Where's the Outrage?

Michael Enright From NYT

I don’t pretend to understand what was going on in Michael Enright’s head. The details of this terrible act are coming to light. I hope that everyone will wait and listen to all of the evidence before condemning Mr. Enright.

It was the first fare of the cabdriver’s shift. A young man hailed him at the corner of Second Avenue and East 24th Street, wanting to go to 42nd and Second. It was 6 p.m. on Tuesday; the traffic was dense.

Once the fare, Michael Enright, a 21-year-old film student who had been recently trailing Marines in Afghanistan, settled in the back, he started asking friendly enough questions: Where was the driver from? Was he Muslim?

The driver, Ahmed H. Sharif, 44, said he was from Bangladesh, and yes he was Muslim.

Mr. Enright said, “Salaam aleikum,” the Arabic greeting “Peace be upon you.”

“How’s your Ramadan going?” Mr. Enright asked, Mr. Sharif said.

He told him it was going fine. Then, he said, Mr. Enright began making fun of the rituals of Ramadan, and Mr. Sharif sensed this cab ride might not be like any other.

From NYT:

“So I stopped talking to him,” Mr. Sharif said. “He stopped talking, too.”

As the cab inched up Third Avenue and reached 39th Street, Mr. Sharif said in a phone interview, Mr. Enright suddenly began cursing at him and shouting “This is the checkpoint” and “I have to bring you down.” He said he told him he had to bring the king of Saudi Arabia to the checkpoint.

“He was talking like he was a soldier,” Mr. Sharif said.

He withdrew a Leatherman knife, Mr. Sharif said, and, reaching through the opening in the plastic divider, slashed Mr. Sharif’s throat. When Mr. Sharif turned, he said, Mr. Enright stabbed him in his face, on his arm and on his thumbs.

Mr. Sharif said he told him: “I beg of you, don’t kill me. I worked so hard, I have a family.” (more…)

Tags: 9-11, Religion by ecthompson
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Much has been written (most of it worthless) on the controversy over the Cordora House in New York. Build or no build. I have written on it. I’m positive that I haven’t changed anyone’s mind.

Matthew Alexander adds his voice to chorus.

The Cordoba House would be a powerful symbol of U.S. tolerance and freedom that will stand in direct contradiction to al Qaeda’s narrative that Americans hate Muslims. As a symbol, its construction demonstrates that the U.S. is not at war with Islam and that Muslims are welcome in America. It communicates a message of moderation that stands in stark contrast to al Qaeda’s bankrupt ideology.

As I discovered as a high-level interrogator of al Qaeda members in Iraq, symbols like this matter. Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay and the policy of torture and abuse handed al Qaeda its number one recruiting tool. Those who think al Qaeda will not be able to spin this controversy to their advantage are disastrously mistaken — but it can be a victory for America as well.

The political uproar over the Cordoba project, and in particular the use of harmful, bigoted rhetoric by some opportunists, leaves America facing a choice. It can project one of two symbols: One of integration, acceptance and positive affirmation of American values; or one of intolerance, rejection, and animosity. The former will work to undermine al Qaeda as part of a long-term strategy to defeat them. The latter will bolster Islamic extremists’ arguments that America is an intolerant country hell-bent on war with Islam, aid recruitment efforts and add support for more terrorist attacks.

The choice is obvious. Let’s build the Cordoba House.

Tags: Domestic Issues, Religion by ecthompson
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Some words of wisdom from someone who lost his wife in the 9/11 attacks.

I remember taking calculus as a senior in high school. I would like to say that it was all Greek to me, but I think that Greek would be much easier to understand. I simply didn’t get it. Calculus did not resemble any of the math I had learned up until that point. In spite of the fact that it used some algebra and geometry and elementary functions, I was drowning in the abstract concepts.

The “controversy” over this mosque is hitting me the same way. I don’t get it. Al Qaeda brought down the Twin Towers and Al Qaeda is a radial offshoot of the Islamic faith. Therefore, a mosque should not be built within two blocks of the Ground Zero? Really? I understand that emotions are running high. All Americans feel an emotional attachment to the Twin Towers, Ground Zero and 9/11. For several months in late 2001, we were all New Yorkers. Everyone was glued to their TVs.

Policy should not be made based on emotional feelings. Policy should be made based on sound fundamental principles. We can find many of those principles within our Constitution. We know that our forefathers fled Europe in order to practice religion the way they wanted to practice it. Because religious freedom is important to all Americans, it is written into our constitution. The Constitution clearly says — freedom of religion. We also have the right to own property. So a religious group would like to place a religious structure on private land. What’s the big deal?

