The Impoverishment of America October 10, 2008
Posted by TimTheFoolMan in Morality, Politics.add a comment
Below is from a comment to the Washington Post. I don’t agree with the tone, but this comment struck a chord with me that needed to be struck.
Amazingly, Christians have supported the behavior described below, and called it “conservative.” I’ve been guilty of supporting some of these behaviors myself. Now, I’m not naive enough to think that the Democratic Party is better–I’m just tired of giving the Republican Party a blank moral check, and trusting them to behave in a manner that pleases God. Being pro-life on abortion legislation doesn’t mean that the GOP values life the way God intends. One could argue that, based upon the demonstrated behavior of the last eight years, the opposite is true.
I’m more and more convinced that God will hold me accountable for not speaking out long ago… for not saying to the GOP “You will no longer be allowed to associate yourselves with people of faith. You’ve demonstrated that you’re not morally better, and in countless ways morally worse, than the liberal Democrats you so willingly demonize.”
I may not vote for a Democrat in November, but I’m feeling quite certain that I won’t be voting for the Republican ticket. They just don’t deserve another chance.
Building Church Upside-Down April 6, 2007
Posted by TimTheFoolMan in Christianity, Church, Education, Family, Love, Morality, Religion, Theology.13 comments
One of the most common slams I see against “The Church” (capitalization intended) is our willingness to throw lots of dollars into facilities that could be “better spent elsewhere.” To be frank (and you be Harold), this is not necessarily an unfair characterization.
What if, instead, we turned the process upside-down, and built a church in reverse? What would that look like? (more…)
Exposed, Disposed, Deposed, Despots December 31, 2006
Posted by TimTheFoolMan in anger, death penalty, Iraq, Morality, pacifism, Politics, Race and Prejudice, Saddam Hussein, Violence, Voting, War and Peace.2 comments
Recently, Tiffany blogged about the hanging of Saddam Hussein, the culpability of the United States (and specifically, President Bush) for “war crimes.” While I am no fan of our current foreign policy (or lack thereof), and struggle greatly with the actions of my country in Iraq, I’ve been more inclined to look at the developing situation and ask “What do we do now?”
The hanging of Saddam brings new questions and new concerns, and clearly will not magically bring an end to violence in Iraq. What it does do, is bring closure to the reign of a tyrant. (more…)
Moral Relativism, Absolute Truth, and Pi December 11, 2006
Posted by TimTheFoolMan in absolute truth, moral relativism, Morality, Parenting/Children, Pi, Religion, Religion, Philosophy, and Science, Science & Technology.10 comments
It’s been a long time coming, and I suppose I should have stated this clearly earlier. I have a confession to make. I don’t know the exact value of Pi.
Oh, sure. I know an “approximate” value: 3.1415926535. I know that from memory. But I have to confess that I don’t know the exact value. (more…)
How Big is Your God? December 6, 2006
Posted by TimTheFoolMan in Astronomy, Morality, Religion, Religion, Philosophy, and Science.1 comment so far
This morning, I was re-reading a friend’s blog, and her perspective on God. Her post was interesting, as were the comments that followed. It made me ask the question above.
Reading the comments reminded me that when I bump across people who feel they have it all figured out, that they’ve definitively answered every possible question about a creator or no creator (and I’m not suggesting that this applies to Tiffany, or any of the commentors on her blog entry), regardless of their educational background or religious affiliation (or non-affiliation), I smile. My smile is not the smug smile of someone who knows more, smiling at the cuteness of those less wise than me. It’s a smile that says “maybe someday I’ll have it figured out like you apparently do, but I’m not there yet.”
Recently, another friend of mine recently said to me, “Tim, if you don’t have questions… if you’ve got it all figured out, your god isn’t big enough.” It seems to me that we all have gods, whether we use a big “G” or a little “g,” and whether we have one, or many. We just choose different things, and sometimes ascribe to them different powers, authority, and ability, but ultimately, they all sound like gods to me.
Oddly enough, the “other friend” I mentioned above is also the senior pastor of my church. Weird thing for a Southern Baptist minister to say, huh?
