So the news is all abuzz now, trying desperately to salvage narratives and advance agendas with the Orlando shooting, including reminding us that the news is wrong about this being the worst mass shooting in history. It turns out that the prize belongs to - America! Americans killed 250 Indians at Wounded Knee, or so the memes are saying.
For what it's worth, that was not the only massacre of Indians. There were many others. And it wasn't the only massacre in general. Indians would massacre other Indians with help from, and in alliance with, Americans and Europeans. And Americans were massacred by Indians. One of the biggest body counts of European immigrants being killed by Indians numbered around 350 at Jamestown. I'm sure you're familiar with that attack since it's no doubt repeated on a daily basis.
So there you have it. People have been killing each other for centuries. This isn't something new. It's worth noting, however, that each period of killing had certain characteristics which we are always happy to study, such as racism, imperialism, Manifest Destiny, Christian zealotry, McCarthyism, and on and on. What might make this rash of killings so different is a sudden lack of desire to study the direct causes, and try desperately to look to anything other than the obvious.
Friday, June 17, 2016
President Obama on why words like Islamic Terrorist do not matter
Can be seen here:
Oh, I'm sorry. That was a 2008 speech in which Obama, among other things, insisted that words like 'hope' matter when it comes to leading America, because words do matter. Here we go:
Oh, I'm sorry. That was a 2008 speech in which Obama, among other things, insisted that words like 'hope' matter when it comes to leading America, because words do matter. Here we go:
Note, by the way, the multiple false premises he uses. Nobody is saying we can't defeat evil if we are afraid to call it what it is or use certain words. We're saying it's a lot tougher to do without naming the evil, especially if you need to rally people around a cause or get everyone to come together to defeat the evil. Which is why most Democrats and liberal activists are clear when they call out Conservative Christians and the NRA. They understand the power of words and identifying the enemy.
Obviously nobody would criticize Obama's 2016 notion that words like Islamic terrorists don't matter more than 2008 Obama, who clearly was indignant over this laughable notion that words don't matter. Then again we are dealing with liberalism. As I've said before, the most powerful weapon in the Leftist arsenal is the ability to declare anything to be yesterday's truth.
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Three others murdered in as many days
Two officers in France were murdered by an admitted Islamic terrorist. And today, apparently, a brilliant young woman who was a rising star in British politics was murdered by a lone, probably psychotic, male. It is a tough, fallen world. Evil is always around. Pray for these victims, and those who have died that we will never hear about. Pray for their families. Pray that we look beyond politics and agendas to the core of the problem, a fallen world and sinful people fleeing from, not toward, the revelation of God in Christ.
Would someone please tell me what is wrong with our hospitals
When some of them refuse to help people kill themselves? I just don't know what this world is coming to! Praise God for the good hospitals of Santa Barbara who are fighting the good fight. That our enlightened civilization has come to the point where this is news should give us pause when it comes to declaring ours an enlightened civilization.
Right is right
And Simcha Fisher is right. In an effort to point out that I bear Ms. Fisher no ill will (I merely have strong disagreements with some of her actions and consistency), I give you clear thinking.
There has been an outcry since the Orlando shooting that has nothing to do with the evil NRA or evil Conservative Christians, whose names are noticeably mentioned and repeated by various groups and political leaders. It has to do with the fact that there are certain rules pertaining to openly gay men giving blood. The rationale for this is obvious to a person of reason. Despite every effort to convince us otherwise, being a sexually active male homosexual is disproportionately dangerous against almost any other sexual behavior.
People die. They die by the tens of thousands. And they die precisely because they are engaged in a behavior that is as almost as dangerous in terms of AIDS as smocking is in terms of cancer. And just like smoking, which can impact others, giving blood can obviously impact others. Furthermore, there is no surefire way to ensure us that blood given wouldn't be tainted. And because we don't want to hurt those we are trying to help, there are clear and obvious restrictions on who can give blood and why.
Sane and reasonable people understand this, just as sane and reasonable people understand most common sense issues. We get why you will have a hard time getting life insurance if you are a professional skydiver. We understand why we were told we can no longer smoke in small, crowded places like airplane cabins and national parks. We also get why someone who is likely to contract an incurable, ultimately fatal, blood-borne disease by way of their lifestyle should be looked at differently when it comes to giving his blood to others.
So a good article, and some good points. Ultimately giving blood is not a right. At its best, it is a cup of cold water that anyone giving it should hope is as healthy and helpful as possible.
There has been an outcry since the Orlando shooting that has nothing to do with the evil NRA or evil Conservative Christians, whose names are noticeably mentioned and repeated by various groups and political leaders. It has to do with the fact that there are certain rules pertaining to openly gay men giving blood. The rationale for this is obvious to a person of reason. Despite every effort to convince us otherwise, being a sexually active male homosexual is disproportionately dangerous against almost any other sexual behavior.
People die. They die by the tens of thousands. And they die precisely because they are engaged in a behavior that is as almost as dangerous in terms of AIDS as smocking is in terms of cancer. And just like smoking, which can impact others, giving blood can obviously impact others. Furthermore, there is no surefire way to ensure us that blood given wouldn't be tainted. And because we don't want to hurt those we are trying to help, there are clear and obvious restrictions on who can give blood and why.
