Rod Dreher is back and one of his blog posts today requires your immediate attention. The extensive reporting and commentary is based on a Bloomberg report that is nothing short of stunning.
Reaction?
Nice to see the Obama administration is sticking up for the little guy. Bush was President, so we can blame him. Oh happy day!
More and more, America becomes, from top to bottom, a society that is completely devoid of respect for law. Put into ordinary English, the powerful crush the weak without moral restraint (fear of God’s just punishment) or civil consequences.
I must part company with some of my liberal friends who suggest that this is a secular holiday. It is a really big strain, or so it seems to me, to be just thankful to each other for the good things of life. Now, ingratitude is a widespread ill and a day of good-natured back slapping will not do much to soften our hard materialistic American hearts. If one is to be thankful, really sincerely so, it is a good idea to consider the Lord and creator of the universe. Thanksgiving is meant to recognize our human dependence on Almighty God.
Don’t get me wrong. God uses human beings to do his work on earth so we should be grateful when somebody helps their fellow man. We should praise every good deed and every generous person. Still, human nature is evil. We will always rely on divine assistance.
Of course, President Obama is not the kind to make a show of his religion, and that is just fine with me. Obama has the exact vague belief system that is so typical among Evangelicals and so-called conservatives. All of the above appear to subscribe a similar Universalist doctrine of salvation, so when President Obama passes up an opportunity to spread that erroneous thinking, I am glad.
The President has passed up the crude and politically motivated “prayer breakfasts” where political opportunism is enshrined. You better come pray at our pagan shrine, or you are not really a good American or a true Christian. I appreciate that President Obama has opted for silence on religion and I can only hope that future presidents will follow his good example (fat chance).
Now, before somebody hauls me up on heresy charges, I am not to be included among those who supposedly chase religious opinion out of the “public square.” Catholic bishops have had a bit to say on that and, while I sympathize with their concern, I think they might try a little mirror time if they want to see the real problem. Besides the Catholic loss of credibility, another aspect of the devaluation of religious thought is the over abundance of extreme views. The loudest voices dominate the conversation and do not represent the much more moderate politics that I believe many Evangelicals embrace. Memo to journalists: all practicing Christians are not nuts and you ought to talk to some regular people sometimes instead of the Pat Robertson crowd.
And what if President Obama had mentioned God? I somehow feel pretty darned sure that the vast network of right wing opponents have a set of alternate talking points ready to go for any eventuality. After all, beating Obama is THE most important thing. There is not a shred of concern for the 14 million unemployed Americans or the suffering families.
Hmmmm….. now what exactly did James call “pure and perfect religion?”
Rex Nelson's Southern Fried
Rex’s reflections on football, barbecue,frog gigging, horse racing (well you get the picture), and we suspect some of his loony political views as well
