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Dr. Pat Robertson
Posted by Ross
It took me a really long time to find this man's picture on the web!
So, was just watching Chris Matthews interviewing Dr. Pat Robertson. He made a point of calling him "Doctor" and at one point alluded to Roberston being a graduate of Yale Law School. Good form. So those of us leaning center-left you know, we who are inclined to use the words "Pat Robertson" and "pure evil" together in a sentence - call us the Bill Maher crowd; or maybe even the Chris Matthews crowd - don't immediately tune him out.
Anyway, so Robertson is yabbering on about how these Evangelical Christians made up 22% of the national voting block and how they voted, surprise-surprise, solidly for Bush.
And, now that they got their man, what do these dudes want? Matthews posited to the Holy Man. Well, Chris, it seems like they're all pretty damn pissed that judges, or as the right-wing spin machine likes to puke out, "judicial activists," are presidentially-appointed as opposed to popularly-elected.
And, when you think about it, this is pretty fundamental, Constitution-writing debate here, because, while I firmly believe our Founding Fathers, while disregarding whatever "personal faith" they held, set out to create a secular society in which the non-popularly elected Church would not be able to exert its control, there has always been this tug of war between Federal Legislation and States Rights.
Okay, we get a pretty clear message from what we consider the stix or sticks or Styx or the middle of the country, that we're filthy, disgusting, secular sinners who are gonna FUCKING BURN IN HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But I think we're getting another message from them too, which is, you frighten us. We believe that you shun what we believe to be good.
Of course, quite conversely, we could say the same thing to them.
The point is, they're not making any kind of effort to understand us. I mean, really understand what makes people like us good.
And this is my segue into what I have been reading these last few weeks (slowly, yes, but such are my reading patterns), which is the Bible, or the Old Testament, or the Five Books of Moses, or, as my people call it, the Torah, the book of laws, which is also a part of that Christian Bible with Jesus that Dr. Pat Robertson likes a lot.
There was a scarring loss of faith, especially among my people, from that fucking bloodbath nightmare THE HOLOCAUST.
Over the weekend, at my grandma's funeral, at which I became re-acquainted with quite a few family members I hadn't seen in years, I recall both uncles being somewhere between bewildered and appalled that I would associate myself with such a crude document.
And I of course understand where people on this side of the centerline stand, because I stand with them. And it's pretty much the same shit: you guys, you 22%, really scare us. No need to go into the reasons you guys scare us, just as there's no need to go into the reasons why we scare you guys.
But, you know, even Dallas, Texas has a Whole Foods Market, and they serve sushi - it gave my fiancée food poisoning, but we appreciated the sentiment.
I don't think the Bible's such a bad thing. I actually think it's pretty cool. It's a rip-roarin' adventure and, you know, a pretty cool testament to humanity. I mean, this is pretty much as far back as we get any kind of written narrative.
I guess there's a debate as to exactly who wrote the text, be it God or man, but I don't believe there's a debate over who actually did the physical work, the writing on parchment. It was people, right?
You know, the true root of inspiration, as anyone who's made an attempt at art could attest, doesn't come from anything tangible. I might call it creativity, or muse. So, if we all agree - don't we? - this work was made by human hands, what does it really matter about the intangibles of its creation?
I don't really believe in the Bible dictating how I live my life, but it does dictate how many other people lived their lives long ago. And it tells what people of long ago believed to be good lives, and bad.
It's really quite fun from an academic perspective.
And to tell you quite frankly, I wish there were a way to teach it in public school, as a work of literature. From an academic perspective. The Old Testament, the New Testament, the Koran. Let the Churches and Synagogues and Mosques put their spins on the text.
If I were cynical, however, I might add, there's too much at stake for at least some segment of organized religion to give up its tremendous control it has over the populace, meaning PTA members would demand only their interpretation of the Bible be taught, and Super Intendant Chalmers will be elected to bend to the will of the parents, depending on where the school is located, and there'd be no way of separating Church and State on a Federal Level. Which, I do believe, would suit Dr. Pat Robertson nicely.