Sane and reasonable people understand this, just as sane and reasonable people understand most common sense issues. We get why you will have a hard time getting life insurance if you are a professional skydiver. We understand why we were told we can no longer smoke in small, crowded places like airplane cabins and national parks. We also get why someone who is likely to contract an incurable, ultimately fatal, blood-borne disease by way of their lifestyle should be looked at differently when it comes to giving his blood to others.
So a good article, and some good points. Ultimately giving blood is not a right. At its best, it is a cup of cold water that anyone giving it should hope is as healthy and helpful as possible.
Tolkien on stage with Lewis and Chesterton - and Martin Luther!
C. S. Lewis Onstage: The Most Reluctant Convert looks absolutely delightful. I wish we could get the boys into live theater more than we do. Finances are the main obstacle. I admit, I am somewhat intrigued by the whole Hamilton phenomenon, and have considered saving for that. Anything that helps elevate our nation's past and encourages people to look back at its heroes, and not just dwell on the bad, is OK in my book. On a theatrical level, however, I wouldn't mind scrounging pennies to see what looks to be an awesome take on some of my favorite authors, and inspiration from my ministry days.
When you focus on the bad guy
You get results. After the Charleston church shooting, almost all of the coverage was about racism. White, American racism. The kind of racism that grandma used to bake. And it wasn't just for a few days. It was weeks. Months later, we still had lead stories about the shooting. And for weeks after the shooting, a veritable witch hunt ensued as everything from Confederate flags on state property to Confederate symbols in Civil War museums were pulled down and buried. That's because the one thing we all knew about the shooter, because it was the one thing that was discussed about the shooter, was that he had a photo of himself holding a Confederate Flag.
So the emphasis was racism, race, American racism, America's racist past, white racists, current racism, Conservatives, and of course racism. And the result? This week during the Southern Baptist Convention's annual answer to an ecumenical council, it voted to request that member churches no longer fly the Confederate flag.
OK, I don't care. As a history student, teacher, and amateur historian in my own right, I never paid much attention to the Civil War. In my lifetime, the Civil War narrative has shifted. As a youth, the North was still the good guy because we fought the slave owners. By later elementary and through college, it turned out the North didn't give a damn about slavery. It was about the Federal Government and State's Rights. The important lesson being that all of America was a racist nation and didn't care about slavery one way or another, except to support it.
In the 90s, however, that began to shift again. After all, if the key issue of the war was about State's Rights, then perhaps the Confederacy wasn't so bad after all. Why single it out? The South had good points too. Read some popular Civil War books of the time or watch some 80s mini-series for some spins on that. So in the last decade or so, the shift has swung again to the war being all about Slavery, though enough emphasis was on America's universal racism that this hasn't helped the North. Because of that, I expect us to do a de-Stalinization on the South and probably won't see much Dixie or General Lee in my grandchildren's future.
Personally that doesn't bother me as much as the realization that it won't stop there. You'd have to be a fool to think it will stop with banning the Confederate Flag, or destroying Civil War monuments, or eradicating Jackson from currency. If you think it will stop there, then I have a bridge to sell you.
What gets me is the effectiveness of it. Why is the flag gone? Why are the nuances of history falling along the wayside, and formerly respected figures like Robert E. Lee or the positive elements of southern culture being swallowed up by our modern crusades of righteousness? Easy. They are the bad guys. They are the enemies. There was no discussion or debate after Charleston. Nobody dared say 'maybe it's not all about race', or 'maybe racism shouldn't define America', or 'maybe the South wasn't all that bad.' The few who tried were skinned. It was all racist, and all it did was racist and race and racism and things. America, its racist past, and all who defend its racist past might as well have crammed into the Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church and opened fire in unison. All were guilty. And half of the population of America was more than happy to accept the blame. That's what happens when you identify an enemy, emphasize the evil of the enemy, and make it clear you will stop at nothing until you eliminate the enemy.
Now, after the Orlando shooting? So far we have American conservative homophobes as the presumptive enemies to be defeated. Islam and Islamic terrorism? Eh, not so much. So following the ages old practice of knowing your enemy in order to destroy your enemy, who do you think will be most affected by the shootings over the next year or so? Muslims or even Islamic terrorists? Or Conservative American Christians? You decide. I know I have my hunches.
So the emphasis was racism, race, American racism, America's racist past, white racists, current racism, Conservatives, and of course racism. And the result? This week during the Southern Baptist Convention's annual answer to an ecumenical council, it voted to request that member churches no longer fly the Confederate flag.
OK, I don't care. As a history student, teacher, and amateur historian in my own right, I never paid much attention to the Civil War. In my lifetime, the Civil War narrative has shifted. As a youth, the North was still the good guy because we fought the slave owners. By later elementary and through college, it turned out the North didn't give a damn about slavery. It was about the Federal Government and State's Rights. The important lesson being that all of America was a racist nation and didn't care about slavery one way or another, except to support it.
In the 90s, however, that began to shift again. After all, if the key issue of the war was about State's Rights, then perhaps the Confederacy wasn't so bad after all. Why single it out? The South had good points too. Read some popular Civil War books of the time or watch some 80s mini-series for some spins on that. So in the last decade or so, the shift has swung again to the war being all about Slavery, though enough emphasis was on America's universal racism that this hasn't helped the North. Because of that, I expect us to do a de-Stalinization on the South and probably won't see much Dixie or General Lee in my grandchildren's future.
Personally that doesn't bother me as much as the realization that it won't stop there. You'd have to be a fool to think it will stop with banning the Confederate Flag, or destroying Civil War monuments, or eradicating Jackson from currency. If you think it will stop there, then I have a bridge to sell you.