I’ve been told that various factions both inside and outside of New York don’t think that building a mosque that close to Ground Zero is a good idea. So? Unless the mosque is going to be built with federal, state or local funds, it is a private enterprise. To my way of thinking, if you really don’t want a mosque there, then you need to buy the property. Maybe you should ask Rupert Murdoch to lend you the money.

I’ve also been told that Hamas supports building a mosque. I don’t care what Hamas thinks. They are terrorist organization that does not influence policy here in the United States. We should follow our rules and our laws. (Oh, and Governor Paterson should stay out of this. Nothing good can come from jumping in the middle of this insanity. Howard Dean, what happened?!?!? Did you get hit on the head? Can we revoke his liberal license?)

Finally, how close to Ground Zero can you build a mosque without this controversy? If two blocks is too close, how ’bout five blocks? If five blocks is too close, how about 10 blocks? Where is the line? Should we put it to a vote? I find this whole controversy a complete and total distraction from the important issues that grip our country. We need jobs. Those of us who have jobs need a living wage. We need clean energy. We need the economy to get better. We need to bring our troops home from two ineffectual wars. Yet, here we are, fixated on a mosque being built on private land two blocks from Ground Zero. This whole argument makes just as much sense as calculus did back in high school.

BTW, I’ll be on Local Edge Radio at 4 pm EST, today! Check me out.

Tags: Al Qaeda, Religion by ecthompson
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I continue to be amazed at the fervor that is being generated by a mosque that is being planned two blocks from Ground Zero. I have a few questions for those that are outraged.

1. How far away from Ground Zero is okay? Five blocks? 10 blocks? 15 blocks? 100 blocks?
2. Since when have conservatives become so upset over a private company building on their own land?
3. I thought we were at war with Al Qaeda and not Islam?

Slate has more:

3.  The project is a statement of Islamic conquest. This is Gingrich’s position. “The ground zero mosque is a political statement of radical Islamist triumph,” he tweeted Friday in response to Obama’s speech. Debra Burlingame, the co-founder of 9/11 Families for a Safe and Strong America, issued a similar statement: “Building a 15-story mosque at Ground Zero is a deliberately provocative act.”

These are flat-out lies. The project isn’t a “15-story mosque.” It’s a community center with a library, gym, auditorium, and restaurant. Yes, it will include a mosque. It will also host events to facilitate “multifaith dialogue.” It isn’t at Ground Zero—it’s two blocks away, in what used to be a Burlington Coat Factory.

Deliberately provocative? Radical triumph? Hogwash. Go watch Faisal Abdul Rauf, the imam behind the project, as he outlines the project to a local community board: “It will establish this community as the place where the moderate Muslim voice condemns terrorism and works for new, peaceful, and harmonious relationships with all New Yorkers.” Or listen to Daisy Khan, the imam’s wife and executive director, as she explainsto radio host Brian Lehrer why they’re planning to build the project near Ground Zero:

Imam Faisal has been leading a congregation for the last 27 years in Tribeca, really only 10 blocks from Ground Zero. … We, the members of the Muslim community, want to be part of the rebuilding process. And we feel a special obligation. And it’s also our way of giving back to this great city that has given us so much. So we’re coming at it from the point of view of wanting to contribute to our society and to take that tragedy of 9/11 and turn it into something very peaceful and hopeful for all of us.

4. Any mosque near Ground Zero is offensive. Responding yesterday to Obama’s speech, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said, “[I]t’s unwise … to build a mosque at the site where 3,000 Americans lost their lives as a result of a terrorist attack.”

I’m sorry, Senator: Did you say it’s unwise to build a mosque near the site of a terroristattack?

Others have put the equation more subtly. Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., says, “It is insensitive and uncaring for the Muslim community to build a mosque in the shadow of ground zero.” Marco Rubio, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Florida, says, “It is divisive and disrespectful to build a mosque next to the site where 3,000 innocent people were murdered at the hands of Islamic extremism.” All these objections rest on the premise that the 9/11 hijackers, by committing mass murder in the name of Islam, made Islam a religion of mass murder. To accept this equation is to give them the power to define the religion of 1 billion people. That—not the rise of pro-American Islamic pluralism—is the conquest the masterminds of 9/11 sought. Don’t let them have it.

