2004-12-11 - 1:49 p.m.
Some people saw it coming 20 years ago. Check out this crossfire interview with Frank Zappa (one time US ambassador to Hungary)
Aside from the censorship issue, his vision of the government becoming a right wing theocracy is dead on. And the reaction of the hosts is perfect, �we�ll never go down that road!� Check it out:
http://www.ifilm.com/viralvideo?ifilmid=2658805
I guess that I�ve never really explained my views on religion. This is not an attempt to convert anyone, I just think it is important to declare where I stand so it is clear where I�m coming from in my commentary.
My faith is the single most important thing in my life. I am a Christian, and I would even consider myself a �Conservative Christian� (though I doubt any of the popular Conservative Christian talking heads would consider me so.) I�m a conservative Christian because I believe that what Christ said was the truth, and it is how I try everyday to live my life.
So what makes me conservative? I don�t take the parts of his message that I like and toss the rest because they don�t fit with how I want to live my life. That means grappling with the hard issues not just ignoring them.
But that is probably the only thing that makes me conservative. I think the biggest mistake Christians make is saying, �this is what I believe, and you should too!� Even more prevalent is this current theme �This is what I believe, and if you don�t your evil!�
So how does that reconcile with Jesus� command that I go out and make disciples of all nations? Easy. He also warns more than once that it is a sin to judge another, also that the measure I judge other people by will be used against me. The wise Christian will judge others very kindly in the hopes that he too will be judged kindly.
The idea of creating laws to govern the vast and varied people of the united states based on Christian ideals is wrong. You can�t force people to believe in Christ, or to live the way he says is best. The whole idea is that you choose Christ, not that you have Christ thrust upon you.
�But Justus, aren�t the most of the laws of the US based on the ten commandments?� Sure, but you could just as easily say that they are based on the teachings of Hamumdi. No country supports your right to kill you neighbor for kicks, or steal his possessions, or give false witness in court. And even here in the bible thumping US there is not a law based on the fact that God commands you to have no other Gods before him. If our laws were really based on the big ten, Judaism would be the state religion.
Yes I know that you can�t buy liquor on Sundays in most states, and that law is supposedly based on the biblical teachings, but what is really funny is the fact that that buying liquor on Sunday (or the Sabbath) is not mentioned anywhere in the bible. If you were to follow biblical teachings about the Sabbath, (at least in the orthodox tradition) nothing would be open on the Sabbath, not just liquor sores.
My point in all this is that while the founding fathers of this country were by and large Christian, I firmly believe that they were very aware of the need for freedom, of and from religion.
If anyone chooses to reject Christ, that is of no concern to me. It is also not my business what someone else chooses to do in their bedroom, who they choose to marry or what music they like to listen to. Why �Conservative Christians� feel they have the right to intrude on these things I cannot understand. It is a huge busy body complex that has been granted legitimacy by the current government.
The current catch phrase is this, �If we allow gays to marry, it will hurt American families and weaken the institution of marriage in the US�
?!
How in the world does a gay couple getting married hurt your family? Are there thousands of married Christians huddled in the fear that if gay marriage is made legal their spouse will suddenly pack up and follow their dream of living the gay life?
We live in a county where more than half of marriages fail. I have a feeling that of all the reasons people leave their spouses, the fact that they were secretly gay would not even register on a pie chart. If the government really wanted to strengthen marriages, they would impose a 30-day waiting period like the one you need to buy a handgun. It probably wouldn�t hurt to have people meet with a councilor before they get hitched as well. ( I have some really draconian ideas about having kids too, but they clash with my libertarian ideals so I�m trying to work that out.)
Well that is probably enough for one post, I�ll continue later.
By the way, check out Ray Lamontagne, here is a link where you can hear some of his stuff.. He officially gets the Justus seal of approval.
http://www.raylamontagne.com/listen.php
