Another Chesterton Quote

From one of my pastor's emails. I need to read some G.K. Chesterton.

"The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Liberals. The business of Liberals is to go on making mistakes. The business of the Conservatives is to prevent the mistakes from being corrected."

G. K. Chesterton

(speaking of early 20th century England)

Arizona

Arizona just put into effect a law allowing police to stop people anytime they are suspicious those people might be illegally in the country. The people must produce proof they are here legally, and may be arrested if they cannot show proof, even if they are here legally.

Let's be honest here, this law is targeting Hispanics. How many people with non-brown skin do you think are really going to be asked to produce papers?

Putting aside the legalities of this, let me pose a question:

What if the tables were reversed? Arizona allows openly carrying weapons and concealed carry. What if every time an officer wanted they could ask to see not only your FOID card (or the equivilent), but wanted your driver's license, birth certificate and recent proof of a background check?

The cries of "the gov't is interfering in mah life daggumit" would be heard to the heavens!

So, government is "bad" when it affects the "rights" of white people. But its "good" when it profiles racially and only affects non-whites.

So, really, tell me again how so many of these "conservatives" aren't racist?

Also, Barry Goldwater and I may not agree about much, but he must be rolling over in his grave at this. The man was a true libertarian and this would most likely disgust him.

Federal Dollars for Religious Social Services

I'm reading a fascinating and disturbing book entitled "Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism" by Michelle Goldberg. As a secular Jew, she doesn't quite "get" all aspects of evangelicalism, but overall the book is excellent if scary.

I'm currently on the chapter discussing Bush's "faith-based initiatives." These innocuous sounding plans allow religious organizations to get public funds to do good work.

The issue is this. Certain well established religious organizations such as Catholic Charities and Lutheran Social Services set up secular branches to work with the government. Both the Catholic and Lutheran churches have plenty of religious social work they do as well under different umbrellas, but those agencies are the ones that recieve the bulk of government funds.

Many other groups do not make this distinction. They offer social services and prosyletization all at once. That's fine, except when you are taking government money. Then you get into issues with the separation of church and state.

Don't get me wrong. We are guaranteed freedom OF religion, not FROM religion. But, when the government starts giving certain groups money, groups who aren't soley interested in social good, but conversion as well, you're getting into dangerous territory. If Christians can do it, so can Muslims, Buddhists, Scientologists, etc. Unless you believe that America was founded as a Christian nation then, well, I'm sorry, the facts just don't support that.

Now, I'm saying no government money for these programs. Does that mean I think these programs should go away? Of course not! These are the places Christian charity should be going. To help people and their souls. But, its also helping people no matter what!

Are there radical secularists in this country that make life hell for any group wanting to do good in Christ's name? Yes. Are there fundamentalist groups that give the secularists good grounds for their concerns? Sadly yes.

Christ didn't work through the government. He didn't speak much about it at all really. I find the idea of so many Christians loathing the government, but wanting to twist it and use it when it benefits them disturbing. Its a very, well, un-Christlike thing to do. There was no duplicity in Christ. At least not in His aims or means.

What if it happens to you?

Ok, so you don't like the idea of national health insurance. You thought the public option was bad, and you like the system we have.

Just remember this, private health insurance companies care about profits, not people. Am I calling them evil? Not quite.

However, when they are targeting women with breast cancer and AIDS patients to rescind their coverage, that's getting really close in my book. And when the wife of a senator is on the Wellpoint board and that senator helped to successfully lobby to keep a public option from the bill, you're into highly sleazy.

People, I understand you don't want to hear this. However, the only fair, equitable, and morally responsible way to dispense health insurance (not the care, the insurance) in this country is a national single payer plan.

Lacking that, a public option for affordable insurance to compete with the private insurers. These companies care about bottom line. Not people. What is more important? Millionaires making more millions? Or people getting access to the care they need?

Tradition, Tradition!

A great quote from my pastor's weekly email.

"Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the self-important living who merely happen to be walking around."G. K. Chesterton

Thoughtful Column

A nice column on what I've slowly realized. (Thanks mightily to such wonderful authors/activists as Johnathon Kozol and Jim Wallis.)

Well, I was right...

Huh, here's a post I wrote a couple years back.


"...lots of companies could cut back payroll by 15% and not notice it if getting things accomplished was actually the goal of management."

Sadly, this proved completely true as the financial crisis forced layoffs like crazy. Now we have around 10% of the workforce not working, and no real job recovery in sight.

What is it going to take for the government to encourage (force) companies to create jobs in this country?

People need to work.