Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Nero Fiddled While Rome Burned....

Recently, the Mormon Times reported "James Dobson's Focus on the Family ministry has pulled from its CitizenLink Web site an article about talk show host Glenn Beck's book "The Christmas Sweater" after some complained that Beck's LDS faith is a "cult" and "false religion" and shouldn't be promoted by a Christian ministry."

I posted the following on the Focus on the Family website. My purpose is not to confront James Dobson or other Evangelicals on their doctrines. I hoped to challenge them to realize the danger of in-fighting and alienation of those who share family and other conservative values. Just after the election, I posted regarding the failure of conservatives to win any significant victories. I believe this event with Glenn Beck's book interview, is evidence that conservatives may as well give up and turn our lives over to secularist and social engineers, unless we are willing find and exploit good, wholesome, common purposes, and leave the disagreements on doctrines to another day and another forum. Even if it were true that Mormonism is a cult, everyone that knows the LDS Church, realizes it champions the family, marriage, and moral decency. All of these are central to Mr. Dobson's organization as well. Has evangelical Christianity amassed a sufficient body of supporters and string of moral successes, that it does not welcome more strength on these key issues? Do not all God-fearing people need the support and strength of other like-minded believers?

I had hoped that the recent presidential elections would have taught all conservatives and Christians, that we need to spend more time working together on common-ground issues. It is clear to me that without this cooperation, conservatism will be destroyed by factions and single-issue agenda groups. If your goal is to only work with people that agree with you on 100% of the issues, you will NEVER find enough support to defeat those who wish to destroy our constitution and religious freedoms. Your decision to remove Glenn Beck's interview from your website because of his being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, is a very disappointing and ultimately self-destructive act. Your bigotry and bias is a classic example of the reason Christians and conservatives failed to make in-roads during the presidential elections. Squabbling, arguing points of doctrine and methods of worship, will destroy from within.

Even the best of elected officials cannot, and will never, agree on 100% of their colleague's personal or political beliefs. However, for the good of the nation, they work together on common-ground issues, to which they can agree. Our democracy was created with the understanding that compromise and cooperation are required to run the affairs of the Nation. Democrats and liberals have shown they are willing to "hold their nose" on some issues, in order to further their general agenda. If Christians and conservatives don't learn to do the same, we will be just a 'sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal' back in some obscure, forgotten corner of the political landscape. We will be powerless to fend off even more daring and despicable legal maneuvers by evil and wicked men and institutions.

Your organization has repeatedly made it clear that you strongly disagree with doctrines of the LDS church. However, you were perfectly agreeable to the support of thousands of LDS members and the Church on the Proposition 8 battle in California. Is this an example of your integrity? When times are tough you'll take the help, but once the battle is won, you'll turn on your allies? Glenn Beck has been a champion of family, country, and liberty. His being a member of the LDS church, shouldn't be a justifiable reason to remove his interview from your website.

One thing I learned in the recent elections is that many people showed their true colors. The sheep's clothing was removed and the wolves were revealed. Did the Glenn Beck interview do the same for Focus on the Family and its blatant bigotry and hatred for others who don't exactly believe as you do? I hope not, but it appears to be so.

Friday, December 12, 2008

It's Just a Flesh Wound...

Like so many others, I’ve been thinking about the current state of our economic and political situation. It’s difficult to avoid, as we are bombarded with news and commentary from every side. Lately, an interesting thought hit me—regarding the motivations driving our national elected officials to make some of the choices they are making.

Ever since I was little, I always wanted to know “why.” This often got me into trouble as a youth. It was never good that my parents told me to accomplish some task. Instead of doing the task immediately, I made the mistake of demanding to know WHY it had to be done. I’ve not been cured of this aliment. Why do supposedly smart, intelligent adult US Representatives and Senators, make some of the decisions they are making? Why do they insist on doing things that have proven to be, or appear, by experience or common wisdom, to be stupid? Why do politicians end up getting arrested for graft and corruption? Why do we sometimes elect and re-elect these same people? As I pondered these things, something struck me....

In many ways, I have views that would be classified as Libertarian. Though I do not align myself with them, I do agree with the tenant of minimal government. When I see the power-grabbing and control that Congress is gleeful about assuming these days, I begin to ask “why?” I want to believe that those in the hallowed halls of the Legislative Branch, are motivated by altruism and servant-leadership. Unfortunately, what I see and sense, is they are acting out of something more self-serving and small. I think Congress needs us to need them. Or at least, they need to have attention. Wait, isn't there a psychological condition that is strangely similar?

“Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy…a mental illness in which a person [Congress] acts as if an individual [Country] he or she is caring for has a physical or mental illness [economic woes] when the person is not really sick [or bad as it seems].
MSP most often occurs with mothers [politicians] …who intentionally harm or describe non-existent symptoms in their children to get the attention given to the family of someone who is sick. A person with MSP uses the many hospitalizations [dire financial melt downs] as a way to earn praise from others for her devotion to the child’s care, often using the sick child as a means for developing a relationship with the doctor or other health care provider.”
People with MSP might create or exaggerate the child’s [our Nation’s] symptoms in several ways. They might simply lie about symptoms, alter diagnostic tests (such as contaminating a urine sample), falsify medical records, or induce symptoms through various means, such as poisoning, suffocating, starving, and causing infection .
Certain characteristics are common in a person with MSP:
Often is a parent, usually a mother [politician]
Might be a health care professional [Experts]
Is very friendly and cooperative with the health care providers
Appears quite concerned (some might seem overly concerned) about the child”
{From my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/factitious_disorders/hic_munchausen_syndrome_by_proxy.aspx}
[bracketed items added by me]

Is this fair or a good analogy? Probably not, but it does make me wonder...just a little!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Upside-Down and Inside-Out

I know we are in tough times. Go anywhere, listen to any radio, TV, or friends in the office, and you hear the doom and gloom of our times. So much so, that I often don't even want to listen to the news. I used to play cops and robbers, cowboys and indians, and even pirates. Just a few months ago, I would not have believed that many adults in the world are actually still playing these games, they are called politicians, and they are getting paid to act like idiots! Of course something is a bit different than when I played the game-- roles have been turned upside-down; cops are the robbers, indians are putting the cowboys on reservations, and the pirates are winning!

I have to grab myself by the scruff of the neck and remember that the micro-currents of present events, is just that. Micro. We have so much access to information today that everything is magnified, examined, and deconstructed in excruciating details. Are things really as bad as the gleeful press describes? Or do they have a vested interest in exaggerating this bad news? Are they just reporting, or are they, perhaps, stirring the proverbial pot?

I don't know who said it, but there are moments when I agree with the little ditty "stop the world, I want to get off!" Of course, that will come to all of us, eventually, and permanently. I certainly don't want to hasten my time, but there are times when the crazy antics of the world's "adults" just astounds me!

No matter how dire the circumstances seem, they are NOT as bad as the news wants us to believe. We must not be taken in by the doom and wo that is being preached out there. Life is very, very good, especially for us, Americans. We need to step back, turn the binoculars around, and look through the wrong end for a little while, so we can reset our perspective, and be less negative, more grateful, and positive.