What gets me is the effectiveness of it. Why is the flag gone? Why are the nuances of history falling along the wayside, and formerly respected figures like Robert E. Lee or the positive elements of southern culture being swallowed up by our modern crusades of righteousness? Easy. They are the bad guys. They are the enemies. There was no discussion or debate after Charleston. Nobody dared say 'maybe it's not all about race', or 'maybe racism shouldn't define America', or 'maybe the South wasn't all that bad.' The few who tried were skinned. It was all racist, and all it did was racist and race and racism and things. America, its racist past, and all who defend its racist past might as well have crammed into the Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church and opened fire in unison. All were guilty. And half of the population of America was more than happy to accept the blame. That's what happens when you identify an enemy, emphasize the evil of the enemy, and make it clear you will stop at nothing until you eliminate the enemy.
Now, after the Orlando shooting? So far we have American conservative homophobes as the presumptive enemies to be defeated. Islam and Islamic terrorism? Eh, not so much. So following the ages old practice of knowing your enemy in order to destroy your enemy, who do you think will be most affected by the shootings over the next year or so? Muslims or even Islamic terrorists? Or Conservative American Christians? You decide. I know I have my hunches.
The Catholic Position on Gun Control
Is brought to us by the always helpful Jimmy Akin. In short, you can't want to murder people, and you can't put loyalty to anything above devotion to God and the preservation of human life. With that said, this also includes stepping in and possibly hindering a person's ability to protect himself which is a right the Church affirms.
As a note, when I was a tyke (c. late 1960s), my Dad was driving home from work one night. He worked late and came home in the early morning hours. During that period, there had been a string of crimes committed in the rural areas where we lived. Mom kept a sawed off 12 gauge shotgun next to the back sliding door that was our main entrance-way. We left it alone because we were taught what guns did, and we listened to our parents. I would rather have been shot than disobey my Dad. Only when guests were around did she put the guns away. We were that careful. Plus, she never slept anyway. She would wait by the door until Dad came home (she didn't like it out there in the country at night). The door faced the driveway.
Anyway, that night Dad was driving home down the old, gravel road. Suddenly he noticed a group of young men standing around a car alongside the road. He drove past and saw in the mirror that they all piled into their car, swung around, and began following him. He sped up. They sped up. Before long it was a full blown drag race down back country roads. Fortunately Dad had been a bit of a hell raiser himself in his day, and could handle a speeding car rather well.
Because of the direction he came from, Mom saw him raising the cloud of dust against the farm lights down the road. She knew he was driving fast and assumed something was wrong. She slid open the door as Dad swung into our driveway. Up to the end near the barn he came, slammed it into park, pulled out the keys, and ran to the door yelling at Mom to give him the gun. The car full of punks pulled in behind him and came up the drive and came to a halt.
At that moment, Dad had the gun, swiveled on his heels, fired a shot into the air and proceeded to march straight to the car. Without a moment's hesitation, the car flew into reverse, out the driveway, down the road and was never seen again. It's worth noting that according to Mom and Dad, there were no more reports of the crime wave after that.
So there, we have an example of a gun being used to protect someone, namely us. Sorry if our existence skewers the mockery of those who have used guns to defend themselves. Which is why the Church actually affirms our right to do so. None of this is to say there can't be, or shouldn't be, legitimate, balanced, and serious debate on what we can do to reduce all violence, including gun violence. It is to say that anyone even coming close to saying their approach to gun control is the only option or you hate Jesus is actually the one who mocks God and blasphemes the name of God before the Gentiles.
As a note, when I was a tyke (c. late 1960s), my Dad was driving home from work one night. He worked late and came home in the early morning hours. During that period, there had been a string of crimes committed in the rural areas where we lived. Mom kept a sawed off 12 gauge shotgun next to the back sliding door that was our main entrance-way. We left it alone because we were taught what guns did, and we listened to our parents. I would rather have been shot than disobey my Dad. Only when guests were around did she put the guns away. We were that careful. Plus, she never slept anyway. She would wait by the door until Dad came home (she didn't like it out there in the country at night). The door faced the driveway.
Anyway, that night Dad was driving home down the old, gravel road. Suddenly he noticed a group of young men standing around a car alongside the road. He drove past and saw in the mirror that they all piled into their car, swung around, and began following him. He sped up. They sped up. Before long it was a full blown drag race down back country roads. Fortunately Dad had been a bit of a hell raiser himself in his day, and could handle a speeding car rather well.
Because of the direction he came from, Mom saw him raising the cloud of dust against the farm lights down the road. She knew he was driving fast and assumed something was wrong. She slid open the door as Dad swung into our driveway. Up to the end near the barn he came, slammed it into park, pulled out the keys, and ran to the door yelling at Mom to give him the gun. The car full of punks pulled in behind him and came up the drive and came to a halt.
At that moment, Dad had the gun, swiveled on his heels, fired a shot into the air and proceeded to march straight to the car. Without a moment's hesitation, the car flew into reverse, out the driveway, down the road and was never seen again. It's worth noting that according to Mom and Dad, there were no more reports of the crime wave after that.
So there, we have an example of a gun being used to protect someone, namely us. Sorry if our existence skewers the mockery of those who have used guns to defend themselves. Which is why the Church actually affirms our right to do so. None of this is to say there can't be, or shouldn't be, legitimate, balanced, and serious debate on what we can do to reduce all violence, including gun violence. It is to say that anyone even coming close to saying their approach to gun control is the only option or you hate Jesus is actually the one who mocks God and blasphemes the name of God before the Gentiles.
