Some Promises Were Broken

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Monday October 06, 2008 · 8:47 PM PDT

2008/10/06 · 20:47

When I was growing up, I remember being told about how important an education was. I remember being told that, if you just finished high school, if you just worked hard, if you just got good enough grades, everything would be alright. Someday you could own a house and start a family and, when the time came, you could retire in, if not luxury, then at least comfort.

I, though, had two parents who were university professors, so it was off to college for me. That was supposed to make things even better. I went to a small, private, liberal arts school and earned my B.A. Surely having a house and a car and a family wouldn't be too far off. Or, even if I put all those things off, surely they'd be waiting for me, right? Of course, by the time college was over, the mantra was no longer "Finish High School" but "Go To College". Still, I had a degree and was no worse off in the great game of life. Plus, since I enjoyed school and loved what I had studied, I was better off, even if that didn't translate into money.

ecclesioleft

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Thursday September 04, 2008 · 5:53 AM PDT

2008/09/04 · 05:53

Fade in on Rudy Giuliani at the convention, making fun of community organizing.

As the voiceover starts, its words appear on the screen: "What is community organizing?"

It continues: "Bringing people of different backgrounds... different opinions... and different viewpoints together for a common cause." During this the words that appear are "Bringing people together for a common cause".

A painting of soldiers in the Revolution appear. "Whether that cause is independence,"

A picture of abolitionists. "The abolition of slavery,"

A picture of suffragettes. "The right to vote,"

A picture of soldiers from WWII. "Freedom from tyranny,"

A picture of Martin Luther King, Jr. "Civil Rights,"

A picture of Vietnam War protesters. "Or bringing our loved ones home from war."

On the last one, on the word home, the picture fades to one of Iraq War protesters.

Video of Sarah Palin making fun of community organizing (yeah, you know the line, about mayors and organizers).

The voiceover again: "The Republican Party thinks community organizing is meaningless. But the American People know otherwise. In the United States, we have another name for community organizing... Leadership."

ecclesioleft

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Wednesday March 19, 2008 · 7:41 PM PDT

2008/03/19 · 19:41

A while ago, I went back to being a bit of a lurker around here. I had been one for a long time, and then started making comments and the occasional diary (though I was never very prolific), and then something happened. Some of the folks around here might remember it: the Great Religion Wars. We might remember the vigorous defenses of religion in the public square, and the equally vigorous defenses of the separation of church and state. We might remember some of the pejoratives that were used: anti-Christian, invisible sky giant, etc. Let's just say that, as a Christian, a semi-pro theologian, and someone who works for a progressive seminary, I felt a little less than welcome at the time. Perhaps that's putting it a little strongly: I just got tired of feeling like I had to defend my presence in the Democratic party. So, I went and sat on the sidelines.

And then Jeremiah Wright became a "problem".

ecclesioleft

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Tuesday January 09, 2007 · 5:33 AM PST

2007/01/09 · 05:33

I've been reading Sam Harris' The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason (I bought it during vacation and thought I'd finish, but since returning to work I've been stuck just next to the end for days, sigh). One of the things that has struck me about the book -- and it struck me fairly quickly -- was both its textual reliance and insistence on propositions. Textual reliance because Harris seems to believe that in most (if not all) religions, and especially the Western monotheistic religions, are contained nearly in their entirety in the sacred text(s) of the specific religion. Insistence on propositions because, well, he seems to believe that religions can be reduced to a set of propositional statements with which one either agrees or disagrees.

I would have left this diary until I'd finished the book, but davefromqueens recently wrote a diary that seemed to take a similar approach. It occurred to me that I've seen or heard similar arguments many, many times: "Here's a statement in (insert name of book) that isn't true as a proposition, therefore the entire book is false/fictional/not-to-be-trusted-on-anything."

ecclesioleft

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Friday December 22, 2006 · 3:44 PM PST

2006/12/22 · 15:44

I know, I know, religion has no place in politics; politicians shouldn't ever speak in religious language or at religious events; religion is the cause for most, if not all, of the suffering in the history of the world; religion is the enemy of rational thought; every instance of religion in the public square is a sign of creeping theocracy and the impending end of freedom and liberty; etc., etc., etc. (Do I sound bitter? Sorry.)

