Fire, Brimstone, and the Republican Party November 4, 2008
Posted by Tim in Politics, Religion.Tags: Conservativism, FUD, Negative Campaigns, Theology
3 comments
At the time of this writing, most voters in the United States who are going to cast a ballot have probably made up their minds who they’re going to vote for in the Presidential race. In my case, my work was going to take me out of town for Election Day (today), so I cast an absentee ballot last week. (No, I’m not going to reveal who I voted for. You’re free to make assumptions and guesses, but one of my favorite aspects of the voting process is its anonymity and privacy.)
As the title suggests, this post concerns the campaign of Arizona Senator John McCain, the Republican candidate for President. Being the representative of the Republican Party, the expectation in the US is that he will be supported by social and theological conservatives, generally known here as “the Right.”
In recent days, I’ve started to notice that Senator McCain’s campaign is starting to take on some of the attributes of lesser-known elements of those on the theological Right, both in tone and substance. As a registered Republican, I’m not particularly happy or comfortable with this development. (more…)
The Impoverishment of America October 10, 2008
Posted by Tim 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.
Digging Through the Mud September 13, 2008
Posted by Tim in Politics.Tags: Biden, McCain, Obama, Palin
add a comment
For anyone interested in figuring out what facts really are behind the various ads and speeches, check out the Annenberg Political Fact Check. It’s a non-partisan publication funded through a foundation, with the intent of performing research and analysis on the various claims of political candidates.
Then again, if you’d prefer to continue believing everything your preferred candidate or party says, just keep reading the partisan stuff from each side. It makes it so much easier to believe falsehoods about the “other” candidate and ignore the truths about your own.
As for me, it’s not caused me to suddenly like one side more than the other, but it’s helped me sort through some of the misinformation about Governor Palin and Senator Obama. (Senator McCain and Senator Biden are more well-known, so it’s easier for me to spot blatant falsehoods.) Where I sit now is a position of having less respect for both candidates, and for their campaigns.
It should be an interesting November.
The Political Blog Non-Entry September 7, 2008
Posted by Tim in Politics.Tags: Christianity, Governor Palin, Senator McCain
add a comment
Recently, I sat down and wrote out a series of questions that I, a registered Republican, have for the Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates. It was long, and expressed my frustration with the candidates and their recent decisions.
Then I thought, “Why bother?”
Can Houston911Truth Handle the Truth? August 7, 2007
Posted by Tim in Blogging, Flatulence, Politics, Voting.6 comments
Although my knee-jerk reaction is to dismiss conspiracy theorists pretty quickly, I try to give them the benefit of the doubt by doing a little research into what they’re saying. Accordingly, when people started suggesting various plots behind the 9/11 destruction of the WTC, I did my homework, and came to the conclusion that they were looking for conspiracy where it simply didn’t exist.
Such is the case with the various “9/11 Truth” sites. They invariably point to flawed research, connect dots from hearsay, and use faulty logic to make a case for “the official report isn’t really what happened.” One characteristic that is particularly noteworthy of such sites: They will not tolerate critical thinking to be applied to their “facts.” (more…)
Thank You Rush Limbaugh & Al Franken January 14, 2007
Posted by Tim in Blogging, Communication, Politics, Race and Prejudice, Stupidity, anger, hate, hate speech.2 comments
This past week, in a public middle school in a the Midwestern United States, two young men sat next to each other. They were African-American and an Asian, but other than the nature of their remarks, they could have been of any race or gender. They had a conversation that went like this:
“Why don’t you go make me some shoes, or maybe an X-Box?”
“Why don’t you go pick some cotton?”
These young men are in the 7th grade, in a school system that has been racially integrated (via system-wide busing) since 1975. Sadly, this kind of exchange is not that unusual. (more…)
Exposed, Disposed, Deposed, Despots December 31, 2006
Posted by Tim in Iraq, Morality, Politics, Race and Prejudice, Saddam Hussein, Violence, Voting, War and Peace, anger, death penalty, pacifism.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…)
Questions of Faith August 15, 2006
Posted by Tim in Astronomy, Education, Family, Learning, Love, Morality, Parenting/Children, Politics, Race and Prejudice, Religion, Religion, Philosophy, and Science, Science & Technology, Stupidity.8 comments
Able to Keep a Stable Label? (Part 1: Questions) July 18, 2006
Posted by Tim in Friends, Morality, Parenting/Children, Politics, Religion, Self-Worth, identity.add a comment
Lately, I’ve been asking myself an odd question: What defines who I am? In other words, what single label best applies? Am I a Baptist? A Coach? A Republican? A Liberal? A Christian? A Father? A gun-toting, Bambi-shootin’, baby-spankin’, football-coachin’, church-goin’, pun-lovin’ fool?
Depending on who you ask, I might be any one of these (or something much less pleasant). Why is it that we have such a strong tendency to put labels on people, and why does this seem to be more of an issue in our current society than in years past? Does the label used to identify me also define me?
Is Rush Getting Shafted? June 27, 2006
Posted by Tim in Fun, Humor, Morality, Politics, Stupidity.4 comments
According to Yahoo News, Rush Limbaugh has recently been detained at an airport for trying to transport prescription medications without a valid prescription. The prescription in question was Viagra.
(more…)
