A very interesting article about English history and the relations between politic leaders of their day. At least in USA we just refuse to elect those we don’t want. Yet, it very noteworthy that Elizabeth I had grave reservations about “..taking off the head of a Queen anointed by God.” The crime was called regicide and considered especially heinous at the time.
I found this article distressing and I disagree with the analysis that Mormon Christianity is not Christianity at all. And I disagree with the idea that the book of Mormon is the same as the Quran. However, I do agree that there is not a “religion” test for the Presidency of the USA. In fact a Hindu, Confucian, Shinto, Moslem, or “no religion at all” person could become President under the Constitution. The key word in the above sentence is “Constitution”. The USA is a constitutional Republic and not a Christian State. Essentially, the USA is a secular government under the prescription that it must respect the freedom of religion opinions of its citizens. There is also the proscription that the government cannot impose itself upon, regulate, or attempt to destroy the practice of religions by its citizens.
That being affirmed, the opinions of the leader of the Southern Baptist Convention are really the affairs of that denomination of Christianity. His viewpoint is allowed in USA. He is even allowed to make it public and to defend his position. That is our right under the first amendment regarding freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Unlike, the grossly stated falsehood that the Constitution protects the government from the influences of religiously informed opinions, the Bill of rights, which is the first ten amendments to the Constitution, protects people of religion from the power of the government and the prejudices of people opposed to religion. That is to say, that you are not required to agree with my religion nor my opinions as informed by my religion but the law guarantees me the liberty to hold and express such opinions. And while IRS regulations threaten to revoke a congregations 501.3C status if the leaders use the pulpit to preach for or against any political candidate, that is merely an IRS regulation and does not forbid preachers of any type from preaching politically motivated sermons. Admittedly, sermons such as those of Jeremiah Wright, Senator Obama’s Christian Pastor, in which he damned America and not blessed America, are repugnant to and repudiated by the 99.9 % of Christians, nonetheless, he is allowed to preach that. (Please, note that no one needs to listen to his rants, and that a Senator of the USA should belong to Rev. Wright’s congregation for ten or more years, is disturbing but not illegal.)
Finally, to the doctrinal theology that informs the SBC speaker. It is a judgement made because Mormonism supplements the 66 books of the historic Christian Bible with the book of Mormon. Some Christians regard this as an addition to the Holy Scriptures and therefore as antithetical to Christian teaching that the only authoritative scripture is the 66 book Bible. In this regard, some Christians would claim that Roman Catholic Christianity is also not true Christianity because they include the Apocryphal books to their publication of the Bible. And even though Roman Catholic Christians are informed that the Apocryphal books are not regarded as Holy Scripture, nonetheless, their detractors say that publishing them inside of the covers of a Bible is itself condemnatory.
Friends, these are matters of internal Christian denominational belief and although we can go on, this writer will again state, as he has repeatedly, that Mormonism is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and that its doctrines regarding the essentials of the Christian faith make it another, albeit disputed, Christian denomination.
It is this authors opinion that the progress of democracy is inevitable. I also believe that it is the best form of government for all people’s worldwide. Additionally, I wholeheartedly support efforts to educate, advocate and promote peaceful democracy worldwide. However, war is a terrible thing and as we learned in our own Revolution and Civil War a great many people die prematurely for something which is so inevitable that we do not need bloodshed for its achievement. And for those conservative pundits who argue with me on this, well! Have you been in the US military? Is your child in the US military? Have you been confronted with the agony of mobilization and deployment? Yes, I have and so have my children. So, before we go wrapping everything in the flag, let’s talk. Okay.
Democracy has many forms, including limited democracy such as a real monarchy, and on to parliamentary democracy and a Republic like the USA. However, there is not one form that fits all societies. A tribal system such as Libya and Iraq may not be historically, culturally or ethnically suited for USA style democracy. Rather, ethnic, cultural, religious and societal uniqueness may require that democracy be tailored to the local situation.
And I completely agree that many societies in the Middle East of our world are seeking a greater form of democratic society. However, in distinction from my colleagues, I suggest that democracy was and is inevitable in these societies and that the modern interconnected Internet world, would and will, sooner than later, achieve that democracy, worldwide. However, in many countries and societal situations the so-called “powerful” need to learn the new methods of power and government. It is my belief that they would have, and they will learn the modern way without violence, bloodshed and death. It is inevitable.
But, many object, that in the societies of the Middle East, it is taking too long. First, I ask you, if you are a citizen of the country you criticise? If not, shut up. It is none of your business and don’t spout the crap about “you are your brothers keeper”. When you leave your USA armchair and travel to the streets of the struggle and face the bullets, then maybe, and only maybe, then you will have a little right to speak. Hey, brother, please don’t tell me what I must die for. You die in my place, okay? And then, I will religiously lay a wreath at your grave. Deal?
