As I counsel leaders and speak throughout the nation, I urge thoughtful people not to overreact to the political polemics and nonsensical diatribes that fill the 24/7 media space. It is really difficult to exercise patience and respond graciously to the follies that infect the airwaves and the web. In recent weeks, there are allegations and assertions that unveil the mental anarchy of our age and the childish communication that masquerades as civil discourse. Here are a few of the inanities we must endure in our 21st century Age of Solipsism (Create your own reality!):
The President of Chick-Fil-A affirms his belief in traditional marriage. There is no evidence of any discrimination in the company's hiring practices and no harsh words for those that choose other lifestyles. This simple assertion of moral conscience unleashed a firestorm of venomous attacks as the kindest CEO in the country is now portrayed as a homophobe and even the Muppets are breaking ties with the company's efforts to feed the hungry.
The hyprocricy of these "progressives" is clear. It is fine to bash Christians. It is OK to excoriate defenders of traditional marriage - as long as they are not Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or any other non-western culture! African-American pastors that oppose Obama on marriage are ignored or called "oreo cookies." If a conservative criticizes the Muslim Brotherhood or CAIR, she must be racist, xenophobic, ignorant or a victim of an all-powerful Jewish lobby. Passionate disagreement is fine - part of our American heritage. Character assassination and prejudice toward traditional folks is not noble. It is petty and exposes ignorance and laziness. It is easier to repeat talking points than do original research.
Michelle Bachmann and other congressional leaders are expressing concern about the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood and other radical groups upon the current Administration. The reaction? Even well-meaning Republicans excoriate this call for inquiry, worried that they will be perceived as intolerant.
The only intolerance in this drama is from Keith Ellison and others that cannot abide honest scrutiny of their real agendas. The Muslim Brotherhood and its radical partners are dedicated to the destruction of Israel and the subversion of western democracy. These values are in their public documents and no amount of "hope and change" wishful thinking will alter the facts. When a major Muslim leader unequivocally affirms full freedom and plurality of perspectives and expresses admiration for the US Constitution and the right of Israel to exist securely in recognized borders - THEN I will believe what they say, but not before.
Language matters. Israel's control of "occupied territories" will end with real peace initiatives. Nobel Peace Prizes have been subverted by terrorists that refuse to give up their dream of Israel's annihilation. "Right of return" is absurd for millions of descendants of the original half-million Palestinians displaced by the 1948 war. More than half of these original refugees were deceived by Islamicist propaganda and unnecessarily left their villages. Many of their Arab relatives are full citizens in Israel - the only real democracy in the region.
There will be peace in the Middle East when Palestinian leaders fully recognize Israel's legitimacy, reject violence and share resources to build a new Palestine. Israel is a moral good for the world, a beacon of hope and redemption and a source of creativity and innovation. Can anyone name any new ideas, technologies or scientific breakthroughs emanating from Islamicist states? it is sad to see lands that were once home to thriving civilizations become enslaved to fatalistc, misogynist ideology.
We need a return to reason, a revival of reflection and a renewal of responsibility. It is time to exit this matinee of the theater of the absurd and enjoy the daylight of honesty, integrity and the sincere pursuit of truth. There are legitimate debates we need to have on medical care, infrastructure, military spending and deployments, public pensions and many other issues. People of conscience and faith can radically disagree (think William Jennings Bryan and William McKinley) yet still forge solutions that create a better future. We do need effective federal oversight of many things while retaing gretaer power locally. Real progree is possible when we bring humility and openness to the table and leave the sound bites behind.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Tuesday, July 03, 2012
Happy Birthday to the USA
July 4 is our nation's birthday. We are an experiment in virtue-based freedom that is now 236 years old, one of the longest eras of national stability in global history.
We are a self-correcting nation, with the Civil War of 1865 and the Civil Rights of 1965 correcting the birth defect of chattel slavery. Women finally voted in 1920 and 18-21 year old soldiers that could bleed were able to fill out ballots by 1972. We are still wrestling with our broken covenants with the First Nation/Native American tribes and our war with Mexico in 1848. In the midst of all the deserved criticism for Manifest Destiny and continental imperialism, people forget that no one north of the Rio Grande wanted (or really wants today) to be ruled by Mexico City and that thousands of leaders of conscience opposed the policies of rapapcious settlement.
We are the freest land in the world for people of all faiths or none to practice and preach their ideas without fear. Apart from tax issues and proper public permits, we are free to gather and express our ideas without prior permission. This was and is a unique reality of the USA.