5. Ground Zero is sacred. Palin, rebutting Obama, asks why the project’s sponsors are “so set on building a mosque steps from what you have described, in agreement with me, as ‘hallowed ground.’ ” Her question assumes that the presence of a mosque would defile the sanctity of the site. In other words, unlike Obama, she believes in the kind of sanctity that excludes Islam. That’s exactly the kind of sectarian thinking al-Qaida wants to attribute to the United States and cultivate among Muslims.

Tags: Al Qaeda, Civil Liberty, Religion by ecthompson
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I’m not sure why we continue to pick a group of people, a group of Americans, to single out. Whether it be Blacks, Hispanics, Irish Catholics or Muslims, we Americans have pointed to each of these groups at one time or another and said they aren’t American.

From TP:

Tonight [Ed note - last night], President Obama hosted an iftaar dinner at the White House — a feast marking the culmination of a day of fasting for practicing Muslims during the current Islamic calendar month of Ramadan. At remarks delivered at the dinner, Obama spoke out on the controversy surrounding the construction of a new Islamic center near the Ground Zero site, firmly siding in favor of the project:

OBAMA: Let me be clear: as a citizen, and as President, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country. That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances. This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable. The principle that people of all faiths are welcome in this country, and will not be treated differently by their government, is essential to who we are. The writ of our Founders must endure.

Just to show that tolerance has no place in America Representative Peter King added:

“President Obama is wrong,” King said. “It is insensitive and uncaring for the Muslim community to build a mosque in the shadow of ground zero. While the Muslim community has the right to build the mosque they are abusing that right by needlessly offending so many people who have suffered so much.”

Even some on the Right acknowledge that the Muslim community has the right to build anywhere that they want:

Obama’s defense of the mosque has found some support on the right. Former Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson said Obama’s comments were “ultimately the right thing to do,” adding, “Obama is correct that the way to marginalize radicalism is to respect the best traditions of Islam and protect the religious liberty of Muslim Americans.”

Even on Fox News this morning, the Fox & Friends weekend hosts all agreed that Obama is performing the job that’s required of him. “Obama has to stand up for religious freedom,” said co-host Alisyn Camerota. “He has to stand up for our Constitution,” co-host Dave Briggs offered, to which co-host Clayton Morris added, “That’s the job he gets…defend the Constitution.” Watch the Video:

Tags: Civil Liberty, Obama administration, Religion by ecthompson
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My mother, a woman who grew up in the Baltimore projects, told me over and over again, “if you don’t have something nice to say, maybe you should keep it to yourself.” I think that this applies to Mark Williams. Religion is always a difficult subject to talk about. People have irrational responses to reasonable questions. Therefore, it is important to tread lightly.

Sometimes, when you open your mouth, you reveal more about yourself than you do about those that you are condemning. Mark Williams revealed his ignorance when he called Muslims “the animals of Allah” and he referred to the God of Islam as a “monkey God.” I will assume, for the moment, the Mark Williams is a Christian (I don’t know this but I’m assuming). Therefore, in studying Christianity he should understand that Islam is a spinoff of Christianity. The God of Islam is the God of Christ and the God of Moses. So, in condemning the God of Muslims he is condemning his own God, my own God.

Mr. Williams has revealed that he has learned nothing by reading the Bible. The Bible isn’t about hating your fellow man. The Bible isn’t about spewing as much hate filled rhetoric as you possibly can. The Bible is about loving your fellow man and loving God. Mark Williams appears to be doing neither. My job is not to judge Mark Williams. He will be judged when the time comes. This gentleman supposed to be some type of conservative talkshow host. If he is spewing this kind of venom on the air, he should be removed. Talking in front of a microphone, broadcasting, is a privilege. He does not deserve this privilege. If he has  just written this rhetoric on his blog than his blog should be boycotted by all.

Finally, I’m sorry I don’t get why building a Mosque near ground-zero is so upsetting. It wasn’t the Muslim faith that attacked us on 9/11. It was 19 men who were practicing some twisted form of that religion. I would think that there would no clearer sign that we, Americans don’t hate Islam and embrace all who come here (legally) than a Mosque near ground-zero.