It is this author’s opinion that much of the violence and the death happening worldwide and especially in the Mid East is caused by geopolitical aims and seeks to falsely use democracy as the excuse for the extension of a western economic imperial model that has nothing to do with the “quality of life” of the protagonists and a lot to do with the wealth and continued economic imperialism of western governments and corporations.
Rather, let’s not arm the rebels. Let’s educate them on civil organization and political reality. But, you say, that we tried that and it failed. Did it? In my opinion, it did not fail. It simply did not meet our expectations. We will need to extend our timelines and get real about what is possible now and what can only be achieved later.
Friends, I will not dictate that for which you must die. Rather, I will do everything I can to promote your freedom within the context, society and culture in which you live. In the end, the result will be the same because freedom and I believe, democracy, are inevitable.
Libyans on Wednesday wept over the graves of those killed in their six-month war against Moammar Gadhafi, then celebrated their newfound freedom with morning prayers and joyous chants in the capital’s main square — bittersweet rituals marking the start of a major Muslim holiday
The prayer leader urged the crowd not to seek retribution against Gadhafi loyalists. “No to revenge, yes to the law that rules between us and those who killed our brothers,” he said. “Let there be forgiveness and mercy among us.”
Wednesday marked the start of the three-day holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which caps the holy fasting month of Ramadan. The start of the holiday is determined by the sighting of a new moon, and several countries in the Arab world started marking the holiday on Tuesday. Morning visits to cemeteries are part of the Eid al-Fitr tradition across the region
Why do the secular news reporters always talk about the “holy” prayers, the Mosque worship, and give extensive explanation of Muslim religious festivals. Yet, these same secular reporters insist on a strict separation of Church and State in the US and on the major Christian holy days in the USA we read about the Santa Claus and the Easter bunny? Are the Muslims worthy of respect for their religion but USA Christians are to be barely tolerated?
Amazing that the major Christian denominations are silent as the Obama Administration bombs the government and the people of Libya into submission. I will no longer say that the USA is doing this because although there IS finally a resolution in the Senate to legitimate the Obama aggression, its proponents are the war monger John Mc Cain, and the swift boat navy guy, Kerry! Besides the Obama administration said today that it is talking to the Congress about its use of military personnel for war in Libya but that it DOES NOT NEED NOR SEEK their approval. All beside the point of this blog. I am amazed at the USA and world Christian community’s silence about this blatant “Resource War” of the Western Imperialist nations of Britain, France and Belgium,–backed by USA and silently assented to by Russia, (shame on Putin for cowardly acquiescence to this Western Imperialism. I guess Russia is now another of the capitalist nations. ) Anyway, the Arab Muslim communities are also silent as the NATO military alliance bombs this Arab Muslim nation into oblivion. The rebels ae not civilians, they are armed and dangerous. They are rebels and in any of the NATO counties such persons seeking to forcefully overthrow their government would be arrested. Obviously the Libyan government would do the same but the rebellion is fostered, promoted, armed, trained and protected by NATO and as is well-known, the combined forces of NATO are fully condoned and supported by Nobel Peace Prize winner Obama. (By the way, what is the tax bill for this undeclared and illegal war?) Not to let any of the others religions off the hook, because the Dalai Lama, the Grand Rabbinic Societies, the Shinto reps, the Confucians, the Hindus, Wicca, and the whole Green movement are also silent. The only voice that has spoken out against the war and pleaded for peace, is the voice of Pope Benedict XVI of the Roman Catholic Church and the Vatican State.
The video tells the whole story. Sadly the mainline Christian Churches like the Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians are virtually silent on this issue. However, Roman Catholicism and world Orthodoxy are trying their best to bring this crime to international attention. But France and England, former colonial powers in Egypt are not interested. Instead through NATO and with help of USA they are interested in fighting a “Resource War for Oil” against the Libyan people. Watch the video, get informed and write your federal reps and the leaders of the USA churches telling them they need to take this seriously. You can make a difference with your emails, letters. Think of it this way, your email in defense of persecuted Egyptian Christians is your voice against the modern nazi-like persecution of an innocent people. When the Jews were being herded and exterminated in Dauchau, too many people were silent. It has happened again in Sudan, in Liberia, in Sierra Leone, in Ghana, in Ruwanda, in Dafur. But in all of these the world ignored the pleas of those being killed. Please email your leaders and the denominations and ask them to do something about this.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/05/03/international/i061255D32.DTL
Not too much to say about this article except that I am glad it is happening because we do need a wide range of opinion and philosophy (theology) on the Internet. However, I do wonder about the writer’s comments in the last three paragraphs about the exact type of bloggers who were invited. Strange? Maybe!
Progressive Politics 