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Family and Friends is my everyday journal. Captain's Log is where I pontificate on religion and politics.

Friday, November 20, 2009

No Sense of Shame

Rachel Maddow has an interview with Frank Shaeffer at Altnet.

This is despicable. This is not Christian. This flies directly in the face of John 3:16. God is Love, not death. Shame shame shame on anyone who would do this. Read this and think about how these morons wax eloquent on the "sanctity of life."

Maddow: And then, there‘s this biblical quote making the rounds in anti-Obama circles. As reported this week in the “Christian Science Monitor,” “Pray for President Obama, Psalm 109, verse eight.” What‘s psalm 109 verse eight? Well, it reads, “Let his days be few; and let another take his office.” Let his days be few. It‘s followed immediately by another verse, “Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.”

And don‘t forget, that sentiment is now being merchandised on bumper stickers, on mouse pads, on Teddy Bears on aprons, framed tiles—those are nice. Keepsake boxes, t-shirts? “Let his days be few”—cute on a Teddy Bear.


Frank Shaeffer makes a very good point the Christians who deplore the acts and insanity of the fundamentalists need to stop hiding in the shadows and speak up. I'm speaking up!

In 1973 while at college my second room mate was a pole vaulter on the track team. He was from a small town in the panhandle of Texas. That Nov was the tenth anniversary of Kennedy's assassination. Hoyt and I got along and saw eye to eye on just about everything, hard to say when I was from a big city and he was small town. Until I brought up the Kennedy assassination and mentioned that I was once in the front row to hear Kennedy speak when I was nine. I read Manchester's Death of a President in high school and pretty much only knew those who deeply grieved for both Kennedy brothers.

With Hoyt, I've never seen or heard such venom and hatred expressed as what he thought about Kennedy. It took my breath away. It was irrational and he was perfectly rational about just about everything else. We never brought the subject up again. He was not the only person I encountered while exiled to Texas for college that felt this way about Kennedy. As Manchester says in his book Texas took it personally that Kennedy died in their state and somehow it's Kennedy's fault for ruining their state's reputation.

I'm seeing on a really large scale the same kind of irrational thought as I saw in Hoyt. People who are intelligent, hard working, and respectable in other things become completely unhinged by the thought of Obama being President.

I have a dread about what will hit the fan if something does happen to Obama. It is my fervent prayer that nothing does, but the tea baggers and neocons and loony tunes on Faux news are whipping up a whirlwind of hate and advocating violence. This action could cause a catastrophic reaction should something happen. This reaction would make the riots and social unrest that followed the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. look like a picnic.


I'll finish with this: Romans Ch 13 verses 1-7

The apostle Paul wrote this while Rome was ruled by the most evil and corrupt emperor in its history.

1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God ; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority ? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same ; 4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid ; for it does not bear the sword for nothing ; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. 5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. 7 Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom ; fear to whom fear ; honor to whom honor.

6 comments:

One Fly said...

I thought this was the best interview I've seen him give. The nutters out there with even a bit of real christian in him or her should take heed of the common sense this man speaks. But they won't.

P M Prescott said...

Biggest problem with nutters, they won't mind their own business.

Unknown said...

While I am not big on church attendance, I did grow up Eastern Orthodox and in their services on Sunday, the priest will ask for God to give guidance "for the President of The United States and all civil authorities, grant and give mercy". I love this because it is not a political thing. It recognizes that many in places of authority carry a great burden. Also, I lived in Dallas.

One of the worst mistakes I made during a visit by my Mother soon after my Dad died was to take her to The Fifth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. We took the tour and watched films I had never seen of the deep mourning that took place all around the world. We viewed and heard speeches from President Kennedy. It made my Mom sad and we left.

I'm sorry you encountered such hatred with this man yo spoke of, PM. I was shocked to read this. But we must reject hatred and choose positive and loving people to surround us. That's vital.

Thank you, again, for such generous comments on my site for the Blog Birthday! :)

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

I'm totally flabbergasted by the reaction to Obama. Many people actively hate him. I fear for what might happen to him.

The venom is disturbing. The lies spread about him are abominable.

When I point out the lies and prove they are lies, people tell me they don't care and they can believe what they want.

I can't figure it out. But I don't like where it is leading.

P M Prescott said...

Michael I drove by Dealy Plaza before they changed everything. I'm not so sure I'd want to visit this museum. I'd love to visit his presidential library.

P M Prescott said...

Yogi, I too am very worried. All of my African American students, even before he was elected are afraid of what might happen.