Tags: 9-11, Party Politics, Religion by ecthompson
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• We’ve seen over and over again that disadvantaged inner-city youths can be turned around and pointed in the right direction. They need motivated parents and motivated teachers. This was the essence of the KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program). In Chicago, the Urban Prep Charter Academy has proven exactly the same thing. All 107 students in their graduating class are preparing to graduate high school and are going to college. Getting good grades is all about hard work and dedication from students, teachers and parents. Everyone was accepted to college! This is an outstanding achievement.
• We need more jobs.
• Where’s Dawn Johnsen? Barack Obama made several recess appointments but for some reason she was not included. Why not?
• I’m not sure what exactly is the matter with the Catholic Church. Several years ago, at the beginning of the Bush administration, there was an outbreak of news in which Catholic priests were molesting young children. This was thought to be an isolated “American” problem. Well, it appears the problem is by far more widespread than the Catholic Church had let on. I don’t understand why the Catholic Church did not get ahead of this problem five years ago. I don’t understand how you let the current Pope get embroiled in this awful behavior, moving accused priests from parish to parish and not removing them from the church and not protecting children. Molesting children is bad enough but at a school for the deaf? This is sick.
• The Tea Partiers are going to have a “conservative Woodstock” in the hometown of Senate majority leader Harry Reid. Searchlight, Nevada, which is as big as you think it is, is the destination for the party.
• Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who replaced Hillary Clinton as New York’s junior senator, seems to be invincible or maybe untouchable. There’s been a string of Democrats and Republicans who said they were going to run against her, only to drop out before seriously entering the race.
• The craziness continues from the tea baggers. There’s been a string of violence and vile behavior by those who opposed health-care reform. Now it appears that Congressman Anthony Weiner received a package full of white powder at his office. This is wrong on so many levels, I don’t know where to start.
• Quinnipiac has just released a poll on exactly who these tea partiers are. They are exactly who we thought they were — ultraconservatives.
• The relatively small school at Butler made it into the Sweet 16, then the Elite Eight and now the Final Four. They have defeated Kansas State University. This team is playing really good basketball. Unfortunately, what used to be my Cinderella favorite North Iowa University (since they knocked off Kansas) has been knocked out of the tournament. Outstanding.

Watch the video:

Artist: Atlanta Rhythm Section
Tune: So into You

Tags: Education, Music, Party Politics, Religion, Sports by ecthompson
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Republicans and conservatives have been trying to scare the beeswax out of Americans.  They have lied about the Healthcare plan from day one. A couple of days ago, the lie was that Democrats were going to kill off the elderly. President Obama had to debunk that in a townhall meeting. Now we have a new Harry and Louise -type commercial, which is designed to scare the elderly. A government paid for healthcare plan would deny seniors the surgery that they need while providing abortions to the young. This piece of goodness is served up by the Family Research Council (if you are not familiar with FRC here are a couple of posts as background – here, here and here):

 

 Family Research Council serves up the biggest lie yet on Healthcare: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Healthcare, Party Politics, Religion by ecthompson
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The Errington Thompson Show. My guest is Mark Karlin. We discuss the latest news: the good, the bad… and the ugly!

Life, specifically my job, has been beating me up as of late. After having been up for more than 36 hours, I foolishly thought I could take a two-hour “nap.” That didn’t work out so well for me. I was seriously late for the show. Thanks to Aaron for calling me. I’m eternally grateful to Mark Karlin of Buzzflash.com for being patient enough to wait for me to show up at the studio. Mark — thank you.

We start by talking about Mark Sanford. The embattled governor of South Carolina is part of this shadowy religious organization called The Family. Their headquarters is located in Washington DC in a building called “C Street.” Now this probably wouldn’t be a big deal, except it turns out that several congressmen live in this building while they are in Washington. First of all, I don’t understand a bunch of grown men living like they’re college students again. I’m sorry, I just don’t understand that. Secondly, Senator John Ensign happens to be an active member of this group. So when you put all this extra information together you get — grown men living like college kids, infidelity and a bizarre secretive religious organization. The whole thing just doesn’t seem to add up. Mark Karlin adds a lot of excellent information to this bizarre incident. The Family believes that these leaders were preordained by God to lead Americans.

We discussed the fact that Barack Obama went to Ghana as his first African country to visit. Clearly, Barack Obama made a good choice.

We then segue into talking about the Central Honesty Agency. I think anybody who was thinking at the time that Nancy Pelosi stated that the CIA lied to her and other members of Congress would have thought that this was a no-brainer. As usual, the Republicans jumped on this using their familiar playbook. They pulled out the play named Patriotism and tried to label Nancy Pelosi as unpatriotic and un-American. As this week has unfolded, though, it turns out that the CIA probably did lie to Congress and withheld vital information on domestic spying. The new inspector general’s report clearly states that Congress was not informed about some domestic spying. It appears that Vice President Dick Cheney led the effort to keep Congress in the dark.