But bear with me for a moment, because, as someone who does theology -- I can only hope to one day become a real theologian -- I believe that theologians do have something to teach politicians, and that thing is absolutely vital in face of the threat posed by the Bush administration and American imperialism.

ecclesioleft

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Saturday December 02, 2006 · 3:21 PM PST

2006/12/02 · 15:21

Originally, I was going to do a series of diary on religious (il)literacy that was based around the idea that many people don't really understand the vocabulary and the ideas that are prominent in religious scholarship. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how easy it is to boil down a huge field of scholarship to a few diaries (or even a lot of diaries) and maintain any interest. So, instead, I'll devote the 'Religious (Il)literacy' space to, um, misconceptions about religious topics on DKos and in the news. I con't promise regularity, but I'll promise substance.

Today's topic: The Christian Left. I'm not, I should point out, talking about the religious left, but only because it's too large and diverse to whittle down to a diary entry.

ecclesioleft

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Saturday November 25, 2006 · 6:19 PM PST

2006/11/25 · 18:19

This diary and the comments that went with it got me thinking (in all fairness, so did this one, and this one, and, well, let's face it... I could probably name every diary I've read on DKos, but I'm not going to). What it (they) got me thinking was this: a lot of us are religiously illiterate, insofar as there's good literature out there.

That's nothing to be ashamed of, most of us are probably illiterate in a variety of fields: some of us are scientifically illiterate, some mathematically, and some of us in any number of other fields. That doesn't, of course, mean we don't know anything, it just means we don't know as much as, maybe, we should. And that's unfortunate. Nothing to feel bad about, just unfortunate.

ecclesioleft

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Monday November 20, 2006 · 5:26 PM PST

2006/11/20 · 17:26

As has already been covered on DKos, there was an NYT article over the weekend detailing how some Democrats might be considering backing off on ethics reforms. However, since I've only been able to find a small amount of analysis, I thought I'd add my two cents. In fact, I'd propose that we need to go as far as reasonably possible in tightening ethics rules.

ecclesioleft

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Sunday November 19, 2006 · 3:11 PM PST

2006/11/19 · 15:11

Yesterday I posted "My Two (Penguin) Dads I: Altruism", about how the somewhat controversial book "And Tango Makes Three" might be used to teach about altruism, especially towards the huge number of homeless and abandoned children in the world. I while ago, I also posted a diary on the history of marriage in/and the church, available here. I recommend at least taking a glance at those before covering this one, though it's not necessary.

ecclesioleft

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Saturday November 18, 2006 · 2:28 PM PST

2006/11/18 · 14:28

In 2005, "And Tango Makes Three", a picture book based on the true story of two male penguins raising an abandoned baby penguin, was published. Apparently, some people are upset by what have been described as the 'homosexual undertones' of the book. Read More

History: Marriage and the Church

ecclesioleft

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Thursday October 26, 2006 · 4:32 PM PDT

2006/10/26 · 16:32

Since the NJ ruling yesterday, and the Ford comments, and kos's post on the Ford comment, and... well, you get the idea... at least one diary and a few comments have shown up suggesting that there ought to be two separate 'institutions' of marriage or similar to it. One would be for religious institutions (specifically the 'church' in the diary and some of the comments) and the other for the state. One religious, one legal. The rationale seems to be that marriage was originally a religious institution and then became something the state did.

So, to correct that misapprehension, here's some history: Read More

On Quitting Iraq

ecclesioleft

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Wednesday October 25, 2006 · 10:48 AM PDT

2006/10/25 · 10:48

Earlier today, this diary pointed out that some 100 U.S. troops had signed An Appeal for Redress, a document that urges Congress to remove all American troops and bases from Iraq. Last night, this diary suggested that the Bush Administration is seriously considering quitting Iraq. Personally, I would love it if it were possible to bring all of our troops home and simply leave Iraq in peace. The problem is, our getting out, after all that we've done in and to Iraq and its people, isn't going to leave peace behind. Rather, it will leave little more than a path of destruction and the continuing deaths of Iraqi civilians. Read More

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Some Promises Were Broken

The Ad About Community Organizing I Want to See

Wright did Something for Us

Religious Illiteracy: Hermeneutics

Why Theology is Good for Politics

Religious (Il)literacy: The Christian Left Finally Stands Up... Again

Religious (Il)literacy

Tendencies of Corruption

My Two (Penguin) Dads II: Mobilizing History

My Two (Penguin) Dads I: Altruism

History: Marriage and the Church

On Quitting Iraq