progressive involvement

On second thought

I agree with Justice Scalia.  In regard to the Christian cross at the Mojave National Reserve, which honors war dead from World War 1, he had said, "I don't think you can leap to the conclusion that the only war dead the cross honors are the Christian war dead."

In regard to the case itself, Salazar v. Buono, which has to do with whether or not the cross should stay or go, Scalia argued that the cross should stay because it is a "universal" symbol rather than a sectarian one. 

In the exchange which followed that comment, Peter Eliasberg of the ACLU made the point that the cross "does not honor the non-Christians who died in the war."  Scalia responded that the cross is a common symbol of the "resting places of the dead."  He seemed surprised at the thought that it might not be the "common symbol" in Hindu, Muslim, or Jewish cemetaries.

The account in the link above makes it sound like Scalia then responded in frustration or pique or something, and then said this:  "I don't think you can leap to the conclusion that the only war dead the cross honors are the Christian war dead." 

I don't know if he quite understood what he was saying, or the links which brought him there, but that statement, as it stands, is absolutely true.  Does he not reconcile all things?  (Colossians 1: 15-20)  While I certainly agree with the Christian theology expressed in Justice Scalia's statement, that is a point of theology, not of constitutional law.

My own view is that Christians ought to have better things to do than insist on putting their symbols on things.  "Love does not insist on its own way," said St. Paul (1 Cor. 13).  You want to make Jesus happy, then do something to help the poor.  That's my philosophy.

But I really, really want to

These ads were pulled from the Brigham Young University student newspaper because they were thought to be too provocative.

The creator of the t-shirt, Chad Ramos, himself a Mormon and student at Utah Valley State, said, "Anybody who's lived outside Utah has said this a hundred times."

Rescquiscat in Pacem - Paul Manz (1919-2009)

Paul Manz joined the saints in light 28 October 2009.

Nowadays, if anyone says the pipe organ is a dead instrument, they clearly never heard Paul Manz play the instrument, or even any talented organist play one of his many compositions.

Father Gabriel Jay Rochelle, former dean of Chapel at the Lutheran School of Theology, writes:

Paul Manz. You were a giant in compassion, energy, musical talent and knowledge. I see you playing Bach for the angels - and they will ask to hear one of your compositions!

Ka-ching!

Sarah Palin wants to charge the Iowa GOP $100,000 for her to come and speak.  Normally, politicians come to Iowa for free, and pay their own way besides.

Evangelical Church of Germany elects first female bishop

Unlike their conservative Anglican counterparts, German protestants don't get the shakes at the idea of having a woman bishop.  Margot Kaessmann received 132 of the 142 votes cast at the 10th synod of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD).   Bishop Kaessmann was previously the Lutheran bishop of Hanover.  The Lutheran World Federation hailed her election:

"The election sends a signal to the Church worldwide that God calls us to leadership without consideration of gender, color or descent," said Rev. Ishmael Noko, general-secretary of the Lutheran World Federation. 

Bishop Kaessmann is sometimes called the "pop bishop" because of her frequent appearances on television.  She said after her election that she was striving for more social justice and attracting people to the faith by being a modern-day church.

Her election was heralded by We are Church, a reform group of Catholic laypeople who support women clergy.  Kaessmann also has said she would like to improve relations with the Roman Catholic church.  "I very much want to strengthen ecumenicism in our country," she has said.

Bishop Kaessmann is 51 years old, the mother of four daughters, and a breast cancer survivor.  She is politically active and has a reputation for being a superb speaker and preacher.  She is known as outspoken and tolerant, and also has a sense of humor.  Apparently unfamiliar with Christianity in the United States, she has said, “Crabby Christians are a contradiction in themselves.”

The EKD was founded in 1945 as a multi-denominational federation of Lutheran, Reformed, and United Protestant church bodies. After Germany’s reunification, the EKD combined both East and West German Protestant churches in 1991. 

Quote of the Day

“Politics is not the art of the possible. It consists in choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable.”   John Kenneth Galbraith

How times change

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has said that the Christian cross is a "universal" and not a particularly Christian symbol.  The issue concerns a five foot cross at the Mojave National Preserve which honors war dead from World War 1.  As he put it, "The cross is the most common symbol of the resting places of the dead."  When told that this is not so in countries with a strong Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist presence, Scalia said, "I don't think you can leap to the conclusion that the only war dead the cross honors are the Christian war dead."

Scalia's position will likely be hailed by the religious right, which likes nothing better than to plaster its symbols in as many places as possible, rather like a dog marking its spot.  Slap a cross on a lamppost and make it a Christian lamppost!

The early baptists, however, would have been appalled.  The Christian cross is a mere "universal" symbol?  The Christian cross doesn't really mean anything?

Back when baptists were an oppressed minority, and not the strutting triumphalists of today, they stood for religious freedom.  They even supported the "atheist" Thomas Jefferson in the election of 1800 because he believed in the free practice of religion, and cheered his election when he won.  They would have been outraged by Scalia's remarks.

Antonin Scalia, the prime mover behind the infamous Bush v. Gore decision, is one of those people, like the late William Rehnquist, who is described as "brilliant."  Yet, has either one of them ever actually done or said anything that was even coherent?  

Legalized bribery

A recent poll shows that Connecticut voters favor the public option by 68% to 21%.  Why, then, would one of Connecticut's senators, Joe Lieberman, act deliberately to undercut the public option?  Could it be because he has received $2.5 million in contributions from the health care insurers and his wife works for Big Pharma?

Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act becomes law

President Obama signed the bill today.  It is now a crime to assault people based on sexual orientation, gender and gender identity.  This is in addition to the current law which prohibits violence based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

Congratulations to Judy and Dennis Shepard, whom I am honored to know, for their grit and persistence is helping to bring this effort to fruition.  It has been eleven years since Matthew was killed.  You may read about the legislation and the ongoing work of Matthew Shepard Foundation here.  Judy Shepard today:

We are incredibly grateful to Congress and the president for taking this step forward on behalf of hate crime victims and their families, especially given the continuing attacks on people simply for living their lives openly and honestly.  But each of us can and must do much more to ensure true equality for all Americans.

 

USA ranks 31st on gender equality, which is 6 notches better than we do on health care

The World Economic Forum has issued a report on gender equality around the world.  The report attempts to assess how well countries “are dividing their resources and opportunities among their male and female populations.”  The four major criteria are:  economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, political empowerment, and health and survival.

The Nordic countries--Iceland, Norway, Finland, and  Sweden--took the top four slots.  The Scandinavians have a long history of respecting women.  Women figured prominently in Viking societies, and had far more rights than in many other cultures.  Viking women could inherit property, vote, go to war, get divorces, and engage in foreign trade.  In the Icelandic sagas, women carry religious authority.

The illustration, incidentally, is of Sigrid being proposed to by King Olav Tryggvesson of Norway.  She didn't appreciate his crude manner of expressing himself so married the King of Sweden instead and talked him into declaring war on Olav.