As best as I can tell, evangelicals fear freedom:
Their opposition to abortion is less a care for the fetus than a fear of a woman's freedom to choose. They can't really say that, so they dress it all up in a pretended care for the unborn.
Their opposition to euthanasia is less a care for life than a fear of someone's freedom to choose.
Their support of the death penalty, a tit for tat response, requires no thought, and no care for justice, because justice demands thought, and thought requires freedom. The criminal violated the law, as they see it, and while that's true, the evangelical is content to see the death penalty as th final elimination of freedom - theirs in the deliberative process and that of the criminal.
Their labeling of climate change as a hoax is less a regard for truth, or God's purposes, or whatever, as it is a fear of responsibility, which is an element of freedom.
Their love of the military stems from their fear of the other's freedom, and the need to build a wall against the other's freedom, whether that freedom be a mother and a child crossing the border or Iran building its own nuclear weapons. The evangelical cannot allow that kind of freedom, so they join the military and learn how to kill freedom for others, even as they salute and march in lockstep with one another, having long ago surrendered their freedom to half-wit preachers, narcissistic politicians and their "almighty" gawd.
Their approval of fascism is linked to their need for order, complete order, an order that no longer needs thinking, because thinking requires freedom, the freedom to consider choices and options, and that's deeply disturbing to the evangelical mind. There is only one way to interpret the Bible, only one way to worship, only one way to live. In that kind of mindset, freedom is a bother, a threat.
Their need for a "sovereign" god who approves of rape is driven by their fear of freedom ... there has to be plan for all of this suffering, so rather than challenging the nature of suffering, which requires their responsibility, and likely requires regard for the woman/girl and her life, and her right to choose, they lay it all at the feet of god, walk away, as Pilate did, washing their hands of responsibility, care, concern and love, and then sanctimoniously tell the girl that her pregnancy is of god, and she darn well better carry that fetus to term.
And with that, not even their god has any more freedom. And without freedom, there is no love; only rules and regulations, guns and violence, enforced by fear, the fear of freedom.
Showing posts with label guns. Show all posts
Showing posts with label guns. Show all posts
Friday, July 5, 2019
Saturday, July 21, 2018
Gun Violence, Stand Your Ground, and Lamech's Pride
Been thinking a lot about this ...
Sure, it was wrong to park in the handicapped spot ...
It was wrong for the man with the gun to challenge the lady in the car, with her children ... what was hoping to accomplish?
Was it wrong for her boyfriend to come out and shove the man?
Perhaps he might have just confronted him.
Or stood his own ground, without the shove.
But the man with the gun hits the ground, and what does he do?
He pulls the gun, because the man shoved him.
And then pulled the trigger and shot the man dead, in front of his children.
I wonder if the gun gave him a bravado to confront the lady in the car?
I wonder if the gun was his courage.
I mean, packing heat, carrying iron, primed and ready to kill.
And now he'll live the rest of his days knowing that he's a killer, that he killed quickly, and without remorse, or so it would seem. Maybe he'll proud. His friends will slap him on the back and buy him a beer. The NRA will send him a t-shirt.
He didn't flee the scene; he knew what he would claim: self-defense.
He knew he'd be on safe ground.
Had he given this kind of scenario a lot of thought?
Was he itching to use the gun?
The whole thing seems out of proportion.
Biblically, this smacks of Lamech's pride and boasting.
Genesis 4.23 - violence out of proportion.
I can't help but feel that color played a roll. Maybe not, but I can't shake that part of the story, either.
What I know for sure: a young man, a father of three, is dead ... because of a man with a gun.
I suppose he'll be known as an NRA hero.
Long live Lamech.
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
The Spirit Has Seized Our Youth
Speaking to Nicodemus, Jesus reminds him that the Spirit has a life of its own - it cannot be claimed, manipulated, or determined, by a human being. Yet, the Spirit's purpose and joy (I would assume) is to draw close to a human being, infusing it with God's purpose and hope, giving energy, the kind of energy that hovered over the primal waters of Genesis and gave form to chaos.
Been thinking about the Spiritual Presence in our world, and how the Spirit is hovering over the chaos of American violence and guns, suddenly bringing forth an unexpected movement of youth, their voices crying in the wilderness of our shame and ignorance, calling attention to what might be, a better world.
There's something about their passion transcending the moment, coming from where the Spirit itself resides, in the heart of God, a God who doesn't give up on the creation, because the creation is essentially good, in spite of the existential chaos generated by human resistance to the Good.
The youth, in their singularity, and in their community, have been seized, I believe, by the Spiritual Presence, the greater good, the hope of the ages, the peace that surpasses ... taking them, as the Spirit did to Jesus, into the wilderness, tempted by the Evil One, to take the easy way out (I'm sure), perhaps wondering if it's worth it. But in the power of the Spirit, they speak truth to false power and false prophets and false voices, and in ways beyond expectation, as with Jesus in the wilderness, there are angels there with sustenance and mercy.
The Spirit blows where it will ... and in this case, in the passionate words of the youth, I see the kind of power that transforms, because its willing to shoulder great burdens and take up great causes (isn't this what the Cross is all about?).
