It’s Friday! It’s a holiday weekend! So, I wanted to post something fun. Here is a video I saw this morning on the news. It has nothing to do with news, but hey I wouldn’t have ever seen this video if the news didn’t do their job.
The video is basically the world’s youngest preacher. It is both funny and scary. Need something educational? In seminary preaching is taught. The basis of preaching is content. But, in some denominations there is a way to preach. Some styles can have whooping, or call and response, or draw on certain words. Others have a way to move about the pulpit or stage. As you can see by the video it can even be learned at a very young age. I think the video shows a great example of how babies imitate the people that surrounded them.
August 29, 2008
August 27, 2008
race matter: politics and the american mind in the 08 election
Oh yeah, racism is gone. Racism went away with the sixties.” Or, at least that seems to be a common statement people make today. Let’s take a quick look at the political race going on right now with McCain and Obama. Much of the fear campaign that is going on is the publicity that Obama is a Muslim. Numerous photos, cropped pictures, and drawings are being made and passed around to make a case against Obama. First off, if he was Muslim, which he has said numerous times he is not and even states that he is a Christian, why would it matter? Would it matter because Muslims were the attackers of 9/11? Is it because we think the majority of Muslims are Arabic? Second, does it matter that Obama is black and therefore not white? Do these things matter and do they have an impact in the world we live in and the things we do on a daily basis?
While waiting to board a plane from Chicago to Richmond, Virginia, I was listening to the news program the airport was showing on the television. The coverage was interviews of what people thought of Obama, what they knew about him, and ultimately if they would vote for him in November. This news channel seemed to be making their way around the U.S. to various states to get different views of what people’s thoughts were. The day I was waiting in the airport they were interviewing people at a local minor league baseball game in Tennessee. The first lady that was interviewed was asked if she would vote for Obama. Without hesitating she said, “No, because he is a Muslim.” The news coverage quickly refuted that statement to the watching audience that indeed Obama was not Muslim, but actually Christian. Who knows if they told that to the woman at the ballgame. The second person interviewed was asked the same question. He, also without hesitation answered, “No, because I don’t think a black man can be president.” A split second later, the black man sitting next to me at the airport gave a chuckle as to say I can’t believe people still are like that. It was one of those embarrassing white moments. Those moments were you are embarrassed to be white, because of the continuing actions and history of the white people.
It’s no surprise not to see pictures of McCain in a turban. You can try, too. All I got were more pictures of Obama in a turban. McCain doesn’t even have a name that sounds like Osama and when you put a turban on him, quite frankly he doesn’t look a terrorist in the mind of an American, maybe just a bad costume during Halloween.
So, why does this matter? Well, because racism has always been a part of American society and politics. Race does matter. The man at the baseball game made that clear. Race may not affect Obama as much. The most he may lose is the election. But, as I stepped into Richmond you can see the remnants of a society still built on the Civil War. When I came back to Chicago I was reminded even in the North of the policies and laws that effect blacks today. By the way, in Tennessee Obama got rocked by Clinton in the Primaries.
For more reading on race and politics I recommend: Alienable Rights by Adams and Sanders.
While waiting to board a plane from Chicago to Richmond, Virginia, I was listening to the news program the airport was showing on the television. The coverage was interviews of what people thought of Obama, what they knew about him, and ultimately if they would vote for him in November. This news channel seemed to be making their way around the U.S. to various states to get different views of what people’s thoughts were. The day I was waiting in the airport they were interviewing people at a local minor league baseball game in Tennessee. The first lady that was interviewed was asked if she would vote for Obama. Without hesitating she said, “No, because he is a Muslim.” The news coverage quickly refuted that statement to the watching audience that indeed Obama was not Muslim, but actually Christian. Who knows if they told that to the woman at the ballgame. The second person interviewed was asked the same question. He, also without hesitation answered, “No, because I don’t think a black man can be president.” A split second later, the black man sitting next to me at the airport gave a chuckle as to say I can’t believe people still are like that. It was one of those embarrassing white moments. Those moments were you are embarrassed to be white, because of the continuing actions and history of the white people.
It’s no surprise not to see pictures of McCain in a turban. You can try, too. All I got were more pictures of Obama in a turban. McCain doesn’t even have a name that sounds like Osama and when you put a turban on him, quite frankly he doesn’t look a terrorist in the mind of an American, maybe just a bad costume during Halloween.
So, why does this matter? Well, because racism has always been a part of American society and politics. Race does matter. The man at the baseball game made that clear. Race may not affect Obama as much. The most he may lose is the election. But, as I stepped into Richmond you can see the remnants of a society still built on the Civil War. When I came back to Chicago I was reminded even in the North of the policies and laws that effect blacks today. By the way, in Tennessee Obama got rocked by Clinton in the Primaries.