It is one thing to blaspheme the name of God among the Gentiles
It is quite another to join the Gentiles in blaspheming the name of God. We officially have reached a new low in the ever growing tendency to throw our traditions out the window in the hopes that the modern world will like us, really, really like us.
That our secularized, godless modern society would produce people who mock the faithful for praying to God should not be shocking. Nor should it be shocking that those same godless people who have replaced the True God with politics or whatever else they venerate would mock the idea of prayer as ineffective because, well, it doesn't align to their own religious priorities and beliefs about what really works. I sort of get that.
What is a disgrace, and should be called out by every believer in our nation - Catholic, Christian, or just Religious Faithful in general - are those believers who, for reasons I don't dare to guess, have joined the godless, the God haters, and the advocates for our modern pagan era of hate, debauchery, oppression and sin in mocking those who pray for the victims of the shooting due to differences in political opinions. Truly they have done more than mocked God. They have joined the godless and told them it is quite appropriate to mock God as long as it is for the right political agendas.
Oh, and don't for a minute think there is only one believer who is doing this. If that was the case, I'd drop the name. The sad fact is I'm seeing more and more believers, mostly aligned with the progressive wing of our society, who are joining in with this idea that prayer's efficacy stops dead at the foot of the wrong political ideology.
That our secularized, godless modern society would produce people who mock the faithful for praying to God should not be shocking. Nor should it be shocking that those same godless people who have replaced the True God with politics or whatever else they venerate would mock the idea of prayer as ineffective because, well, it doesn't align to their own religious priorities and beliefs about what really works. I sort of get that.
What is a disgrace, and should be called out by every believer in our nation - Catholic, Christian, or just Religious Faithful in general - are those believers who, for reasons I don't dare to guess, have joined the godless, the God haters, and the advocates for our modern pagan era of hate, debauchery, oppression and sin in mocking those who pray for the victims of the shooting due to differences in political opinions. Truly they have done more than mocked God. They have joined the godless and told them it is quite appropriate to mock God as long as it is for the right political agendas.
Oh, and don't for a minute think there is only one believer who is doing this. If that was the case, I'd drop the name. The sad fact is I'm seeing more and more believers, mostly aligned with the progressive wing of our society, who are joining in with this idea that prayer's efficacy stops dead at the foot of the wrong political ideology.
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Heart wrenching
We can still pray against hope that the child is alive. If not, Lord, if the child didn't survive, then please welcome this beautiful child into your loving arms and please bring peace and comfort to the grieving parents. I can't fathom what they are going though, and how they will ever be able to overcome this. By the grace of God through Christ, we pray. St. Nicholas, pray for them.
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Paul Ryan is told prayer is not enough
Only accepting the proposals of Liberal Democrats can bring lasting peace. Jesus, bless His heart, had some awfully fine moments, but let's get real. If you want to make peace, you accept the true gospel of Liberalism and its efficacious proposals. Wasting everyone's time with prayer is just wasting everyone's time. It's nice to see leading Catholic voices jump on board and remind us that our religion is often the source of bigotry and our prayers nothing but dodges unless we conform to the real Truth of, well, Liberal Democratic narratives and proposals.
In 1994, Dr. R. Albert Mohler began dismantling the more liberal elements of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. One of the things he did was eliminate the School of Social Work. That school was, in fairness, a hotbed of theological and cultural liberalism. It was nothing to find pro-choice, pro-gay rights, feminist, liberal theological views among the students and faculty of that school. In a move that was controversial, since rumor had it that Dr. Mohler had promised he would do no such thing, he went ahead and closed the school.
When he made the announcement, all hell broke loose. Figuratively speaking that is. And the protests erupted. Over the next weeks and months, it got ugly. That's when I said that everything I ever wanted to know about politics I learned in seminary. At one point, the protesters trying to save the Social Work School arranged a prayer-in. Lining the halls, they sat and prayed together.
At chapel services that week, Dr. Mohler lashed out. He condemned the use of prayer for leverage in the debate. The students and several faculty fired back, expressing outrage that Dr. Mohler would in any way demean the use of prayer. After all, a rich history of martyrs, mystics and spiritual leaders did nothing but pray for endless hours and days, if not longer. Many who died for the faith died with prayers to the Almighty on their lips. How could anyone impugn prayer? How could any believer do anything but at least affirm the wonder and efficacy of prayer? At the time, I gave the points to the protesters. Prayer is not something to be mocked. It is not our place to read the hearts of those praying, even if it is for ends with which we disagree.
Fast forward to now. The number one issue that the Left sees as plausible for the dismantling of the Bill of Rights has become the end all issue. And over the last year or so, those who appeal to God through prayer, or pray for victims, during such massacres are increasingly mocked and derided by progressives and radical Leftists.
So, we're back to the age old question. Whenever I see proponents of liberal values condemn what they once advocated, or advocate what they once condemned, I wonder who is right and when. If prayer is this sacred thing that should never be gainsaid, then are those who are smacking down or belittling the prayers of people today wrong? Or do I owe Dr. R. Albert Mohler an apology?