We have amazing foundations of faith, freedom and sacrificial service. We have fractures of hedonism and enthnocentrism to repair and redeem. We still have too many unborn that are unwelcome and too many aged that are in oblivion. We have too many unemployed urban adults and too few political leaders with the courage to call for moral responsibnility. We are still a generous people, responding to crises with affection and alacrity. We are also spoiled, forgetting that even the (too) many that live in poverty in the USA are wealthy compared with half the world.
As we move into our 237th year, we aagain face "times that try men's (and women's) souls." Our future rests on recovering the humility, reverence and tenacity that built the land we enjoy. If we will choose life in all its dimensions, including caring for all from conception to coronation, there is hope. If we commit to empowering suceess through free markets under the rule of law, there is hope. If we can learn civil debate and roll up our sleeves and become an answer to the prayers and problems, there is hope.
In 2008 we were sold a slogan, "Hope and Change." In 2012, we need to become these words by doing and speaking the truth in love. If we will fear God, live within our means, stand up to intolerance and fear, affirm the central values of a virtuous society, and keep our marital and material covenants, there is hope.
Happy birthday, America. You are not a melting pot or a salad bowl. Your are a beautiful mosaic from every corner of world. Sometimes you are a crazy quilt with loose threads. But you remain a land worth praying for and serving well.
We are a self-correcting nation, with the Civil War of 1865 and the Civil Rights of 1965 correcting the birth defect of chattel slavery. Women finally voted in 1920 and 18-21 year old soldiers that could bleed were able to fill out ballots by 1972. We are still wrestling with our broken covenants with the First Nation/Native American tribes and our war with Mexico in 1848. In the midst of all the deserved criticism for Manifest Destiny and continental imperialism, people forget that no one north of the Rio Grande wanted (or really wants today) to be ruled by Mexico City and that thousands of leaders of conscience opposed the policies of rapapcious settlement.
We are the freest land in the world for people of all faiths or none to practice and preach their ideas without fear. Apart from tax issues and proper public permits, we are free to gather and express our ideas without prior permission. This was and is a unique reality of the USA.
We have amazing foundations of faith, freedom and sacrificial service. We have fractures of hedonism and enthnocentrism to repair and redeem. We still have too many unborn that are unwelcome and too many aged that are in oblivion. We have too many unemployed urban adults and too few political leaders with the courage to call for moral responsibnility. We are still a generous people, responding to crises with affection and alacrity. We are also spoiled, forgetting that even the (too) many that live in poverty in the USA are wealthy compared with half the world.
As we move into our 237th year, we aagain face "times that try men's (and women's) souls." Our future rests on recovering the humility, reverence and tenacity that built the land we enjoy. If we will choose life in all its dimensions, including caring for all from conception to coronation, there is hope. If we commit to empowering suceess through free markets under the rule of law, there is hope. If we can learn civil debate and roll up our sleeves and become an answer to the prayers and problems, there is hope.
In 2008 we were sold a slogan, "Hope and Change." In 2012, we need to become these words by doing and speaking the truth in love. If we will fear God, live within our means, stand up to intolerance and fear, affirm the central values of a virtuous society, and keep our marital and material covenants, there is hope.
Happy birthday, America. You are not a melting pot or a salad bowl. Your are a beautiful mosaic from every corner of world. Sometimes you are a crazy quilt with loose threads. But you remain a land worth praying for and serving well.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
A Tax is a Tax
Obamacare is a tax. For those of us that object to its goals and structures, the solution is simple: repeal and replace as soon as possible.
Today's ruling was not a mandate for the Administration. It was a narrow ruling on constitutionality and taxation, not an endorsement of one of the worst bills in U.S. history.
Attorney General Holder was found in contempt of Congress, with 110 Democrats acting like silly undergrads and refusing to vote.
Democratic leaders were gleefully tweeting obscenities at their Republican losers
I am channeling my anger to action, my frustration to faith. 10% of Catholics switching their vote and 5% more pro-life people voting and we have a change of Administration in November.
Yes, I expect this desperate Administration will try to generate some kind of October surprise to sway the 10-15% of voters that decide at the last minute. Our best hope is humility, truth, vigilance and relentless prayers as we face the most important election since 1860.
By thw way, we are also voting for Congressional leaders, governors, mayors, city/town councils and thousands of other offices and statutes...politics is still (in spite of Obama's narcissism) local.
Today's ruling was not a mandate for the Administration. It was a narrow ruling on constitutionality and taxation, not an endorsement of one of the worst bills in U.S. history.
