William Thatcher Dowell's commentary on Christianity and his comparison to the extremist teachings of Wahabi Islam is not only intolerantly silly, it's down right inane in it's agenda driven factual blindness.
It's obvious that Dowell has issues with Christianity. But to claim that the Christian Right is America's brand of extremism is insulting to the 3500 men, women
and children who were murdered by Al-Quida Wahabi's on 9-11. Or did I miss the section in the 9-11 report which focused on Christian terrorists who take charge
of airplanes and fly them into buildings? Christians who use cellphone detonators? Or even Christians who bomb train stations? Not even Google gives examples
of that.
He seeks to justify his statement by saying that posting of the 10 Commandments in government buildings and lawns (scandal!) is tantamount to public stonings and chopping off of hands as punishment for breaking of Islamic Law. This only shows how poor his grasp of Christian teaching truly is - where Jesus taught "let he who is without sin cast the first stone."
He "outs us" as trying to assert a "cultural point of view," rather than acknowledging that the right has just as much a voice in the public policy debate as
any other "cultural point of view," including LIBERALISM. Christians have a right to comment and debate against teachings in school which seek to socially engineer our kids, rather than teaching them to read and write and prepare them to compete in an
adult world. He seems to feel that objecting to the reading of "Heather has Two Mommies" is anathma and extremist, but showing our children how to pray to
Mecca as a form of political sensitivity towards Muslims is good education.
He also wants to paint a picture of the Christian Right as "selectively interpreting scripture so we can delight in such acts as the death penalty. As if the
Christian Calendar has a holiday called "Execution Day." He feels he can back this intolerance up with the tried and true scripture teaches "thou shalt not kill" and that vengeance should be left up to God. Even the most rudimentary reading of scripture teaches that that commandment is more likely "thou shalt not commit murder," and that a trial by a jury of one's peers, endless appeals, and over 17 years on death row is more justice long delayed than vengeance. Nobody
delights in having to resort to the death penalty. And what religion doesn't have radicals in it? I don't know of a single church or christian teaching which embraces or even advocates the murder of those who practice other faiths. Where in the 21st Century has a Christian church taught that the Bible advocates "jihad" against those who aren't of the faith? Where in this country are people not allowed to "seek God on their own terms?" A basic teaching not only of this country, but of our church. Tolerance, though, is a TWO way street, Mr. Dowell. And only one who is
intolerant of the Christian faith would seek to inflame passions and play the race card by declaring that Christians long for a fantasy world where we all worship a White Jesus in a redneck members only club.
Christians are seeking mainly to be sure that VALUES are taught in the home, and English, Science, and Algebra are taught in our schools. That is hardly, blurring the line between religion and politics - and can hardly be considered an extremist agenda, unless one has a stake in the victimhood of a welfare state.
John Wells is getting crafty. THE WAKEUP CALL takes place around yet another international crisis when Iran shoots down a British passenger jet it mistakes for a US Spy plane. The President isn't cooperating with his new sleep schedule. And there's a foxy Miss World getting everyone's attention. All this activity so you don't truly catch on to the indoctination that's happening to you with the true plot of this story - that of teaching you the great lie that the Constitution is a living, breathing document, and as such, much more can be "inferred" into it than just what the framers put on paper.
Wells and company even use a lame example of teaching German during WWI and a law that was overturned to prevent it. Where is this in the Constitution a scholar asks? It ISN'T. And that's supposed to be the beauty of our great document. It rolls with the times. And as such, an activist judiciary, and not the will of the people, can admend the Constitution at their political whim.
Horse hockey. I'm sorry, but our Founding Father's weren't just "lucky" as Toby puts it. They were WISE. Which is why we have the 10th Amendment:
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
And why we should always look at the Constitution as a document that provides our foundation for democracy, and not a jumping off point for diving into the abyss justifying political agendas with inferred Constitutional Law.
THE LEFT WING GOES OFF THE AIR
With a busy schedule and an even busier 5-year old. The Left Wing is once again going dormant. I barely have time to watch the show now, much less comment on it.
It's been another fun run. But it's coming to an end. But just remember - if it's a political drama, you can set your watch by the fact that it's from a Democrat's point of view.
#602 - "The Birnam Wood"
Occasionally, one comes to understand why Yahoo originally listed TWW as "fantasy."
This week's episode is one of them. Not because it's so unbelievable. It actually isn't. But because the entire foundation of this episode is based ON A LIE. The lie that puts forth the subtle notion that Palistinians had a country where the Israeli's now live.
Watching this episode, one would think that millions of Palistinians went out for a Sunday drive and Ice cream and when they got back, they found out that the U.N. had put several million Jews in their homes and told them to find a home elsewhere.
It simply isn't true. Palistinians are a collection of Jordians, Egyptians, Saudi's, and every other Arab citizen who wasn't wanted in their native country. The term "Palistine" was created by the Romans to describe the area. Even the chairman of the Palistinian Authority - eloquent and hard wrenching story about losing his family and home notwithstanding - has absolutely no resemblance to the real guy - who is Jordanian and moonlights as the terrorist that he truly is.
So one has to go a LONG way to suspend disbelief in order to buy the concept of this episode. And as such, it simply doesn't wash.
TOM CLANCY had a great idea on how to solve the Palenstinian/Isreali question and who to be peacekeepers. Split up Jerusalem and have it controlled by a triumverant of Christians, Jews and Arabs. And have the SWISS GUARD from the Vatican keep the peace. In the book, it was a great plan. Tom Clancy, though long winded, is a genius.
What will be interesting the run up to replacing Leo with the political equivalent of Garo Yepremian and the fallout that results from it.
- TLW
STRANGE RELATIONS
(hat tip LT SMASH)
This is just plain wrong. But it appears that Bush and Kerry are cousins.
WHITE HOUSE SHAKE-UP
USA TODAY reports that CJ's going to get a promotion - TO HIEF OF STAFF - after Leo has a heart attack. (Warning, SPOILERS THERE)
Seriously, isn't that like putting the field goal kicker in at quarterback after Favre gets knocked out of the game?
#601 "NSF Thurmont"
Only thing I have to say about this episode right now is that when you call for peace talks after being attacked by a terrorist, the only thing you guarantee is MORE ATTACKS.
Next Week - #602 "The Birnam Wood"
Jimmy Smits to join cast of 'West Wing'
Is Smits Bartlet's heir apparent? This article seems to think so. I think, thought, that Mr. Brady may have something to say about that.
And this article says that his tenure in the West Wing may be short lived already.