In 1994, Dr. R. Albert Mohler began dismantling the more liberal elements of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. One of the things he did was eliminate the School of Social Work. That school was, in fairness, a hotbed of theological and cultural liberalism. It was nothing to find pro-choice, pro-gay rights, feminist, liberal theological views among the students and faculty of that school. In a move that was controversial, since rumor had it that Dr. Mohler had promised he would do no such thing, he went ahead and closed the school.
When he made the announcement, all hell broke loose. Figuratively speaking that is. And the protests erupted. Over the next weeks and months, it got ugly. That's when I said that everything I ever wanted to know about politics I learned in seminary. At one point, the protesters trying to save the Social Work School arranged a prayer-in. Lining the halls, they sat and prayed together.
At chapel services that week, Dr. Mohler lashed out. He condemned the use of prayer for leverage in the debate. The students and several faculty fired back, expressing outrage that Dr. Mohler would in any way demean the use of prayer. After all, a rich history of martyrs, mystics and spiritual leaders did nothing but pray for endless hours and days, if not longer. Many who died for the faith died with prayers to the Almighty on their lips. How could anyone impugn prayer? How could any believer do anything but at least affirm the wonder and efficacy of prayer? At the time, I gave the points to the protesters. Prayer is not something to be mocked. It is not our place to read the hearts of those praying, even if it is for ends with which we disagree.
Fast forward to now. The number one issue that the Left sees as plausible for the dismantling of the Bill of Rights has become the end all issue. And over the last year or so, those who appeal to God through prayer, or pray for victims, during such massacres are increasingly mocked and derided by progressives and radical Leftists.
So, we're back to the age old question. Whenever I see proponents of liberal values condemn what they once advocated, or advocate what they once condemned, I wonder who is right and when. If prayer is this sacred thing that should never be gainsaid, then are those who are smacking down or belittling the prayers of people today wrong? Or do I owe Dr. R. Albert Mohler an apology?
Two Christian Responses to the Orlando Shooting
One from Pope Francis. One from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in America.
Note that the statement by Pope Francis is not much different than similar statements by various Catholic leaders across the board. Beyond the obvious call for prayers and comfort for those afflicted, he clearly places the bulk of the responsibility of the shootings at the foot of gun availability and calls for it to be checked in order to prevent further violence. While I don't think he is limiting the charge to guns in the US, he focuses only on that one problem by name, and avoids use of the word terror at all.
The Greek Archdiocese, on the other hand, lashes out directly at terror more than once. While also praying and seeking to console, it leaves no doubt where it places the responsibility for the carnage.
Here's my thing. The Pope, almost every major Catholic leader, and a bulk of American Protestant leaders, all have pretty much responded the same way. Prayers. Help for the victims and their loved ones. Pray for peace. And almost no mention of terrorism, much less Islam or Islamic terrorism. Not that they haven't been shy about casting blame. Some, such as Bishop Lynn, have joined Pope Francis in focusing on guns. Some, like Bishop Lynn, have made it about homophobic bigotry, religious bigots, and racism in America.
And yet they all have something in common with me. None of us (that I know) have lived under the dominion of Islamic culture. For us, Muslims are a barely noticeable minority who currently wield almost no significant power or influence in our culture, at least on an official level. I can't help but notice that the one public statement I found that actually avoids the "homophobic religious gun nut American racist" template happened to be linked to the one Christian tradition that hasn't enjoyed ministering to the top of the most powerful cultural empire in world history. Rather, its history is one of subjugation and oppression by the same Islamic culture that none of the others want to discuss.
Call me silly, but if I hear rumors that there is a really horrible, violent household in the neighborhood, I'll ask people who are next door to the house to find out if they're true. I won't ask people who live on the other side of town to see what they know. If I'm really plucky, I might try to ask people who live in the actual house what is going on. If the people on the other side of town just wave their hands and dismiss the rumors as some form of grudge against the family or the neighborhood, but those living closest speak of all manner of screams and violence from within the house, who do you think I'll be inclined to believe? Who would common sense and prudence suggest I believe?
Yeah, exactly. Not that the Archdiocese doesn't have views on gun control or immigration. Most Orthodox Christians I know are against any sweeping immigration bans. And it isn't a huge difference, the inclusion of a single word. But I can't help but feel in my gut that it's a significant difference. Out of the gate, a strong condemnation of terrorism by a tradition from a completely different relationship to Islam, when so many others seemed to go to great pains to avoid the term, or accept narratives that seem to contradict the actual events, has to get your attention.
CORRECTION! It looks like the basic prayer release of Pope Francis did not mention guns. The Vatican apparently added guns to the list at a later time. So my bad on that. Though the piece itself, apart from that, still stands. But please note, Pope Francis himself did not bring up the gun issue in his initial prayerful response. My bad on that.
Note that the statement by Pope Francis is not much different than similar statements by various Catholic leaders across the board. Beyond the obvious call for prayers and comfort for those afflicted, he clearly places the bulk of the responsibility of the shootings at the foot of gun availability and calls for it to be checked in order to prevent further violence. While I don't think he is limiting the charge to guns in the US, he focuses only on that one problem by name, and avoids use of the word terror at all.
The Greek Archdiocese, on the other hand, lashes out directly at terror more than once. While also praying and seeking to console, it leaves no doubt where it places the responsibility for the carnage.
Here's my thing. The Pope, almost every major Catholic leader, and a bulk of American Protestant leaders, all have pretty much responded the same way. Prayers. Help for the victims and their loved ones. Pray for peace. And almost no mention of terrorism, much less Islam or Islamic terrorism. Not that they haven't been shy about casting blame. Some, such as Bishop Lynn, have joined Pope Francis in focusing on guns. Some, like Bishop Lynn, have made it about homophobic bigotry, religious bigots, and racism in America.