The Spirit spoke to the youth, and to all of us: "How much more violence and death are you willing to accept for the sake of a few who have distorted American history and the Second Amendment in order to make money and possess a false and idolatrous power?"
The Spiritual Presence loves this world, because it's God's world ... and where's there's chaos, the Spirit hovers, and in the wind of its love, order emerges, and something new and good takes form.
The Spirit, indeed, goes where it will ... and to all the adults with their guns and their Bibles, how odd it must seem that the Spirit should alight upon the hearts and minds of our youth!
Been thinking about the Spiritual Presence in our world, and how the Spirit is hovering over the chaos of American violence and guns, suddenly bringing forth an unexpected movement of youth, their voices crying in the wilderness of our shame and ignorance, calling attention to what might be, a better world.
There's something about their passion transcending the moment, coming from where the Spirit itself resides, in the heart of God, a God who doesn't give up on the creation, because the creation is essentially good, in spite of the existential chaos generated by human resistance to the Good.
The youth, in their singularity, and in their community, have been seized, I believe, by the Spiritual Presence, the greater good, the hope of the ages, the peace that surpasses ... taking them, as the Spirit did to Jesus, into the wilderness, tempted by the Evil One, to take the easy way out (I'm sure), perhaps wondering if it's worth it. But in the power of the Spirit, they speak truth to false power and false prophets and false voices, and in ways beyond expectation, as with Jesus in the wilderness, there are angels there with sustenance and mercy.
The Spirit blows where it will ... and in this case, in the passionate words of the youth, I see the kind of power that transforms, because its willing to shoulder great burdens and take up great causes (isn't this what the Cross is all about?).
The Spirit spoke to the youth, and to all of us: "How much more violence and death are you willing to accept for the sake of a few who have distorted American history and the Second Amendment in order to make money and possess a false and idolatrous power?"
The Spiritual Presence loves this world, because it's God's world ... and where's there's chaos, the Spirit hovers, and in the wind of its love, order emerges, and something new and good takes form.
The Spirit, indeed, goes where it will ... and to all the adults with their guns and their Bibles, how odd it must seem that the Spirit should alight upon the hearts and minds of our youth!
Thursday, February 15, 2018
We Are Cursing Our Children
Psalm 147.13 - "God blesses your children...."
This hit me hard today.
That children become the measure of God's blessing, mercy, protection and wellbeing. How the children are doing says a whole lot about God, for sure, but even more about us, and our faithfulness to God's purposes.
Yet, it would seem that are children are cursed, rather than blessed. Not that God is doing the cursing, but rather we are, with a proud determination, it would seem, to have it our way, no matter the "collateral damage" [read: dead children].
We have violated so many of God's purposes and plans ... we have refused to heed the cries of our children, blaming them, blaming their parents, blaming everything and everyone we can, even the "act of god," for the tragedies that befall our children day upon day.
That such should happen in so many parts of the world, desperate and war-torn, only adds to our guilt - for we loudly proclaim our godliness, our great American abilities, our strength, our prowess ... we're all about greatness, or so we say.
And, yet, our children suffer ... in our cities racked with poverty, our rural areas stricken with joblessness and opioids; across the land and throughout our nation, the children of America are dying for want of nutrition, safety and by untold violence everywhere.
Not even God can undo the horrendous decisions we make to satisfy our twisted desires to own a gun ... to have power ... to be able to threaten others ... to be tough and mean ... and live as we please ... looking to the rich to help us along the way, even as the rich continue to steal every dime they can from education, healthcare and the nation's safety nets, cleverly playing upon our fears so that we'll buy even more guns and continue our violent ways.
Not even God can bless the children when we're working overtime, it would seem, to curse them.
This hit me hard today.
That children become the measure of God's blessing, mercy, protection and wellbeing. How the children are doing says a whole lot about God, for sure, but even more about us, and our faithfulness to God's purposes.
Yet, it would seem that are children are cursed, rather than blessed. Not that God is doing the cursing, but rather we are, with a proud determination, it would seem, to have it our way, no matter the "collateral damage" [read: dead children].
We have violated so many of God's purposes and plans ... we have refused to heed the cries of our children, blaming them, blaming their parents, blaming everything and everyone we can, even the "act of god," for the tragedies that befall our children day upon day.
That such should happen in so many parts of the world, desperate and war-torn, only adds to our guilt - for we loudly proclaim our godliness, our great American abilities, our strength, our prowess ... we're all about greatness, or so we say.
And, yet, our children suffer ... in our cities racked with poverty, our rural areas stricken with joblessness and opioids; across the land and throughout our nation, the children of America are dying for want of nutrition, safety and by untold violence everywhere.
Not even God can undo the horrendous decisions we make to satisfy our twisted desires to own a gun ... to have power ... to be able to threaten others ... to be tough and mean ... and live as we please ... looking to the rich to help us along the way, even as the rich continue to steal every dime they can from education, healthcare and the nation's safety nets, cleverly playing upon our fears so that we'll buy even more guns and continue our violent ways.
Not even God can bless the children when we're working overtime, it would seem, to curse them.
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