For more reading on race and politics I recommend: Alienable Rights by Adams and Sanders.
August 22, 2008
would it be wrong to pray for the rich and help the poor?
I thought Dobson couldn’t piss me off any more, but I was wrong. In my June 25th blog I wrote about Dobson complaining that both Obama and McCain don’t give a hoot about family. From the article on Dobson’s rant, Dobson’s Republicanization comes out far more than does any faith in Christ or genuine love for people. I’m not going to make another argument about why I think Dobson’s theology is completely (maybe not completely, but you get the point) wrong. One, I already did this in the last blog. Two, I don’t want to waste time with it.
Watch the video here for yourself and make your own conclusions.
Would it be wrong to pray for rain? I’m not going to say if it is or isn’t right to pray for rain. No, wait. I am. It is wrong. Wait. Was he asking for rain for crops for food and nourishment for the land? No. Is he seeking revenge or a grudge? Leviticus 19:18. Was he seeking to love his neighbor as himself? Matthew 19:16-19. Was he showing mercy or love? Luke 10:25-37.
With all these people praying for rain now, what happens to all the people praying for the world’s poor, sick, hungry, widowed, hurt, suffering, persecuted, beaten, drop-outs, addicts, youth, etcetera? Were we praying for them anyway?
I know Dobson has no desire for Liberation theology. That would be the Republican in him. But, we cannot follow the same standards. We must not. The love of Christ is too wide and long and high and deep to forsake our neighbor.
Instead of praying for rain – let’s pray for the next president and politicians. Let’s pray to help the poor, divide the gap between rich and poor, create affordable health care, create an equal education for all, have policies that care for creation, and hold large companies accountable for their actions. Let’s pray for racism and sexism to no longer exist and perpetrate our way of life. Let’s pray hate of illegal immigrants turn into love and that the global economy that has created sweat-shops and modern day slavery be turned into an economy that is good for everyone. Let’s pray that Christ’s love surpasses our knowledge and overflows to the world.
Watch the video here for yourself and make your own conclusions.
Would it be wrong to pray for rain? I’m not going to say if it is or isn’t right to pray for rain. No, wait. I am. It is wrong. Wait. Was he asking for rain for crops for food and nourishment for the land? No. Is he seeking revenge or a grudge? Leviticus 19:18. Was he seeking to love his neighbor as himself? Matthew 19:16-19. Was he showing mercy or love? Luke 10:25-37.
With all these people praying for rain now, what happens to all the people praying for the world’s poor, sick, hungry, widowed, hurt, suffering, persecuted, beaten, drop-outs, addicts, youth, etcetera? Were we praying for them anyway?
I know Dobson has no desire for Liberation theology. That would be the Republican in him. But, we cannot follow the same standards. We must not. The love of Christ is too wide and long and high and deep to forsake our neighbor.
Instead of praying for rain – let’s pray for the next president and politicians. Let’s pray to help the poor, divide the gap between rich and poor, create affordable health care, create an equal education for all, have policies that care for creation, and hold large companies accountable for their actions. Let’s pray for racism and sexism to no longer exist and perpetrate our way of life. Let’s pray hate of illegal immigrants turn into love and that the global economy that has created sweat-shops and modern day slavery be turned into an economy that is good for everyone. Let’s pray that Christ’s love surpasses our knowledge and overflows to the world.
August 17, 2008
sharks and cheetahs
It’s like going from watching a bunch of sharks to watching a bunch of cheetahs. There are some thirty-two sports in the Olympics. NBC has shown roughly about two so far. Yes, swimming during the Olympics is one of the coolest things to watch. And yes, Phelps is pretty much the man. But, I also can’t help but blame NBC for going way overboard on Phelps’ “quest” for eight golds and how much they have missed by showing too much coverage of him. Granted, he will go down in history as one of the greatest Olympians of all time so it is great to be able to see and experience that as it happens. However, in the midst of it, NBC has overlooked the rest of the swimmers. This is a shame, because they are some of the greatest athletes in the world as well. The other sport that has been concentrated on – gymnastics.What about the other sports? If we are speaking about the U.S.A. in general what about the sweep in women’s individual saber? If we look at the Olympics as a whole, why haven’t we seen great coverage of kayaking or equestrian? If we can become so interested in obscure sports such as gymnastics and swimming why not kayaking or other sports?