I still have to wonder where Congress is. Where are the hard-hitting investigations?

We also learned recently that the force behind Alberto Gonzales and Andrew Card going to the bedside of John Ashcroft, who had recently undergone surgery, was not Dick Cheney but instead was George W. Bush. I was kind of surprised by this information. Mark Karlin points out that he and others said Buzzflash.com were following the story carefully several years ago. They reported that the available information at the time suggested it was in fact Bush who ordered these two pawns to Aschcroft’s bedside.

Finally, we end with that story about the Washington Post. The Washington Post seem to be selling access to their writers and op-ed columnists. Mark Karlin mentions that this is why Buzzflash takes donations and donations only. You can donate to Buzzflash here.

This is a fun interview. I hope you enjoy it.

 

 The Errington Thompson Show 07-11-09 [21:31m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Bush Administration, Civil Liberty, Domestic Spying, Podcasts, Religion by ecthompson
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I had no idea about this religious group called “The Family.” Oh, and why are there several congressmen living in this dorm? I really don’t understand this. This is very weird.

I must congratulate Rachel Maddow for digging into this very disturbing story.

Check this out:
Sanford was referring to the address of the Washington headquarters for The Family — perhaps the most politically powerful religious group in Washington. Sponsor of the annual National Prayer Breakfast that draws leading U.S. politicians, the secretive Christian organization also known as The Fellowship was founded in Seattle in 1935 by Abraham Vereide, a Norwegian immigrant and itinerant preacher who worked with the city’s poor and feared the pull of socialism. He claimed that God appeared to him to warn that Christianity’s preoccupation with the poor and weak was misguided, so Vereide began to minister to the powerful. He organized prayer breakfasts for political and business leaders to promote anti-Communism and anti-unionism, and the group later went on to work with dictators in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

The family is headed by a man named Douglas Coe, who has controversially encouraged the men under his tutelage to follow Jesus with the same sort of blind devotion shown by Hitler’s followers. The members also refer to themselves as the “new chosen people,” believing that the Jews broke their covenant with God.

Incorporated today as a tax-free 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating under the name The Fellowship Foundation, the Family maintains a three-story, $1.1 million brick townhouse at 133 C St. in Washington — a former convent that’s now home to members of Congress while being treated like a church under tax law. Among the lawmakers who have rented rooms there are Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.) and Jim DeMint (R-S.C.). Other lawmakers linked to the group include Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.), Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.), who also recently admitted to an extramarital affair.

In a meeting with his cabinet after his public confession, the New York Times reported, Gov. Sanford apologized for letting people down but said he has no plans to resign. He referred to the biblical story of King David: “the way in which he fell mightily … but then picked up the pieces and built from there.” [Read more →]

Tags: Party Politics, Rachel Maddow Show, Religion by ecthompson
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I think that President Barack Obama did a great job in Cairo. He reached out without bending over.

From Political Animal:  In his speech in Cairo this morning, President Obama early on established some credibility and goodwill with his audience. He talked about the sources of tension between the United States and Muslims around the world, heralded the culture and contributions made by Muslims throughout history, quoted the Koran, cited the burgeoning Muslim communities in the U.S., and explained his belief that he has a “responsibility” to “fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear.”

But what arguably mattered most about the speech was the president using that credibility and goodwill to challenge Muslims and the Middle East to do more.

A rejection of anti-American attitudes:

“Just as Muslims do not fit a crude stereotype, America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire. The United States has been one of the greatest sources of progress that the world has ever known.”

A rejection of 9/11 conspiracy theories:

“I am aware that some question or justify the events of 9/11. But let us be clear: al Qaeda killed nearly 3,000 people on that day. The victims were innocent men, women and children from America and many other nations who had done nothing to harm anybody. And yet Al Qaeda chose to ruthlessly murder these people, claimed credit for the attack, and even now states their determination to kill on a massive scale. They have affiliates in many countries and are trying to expand their reach. These are not opinions to be debated; these are facts to be dealt with.”

Support for Israel:

“Around the world, the Jewish people were persecuted for centuries, and anti-Semitism in Europe culminated in an unprecedented Holocaust. Tomorrow, I will visit Buchenwald, which was part of a network of camps where Jews were enslaved, tortured, shot and gassed to death by the Third Reich. Six million Jews were killed — more than the entire Jewish population of Israel today. Denying that fact is baseless, ignorant, and hateful. Threatening Israel with destruction — or repeating vile stereotypes about Jews — is deeply wrong, and only serves to evoke in the minds of Israelis this most painful of memories while preventing the peace that the people of this region deserve…. The Arab-Israeli conflict should no longer be used to distract the people of Arab nations from other problems. Instead, it must be a cause for action to help the Palestinian people develop the institutions that will sustain their state; to recognize Israel’s legitimacy; and to choose progress over a self-defeating focus on the past.”