Attorney General Holder was found in contempt of Congress, with 110 Democrats acting like silly undergrads and refusing to vote.
Democratic leaders were gleefully tweeting obscenities at their Republican losers
I am channeling my anger to action, my frustration to faith. 10% of Catholics switching their vote and 5% more pro-life people voting and we have a change of Administration in November.
Yes, I expect this desperate Administration will try to generate some kind of October surprise to sway the 10-15% of voters that decide at the last minute. Our best hope is humility, truth, vigilance and relentless prayers as we face the most important election since 1860.
By thw way, we are also voting for Congressional leaders, governors, mayors, city/town councils and thousands of other offices and statutes...politics is still (in spite of Obama's narcissism) local.
Monday, June 25, 2012
A Petulant President
Today the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Arizona law enforcement has the right to check the immigration status of persons under arrest for other crimes. It is important to note that no one of any culture or race can simply be stopped and asked to "show their papers." In fact, the Court struck down much of the Arizona law, but the retention of this one provision has provoked a series of responses that reveal the true colors of our petulant, power-hungry despot-in-chief. Within minutes of the Court's ruling, the Administration declared that they would no longer cooperate with Arizona in any matter pertaining to this law. Obama's minions went further and set up a hot line for folks who feel mistreated by this law.
At first glance, this seems to smack of election-year pandering for Hispanic votes. While this is true, the insidious nature of this response to our legal process unmasks a nefarious agenda that reaches well beyond a few swing-state votes. What we are observing are the strategies and tactics of statism, practiced by totalitarians for more than a century. At the heart of the Obama Administration is contempt for the average citizen and the genuine belief that they know what is best for the masses. The strategy is to mobilize the disaffected that believe in more federal largesse and cultural elites that desire maximal private excess. When a leader unites these two groups and has a few business folks in her or his pocket, the stage is set for dictatorial rule. Contempt for the Constitution, the rule of law, traditional virtues, private enterprise and conservative religious traditions (except Islam) are all part of the package and provide direct parallels with another era: one dominated by the evil twin towers of Hitler and Stalin.
Add to these offenses the Imperial cloak of "executive privilege" for concealing needed documents and buying off cronies and the stage is set for the end of the American experiment in virtue-based liberty.
In foreign policy, the offenses are even more destructive for the forces of liberty and truth. The Arab Spring has devolved into the Islamicist winter, threatening any sparks of democracy and the very existence of Israel. Obama's strategy of outreach to Islamic groups and networks is more than failure - it has opened the door for aggrandizement by the radicals that lurk just beneath the surface of so many cultural and economic networks.
The upcoming election is the most important moment in American political history since Abraham Lincoln assumed the presidency. Lincoln faced a divided Union and the consequences of the founders failure concerning slavery. Today we have a nation unable to engage in civil debate, with fortunes made through victimhood, wealthy power-brokers appearing to care for the poor they never encounter and disdain for the checks and balances of our great Constitution.
Our petulant President deserves defeat in November. But the key to our future is more than the current occupant of the White House. "We the People" must be a civil, infomed citizenry taking responsiblity for our nation's future.
At first glance, this seems to smack of election-year pandering for Hispanic votes. While this is true, the insidious nature of this response to our legal process unmasks a nefarious agenda that reaches well beyond a few swing-state votes. What we are observing are the strategies and tactics of statism, practiced by totalitarians for more than a century. At the heart of the Obama Administration is contempt for the average citizen and the genuine belief that they know what is best for the masses. The strategy is to mobilize the disaffected that believe in more federal largesse and cultural elites that desire maximal private excess. When a leader unites these two groups and has a few business folks in her or his pocket, the stage is set for dictatorial rule. Contempt for the Constitution, the rule of law, traditional virtues, private enterprise and conservative religious traditions (except Islam) are all part of the package and provide direct parallels with another era: one dominated by the evil twin towers of Hitler and Stalin.
Add to these offenses the Imperial cloak of "executive privilege" for concealing needed documents and buying off cronies and the stage is set for the end of the American experiment in virtue-based liberty.
In foreign policy, the offenses are even more destructive for the forces of liberty and truth. The Arab Spring has devolved into the Islamicist winter, threatening any sparks of democracy and the very existence of Israel. Obama's strategy of outreach to Islamic groups and networks is more than failure - it has opened the door for aggrandizement by the radicals that lurk just beneath the surface of so many cultural and economic networks.