Dr. Pat Robertson
Posted by Ross
It took me a really long time to find this man's picture on the web!
So, was just watching Chris Matthews interviewing Dr. Pat Robertson. He made a point of calling him "Doctor" and at one point alluded to Roberston being a graduate of Yale Law School. Good form. So those of us leaning center-left you know, we who are inclined to use the words "Pat Robertson" and "pure evil" together in a sentence - call us the Bill Maher crowd; or maybe even the Chris Matthews crowd - don't immediately tune him out.
Anyway, so Robertson is yabbering on about how these Evangelical Christians made up 22% of the national voting block and how they voted, surprise-surprise, solidly for Bush.
And, now that they got their man, what do these dudes want? Matthews posited to the Holy Man. Well, Chris, it seems like they're all pretty damn pissed that judges, or as the right-wing spin machine likes to puke out, "judicial activists," are presidentially-appointed as opposed to popularly-elected.
And, when you think about it, this is pretty fundamental, Constitution-writing debate here, because, while I firmly believe our Founding Fathers, while disregarding whatever "personal faith" they held, set out to create a secular society in which the non-popularly elected Church would not be able to exert its control, there has always been this tug of war between Federal Legislation and States Rights.
Okay, we get a pretty clear message from what we consider the stix or sticks or Styx or the middle of the country, that we're filthy, disgusting, secular sinners who are gonna FUCKING BURN IN HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But I think we're getting another message from them too, which is, you frighten us. We believe that you shun what we believe to be good.
Of course, quite conversely, we could say the same thing to them.
The point is, they're not making any kind of effort to understand us. I mean, really understand what makes people like us good.
And this is my segue into what I have been reading these last few weeks (slowly, yes, but such are my reading patterns), which is the Bible, or the Old Testament, or the Five Books of Moses, or, as my people call it, the Torah, the book of laws, which is also a part of that Christian Bible with Jesus that Dr. Pat Robertson likes a lot.
There was a scarring loss of faith, especially among my people, from that fucking bloodbath nightmare THE HOLOCAUST.
Over the weekend, at my grandma's funeral, at which I became re-acquainted with quite a few family members I hadn't seen in years, I recall both uncles being somewhere between bewildered and appalled that I would associate myself with such a crude document.
And I of course understand where people on this side of the centerline stand, because I stand with them. And it's pretty much the same shit: you guys, you 22%, really scare us. No need to go into the reasons you guys scare us, just as there's no need to go into the reasons why we scare you guys.
But, you know, even Dallas, Texas has a Whole Foods Market, and they serve sushi - it gave my fiancée food poisoning, but we appreciated the sentiment.
I don't think the Bible's such a bad thing. I actually think it's pretty cool. It's a rip-roarin' adventure and, you know, a pretty cool testament to humanity. I mean, this is pretty much as far back as we get any kind of written narrative.
I guess there's a debate as to exactly who wrote the text, be it God or man, but I don't believe there's a debate over who actually did the physical work, the writing on parchment. It was people, right?
You know, the true root of inspiration, as anyone who's made an attempt at art could attest, doesn't come from anything tangible. I might call it creativity, or muse. So, if we all agree - don't we? - this work was made by human hands, what does it really matter about the intangibles of its creation?
I don't really believe in the Bible dictating how I live my life, but it does dictate how many other people lived their lives long ago. And it tells what people of long ago believed to be good lives, and bad.
It's really quite fun from an academic perspective.
And to tell you quite frankly, I wish there were a way to teach it in public school, as a work of literature. From an academic perspective. The Old Testament, the New Testament, the Koran. Let the Churches and Synagogues and Mosques put their spins on the text.
If I were cynical, however, I might add, there's too much at stake for at least some segment of organized religion to give up its tremendous control it has over the populace, meaning PTA members would demand only their interpretation of the Bible be taught, and Super Intendant Chalmers will be elected to bend to the will of the parents, depending on where the school is located, and there'd be no way of separating Church and State on a Federal Level. Which, I do believe, would suit Dr. Pat Robertson nicely.
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