Rejection of violence:

“Resistance through violence and killing is wrong and does not succeed. For centuries, black people in America suffered the lash of the whip as slaves and the humiliation of segregation. But it was not violence that won full and equal rights. It was a peaceful and determined insistence upon the ideals at the center of America’s founding. This same story can be told by people from South Africa to South Asia; from Eastern Europe to Indonesia. It’s a story with a simple truth: that violence is a dead end. It is a sign of neither courage nor power to shoot rockets at sleeping children, or to blow up old women on a bus. That is not how moral authority is claimed; that is how it is surrendered.”

Promoting democracy:

“[T]here are some who advocate for democracy only when they are out of power; once in power, they are ruthless in suppressing the rights of others. No matter where it takes hold, government of the people and by the people sets a single standard for all who hold power: you must maintain your power through consent, not coercion; you must respect the rights of minorities, and participate with a spirit of tolerance and compromise; you must place the interests of your people and the legitimate workings of the political process above your party. Without these ingredients, elections alone do not make true democracy.”

Religious liberty:

“Among some Muslims, there is a disturbing tendency to measure one’s own faith by the rejection of another’s. The richness of religious diversity must be upheld” whether it is for Maronites in Lebanon or the Copts in Egypt. And fault lines must be closed among Muslims as well, as the divisions between Sunni and Shia have led to tragic violence, particularly in Iraq. Freedom of religion is central to the ability of peoples to live together. We must always examine the ways in which we protect it.”

The rights of women:

“Our daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons, and our common prosperity will be advanced by allowing all humanity “men and women” to reach their full potential. I do not believe that women must make the same choices as men in order to be equal, and I respect those women who choose to live their lives in traditional roles. But it should be their choice.”

These weren’t rebukes or condemnations, they were a president issuing a challenge, and forging a new basis for an international relationship. It was also a reminder that Obama, no matter where he is, doesn’t talk down to his audiences, or shy away from nuance or complex ideas.

Tags: Obama administration, Religion by ecthompson
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We live in the year 2009. People are not supposed to die at a rally. We have seen this all before. Angola. Tens of thousands line up and wait for hours (does this sound like Cincinnati in 1979?) The doors open and there is no assigned seating. Everyone rushes in. There is chaos. Two girls are dead.  Eight others are wounded. This is so preventable…  so preventable. It’s so sad. There is no excuse for the lack of planning and foresight.

From NYT: Pope Benedict, on a visit to Angola marred by a deadly stampede, on Saturday urged Angolan Catholics to shun witchcraft and woo back those who have left the Catholic church to join other religious groups.

Two teenage girls were killed and at least eight injured in the stampede to enter a stadium in downtown Luanda where Pope Benedict later presided at a youth rally, an official said.

Maria das Dores Celina, a nurse at Josina Machel Hospital, told Reuters the incident happened as thousands of people rushed to enter the venue before the Pope arrived. The two girls arrived dead at the hospital, she added.

Tags: Foreign Affairs, Religion by ecthompson
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There is so much to say about Charles Darwin and evolution that I’m going to try to say as much as I can when I get back (like the fact that religion and science aren’t mutually exclusive). For now, I have a meeting to attend.

Enjoy the video:

Rachel Maddow and her guest point out that Americans have been basically split between believing in evolution and creationism for a long long time. This should come as no surprise to most Americans. Let’s just think about this for a second. Most Americans believe that atoms makeup all matter. But almost no one can describe for you how an atom works. How many Americans can describe adequately what a neutron is? A particle that has mass but no charge. How many Americans can describe the orbit of an electron? This is simple high school physics. Yet, I bet that over 70% of Americans would have problems describing the orbit of electron. Then, take it to the next level, pun intended, could Americans describe the phenomenon of all electrons being in discreet orbits around the nucleus but yet cannot exist anywhere between those orbits? What about subatomic particles, how many Americans could describe quarks and leptons and anti-leptons? This is our problem. We, as Americans, our science deficient. Yet, science is all around us. From the electricity that is running my computer to the chemistry that allows sugar to dissolve in my tea, we are a very science deficient society.

