Here's a little election day fun for everyone. Enjoy!
And finally, in the spirit of bipartisanship . . .
Let's hear it for democracy (and Photoshop)!
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Bluestocking: A woman with considerable intellectual and literary interests.
9 comments:
Loved your squirrel post. Don't know how I missed it when it was posted. You bring up a lot that I have also considered often often over the last several months. The liberal judges thing does scare me. But so does war. So does the economy. So does power and influence held by a small sliver of white American men. So does the descent of public education. I am not sure what scares me the most, truthfully. However, in the end, I think it is better to know about the squirrel. I respect absolutely the carefully thought out and informed opinion you have made, even if ultimately it is different than mine. The irony is that we want many of the same things. Perhaps this means that we were presented with a variety of goodish choices, not bad ones.
It is probably naive to say "But Obama IS different from so many 'typical' politicians!" Maybe, as McCain says, such an attitude may be dangerously naive. Yet, at the same time, we must gaurd against cynicism. History is filled with examples of a SINGLE person changing a nation's course through their words, influence, charisma and yes, goodness.
And we have two really good societal examples of the homosexual experiment:
1) Ancient Greece. Women were seen as vehicles for birth only, not necessarily for pleasure. The intellectually elite (Socrates was always in the presence of several young men) and soldiers (away on campaigns for years at a time) were the largest proponents of the practice. In fact, new enlistees in the Spartan military were given mentors who didn't just teach them the arts of war. Such perversion was considered necessary for the proper bonding of their armies. In the New Testament, the bluntest statments about homosexuality are found in the letters to the Greek city-states. Even hundreds of years later, when Greece was no longer the center of Western Civilization, the practice still persisted. (It can be argued that homosexuality actually and ultimately brought Greece down as a country.) The practice was taken to Rome (which stole many Grecian traditions), whose record of decency and diplomacy is well-documented. Ha.Ha. This is why the original Greek rendering if the NT is so important when "looking" for verses condemning homosexuality. The Septuagint and the Greek New Testament leave no room for mis-interpretation.
2) Modern-day Europe. Homosexuality is probably about as common there (and in Australia) as here, but they are socially enough more liberal there that there is no real moral outrage reguarding the practice. Americans are just intensely outspoken and passionate about everything we choose to believe! A few years back I read a very lengthy paper on a decade of civil unions in the Netherlands and the fall out. Some conclusions:
* Although the number of couples declaring themselves spiked originally (the first year or two), only a small percentage of unions performed each year are by same sex couples.
* The divorce rate is down, but then so is the marriage rate. It seems that by making marriage so easy, available, and open, it has just become unimportant.
* A very high percentage of the children born in the Netherlands are born to women who are technically single (even if living with someone of either sex).
* Already a highly socialized state (extremely high tax rates fund most services, which are government run), creating a more open definition of marriage has placed more people, particularly children, into situations where they depend on the government dole for support.
* Because of the singleness, most women have to work full-time and a huge percentage of children in the Netherlands are in day-care. All state subsidized. (State subsidized to ensure "equality." If women want to work they need to be able to, goes the reasoning, and the state is obligated to give women acess to full-time work.)
*Birth rates (and all over Europe too) are way down. Some sources cite this imbalance in the generations as being a major cause of the economic slow-down. There are countries all over Europe who are now giving as much as a year's PAID time off after a mother has a baby in an attempt to spark a baby boom.
Still, I must admit that there are times I have felt torn on Prop 8. Part of me just feels like it is such a civil rights issue. Plantboy has a very hard time understanding my strong feelings about this: my biology background, my religious training and history's lessons all say that their is societal good, a natural order that is more important than any civil right. But he erased a lot of my confusion with a simple statement of faith, "In the end, you have to believe that there will be consequences that only the Lord knows about. He has directed his prophet a certain way: you either have to trust that he is speaking for God or that he is not."
I believe that any logical argument on EITHER side of prop 8 is a philosphy of man: The "left" uses the sophistry of "agency" and "civil rights" to push an agenda contrary to God's teachings. The "right" is forced to respond with a scare campaign of their own (documented only anecdotally) because, for too many people "God said so" is not a persuasive answer. But God did say so. That should make it easy for those of us with faith.
When I marked my ballot, I tried to avoid any candidates that I had seen ACTIVELY campaign on a platform of abortion rights or gay marriage. I ended up with a pretty good mix of Republicans and Democrats with ballot measures being split also. A local church here has a billboard up that says, "Vote once and pray often." I think that is good advice. I think any leader with a open mind and a basic desire to do the right thing, cannot help but be inspired if enough good people are praying for him to do the right thing. I think the Lord is ready and waiting to bless any leader who truly wants what is best for the people.
Nem's election day post is awesome. You should check it out. Sorry this ended up so long!
Even this post was done in good humor this shows the fundamental difference of both sides of these campaigns.
One side resorts to rhetoric, fear, propaganda, and put downs while the other is asking for a different Washington more representative of the people of America, hopeful, and determined to make a change and difference.
Yes mud has been slung on both sides, but when is it time to unite? More people are voting tonight than ever in American history and that is saying something about our current state.
Not that you asked, but I am going to just say it - OBAMA OBAMA!
"Not that you asked, but I am going to just say it - OBAMA OBAMA!"
Well...he just one by a huge amount. Let's hope he can bring about the change that he says he can, since he's got at least 4 years and, presumably, the backing of Congress.
STM, I completely agree that it's better to know about the squirrel. I just wish it didn't complicate what would have otherwise been an easy decision for me. Ah well--if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.
I also think you make a good point about both sides of the Prop 8 argument being sophistry. I have talked with countless people during the course of this campaign, and though I did my best to educate myself on legal and sociological arguments, I always felt those arguments wouldn't sway most people if they already felt strongly one way or the other.
I was much more comfortable talking about Prop 8 from a religious standpoint, partly because religion is the most clear and powerful source of my own convictions, but also because no matter what you say to someone on this subject, they will ultimately vote based on what they already believe about marriage.
If they believe same-gender marriage is acceptable they'll vote No on Prop 8, and if they believe it is wrong they will usually vote Yes. And nothing you say about rights, education, sociology, potential fallout, or anything else will sway the opinion of either group. Each side is convinced that their belief about marriage is a self-evident truth, and they can't understand why the other side doesn't see things as clearly.
Chris, I share your excitement that so many people have been inspired to vote in this election, and I'm hopeful that President Obama will deliver the unity, progress, and hope he has championed. I think if he achieves even half the goals he has set, our country will be better off for it.
Thanks for letting me spam your blog again with my radical ideas. Much love to all of you.
I hope you guys heard Obama's acceptance speech. Both his and McCain's was good.
I was a little disappointed in the McCain crowd though (with the booing). It is easier to be a gracious winner I guess than a looser.
Obama's crowd actually cheered for McCain when he spoke and when Barack talked about his service.
Next election to watch ... Prop 8. :) Cheers.
Chris, you're welcome any time. I'm glad we were able to have such a respectful discussion even though we had widely divergent views. I think it does each side good to understand the other's perspective, even if we sometimes get a little frustrated that we can't convince each other. :)
I will give you and AMEN to that. The best to your family.
Funny stuff! And in case you haven' seen the Church issued another Prop 8 statement.
http://www.newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/
Yeah - I saw that statement referenced in several news articles about the protests outside the LA Temple.
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