Imitatio Christi

There He Goes Again

    It is no secret to readers of this blog that I am no fan of Rush Limbaugh.  To me, in many ways, he embodies the worst of what "entertainment journalism" has become.  There is a point, though, when one move from giving opinions or being entertaining to going where no one should go, right or left.  Of course, as a progressive, I have no objection to conservatives allowing Rush to be the de facto party head.  But, really, we do need to denounce this sort of thing.

Media Bias

    Perhaps one of the more significant misperceptions that the right primarily, but the left as well, tries to create, sadly, often more successfully that we'd like, is around the claim of media bias.  The right is sure the media tilts wildly to the left, and the left is sure the opposite is true (though, EJ's piece here is more nuanced than we often see).  Oddly enough, the only scholarly studies I've seen on the subject (serious engagement over an extended period, solid research methodologies, etc.) have shown there is virtually no media bias.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on it, in particular, I'd be interested in what metrics you think would be used to determine bias.  Then, I'll have more to say.

Song of the Day

    I recall a particularly stressful period of my youth--around 15 years old or so, and no doubt the same period of awkwardness most all of us feel at that age.  Not yet a adult, not exactly a child, all of us face those times when we just don't seem to fit.  In particular, I remember looking forward to getting away from my home community and heading off to college--I saw it as a chance "to start over."  Surely, all those awkward feelings and moments would go away, and wouldn't it be grand to restart life in a new place with new friends and new circumstances. 
    I wonder how often all of us have had those kinds of feelings?  Something, or even many somethings, in our life gets messed up and it seems obvious that all we need is to get away, to make a clean break, to start again.  Sometimes we change jobs, sometimes we move to a different house, and in more extreme cases, sometimes we try a new marriage or new relationship.  Odd thing is, though, in relatively short order, the same old problems that haunted us in our last place follow us and make a re-appearance in our new place.  Why?  Well, as it turns out, to make things be different, we do not so much need a "new start" as we need to make some changes in ourselves.  More often than not, we are the problem, not our friends or our setting or our job, etc.
    This song, for me, captures that deep desire to "start again."  It does not get into the likelihood that a change in circumstances will make the real change we want, but it does explore the deep desire to get away from our "chains" and to "start again."  I first heard Augustana play this as part of their set when warming up for OAR at Merriwether Post a couple of years ago.  You can hear the song, Boston, here, and the lyrics are below.

"Boston"

In the light of the sun, is there anyone? Oh it has begun...
Oh dear you look so lost, eyes are red and tears are shed,
This world you must've crossed... you said...

You don't know me, you don't even care, oh yeah,
She said
You don't know me, and you don't wear my chains... oh yeah,

Essential yet appealed, carry all your thoughts across
An open field,
When flowers gaze at you... they're not the only ones who cry
When they see you
You said...

You don't know me, you don't even care, oh yeah,
She said
You don't know me, and you don't wear my chains... oh yeah,

She said I think I'll go to Boston...
I think I'll start a new life,
I think I'll start it over, where no one knows my name,
I'll get out of California, I'm tired of the weather,
I think I'll get a lover and fly em out to Spain...
I think I'll go to Boston,
I think that I'm just tired
I think I need a new town, to leave this all behind...
I think I need a sunrise, I'm tired of the sunset,
I hear it's nice in the Summer, some snow would be nice... oh yeah,

Boston... where no one knows my name... yeah
Where no one knows my name...
Where no one knows my name...
Yeah Boston...
Where no one knows my name.

Tiller, part two

   

A much more reasonable position from a Christian perspective...whether or not this guy is a Christian, he speaks better words into this tragedy than Terry.

The Tiller Murder

    Wow.  The words of Randall Terry.....hard to imagine how one could feel this way.....

Biblical Christianity and Our Presuppositions

    I occasionally teach a course on theological method. One of the primary foci of this course is an attempt to get at the underlying presuppositions that we bring to our theological reflection.  There are many, and you can often see this reflected in a rather crass form when you see studies that show some ridiculous percentage of Christians believe that "God helps those who help themselves" is actually in Scripture.  I think the issue is much more subtle and much more pervasive.
    Over the course of the next few weeks, I will be exploring this theme in a series of posts here on the blog.  In particular, I wish to explore the extent to which contemporary Western (in general, and American, in particular) are much more guided by the work of Immanuel Kant and John Locke, than in Scripture.  By that, I mean that we bring definitions and valuings of such terms as "freedom," "autonomy," and "public debate" that are rooted in the political philosophy of Locke and the Enlightenment rationalism of Kant.  I think the presuppositions we bring to our theological reflection create some very bad and particularly unbiblical conclusions.
    Pass the word and join us for discussion of this topic over the next few weeks. Please feel free to raise any particular questions that you want me to address as the series unfolds.

Must Read, Former Interrogator and Torture

    The arguments we have laid out here against torture are not complex and they are well known.  Torture is not a reliable source of information; it is a reliable way to get folks to say what you want.  Torture is immoral and illegal and should never be practiced--a view shared by that hero of the right, Ronald Reagan.  To practice torture is to surrender any claim to the moral highground, and as Peter Storey intimated, it is to number one's self among the barbarians.  Interestingly, in this piece, a man who actually served as an interrogator takes on Cheney's claims that torture "works."  I am only one small voice, but I promise to continue to raise this issue to advocate for a return to the moral high ground for as long as I can or until change happens.

Petraeus On Torture and Gitmo

    No torture, close Gitmo, says Petraeus.  Why?  It HELPS us on the war on terror, contra Cheney.

Partisan Divide

    I suppose I am just realist enough on human nature to realize that the surest way to collapse is for someone to become too powerful.  Once we think we "run the store," the temptations to take advantage of our power and to exploit it for our own selfish gain becomes too strong.  The dems found this out about 30 years ago, the Republicans about 3 or so years ago (recall Rove's "permanent republican majority"?).  The trends in this report, though go for a progressive agenda, open the door for more abuse, if they continue.  Let's hope the repulbicans are reading these trends and are busily realizing that their style of conservatism is just not going to hack it.  Movement toward the center, compromise with populist legislation, realizaton that "just saying no" is not as good a strategy in governance as it is in sexual morality, these would all be good moves--good for their party and good for citizens. In fact, about the only person who would be damaged by saner voices at the helm of the GOP is Rush Limbaugh.

Some Hopeful Signs

    Here we are, only roughly four years since Rove was talking about a "permanent Republican majority."  Of course, one has to assume this was simply rhetoric, since anyone who has taken the time to read history (and surely Rove has) knows such claims are absurd--regardless the party.  Sadly, the party had become tied to the disastrous policies of Bush et al.  I am more hopeful for the Republicans than I have been in at least 20 years, probably more like 30.  Why?  Because the consensus has broken down, many are seeing that the old ways simply are not working, and several leaders are saying it's time for a serious re-think.  Some may see these arguments as evidence of disaster; I see them as possible re-birth.  I am sure I will still dsiagree with conservatives more than progressives, predominantly on the basis of what I understand God to call us to (and that's not Western individualism and Lockean liberalism, mainstays of conservatives).  But, who knows?  Let's pray for some real movement in ways that better serve the common good.  Let the arguing continue:)