WWPRS?
Pat Robertson has the Ear of God. 'This is notable!' one might say. But plenty of people on the sunset-side of the American political day seem lay claim to God being on their side of the cosmic dodge ball team.
And God speaks back, apparently. But shhhhhh! It's a secret! Like the US getting messages to Iran through Jordan, or relying on the Swiss or the Canadians to pass notes around in class the world, apparently God won't just ring someone up on the phone to tell him. She, apparently, is a big fan of Pictionary, or even good old fashioned charades.
This is all well and good. Perhaps God's Direct Voice isn't bearable to human ears, like in Dogma when Alanis Morisette unhinges her jaw and the most torturesome sound comes out. [Word has it that that was Alanis' own unadulterated voice—Eds.] Maybe on the off1,000,000,000,000 chance that there is a god who takes precious time away from her cosmic badminton games to talk to her zoo creatures, maybe being so circumspect and introducing so many degrees of freedom in interpreting her words is her way of testing the good-faith of her followers.
So where is Pat Robertson when it comes to Phucket Island and the 25,000+ dead? Did god punish them for being non-christian? Or maybe the name of their island, like condoms, just encourages young people to fornicate?
And where is he on Reggie White's death? Punishment for saying awful, categorical things about his fellow human beings?
Say what you will about the capital-A Atheists (who, in my opinion, are just as crazy-dogmatic as their theist counterparts), but you won't find them doing any teleological finger-pointing.
Give the Ear back, Pat.
Comments
DOGMA is the best. I love the idea that God's big amusement in the universe is SkeeBall on the Jersey Shore, and the Catholic Church's biggest improvement in 2 millenia is the Buddy Christ.
If we're looking for punishment from sin, I'm sure that Pat would say Reggies death is clearly for drug abuse. All the roid monsters suffer from sleep apnea, didn't you hear about Andrew Sullivan? ;) [here's hoping Andrew's treatment will allow for normal sleep and result in a cure for his dream deprived psychotic republican fixation]
Sadly, if the blame mongers would just get back to ministering to the downtrodden instead of incarerating, blaming, and detesting them, they might win more converts. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
Posted by: Lee(Skittles) | December 28, 2004 06:28 AM
Loaded-Question Holidays with Three Conclusions
...The Ear of Grandma?
Don Sleeter Wed, Dec 29, 2004
We were talking about how Christmas and Halloween were "so commercial," and how Thanksgiving wasn't as commercial. My wife said that Thanksgiving was just about getting a family together for a big bountiful feast, and giving thanks, "that's all."
Then Grandma said to my eleven year old son: "so, Greg, what is Christmas all about?"
Greg was unperturbed and remained focused on his toy. After a moment, he replied: "It is about a guy that taught a lot of people how to do stuff right and how not to do stuff wrong. It is his birthday."
Grandma was a bit flabbergasted, probably about the impersonal pronoun "a guy," and she started to give some unhelpful negative feedback when my wife chimed in. Looking at her mom, my wife said: "Greg's right, essentially! Jesus taught people how to behave... and Christmas celebrates his birthday."
Whether or not Greg's response was good, his response was better, at least, than "it's when you get presents!"
But, Grandma said: "A guy's birthday?" The heat was on. Grandma heat.
Religious intolerance begins with Grandparents, I'm convinced. The debate about "christian teachings" and what is right vs. wrong didn't even get broached, and we were already having difficulties.
A test question on "the meaning of Christmas" -- a loaded question for sure -- from grandmother has got to be the worst question in the world. The kid may not be old enough to care, but it's always horrible for a parent.
What is Christmas all about? Some questions don't have any right answers!!! I wouldn't be particularly happy to be asked this question either. Even if I were religious.
Kids pick-up quickly about loaded-question holidays. They learn to answer succinctly and impersonally. School teachers are very clear about just how loaded these questions are. Their jobs are on the line! Well, parents jobs are on the line too, with Grandma, at least.
Conclusion 1:
Parents and grandparents put kids in difficult spots when we "test" them on what any ritual "is all about."
Conclusion 2:
Celebrating "meaningful" loaded-question holidays becomes more and more difficult in a diverse society. For all of us. All societies have them, but they get in the way of integration.
Conclusion 3:
Basically, no, we cannot all get along. Or, if we can, we have become homogeneous.
Posted by: Don Sleeter | December 29, 2004 12:36 PM