And yet they all have something in common with me. None of us (that I know) have lived under the dominion of Islamic culture. For us, Muslims are a barely noticeable minority who currently wield almost no significant power or influence in our culture, at least on an official level. I can't help but notice that the one public statement I found that actually avoids the "homophobic religious gun nut American racist" template happened to be linked to the one Christian tradition that hasn't enjoyed ministering to the top of the most powerful cultural empire in world history. Rather, its history is one of subjugation and oppression by the same Islamic culture that none of the others want to discuss.
Call me silly, but if I hear rumors that there is a really horrible, violent household in the neighborhood, I'll ask people who are next door to the house to find out if they're true. I won't ask people who live on the other side of town to see what they know. If I'm really plucky, I might try to ask people who live in the actual house what is going on. If the people on the other side of town just wave their hands and dismiss the rumors as some form of grudge against the family or the neighborhood, but those living closest speak of all manner of screams and violence from within the house, who do you think I'll be inclined to believe? Who would common sense and prudence suggest I believe?
Yeah, exactly. Not that the Archdiocese doesn't have views on gun control or immigration. Most Orthodox Christians I know are against any sweeping immigration bans. And it isn't a huge difference, the inclusion of a single word. But I can't help but feel in my gut that it's a significant difference. Out of the gate, a strong condemnation of terrorism by a tradition from a completely different relationship to Islam, when so many others seemed to go to great pains to avoid the term, or accept narratives that seem to contradict the actual events, has to get your attention.
CORRECTION! It looks like the basic prayer release of Pope Francis did not mention guns. The Vatican apparently added guns to the list at a later time. So my bad on that. Though the piece itself, apart from that, still stands. But please note, Pope Francis himself did not bring up the gun issue in his initial prayerful response. My bad on that.
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
The Orlando Shooting: A Fundamentalist Response
Is here. A common trait of a fundamentalist, at least in Christian circles, is to equate one's opinions or insights with the infallible Word of the Thrice Holy God. It then stands to reason that anyone who doesn't see it your way necessarily doesn't see it God's way. Hence charges of blasphemy, heresy or threats of Hell-fire and brimstone follow. For what it's worth, it's not just Conservatives or religious people who are fundamentalists. I dare say we all have a little fundamentalist in us about certain issues, as well as some liberalism. It's just that for some, that stereotypical fundamentalist trait tends to emerge as the dominant trait, rendering hope for meaningful discourse all but hopeless.
It's Flag Day
If you search by Google, you could be forgiven for missing that fact. Well done Bing! For Flag Day itself, here's a little info.
To be an Ohioan
Is to live in bliss. Heh. I loved this. If I can make a couple corrections. I do not eat shredded cheese on my chili. And I have not - repeat, have not - ever, and I mean ever, dunked a french fry in a Wendy's Frosty. Other than that, yeah, guilty as charged.
Bonus mention. A couple years ago, someone from Michigan was at The Game, making fun of Buckeye fans for spelling out O-H-I-O. He thought it was stupid and laughed at the idea. I explained that we do it because some folks from Michigan might not know how to spell Ohio. Yay me!!
Bonus mention. A couple years ago, someone from Michigan was at The Game, making fun of Buckeye fans for spelling out O-H-I-O. He thought it was stupid and laughed at the idea. I explained that we do it because some folks from Michigan might not know how to spell Ohio. Yay me!!
Is this right about NRA members?
It's on the Internet, so it must be! So I decided to Google and see how many NRA members kill people, or how many people have been shot by NRA members. There weren't many results. I found two, but have a hard time believing it. Not one single shooting by an NRA member? That seems hard to believe. But this site, and this site, seem to suggest that few if any killings by guns are the result of NRA members. I don't know. It's tough to find, and while I'm sure somewhere out there is a stat on just how many shooters and murderers were NRA members, I haven't found it. On Google, when I type a variation on "How many NRA members guilty of gun violence" I get how the NRA has enabled gun violence almost exclusively. I wonder if there is anywhere that has such stats. There's a reason I'm kicking this around, BTW.
Before we crucify
Which is, of course, our modern first response, perhaps we should just investigate. The gist is that the Lieutenant Governor of Texas tweeted Galatians 6.7. I'll let you look it up. The Lt. Governor always posts a Bible verse each Sunday. He stated that this verse was written up on Thursday, well before the shooting.
I don't know. What think you? Is he lying, and he deliberately put it out there to put a finger in the eye of ... who? Gays? The Obama administration? Americans who are complacent? I'm not sure, but I think the Twittergist is that he obviously was saying the gays killed on Sunday got what they had coming. Is that what he meant?
Or is he innocent? Was it just, what, bad timing? In our day and age, hell yeah. Just posting a Bible verse can get in trouble in the land of the free nowadays. But what? It's hard to say. You almost wonder why it's even a story. And then a dose of reality hits. This is that stage where people who are watching their own narratives crumble under the weight of pesky evidence, seem almost desperate to change the subject. So it being modern America, this popped up and we bypass all trials and execute Conservative Christians wherever possible.
