Religious Fever
Confirming my notion that the wild-eyed nuts on the subway often speak the truth, Bush's "Jihad General," Lt. Gen. William G. "Jerry" Boykin, asks the money question, writes Farai Chideya:
"Why is this man [President Bush] in the White House?" he said. "The majority of Americans did not vote for him. Why is he there? And I tell you this morning that he's in the White House because God put him there for a time such as this."
I believe it was the Supreme Court, hon, that put him there, but thanks for asking!
Regarding Boykin's inflammatory "my god vs. your god" remarks about Iraq, the administration, through Donald Rumsfield, defends them on free speech grounds, saying, "We're a free people." Yes, we are, but most of us who are seeing things and babbling freely about them get institutionalized, not put in charge of a lot of people with dangerous weapons. P.S. I'm sure all our troops in Iraq really appreciate this guy mouthing off about his god being "bigger" in light off all the nuts on Iraqi soil who aren't exactly lacking in their own fundamentalist nutty reasons for taking potshots at Americans.
From the second article:
Boykin tells NBC News that, given his new assignment, he is curtailing such speeches in the future. He says, ìI donít want Ö to be misconstrued. I donít want to come across as a right-wing radical.î
I would say it's a little late for that. He's a nut.
As for the divine intervention that placed Bush in the White House, King James used to preach that same line, hence even bad rulers must be upheld and supported because God placed them there.
This current administration sounds nuttier every day.
Patrick at October 22, 2003 7:16 AM
One must ask if the Administration just didn't realize how outspoken Boykin was, and hadn't checked the record, or if they just didn't give a damn, his installation being an in-your-face, it-will-all-blow-over, act of arrogance and hubris? What's particularly galling is that Rumsfeld defends the man's right to freely express his opinions while wanting to lock up those who freely express contrary opinions like not supporting the mission to reshape the Middle East in our image, or the war on terrorism that will still be going on when Luke Skywalker blows up the Deathstar.
Take the my God/your God elements out of the equation and thousands of years of history will look at lot different. Yes, there will be violence and strife and territorialism, and nationalism, etc. but this in-the-name-of-God stuff causes/justifies too much negativity. If there is a God, and if he's watching -- which I doubt; why would a being capable of creating "all this" want to sit around and watch us and listen for prayers. It's like being forced to watch the same sitcom for eternity. At that rate, even Seinfeld would drive you batty (or one episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm) -- he/she should stand for the connectedness of all things. God is the Golden Rule--or what's the point?
David at October 22, 2003 8:15 AM
Seriously, not all Christians are nuts! But why is it that all the ones in the public eye are? Makes me afraid to tell people what I believe.
Peggy C at October 22, 2003 8:38 AM
** Donald Rumsfield, defends them on free speech grounds, saying, "We're a free people." **
But is Rumsfeld free to forget that the same amendment that protects our free speech and press also prohibits government establishment of religion? Maybe someone needs to remind him that he's defense secretary.
Lena Cuisina at October 22, 2003 8:39 AM
Peggy --
I think it's more important than ever for reasonable people of faith like you to speak out. I work with a wonderful Muslim woman from Egypt (an MD, PhD), and she's very upset about the way that her belief system is being distorted in public around the globe. There are some really lovely traditions that she's told me about. For example, the first thing she does every morning, upon waking, is saying a little thank-you prayer for having another day to live. I think that's beautiful, personally.
We need a lot of voices, especially ones that expose the ignorance and hate behind comments by powerful people like Boykin. Don't be afraid to tell us what you believe!
Lena
Lena Cuisina at October 22, 2003 8:52 AM
Bush is in office because he's the puppet du jour. He stays on point and doesn't make trouble, except once in a while when he drinks himself blind, er, chokes on a pretzel. Certain fundamentalist christians believe that when the 2nd coming happens, jews must be on Jeruselem soil or the dark one gets everything. This and the desire for greater oil profits drives all foreign policy. Hence the need, at all costs, to keep a sympathetic viewpoint at the executive branch. They're not grabbing power, they're saving the world from the Devil.
I like to entertain the "vast right-wing conspiracy" theory. It doesn't necessarily have to be vast either, because the real power is so obviously in the hands of a small select group of old rich white guys. Is is such a stretch to imagine they might be religious?
Daniel at October 22, 2003 9:42 AM
It's quite enlightening to read fevered leftists accuse others of "hate" and "ignorance" completely oblivious to their own angry intolerance, hypocritical spitefulness and feebleminded stupidity.
"What's particularly galling is that Rumsfeld defends the man's right to freely express his opinions while wanting to lock up those who freely express contrary opinions like not supporting the mission to reshape the Middle East in our image ...."
This sort of ranting is so utterly typical of the left. It's also so silly that I wonder if you have any contact with the real world. Can you provide one example to support your claim?
"Take the my God/your God elements out of the equation and thousands of years of history will look at lot different."
