Acknowledgement of God - Part II

Yea, I'm a worrywart when it comes to group think. Blame it on my education at a Liberal University up in the Red Woods, but really, my eyes were open by my Sociology Professor, Dr. Samuel Oliner more than 30 years ago. Dr. Oliner was a Holocaust survivor and we spent a semester looking at what happened, why, and especially why some people went out of their way to help him and others Jews even though the penalty for doing so was sometimes death.

It is because it happened then, has happened before, and has happened after, that I worry. It's also the reason I write this blog that no one reads, so that there is a record that some people saw it building even before it happened.

Now I have no idea what will come from all this new found orthodoxy. It's different then when we wanted to elect Perot, this group, the tea party types, are scary. Like I said in my last post, orthodoxy feeds on more orthodoxy, so when Texas Republican's find the need to vote on "Acknowledgement of God" in the Primary and pass it by 95% I kind of get a bit uneasy about where this could - could mind you - go if not kept in check.

Why the concern?

March 4, 2010 - The Eagle Letter to the Editor

I was joyful when I read the voting results for Proposition 4 on the Republican ballot: "Acknowledgment of God." Here in the Brazos Valley, 92 percent of the voters said yes. Statewide, a huge 95 percent proudly voted yes.

This proves to a lot of folks that we are, indeed, a Christian nation. Those who come here from other religions had best not attempt their terrorist acts or tactics to undermine our nation. We deal with those types in our courts by God-believing judges.

For those who do not believe in God, we have love and concern for you. Perhaps we believers can lead you into the light of truth by sharing why we know God is real.

Thank all who came forwarded and publicly declared we believe in the Almighty, creator of life on this world.

MILTON PACK

Bryan

What? Me Worry?.....yea....yea...I do.

An Arrogant Certainty About One's Own Views

Rep - Ballot
Proposition #4: Public Acknowledgement of God
The use of the word "God", prayers, and the Ten Commandments should be allowed at public gatherings and public educational institutions, as well as be permitted on government buildings and property.
YES NO

Source: Harris County GOP.

OK, I have been slacking - I said I would write about a couple conservative values I thought needed to be hashed out. So lets look at this one:

Emphasizing humility and open-mindedness instead of arrogant certainty about one's own views.

in light of last Tuesday's Texas Primary results. Only Republicans got to vote on this, and they passed it with 95% of the vote. Now this is one of those silly kind of questions that put one in a bind, kind of like the "do you still beat your wife" question a lawyer can ask. How does one say no to their God? Well 5% did, which means they are either atheists/agnostics or astute - fully aware of just how dicey forcing a whole lot of people to participate in their set of values can be.

That separation of church thing that was written into the constitution (God, there I go again evoking that silly document, which just like the Geneva Convention can be dismissed as "quaint") was done with a lot of thought. It was done primarily to stop a dominant group from forcing a particular dogma on others.

So when I am told that a conservative value is "open-mindedness instead of arrogant certainty about one's own views" and then I see that 95% of Republicans - which align themselves with conservatism want to force God on the rest, I am...shall we say...not buying it.

Now I take a Jeffersonian view of a person's belief in God: "But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg."

But the real harm to this, the real fear of 95% not understanding the danger of what they want to unleash, is that orthodoxy only is satisfied with more orthodoxy. This kind of "feel good" stupidity detracts from real issues and instead emboldens those that are normally kept in the closest. It's not about not being allowed to say "God" or a prayer, or have your 10 commandments on public land, that's how they have framed it, that someone - "them" - are taking away your rights, your liberty, your God.

There is only one logical outcome when it builds momentum, and that will in one form or fassion lead to picking my pocket or breaking my leg. It is a slippery slope, and I fear that with the Tea Party folks, the Texas Republicans, and this new push to be more conservative than the other guy we are heading down it.

Bottom line is that this is not the America we want regardless of how much we love our God. It is not the America the founders envisioned for us and specifically outlined in the constitution that scores of men and woman have sworn to uphold and have died defending.

Ahhh Jeff you're worrying needlessly, its just about allowing us to say a prayer, I mean we make up the majority, us Christians, why should we go without - majority rules, right?

Wrong - the Constitution rules.