Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Living Longer


Everyone pretty much everywhere is worried about the lack of people attending church.  Our orthodox brethren have gone so far as to blame the entire drop in attendance in all of Christiandom on the Episcopal Church's stance with regard to full inclusion.

Suppose, just suppose, the fact is that since everyone is living longer the "fear of dying" coupled with the distance hell then is placed serves to alienate folks from the church(es)?  If that is the case then perhaps, just perhaps we are all going about this all wrong.  Maybe we need to look at what God has come to offer in order to make this work.  Maybe, crying rooms, and big buildings, and fancy hats and cloaks and huge numbers of bishops, and "programs for the youth" among other things is not the answer.  Perhaps, the answer lies somewhere in the brokeness of the world and what Christ brought us -- wholeness, reunification with our Father, the love of all our brothers.

Just wondering.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

And Now Holy Saturday

This very long day will eventually, well listen . . .

Thursday, April 21, 2011

ECCE!

Good Friday is the hardest day of the year -- but the most necessary.


by Zubar

Sneakin' Up on Good Friday

I am of the firm belief that one cannot truly grasp Easter in all its splendor and wonder and what it really means for us (well me anyway) without coming face to face with the events of Good Friday.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Granmere Mimi has lead us all to this little gem on Democracy.  I thought that she might follow up with one of her favorite singer/song writers but alas, she has sped on to other things.  But. fear not, I have come to her rescue.  Here is what Mimi really meant to post after the Borowitz Report on Democracy.



Given what is going on in Washington,DC these days we need to make a substantial change!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Repealing The Poor

The Republicans newest war on poverty: Repeal the Poor.The first step is to take away Social Security, Food stamps, Medicare, Medicaid, Housing support, support for education, and of course federal funding for abortion in he District of Columbia.  If the poor want a retirement they can work for it.  If the poor want an abortion they can pay for it.  If the poor want an education they can pay for it. If the poor want medical support they can pay for it.

Remember Johnson's War on Poverty?  The Republicans have decided that the only way to eradicate poverty is to repeal the poor.  John Boehner was overheard saying, "We've tried everything else to eliminate poverty and nothing seems to work.  The only thing left to do is make the poor disappear." 

The most despicable thing that was done by the President and the Democratic Party was to eliminate federal funding for abortion in the District of Columbia!  They great party of the people caved in on Woman's right to choose.  It's only D.C. you say?  You don't think the Republicans smell blood in the water?  And how is no less murder to allow a child to be born into a country that even refuses to recognize that they exist, let alone provide the necessary BASIC services like food, shelter and education. 

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

T-Party: Don't Bogart That Joint

The last time I looked the definition of politics up it said something like "the art of compromise".

One has to wonder what the T-Party is smoking these days.  They are going to take this country into bankruptcy.  The party when faced with shutting down the entire federal government said, "Bring it on."  Do they even understand how the federal government works?  See, having been through two federal "shutdowns" for some many days I was ultimately paid for those days because the federal labor law requires it.  Jeff Sessions, someone who I really do not care for clearly stated that the T-party has no idea how Washington works.  So, unbeknownst to the T-Party, they are about to provide several million workers with the one or more vacation days. 

These T-Party folks are not even sensible.  They intend to eliminate social security, medicare, food stamps, free and reduced lunch, free public education, National Public Radio, Public Television, National Arts Programs, the National Parks system, and just about everything the middle class has built including the middle class.  In favor of what?  Well, in the political science books it is called anarchy.  Thomas Hobbes called living in the wild "short, nasty and brutish."  They somehow think that they can survive in a state of anarchy.  But in actuality I think they believe that since they cannot have what they want why should anyone else? 

Now, does the rest of the country understand just how long it is going to take to put back all the programs these T-Party folks intend to dismantle? 

Let's end with that question and this video.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Free Public Education

As a student of education, both public and private, I find the recent utterances from the right to be nothing less than FANTASTIC!  Here is the one that I find most interesting: ""Just call them what they are," Santorum said. "Public schools? That's a nice way of putting it. These are government-run schools."  This quote is from a genuine candidate for president, former senator, Rick Santorum.  Now there are other truly outrageous quotes but let's dissect this one for just a few lines.

Public means, generally speaking, run by the public.  How do we manage our cities and counties?  They are public entities.  Well, they are run by the "government". How do we manage our state and federal entities?  Well, they are run by the "government".   So, how else would one run public (non-private) schools except by an elected body from the local area.  Those citizens who live within the geo-political boundaries of the "public school" manage (note the word as opposed to run) the school district.  And, here is the crucial question, who is the government?  WE ARE!  Yes, government of the people by the people and for the people.  So, what Mr. Santorum (and a host of full blown bozos) is saying is he does not trust us, him and everyone else that holds public office. 

What has public schools brought us?  Well, look around your home and believe that virtually everything that runs your home (including your spouse) is probably a product of at least some form of public school.

And who was the major proponent of public schools?  None other than Thomas Jefferson.  And in a debate who would you rather have on your side?  Mr. Santorum or Thomas Jefferson. 

Faith based education, which I think Mr. Santorum is trying to get to, is a reasonable alternative to public education but it is by no means a substitute.  It is neither better, nor worse than public education.  In fact, it really does not serve the same purpose.  Public education is the bedrock of our democracy.  Find me another country that is as great as the United States and does not have public education.  And while I am at it, the bedrock of public education is the public school teacher.  You will find no more caring, loving, better educated, more concerned for the student than a public school teacher.  Stripping the public school teacher of their right to bargain, a reasonable compensation package, and their dignity along the way is simply despicable.  And stripping our democracy of public education is despotic.