Faithless-based initiatives anyone?

Regular readers will note I've taken down the photo of my Obama/Clinton in 2008 bumper sticker (created the day after Kerry lost in 2004) from this blog. My original intent was to annoy the heck out of Republicans driving about with their Bush/Cheney stickers in full display. (Have you seen many of those lately?) I figured an Obama/Clinton ticket would be their worst nightmare. I had no idea how close my fantasy would actually come to reality.

The sticker on my vehicle has faded out completely, mirroring my original luke-warm support for The Candidate for Change -- that support now growing rather chilly observing all the pandering to the center right crowd the past couple of weeks. Wouldn't you know it -- in an act of compulsive conciliation, I actually threw some money Obama's way a week or so after he clinched the nomination. Then suddenly FISA - handguns - capital punishment - Wesley Clark - faith-based initiatives -- have I missed anything? Oh yeah, MoveOn.org.

For me, Obama's repudiation of MoveOn.org was highly ironic, as I had only a few days prior cancelled my online subscription to MoveOn. I'd always liked their populist and creative organisational tactics, but they really pissed me off when they decided to support Obama in the primary. There was so little actual difference between Clinton and Obama in terms of stated policy. Well MoveOn -- are you happy with your decision now? And of course, one has to wonder what issues Hillary would have flipped on in the general election. She'd already taken on some macho hawkish rhetoric in order to be just like the boys. (blech!)

However, it is important to remember that Obama has never been a true progressive. Righties continue to label him a "socialist" or worse, but they are making it up. Progressive Punch provides a scale of progressive voting records in Congress and Obama is at 43. Hillary Clinton is at least in the upper third at 31 and our own Senator Brown sets a high standard at #7. Dick Durbin is the most progressive of all.

Therefore I'm not going all suicidal over Obama's displaying his true colors. I'll probably still vote for him, unless I get so disgusted I decide to vote for the Green Party. Could happen. Mike Gravel is endorsing this guy for Green Party presidential candidate.

Now about this faith-based government funding foolishness. I have no problem with religions doing good works. Let them tithe and pass the plate and continue on with their volunteer work. But why should they get government money on top of that? Isn't it a major point of religious practice that the believer must make sacrifices of time and money for what they believe in? Reverend Barry Lynn was on television tonight making a whole lot of sense about life before any of these faith-based plans were put in place. Charities functioned well, governmental support of community programs happened in the non-profit sector and we didn't have to pay anyone to head up a new agency to make it all happen.

I'm not convinced by Obama's statement that in his plan, there will be no proselytizing or suspect hiring/firing decisions. Who is going to run around policing all these groups to make sure that no proselytizing is taking place? For many religions, proselytizing is part of the practice. And will faith-based groups consent to hire out-of-the-closet atheists and agnostics?

There are plenty of things that the government could be spending money on that will make our citizens healthier and happier, such as low cost dental clinics, local food pantries, medical research and alternative energy systems -- to name but a few. I don't see the need to collaborate with religious groups to provide these services. Community and social services must be secular in nature in order to fairly serve the great diversity that is this country.

But maybe -- in the grand scheme of things political -- Obama's actions are simply pragmatic decisions made to ensure his win in November. Lefties must simply bite our lips and stay cool until our candidate is in office. Then we'll see renewed support for progressive ideals. Sorry, I was born without faith. In other words, I'll believe it when I see it.

Saturday Senate on C-Span

It's more fun than college football and just as elegant as an international skating competition! Whiling away the snowed in hours with the Senate voting whether to debate the Iraq resolution. 7 Republicans joined in the ayes, 56 - 34. The rest of them, including our own Republican coward, Voinovich, chose to vote for their party ideology rather than upon what their constituents wish. May they go down to overwhelming defeat next time they go before their state's voters.

All Democrats voted yes, excepting Johson of SD still recovering in the hospital

9 chickens did not show up to vote.

Bennet Bond Corker, Corcoran, Ensign, Hatch, Kyl, McCain, Murkowski

Smith, Hegel, Coleman, Snowe, Warner Hecter, Collins -- we salute your courage.

The Dems say they will keep up an onslaught of bills and resolutions until Bush finally caves, which might be never or until he is dragged off in a straight jacket.

At the beginning of this unusual Saturday session, a chaplain stood up for a senate prayer. Naturally, I find this annoying not to mention offensive. The chaplain (also a military reserve officer) gave a little homily on love and duty in these times of "challenges that demand greater than human wisdom."

We'll be waiting forever if this is indeed the case, that the problems we face today are beyond human wisdom to solve. We can either stand at our telescopes scanning the skies for alien intelligences or decide that human problems must be solved by human wisdom and set off down the path to do just that.

Separation of Church and State

My only complaint about all the ceremonies in Washington DC concerns the pledging and invocations and prayers that go on in these governmental gatherings. "So help you god" -- what does that mean? Is it supposed to arouse the fear of being condemned to hell if you don't do as you promise? I did find it highly ironic that Dick Cheney was the one who administered the oaths (in tones as scary as could be) to the new senators. Every time he got to the line about protect against enemies from without and within, I wanted to shout out "You sir, are one of the enemies within!"

At the dinner we had to stand up and pledge allegience to the flag which is something I really object to -- but what are you gonna do when you are in a room full of people who worked very hard to make something wonderful happen? In my case, I stood up but did not put my hand on my heart and did not recite the words. When it got to "one nation under god" I muttered "one nation without gods" and immediately felt better! Pledging is a ritual that reminds me of fascistic kinds of government.

Now as for all the invocations that we heard -- my question is -- why do they have to be delivered by ministers, reverends, clergy etc? Why not invite brilliant scientists or philosphers to address the group? They might have something more thoughtful and interesting to say then these other folks who say the same old platitudes over and over. We know that all the ministers and swearing oaths will not prevent some politicians from making unethical choices and take illegal actions -- so let's drop the pretense that swearing to god and saying prayers is in anyway useful.

To this godless liberal, what it means is that some people like to show off in public by taking a holier than thou kind of stance. But the religious don't give a damn, so to speak. They could care less that their actions ostracize the non-religious. Too bad an atheist can't get elected to office. Heck even gay people can get elected to office in the 21st century. How many more years before we atheists and non-religious folks are treated as equals not pariahs?

Gangs for God Pray All Over Akron

I didn't know this was going on, because Sunday mornings are not the time of day you'll see me out and about. But according to an article in the Akron Beacon Journal, "countless" Akron church members formed themselves into "gangs for God" in order to pray away crime and drug use. This is all part of a grand scheme as related by reporter Jewell Cardwell:

"The day of prayer is part of 40 days and 40 nights of prayer against violence, drugs and gangs, called ``Love Akron on the Streets.'' The effort is in response to a call from Akron City Council leaders who asked that civic and religious communities become Davids in this battle against Goliath. "

Scores of church people assembled on Kenmore Blvd to pray against crime, according to the article. How effective was this demonstration? The answer can also be found in today's ABJ here and here.

One of my biggest problems with religion aside from the fact that it is bogus, is the overwhelming tendency toward "holier-than-thou" antics such as this. Yeah, sure -- show us how holy and concerned you are by bowing your head in public and muttering to your made up big daddy in the sky -- that's a great way to avoid making any headway against the forces that propel human beings toward lives of addiction and crime.

Looking on the bright side of things -- at least they weren't lining up all over the city in protest of a woman's right to do what she wishes with her own uterus.