Who knows? It's not for me to say what his real motives were. I'm bound by the Faith to give a positive take on another's statements. And since it is the Bible that is in the middle of the firestorm, I'm willing to take him at his word. Especially when those who are jumping on this, like the The Grateful Dead, are quick to take it to the next level. The always credible Bob Weir reminds us that Lt. Governor Patrick is guilty, and furthermore, is the same type of hateful that is ISIS, both getting 'those hatreds out of different books.'
So given the quality of those making this about anyone not liberal being ISIS, and the command to assume the best spin on a statement, as of now Mr. Patrick is innocent of everything except believing the Bible, at least until proven otherwise. At least IMHO.
I don't know. What think you? Is he lying, and he deliberately put it out there to put a finger in the eye of ... who? Gays? The Obama administration? Americans who are complacent? I'm not sure, but I think the Twittergist is that he obviously was saying the gays killed on Sunday got what they had coming. Is that what he meant?
Or is he innocent? Was it just, what, bad timing? In our day and age, hell yeah. Just posting a Bible verse can get in trouble in the land of the free nowadays. But what? It's hard to say. You almost wonder why it's even a story. And then a dose of reality hits. This is that stage where people who are watching their own narratives crumble under the weight of pesky evidence, seem almost desperate to change the subject. So it being modern America, this popped up and we bypass all trials and execute Conservative Christians wherever possible.
Who knows? It's not for me to say what his real motives were. I'm bound by the Faith to give a positive take on another's statements. And since it is the Bible that is in the middle of the firestorm, I'm willing to take him at his word. Especially when those who are jumping on this, like the The Grateful Dead, are quick to take it to the next level. The always credible Bob Weir reminds us that Lt. Governor Patrick is guilty, and furthermore, is the same type of hateful that is ISIS, both getting 'those hatreds out of different books.'
So given the quality of those making this about anyone not liberal being ISIS, and the command to assume the best spin on a statement, as of now Mr. Patrick is innocent of everything except believing the Bible, at least until proven otherwise. At least IMHO.
An excellent discussion about gun control is underway
Over at Catholic and Enjoying It. I give credit where it is due. Not so much the post, but the comments are (mostly) thoughtful and reflective regarding the gun control debate. It's worth the read.
John C Wright cuts to the chase
And sends out a dose of reality in light of the Orlando shootings. My only quibble is with the idea that folks won't vote for Trump because of the media. No, it's because of Trump. I generally ignore what the media says about Trump, both when they were giving him the spotlight to overshadow all other contenders, and now in order to tear him down. I've watched the media do that for three election cycles: Lift up the candidate they hope the GOP will nominate (or at least ignore that candidate's gaffes), only to turn around and fire on that candidate once the nomination is secure. So no, it's not the media spin that makes me refuse to support Trump. It's Trump. Among other reasons, I have a hard time voting for someone who does and says things that I would punish my sons for doing and saying.
Other than that, I think Mr. Wright hits it pretty square on the head.
Other than that, I think Mr. Wright hits it pretty square on the head.
What we learn from the Orlando nightclub shooting
A casual observation (no links, just musing):
Only guns matter except when they don't. After the Charleston church shooting, only about one of a hundred stories focused on guns. Virtually none focused on the mental instability of the shooter or anything else. It was about race and the Confederate flag and America as a racist nation. That was it. So great was the racial outcry that Civil War museums began pulling Confederate insignia off of displays and stores ceased carrying historical models or other items that sported a Confederate flag in ways reminiscent of old Communist thought control. Oh, and fans of The Dukes of Hazard were sent packing. Expect no such backlash against any historic belief system this time. It's also worth noting that there might have been a racial minority trend among the victims, but again, narratives must be maintained, so I expect it to be mentioned in the back corners a couple of times and that's about all.
Only religion matters, except when it doesn't. When the Denver Planned Parenthood facility was attacked in November, 2015, the pro-life movement was put under scrutiny and linked to conservative Christianity as a hotbed for radicalization and violence. That has happened more than once when an abortion facility or provider was targeted. For the first days, until later details began to emerge painting a more complex picture of the shooter, his affiliation with anti-abortion organizations and the role that conservative Christians play in such shootings was the dominant narrative. It was everywhere. Right now, the only reason Islam is being discussed is over whether or not Islam should be discussed, with suspicion of Islamophobia being directed at those who want to discuss it.
Only politics matters, except when it doesn't. Apparently, if reports are accurate, the Orlando shooter was a registered Democrat. This keeps with the odds since most in prisons are, apparently, registered Democrats. This has not been mentioned hardly at all. Only a few partisan sites have bothered mentioning it. I only assume it's true because I've not seen a strong rebuttal. In the wake of the Tuscon shooting, however, the Republican party and GOP politicians were put under the microscope as pundits and news analysts, as well as liberal politicians like Debbie Wasserman Schultz, reminded us that Conservative Republicans are by nature more violent than most, and prone to being influenced by Right Wing rhetoric to slaughter and do evil. At least until we realized the shooter was neither religious nor Right Wing.
The only deaths that matter are ones that aid and abet the Left Wing Cause. This is an important one. So 50 were killed. A tragedy. On average, the same number died the same day from AIDS. Almost three times that amount were infected by HIV in the US on the same day. A sizable majority of those will be sexually active male homosexuals (63% of all new infections). But I bet you hear that as often as you hear stories about secret alien spaceships in Roswell. Truth be told, you probably hear more stories about the spaceships in Roswell.