It doesn’t really matter. Swimming is just about over. The sharks are about done and the cheetahs begin their hunt. Track and field sets the tone for the second half of the Olympics. Some of the fastest and most gifted people will compete this week. I find special interest in track and field because I’ve competed in many of the events and have at least tried many of the others. Well, maybe except javelin. They never would let a high schooler within a hundred feet of one of those.
I’m sure NBC will be showing a little more of different sports. As the “less interesting” preliminaries finish and we move on to finals they will begin to show more of soccer, tennis, and basketball. It’s just a shame that we had to miss some pretty cool sports and will miss some more.
August 12, 2008
midwest love: gary, in
I’ve never been to Gary, Indiana. I don’t actually think it is one of those places that people choose to go. I have however passed the city several times going from Chicago to Michigan and back since it borders the bottom of Lake Michigan. You can’t miss the city. Not because it has grand architecture or sits in a hill or valley to view from the highway. No, it is hard to miss because as you pass by the city your nose begins to twinge. That twinge is from the steel and gas factories that co-exist with the city. The smell, although it deters you from stopping to fill up for gasoline in the city, is not the reason why people do not go to Gary.
People don’t go to Gary because it is the pit of the Midwest if not the United States. The town is deteriorating more and more every year and is rattled with crime and violence.
Gary however was not always a place of crime and violence. The city was established actually in 1906 for the sole purpose of U.S. Steel Corporation’s new plant. Much like Detroit during that period it thrived and prospered. In the fifties Detroit began to experience white-flight. In the sixties so did Gary. As the base of economy in Gary began to leave so did its foundation and the city began to stumble. It has never recovered. August 7, 2008
book review: what happened
President Bush has made a lot of mistakes while in office. Most of them he won’t even admit he messed up. In many of the major mistakes, such as the war in Iraq, he won’t even acknowledge the possibility that it could be a mistake. The man won’t even flip-flop on the truth and outcome of the war. And now that has left a resounding mark and legacy on his presidency. Ironically, Bush won his second term on the slander that his competitor was a flip-flopper1.
I recently read, What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception. The book was publicized as a Bush-bashing book from an insider’s view point. The author, Scott McClellan, former press-secretary for Bush, in his book was not so much bashing-Bush, but the way politics work in the White House. Bush and his cabinet were not the deceivers, but part of a system that deceives. McClellan, later in the book does begin to really criticize Scotty Libby and Karl Rove both who had fallouts in the White House.
The book does go in depth about the war in Iraq and about some of the scandals that revolve around the war. The book also talks about Bush’s mistakes after hurricane Katrina. This was really interesting to read even though it was a sub-point to the book. The book however is not all about Bush. Much of the first half of the book is about McClellan’s upbringing in politics and how he got to be the press secretary for the Bush administration.
Although McClellan is not a writer by trade (which is clear by the style of his writing) the content is interesting and seems to give a clear, honest, and down-to-earth inside look at the Bush administration during his tenure there.
I recently read, What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception. The book was publicized as a Bush-bashing book from an insider’s view point. The author, Scott McClellan, former press-secretary for Bush, in his book was not so much bashing-Bush, but the way politics work in the White House. Bush and his cabinet were not the deceivers, but part of a system that deceives. McClellan, later in the book does begin to really criticize Scotty Libby and Karl Rove both who had fallouts in the White House.
The book does go in depth about the war in Iraq and about some of the scandals that revolve around the war. The book also talks about Bush’s mistakes after hurricane Katrina. This was really interesting to read even though it was a sub-point to the book. The book however is not all about Bush. Much of the first half of the book is about McClellan’s upbringing in politics and how he got to be the press secretary for the Bush administration.
Although McClellan is not a writer by trade (which is clear by the style of his writing) the content is interesting and seems to give a clear, honest, and down-to-earth inside look at the Bush administration during his tenure there.
[1] So, flip-flopping was probably not the reason – but I remember it being a big reason why people did not vote for Kerry.
August 6, 2008
olympics: find the fever
The Olympics start on Friday. Well, at least officially. A few events will start early, including women’s soccer today. On the schedule for tomorrow – men’s soccer. It is fun to see different countries compete for an event. Like others I know, I find some of the events boring - such as badminton or boxing. And like many others, events that I find exciting include track & field and swimming. Other events such as rowing and canoe/kayaking are not as exciting to others, but very exciting to me. Whatever the sport may be it’s hard to know when it is going on, especially with work and our busy lives. Well, until now. The NY Times added an Olympic Tracker with a customizable schedule to find out when every event is going on. Check it out!
Swimming and diving should be fun to watch whether the U.S. wins or not.
Opens and closing events don't need fireworks to make a big impression.
Olympics fever:
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