More Sunday reading
This spring time change always messes me up, so I'm not, and won't be, 100% for a few days. So, instead of using my own jumbling words, I thought I'd just throw up a few interesting Sunday reads.
The LATimes had an interesting story a couple days ago about the difficulty biology teachers are now having in teaching evolution. I'm pretty seperate from any high school issues, but apparently there are fundies and their kids out there who are taking training and intentionally complicating the teaching of evolution. I just found it an interesting article.
Also, the WaPo today has a piece by Kevin Phillips, How the GOP Became God's Party. I disagree with some of the assumptions and conclusions, but I did find it thought provoking. Is the chaos in the mideast actually a selling point to Christians looking for their Jesus to come back? Also, the coopting of Christianity to support wars/national defense, and the war on science.
Last, and just as a weird one, in the murder trial around Abramoff associate Adam Kidan and Sun Cruz, the apparent "caterer" who was involved in the hit, Anthony Moscatiello, is revealed to have been an FBI informant. Not that I'm alleging anything on the part of those who want this to go away, but revealing Moscatiello as an informant on John Gotti might just be a convenient way to prevent any information coming out at trial. "I'm not saying anything, just that accidents happen."
The LATimes had an interesting story a couple days ago about the difficulty biology teachers are now having in teaching evolution. I'm pretty seperate from any high school issues, but apparently there are fundies and their kids out there who are taking training and intentionally complicating the teaching of evolution. I just found it an interesting article.
Also, the WaPo today has a piece by Kevin Phillips, How the GOP Became God's Party. I disagree with some of the assumptions and conclusions, but I did find it thought provoking. Is the chaos in the mideast actually a selling point to Christians looking for their Jesus to come back? Also, the coopting of Christianity to support wars/national defense, and the war on science.
Last, and just as a weird one, in the murder trial around Abramoff associate Adam Kidan and Sun Cruz, the apparent "caterer" who was involved in the hit, Anthony Moscatiello, is revealed to have been an FBI informant. Not that I'm alleging anything on the part of those who want this to go away, but revealing Moscatiello as an informant on John Gotti might just be a convenient way to prevent any information coming out at trial. "I'm not saying anything, just that accidents happen."
posted by mikevotes at
1:56 PM
6 Comments:
What information would they have to hide? Witnesses who claimed to have seen Mohammed Atta on SunCruz ships prior to 9/11?
By
Lew Scannon, at 3:42 PM
With respect to Phillip's I'm inclined to think he leans a bit strongly toward genralisation.
If the Reps have cornered the market on the holly rollers it is no more than a trend seen around the world.
These are a class of people who generally (my turn :) respond to being given direction. That is what tghey look for in a church, why not in the state as well?
Conservative parties generally share an Old Testament view of life and and are given to absolutes in their pronouncements.
I think Bush was just well briefed on the christian stance and probably dumb enough to actuallly buy it himself.
But I also note the christian right leadership are a biy nervous of Bush's administration at the moment. He's obviously not blustering loudly enough.
By
Cartledge, at 6:32 PM
"Is the chaos in the mideast actually a selling point to Christians looking for their Jesus to come back?"
Undoubtedly, yes. But in my opinion, these are not Christians so much as messianic-apocalyptic cultists. Unfortunately, with the MSM treating Dobson, Robertson and Falwell as THE ONLY voice of "Christianity" their views are given an unholy preference in the market of voices
By
-epm, at 7:43 PM
Cartledge, I agree. It's long been a belief of mine that people who are drawn towards the particular type of politico-religion are by their nature more prone towards hierachical structures and authority. But this is also what makes them an ideal constituency. If you convince their leaders to tell them something they will believe it.
And, yes, I know you're a bit distant from US news, but your perception that they are growing unsettled with the Bush administration for not doing enough is right on the mark. Dubai ports doesn't happen with the Jesus president they believed in.
And, EPM, I'm prone to answer that question in the affirmative as well, but I'm not sure if it's the conscious connection I painted. I think that they support Bush as a Christian leader during mideast conflicts for that reason, but don't consciously connect that alot of those problems are caused by the same Bush administration they think will help save them.
And, Lew, I think I heard something about an Atta connection with Sun Cruz, but honestly my 9-11 research(?) kindof went to the side when I started the blog. Not out of any change of heart, just out of restrictions of time. The smoking gun to me is the abandonment of the investigation into insider trading on airline futures. Because, to me, that is obvious evidence that somebody knew, and yet that person, who could have been a direct link to those who planned it, was let off the hook. I can't say for sure what that means in the big picture, but it is obviously a truth of 9-11 someone doesn't want told.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 8:54 PM
"...but don't consciously connect that alot of those problems are caused by the same Bush administration they think will help save them."
I disagree. I think this apocalyptic crowd actually favors inflaming chaos in the middle east as a means of bringing about their end-times vision. To that end the see -- and support -- Bush's middle east policy... even if they can't articulate what that policy is.
By
-epm, at 9:11 PM
I'm certainly willing to accept that argument, but maybe I have a slanted view of the "apocalyptic christians."
I don't see them as the most politically informed group. They pretty much take the what their told and act on it. On the extreme end, their news comes often from the 700 club or equivalent.
Maybe I'm stereotyping, I don't know, but I think it's a feature of their makeup that they believe what they're told.
I'm certainly willing to accept your side of the argument as well. There are Christian groups out there who openly espouse causing turmoil in the middle east, like trying to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem for example. But I think that's a smaller portion than just the "jesus is comin'" end of timers.
I maybe wrong. Have a good night.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 10:39 PM
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