The real constitution of every nation is located in the cultural assumptions of the people of that nation, and those cultural assumptions are themselves fixed by the object of their worship. The God (or gods) you worship shape and direct everything. The God you worship may cause you to write certain things down (in your …
Another Place Where the NeoCons Need to Apologize
I have mentioned this issue before in a previous post, but I really need to say something about it again. This is a point that the “war on terror trumps everything” neo-cons really need to meditate on, long and hard. President-elect Obama is friend and associate to known terrorists and terrorist sympathizers. He is now …
Knee Deep in the Mulligatawny
Well, we are knee deep in the mulligatawny now. Let’s talk about it, shall we? I have written already that for Christians to respond to Obama’s election with panic and despair is unbecoming, silly, and counterproductive. That is all good enough, but what should our response to all this be? In order to answer the …
Ten Things to Keep in Mind After the Election
I write at the very beginning of election day, not knowing the outcome. These are things that we should remember regardless, and they will be applicable regardless. 1. God is still Father, Christ is still at His right hand, and the Holy Spirit is still abroad in the world, recreating that world according to the …
Something to Mutter at the Polls
Obama floats, Obama leads,Obama nods, the media needsThat man’s apotheosis.Obama lies, Obama drawls,Obama grins, Obama trawlsWith our brand new neurosis. The other guy is John McCain,With not much there to numb the pain,Not even Sarah Palin.His grimaces might pass for smiles,Conservatives would walk for milesTo put this coffin nail in. Elections come, elections go,I vote …
A Festival of Self-Deception
The election is tomorrow and regardless of how it goes, it will be nice to have something else to talk about, like where in the back yard we should bury the family silver. But in the time remaining, here are just a few relevant observations. First, in times of declension the people in charge are …
More Like Another Professional Sport
I heard a television pundit say something the other night that was very insightful. I know, remarkable, but there it is. He said, anticipating the event of an Obama election, that the ensuing political struggles would all be conducted between the two forty-yard lines. I think this is exactly right. On the one hand it …
Feeding or Eating
In the gospel of Mark, when John the Baptist’s head is served up on a dinner plate (Mk. 14:11), this is juxtaposed with the scene in which Jesus feeds the five thousand (Mk. 14:20). So the contrast is clear — the choice is between feeding God’s people or devouring them. This, as I take it, …
With All the Cherries
Here is a story I have been aware of for a while, but it appears to be heating up. Unless something breaks on this soon, it appears we may be headed for another Supreme Court decided presidential election (SCDPE 3.0). Roll out should be soon. The long and short of it is that Obama’s campaign …
God Uses Both Hands
Today a friend pointed me to a lecture that William Cavanaugh gave in Australia on Torture and Eucharist. I have read a couple of Cavanaugh’s books, but not that one, so I listened to the lecture with interest. As with the books of his that I have read, there was much there that when placed …