The upcoming election is the most important moment in American political history since Abraham Lincoln assumed the presidency. Lincoln faced a divided Union and the consequences of the founders failure concerning slavery. Today we have a nation unable to engage in civil debate, with fortunes made through victimhood, wealthy power-brokers appearing to care for the poor they never encounter and disdain for the checks and balances of our great Constitution.
Our petulant President deserves defeat in November. But the key to our future is more than the current occupant of the White House. "We the People" must be a civil, infomed citizenry taking responsiblity for our nation's future.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Encountering Immortals
Everyday we encounter immortals. To paraphrase C.S. Lewis, every person we meet is on a trajectory to everlasting glory or eternal shame. They will either dazzle with dignity or repulse with reprobation. We are (mercifully) not the judge of anyone's destiny and we are called upon to offer hope for the best eternal and and temporal life possible as each person decides which path to pursue.
Part of America's greatness rests upon liberty of conscience and religion and limited governmental or social interference in private adult behavior. We argue passionately about ethics and religion, but we do so safe in the knowledge that our Founders secured the freedom to practice any or no faith and live peaceably with our deepest differences.
In a future essay I will comment on the importance of a pluralitic nation defending heterosexual monogamous marriage as a vital economic, moral and social institution. In this brief work, I want to encourage greater civility and mutual respect by reordering our thinking about one another. This does not mean a compromise of deeply-held values or suppression of debates over public policy.
To my friends in the GLBTQ movements: Your adult choices are yours, but insisting that everyone approve all of them is a form of intolerance just as onerous as the traditional prejudice you have been subjected to by others.
To my traditional friends: Some of your neighbors have feelings and make choices contrary to your beliefs. But they are more than their choices in some areas of life. They are artists and engineers, laborers and professors, the folks that serve your lunch or send out your paycheck.
The immortals we encounter are first human beings with a vocation from God to care for the community and planet and use their gifts well. Second, these neighbors are men or women. Third, they have histories and hopes worth exploring. Fourth, they have feelings and thoughts on life worth listening to. THEN, fifth, they have their particular orientation. If we can learn to think in this order, life will be more enjoyable even as we debate the nature of personal and social choices.
Recently a friend commented that our sex-obsessed culture has made erotic passions more important than ethical choices. Whether bi, gay or straight, being human means we are more than mere instinct. We are creative, moral, relational and spiritual beings able to channel affections and actions in ways that create a better future for others.
Let's never lose the wonder of the immortals we meet every day. Let's live the words of I Corinthians 13 bearing and believing, enduring and hoping, exercising patience and rejoicing in the good. Such love that seeks God's glory and the good of others is the only foundation for civil debates and decisions affecting millions of people and our civilization's future.
Part of America's greatness rests upon liberty of conscience and religion and limited governmental or social interference in private adult behavior. We argue passionately about ethics and religion, but we do so safe in the knowledge that our Founders secured the freedom to practice any or no faith and live peaceably with our deepest differences.
In a future essay I will comment on the importance of a pluralitic nation defending heterosexual monogamous marriage as a vital economic, moral and social institution. In this brief work, I want to encourage greater civility and mutual respect by reordering our thinking about one another. This does not mean a compromise of deeply-held values or suppression of debates over public policy.
To my friends in the GLBTQ movements: Your adult choices are yours, but insisting that everyone approve all of them is a form of intolerance just as onerous as the traditional prejudice you have been subjected to by others.
To my traditional friends: Some of your neighbors have feelings and make choices contrary to your beliefs. But they are more than their choices in some areas of life. They are artists and engineers, laborers and professors, the folks that serve your lunch or send out your paycheck.
The immortals we encounter are first human beings with a vocation from God to care for the community and planet and use their gifts well. Second, these neighbors are men or women. Third, they have histories and hopes worth exploring. Fourth, they have feelings and thoughts on life worth listening to. THEN, fifth, they have their particular orientation. If we can learn to think in this order, life will be more enjoyable even as we debate the nature of personal and social choices.
Recently a friend commented that our sex-obsessed culture has made erotic passions more important than ethical choices. Whether bi, gay or straight, being human means we are more than mere instinct. We are creative, moral, relational and spiritual beings able to channel affections and actions in ways that create a better future for others.
Let's never lose the wonder of the immortals we meet every day. Let's live the words of I Corinthians 13 bearing and believing, enduring and hoping, exercising patience and rejoicing in the good. Such love that seeks God's glory and the good of others is the only foundation for civil debates and decisions affecting millions of people and our civilization's future.
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