Judging from the 20th century with its atheistic political philosophies of Nazism (60 million dead) and Communism (100 + million dead and still counting) the last one thousand years sans religion would have been far more violent. Western Civilization is the successful blending of Judeo-Christian and the Greco-Roman philosophies. Without the former there would have been no reflowering of the latter, just perpetual barbarism.
"Seriously, not all Christians are nuts! But why is it that all the ones in the public eye are? Makes me afraid to tell people what I believe."
The really nutty Christians are those leftists like Rev. Canon Eugene Robinson who take it upon themselves to reinterpret Biblical Scripture to satisfying their own narcissistic desires -- in Robinson's case his claim that God is working through him when he has anal sex with his boyfriend.
"But is Rumsfeld free to forget that the same amendment that protects our free speech and press also prohibits government establishment of religion?"
What amendment is this? Have you read the First Amendment which reads, in part, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"? Do you understand it? Obviously not. The American government is prohibited from establishing a state religion. The authors had in mind the Church of England and wanted to prevent the creation of an official American government church that would infringe of the rights of other Protestants to worship as they saw fit. This amendment has, over time, come to be extended to protect other variants of Christianity and then other faiths. But in recent decades it has been misinterpreted to support the purging of all religious expression (especially Christian) from public life.
"I work with a wonderful Muslim woman from Egypt (an MD, PhD), and she's very upset about the way that her belief system is being distorted in public around the globe. There are some really lovely traditions that she's told me about. For example, the first thing she does every morning, upon waking, is saying a little thank-you prayer for having another day to live. I think that's beautiful, personally.
"We need a lot of voices, especially ones that expose the ignorance and hate behind comments by powerful people like Boykin. Don't be afraid to tell us what you believe!"
Yes, people should speak up but lets hope they don't spew forth ignorant and hateful comments such as yours. Have you ever bothered to read the Koran? Do you realize that it is a manual for the incitement of hatred and murder?
Koran 2:8-10 -- "In their [non-Muslims] hearts is a disease; and Allah has increased their disease and grievous is the penalty they will incur, because they are false."
Koran 5:33 -- "The Punishment for those who oppose Allah and his messenger is: Execution or crucifixion or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides or exile from the land."
Koran 8:12 -- "Remember Thy Lord inspired the angels [with the message]: 'I am with you: give firmness to the believers, I will instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers, Smite ye above their necks and smite all their finger tips of them.'"
Koran 8:37 -- "In order that Allah may separate the impure from the pure, put all the impure ones [non-Muslims], one on top of the another in a heap and cast them into Hell."
Koran 17:16-17 -- "When we decide to destroy a population, we send a definite order to them who have the good things in life and yet transgress; so that Allah's word is proved true against them: then we destroy them utterly."
The painful truth is not that the "fundamentalists" have distorted Islam; they know very well what Islam is about -- and its not about little thank you prayers for a new day. I suggest a serious study of the history of the Indian subcontinent -- the one thousand year Muslim advance, the wars, the slaughter of tens of million of Hindus and the virtual elimination of Buddhism (a beautiful and thoroughly pacific philosophical system) from the region.
"Bush is in office because he's the puppet du jour."
Alas, if only he was as intelligent and self-aware as you obviously are.
"... except once in a while when he drinks himself blind, er, chokes on a pretzel."
I assume you think this is funny. Apparently, small, hateful minds are easily amused.
"Certain fundamentalist christians believe that when the 2nd coming happens, jews must be on Jeruselem soil or the dark one gets everything. This and the desire for greater oil profits drives all foreign policy."
Well at least you don't subscribe to the vulgar monocausal Marxist theory of historical materialism. But you really should clarify the base-superstructure relationship at work here. Your Neo-Marxist friends have being working hard on this for more than 100 years with little success.
"I like to entertain the 'vast right-wing conspiracy' theory."
But of course you do. You're a moron after all. I wouldn't expect anything more sophisticated from you.
"It doesn't necessarily have to be vast either, because the real power is so obviously in the hands of a small select group of old rich white guys. Is is such a stretch to imagine they might be religious?"
In a few short words, Daniel has managed to reveal himself to be a racist, ageist, sexist, classest, anti-religious bigot. Well done!
Take a look at "The Black Book of Communism." It will tell you exactly what happens when intellectually bankrupt and morally depraved people such as yourself achieve political power.
By the way, I'm not religious. Perhaps God exists but I think the probability is rather low. However, I don't hate sincere Christians. Go to Chartres and tell me that the people who built this magnificent structure were lower than you and worthy of your contempt. No, I would prefer to live in a society of devout Christians who have produced art and architecture of breathtaking beauty rather than one run by left-wing atheists like youselves with its inevitable gulags and mass murder.
PS -- I wouldn't normally accuse those who disagree with me of "hatred" and "ignorance." But in this case, because you started it, such words are richly deserved.
Nicholas at October 24, 2003 2:02 AM