As for suicides and murders, the official number as reported is 33,000. It's oft repeated at times like this. However, if I may. Based on 2011 statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for example, there were 41,149 total suicides; 21,175 by firearm and 19,974 by other means. That's 51% by firearms, 49% by other means. There were 16,121 homicides; 11,208 by firearm, 4,912 by other means. That's 70% by firearms, 30% by other means. The total suicide and murders in the US were 57,270; with 32,383 by firearm and 24,887 by other means. Which ones do you likely hear the most about? I would wager that 98% of the time you hear about 57% of those deaths, while 43% of those deaths are as irrelevant as stories about whale gutting in the arctic. Again, the sanctity of human life is all important, or not so much as the case may be. The agendas and narratives of the Left taking all precedence.
So there you have it. The important lessons we get from each shooting in America. What we learn. What we need to know. And what is irrelevant and not worth our time. The most important thing we learn, of course, is when it is or isn't important. For the strength of the post-Christian West lies in its abilities to declare something all important, at least until tomorrow when it no longer affirms our awesomeness on the Internet or helps us get what we want, including advancing our all important agendas. The ability to declare something to be yesterday's truth is the heart of the emergent Left.
My prediction? Since this particular shooting puts two sanctioned minority victim groups as promoted by the Left against each other, even with heavy emphasis on gun control and the generic 'hate crime against homosexuals', the presence of a narrative bashing reality will prove too much, and as soon as any type of story close to the same level emerges, this will fall from the press radar overnight. Had the shooter been a white Christian male with a Confederate Flag t-shirt one the other hand....
Only guns matter except when they don't. After the Charleston church shooting, only about one of a hundred stories focused on guns. Virtually none focused on the mental instability of the shooter or anything else. It was about race and the Confederate flag and America as a racist nation. That was it. So great was the racial outcry that Civil War museums began pulling Confederate insignia off of displays and stores ceased carrying historical models or other items that sported a Confederate flag in ways reminiscent of old Communist thought control. Oh, and fans of The Dukes of Hazard were sent packing. Expect no such backlash against any historic belief system this time. It's also worth noting that there might have been a racial minority trend among the victims, but again, narratives must be maintained, so I expect it to be mentioned in the back corners a couple of times and that's about all.
Only religion matters, except when it doesn't. When the Denver Planned Parenthood facility was attacked in November, 2015, the pro-life movement was put under scrutiny and linked to conservative Christianity as a hotbed for radicalization and violence. That has happened more than once when an abortion facility or provider was targeted. For the first days, until later details began to emerge painting a more complex picture of the shooter, his affiliation with anti-abortion organizations and the role that conservative Christians play in such shootings was the dominant narrative. It was everywhere. Right now, the only reason Islam is being discussed is over whether or not Islam should be discussed, with suspicion of Islamophobia being directed at those who want to discuss it.
Only politics matters, except when it doesn't. Apparently, if reports are accurate, the Orlando shooter was a registered Democrat. This keeps with the odds since most in prisons are, apparently, registered Democrats. This has not been mentioned hardly at all. Only a few partisan sites have bothered mentioning it. I only assume it's true because I've not seen a strong rebuttal. In the wake of the Tuscon shooting, however, the Republican party and GOP politicians were put under the microscope as pundits and news analysts, as well as liberal politicians like Debbie Wasserman Schultz, reminded us that Conservative Republicans are by nature more violent than most, and prone to being influenced by Right Wing rhetoric to slaughter and do evil. At least until we realized the shooter was neither religious nor Right Wing.
The only deaths that matter are ones that aid and abet the Left Wing Cause. This is an important one. So 50 were killed. A tragedy. On average, the same number died the same day from AIDS. Almost three times that amount were infected by HIV in the US on the same day. A sizable majority of those will be sexually active male homosexuals (63% of all new infections). But I bet you hear that as often as you hear stories about secret alien spaceships in Roswell. Truth be told, you probably hear more stories about the spaceships in Roswell.
As for suicides and murders, the official number as reported is 33,000. It's oft repeated at times like this. However, if I may. Based on 2011 statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for example, there were 41,149 total suicides; 21,175 by firearm and 19,974 by other means. That's 51% by firearms, 49% by other means. There were 16,121 homicides; 11,208 by firearm, 4,912 by other means. That's 70% by firearms, 30% by other means. The total suicide and murders in the US were 57,270; with 32,383 by firearm and 24,887 by other means. Which ones do you likely hear the most about? I would wager that 98% of the time you hear about 57% of those deaths, while 43% of those deaths are as irrelevant as stories about whale gutting in the arctic. Again, the sanctity of human life is all important, or not so much as the case may be. The agendas and narratives of the Left taking all precedence.
So there you have it. The important lessons we get from each shooting in America. What we learn. What we need to know. And what is irrelevant and not worth our time. The most important thing we learn, of course, is when it is or isn't important. For the strength of the post-Christian West lies in its abilities to declare something all important, at least until tomorrow when it no longer affirms our awesomeness on the Internet or helps us get what we want, including advancing our all important agendas. The ability to declare something to be yesterday's truth is the heart of the emergent Left.
My prediction? Since this particular shooting puts two sanctioned minority victim groups as promoted by the Left against each other, even with heavy emphasis on gun control and the generic 'hate crime against homosexuals', the presence of a narrative bashing reality will prove too much, and as soon as any type of story close to the same level emerges, this will fall from the press radar overnight. Had the shooter been a white Christian male with a Confederate Flag t-shirt one the other hand....
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