The last thing I will say about Darwin and his 200th birthday is as Matt (see his comment) noted, Charles Darwin wanted to be a minister. Therefore, he had problems resolving what he saw with his understanding of religion. Now, for those of you who believe in religion, let me weave a tale for you. One of the tenets of the Judeo-Christian heritage is that God is all-knowing. Therefore, if God created the universe, he created the laws that the universe is run by. We call these laws – science. Therefore, since God is all-knowing, and he set the laws by which our world works, why wouldn’t he know what the end product was going to be? Yes, the theory of natural selection, evolution, is about survival of the fittest. It is about the species that is most adapted to his environment, surviving. Although we live in an incredibly complex system, wouldn’t God no what the final outcome would be? My answer is yes. Therefore, it is possible to believe in religion and God and also try to understand our world through science.

My two cents. More great stuff on Darwin by Richard Dawkins.

Tags: Rachel Maddow Show, Religion, Science by ecthompson
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In his Albion’s Seed–Four British Folkways In America, author David Hackett Fischer writes about five major Puritan doctrines and ideas that were brought to Massachusetts from England in the 17th century.

(Here is information about Puritanism in New England.)

These five were depravity, covenant, election, grace and love.

Here is what Mr. Hackett writes about the idea of “depravity”—

“…depravity…to Calvinists meant the total corruption of “natural man” as a consequence of Adam’s original sin. The Puritans believed that evil was a palpable presence in the world, and that the universe was a a scene of cosmic struggle between darkness and light. They lived in an age of atrocities without equal until the twentieth century. But no evil ever surprised them or threatened to undermine their faith…. They believed as an article of  faith that there was no horror which mortal man was incapable of committing. The dark thread of this doctrine ran through the fabric of New England’s culture for many generations. ”

While I’m not religious, I do subscribe to some of these ideas about so-called depravity. Life is often a battle between good and evil. And there is nothing so horrible that it can’t happen.

Maybe I find agreement because on one side of the family I’m descended from Puritans off the boat in 17th- century Massachusetts. Or maybe it is because I’m an ideologue and can relate to fanatics. Or it could just be that I have lived in our world and these are the conclusions I’ve reached.

Evil is not just about brutal acts in foreign nations. Evil is a relevant term for our leaders lying to get us to declare war on nations that pose no threat to our security. Evil is a relevant term for the willful mismanagement of our economy for the benefit of the few at the expense of the many.      

Martin Luther King saw evil as an active force in the universe. Here is what he said in his great sermon ”Unfulfilled Dreams”  

“….. you must face the fact that there is a tension at the heart of the universe between good and evil. It’s there: a tension at the heart of the universe between good and evil. Hinduism refers to this as a struggle between illusion and reality. Platonic philosophy used to refer to it as a tension between body and soul. Zoroastrianism, a religion of old, used to refer to it as a tension between the god of light and the god of darkness. Traditional Judaism and Christianity refer to it as a tension between God and Satan. Whatever you call it, there is a struggle in the universe between good and evil.”

Like Martin Luther King, I’m hopeful that evil can be challenged and, at times, overcome. It is good that while evil is a fact of our existence, so is the ability to fight back with faith, reason, kindness and hard work.

Tags: Books, General, Religion by Texas Liberal
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This morning I attended the Yom Kippur service at Houston Hillel. Houston Hillel serves Jewish college students throughout the Houston area. The Rabbi is Kenny Weiss.

I am not Jewish. My wife is Jewish.

Yom Kippur is the Jewish New Year and the Day of Atonement.  It is seen as the most important day on the Jewish calender. Jewish folks, such as the wife, fast on Yom Kippur. I had clam chowder for lunch.

When I arrived at the service I was handed a book. I love to read. The book was called a machzor. This is a special prayer book for high Jewish holidays.

At one point were were told to stand and to read silently a 26 page section of the book. That’s my kind of service.

There was plenty of singing at the service. A young woman cantor sang prayers from the machzor in Hebrew. I was not always able to follow where in the book she was singing from, but I did feel I was getting the drift.   

The room the service was conducted in had a big window and was full of light.  

There were both many college students and elderly folks at the service. This mix was good as it spoke to the future and to the importance of the past. It spoke of the ability of the Jewish faith to draw new people and remain relevant for entire lifetimes.

The text of the machzor asked me to confess of the misdeeds I have committed in the past year and to learn from these errors for the year ahead. I am a misdeed a day type of person so I found the words to be relevant.

Nobody asked me if I were Jewish or not. Nobody seemed annoyed by the small baby in the room who made a little noise at times. The Rabbi was both welcoming and clear that the service had meaning.

