to do things like vote in the first place.  

Plus, trying to get most voters to laugh at Obama's excellent resume and its emergent hope is a failure at framing.  It fails because of who has been chosen to deliver the remarks, so far they've all claimed to be followers of the very one whose "community organizing" is world renowned.  It fails because the facts -- both those that confirm the quality of Obama's work along with those that confirm how well protected from their individual failings the speakers have been -- can be checked too easily.  Finally it fails because Obama actually was a community organizer and too many voters know how good a thing that has been.

Worshipping the Constitution

This was tucked into W's news while in China for the Olympics.  

The president worshipped at a Beijing church and declared China has nothing to fear from expressions of faith. Later, he met with Chinese leaders and again voiced concern about the jailing of dissidents and religious activists, aides reported.

"As you know, I feel very strongly about religion," he told President Hu Jintao in a meeting at the Zhongnanhai government compound while reporters were present.

Whether or not the "current occupant" feels “strongly about religion” is irrelevant to his being in China.  It is not his job to advocate for religion even where the practice of religion suffers the kind of establishment unique to China.

If there is any creed the President should be indicating it is the one he has twice pledged in his inaugurations:  

"I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Nothing about religion but a whole lot about freedom all bound up in the one word, "constitution."   Bush's remarks do not make any sense except that, like China, under this administration we have drifted into our own version of the establishment of religion.   

Religion doesn't require presidential endorsement to be freely exercised.  Instead, whether in China or at home W should be professing his love for the Constitution.  

Whither Goeth Lambeth 2008?

I like Mark Harris'  take on Lambeth's "trajectory."  With the reaction to retired Bishop Spong's explosive 1998 publication of 12 thesis in "Why Christianity must change or die" fundamentalists began a replacement of traditional Anglican theology continuing to the current Windsor "process" and border crossings in the name of orthodoxy. Spong always was a rabid anti-fundamentalist and sensitive to the "theology" that haunted his life inside the religion of the southern U.S.  Spong's early, vocal arguments became the whipping boy against which power hungry Wantlands, Duncans, and Schofields struck as if defending all Episcopalians from the monster of heresy.  I'll do more on what constitutes heresy later.  

Harris sees GAFCON, the current border crossings of Venebles and some African bishops and the devolution of American provincial pretenders like AMIA, AAC, CANA etc. as continuing the trajectory now with Lambeth's stumbling to help it along.

Where NOT to buy the "emperor's new clothes."

As of August 4, 2008 these closings just begin to tell how good our chances are of "consuming" our way out of recession.  BTW, where did you spend your tax rebate?  Probably not at Starbuck's!  Thanks to GlobalResearch.ca for the info.

• Ann Taylor closing 117 stores nationwide.
• Eddie Bauer to close more stores after closing 27 stores in the first quarter.
• Cache, a women’s retailer is closing 20 to 23 stores this year.
• Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug, Catherines closing 150 stores nationwide
• Talbots, J. Jill closing stores. Talbots will close all 78 of its kids and men's stores plus another 22 underperforming stores. The 22 stores will be a mix of Talbots women's and J. Jill.
• Gap Inc. closing 85 stores
• Foot Locker to close 140 stores
• Wickes Furniture is going out of business and closing all of its stores. The 37-year-old retailer that targets middle-income customers, filed for bankruptcy protection last month.
• Levitz - the furniture retailer, announced it was going out of business and closing all 76 of its stores in December. The retailer dates back to 1910.
• Zales, Piercing Pagoda plans to close 82 stores by July 31 followed by closing another 23 underperforming stores.
• Disney Store owner has the right to close 98 stores.
• Home Depot store closings 15 of them amid a slumping US economy and housing market. The move will affect 1,300 employees. It is the first time the world's largest home improvement store chain has ever closed a flagship store.
• CompUSA (CLOSED).
• Macy's - 9 stores closed
• Movie Gallery – video rental company plans to close 400 of 3,500 Movie Gallery and Hollywood Video stores in addition to the 520 locations the video rental chain closed last fall as part of bankruptcy.
• Pacific Sunwear - 153 Demo stores closing
• Pep Boys - 33 stores of auto parts supplier closing
• Sprint Nextel - 125 retail locations to close with 4,000 employees following 5,000 layoffs last year.
• J. C. Penney, Lowe's and Office Depot are all scaling back
• Ethan Allen Interiors: plans to close 12 of 300 stores to cut costs.
• Wilsons the Leather Experts – closing 158 stores
• Bombay Company: to close all 384 U.S.-based Bombay Company stores.
• KB Toys closing 356 stores around the United States as part of its bankruptcy reorganization.
• Dillard's Inc. will close another six stores this year.