Good luck to my wife and to all Jewish folks in the year ahead. Good luck to all.

Here is some history of the Jewish religion.

Tags: Religion by Texas Liberal
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I haven’t had a chance to do the background on this yet but a reader sent me a link which suggests that Governor Sarah Palin helped her church get funding for a new youth center. Read for yourself. I have to get back to work. I’ll do a little bit more reading on this subject this afternoon.

Tags: Election 2008, Religion by ecthompson
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A friend whom I like and admire wrote me:

but for Democrats to smear someone for getting pregnant before marriage (which is the way the Republicans may spin it) is playing into their hands. I think they will try to turn it into a positive for the anti-choice crowd. It is a constant challenge for me — as much as I CAN’T STAND them — not to be as nasty as they are.

Here’s what I have to say about that:

Of course the Republicans and the out-of-the-ballpark-right-wing Christian dominionists are already spinning it that it would be a “smear” to point out that the Palins’ teenage daughter is pregnant before marriage. They’ve managed to convince Obama and Biden that “families are off limits.” The fundie spokespersons have also already spun Sarah Palin’s decision (on her daughter’s behalf) as a portrait of “someone who lives their convictions.”

So the Palins and their daughter are “living their convictions” in terms of not aborting the fetus — and demanding a halo of self-righteousness for doing so. For the moment let’s overlook the fact that these same people also insist that the rest of us live by THEIR convictions, regardless of our own beliefs.

What’s more to the point is that as they SIMULTANEOUSLY ignore their own convictions about “no sex before or outside of marriage,” they want — they demand, and for the most part the media gives them — a FREE PASS for that. And that’s where the hypocrisy becomes part of the political game.

Remember, Mommy Palin was pregnant when she had to marry Todd, her high school sweetheart, 20 years ago. Now her daughter is pregnant and has to marry her guy, too. But if the Republicans and, particularly, the dominionists have their way, NOBODY ELSE should ever be allowed to have sex before or outside of marriage, or to know the consequences of it — because, in Sarah Palin’s words, “explicit sex education” is wrong, and sex outside of marriage (and before marriage) is sinful, and ONLY abstinence education works to keep children pure. How well it worked with her own daughter!

These people are instantly ready to forgive all the “sins” that Republicans commit, because “everyone is human” and “has human failings.” But just let ONE DEMOCRAT have even the most minor sexual encounter outside of marriage, and watch him get impeached!

I simply can’t consider telling the truth and pointing out their lies and shameless hypocrisy to be nasty.

Tags: Election 2008, Ethics, Other Political Thoughts, Party Politics, Religion by Moe White
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Senator Barack Obama did fantastic job in front of a relatively hostile audience. Pastor Rick Warren asked about his personal moral failures and his opinion on America’s moral failures. Obama talked openly about his youthful drug use. He also talks about America leaving behind those that are the least among us. It was a great answer.

Tags: Election 2008, Ethics, Religion by ecthompson
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I like to laugh as much, or more, than the next guy. I can laugh at myself– and my candidate. But, unfortunately, I think that the New Yorker has gone too far.

Senator Barack Obama and his supporters have fought hard to inform the American public that he is a Christian American. It shouldn’t matter what religion Obama is, but it does. That’s the reality of 2008. Racism and religion are touchy subjects, and New Yorker’s satire isn’t funny. Rather, it is insulting.

Update: I didn’t even notice the American flag burning in the fire place. This is all kinds of wrong.

Update II: 13% of Americans still believe that Barack Obama is a Muslim.

C&L has an excellent summary of progressive blogs.

Tags: Election 2008, Race, Religion by ecthompson
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Trinity Episcopal church (pictured above) dates back to 1733. The building is something to see if you are in Boston.

I’m not a church-goer, and I’m not likely to become one soon, but I don’t have a reflexive hostility to religion. Many on my side of the aisle would have a more favorable view of religion if churches made a real effort at including all people. Trinity provides a model statement on inclusiveness.

Here is the “Statement of Affirmation” from the well-known Trinity Church in Boston:

“Trinity Church of Boston welcomes and honors everyone,. In accordance with our baptismal covenant, we affirm the inherent worth and dignity of every person, We strive to to include all persons without regard to sexual orientation, race,gender, family configuration, ethnic background, economic circumstance, difference in ability, culture, or age. Our love and acceptance of each other embody our commitment to unity with God and each other in Christ.”

Tags: Religion by Texas Liberal
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