And other scientific inquiries.
Today on CNN.com, a featured article discussed advances being made in the field of cancer eradication, namely, in creating a "smart-bomb for cancer" (a phrase which caught my eye in part because it was used on The West Wing about four years ago). Though still in it's early stages, and not wholly successful, a promising new study has found that the human immune system can be genetically enhanced to target cancer cells, something it doesn't normally do. Not only is that bad-ass in a science-fiction sort of way, it's also incredibly inspiring and a little terrifying. Essentially, what they do is extract some white blood cells. Then they genetically engineer them by mixing them with a lab-created virus which seeks out and attaches itself to cancer cells. Then, with traditional chemotherapy, they wipe out the person's existing immune system, and then re-introduce the new Jack Bauer immune cells, which then go about eradicating the cancer. In the study it only worked in 2 out of 17 subjects, but in those subjects it worked completely. Tell me science isn't amazing.
And this very week the new Pope is meeting with some former theology students to discuss that. They will be meeting for a three-day discussion/debate on the subjects of evolution and creationism. Of course, they won't be coming to any definitive answers or making any proclamations of one over the other, but it will be a discussion which is refreshing given the climate here in the United States where it seems people have no room for concession or understanding. Even the last Pope gave some credence to Darwin's assertions. I think everyone on both sides of the aisle could learn a lesson from these Popes, that religion and reason are not mutually exclusive, and that discussion and investigation do not denote a lack of faith. Obviously, Pope Benedict doesn't believe that evolution is an entirely random process, and he certainly believes that God created everything, but all the same, any discussion on the merits of both evolution and creationism (or its modern guise of intelligent design) concedes that there is a possibility for truth and faith in evolution. My point: science is a great thing. Also, breaking news: Ice cream is delicious.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Notes from the Campaign Trail
It's hard to keep track of all the goings-on in an election year, especially a mid-term election year, especially when we have all this breaking news about how Hurricane Katrina happened a year ago and a guy falsely confessed to a single murder a decade ago. So, I thought I'd help you cut through the treacle with a little clip of the kind of thing we find in this election season.
From the party of inclusion, we have Katherine Harris, belle of the Bush coup. Some of you may remember her from the 2000 election when she was co-chair of the Bush Florida Campaign while simultaneously being the Secretary of State for Florida and thus the person who certified Bush's electoral victory in Florida, a decision later overturned by the state supreme court (then even later overturned by the national one) and then again by any number of non-partisan studies since. Before I continue, I should also mention that she is so crazy, many of her own party don't support her.
Her most recent madness came while she was campaigning and giving an interview to the Florida Baptist Witness publication. Just so I can't be accused of taking things out of context, here's what she said...
"...that lie we have been told, the separation of church and state, people have internalized, thinking that they needed to avoid politics and that is so wrong because God is the one who chooses our rulers."
and also...
"If you are not electing Christians, tried and true, under public scrutiny and pressure, if you're not electing Christians then in essence you are going to legislate sin. They can legislate sin. They can say that abortion is alright. They can vote to sustain gay marriage. And that will take western civilization, indeed other nations because people look to our country as one nation as under God and whenever we legislate sin and we say abortion is permissible and we say gay unions are permissible, then average citizens who are not Christians, because they dont know better, we are leading them astray and its wrong."
I guess I'll start from the top...that old "lie" that is our concept of the seperation of church and state. It's just like that story about Washington chopping down the apple tree...pure poppycock. Our founding fathers never wanted there to be separation of church and state. That's why when they wrote our laws, based in part on English law, they decreed that the Anglican church would be the official state religion and then proceeded to copy the bible word-for-word onto what we would later colloquially call our "Constitution". God already has a grade A form of governance. He's like the President, but for life, and Jesus is like his Vice President. And the Holy Ghost is like the Speaker of the House I guess. They never wanted these things separate. They wanted religion to dictate our laws, and for the law to enforce religion. That's why murder is a crime. That's why stealing is a crime. That's also why it's a crime not to honor my father or to desire my neighbor's possessions. Oh, wait a minute...
Sure, religion influences and is entwined with a person's moral and political values, and certainly if a person believes that something is a sin, then they would probably also think it should be illegal. However, there is the small matter of the fact that not everyone has the same religion, and even the ones that do often disagree, and that unless Jesus was elected to the House of Representatives, that no one in our government is capable of speaking for God or Allah or Vishnu and dictating how we should choose to live. The separation of church and state ensures (in theory) that decisions in government are based on reason and the good of all people and not simply the religious assertions of a few, while at the same time making sure that government never interferes in people's free expression and practice of their religious faith, whatever that may be (unless it harms another, which is why we no longer have sacrifices). But, you know what, I guess it is all a lie, because God has chosen our leaders, and as a Representative of both her district and the one true God, she must know what she's talking about.
So let's get into that. She says that our leaders are chosen by God. Not that God encourages people to run or gives them a calling, or that God informs people's decisions...no, God has hand-picked all of our leaders, and doesn't He just think it's adorable how we go through the motions of holding elections when it's so unnecessary. In fact, on election day, I usually head on down to the pulpit and pray "Dear Lord, in your infinite wisdom, please use your infinite power and wisdom to fill out millions of ballots across the country and tell us who you have decided we want to lead us." And you know what, God always elects someone, and whether I know it or not, that person is the best person for the job, and who am I to question the creator of all things.
It's an odd campaign strategy in a democracy to go out and tell people that they don't choose their leaders. Why is she campaigning then? If God chooses our rulers, then shouldn't she show some faith and let God decide whether she should be one of them? Is she doubting the power of Yahweh by thinking that she, and not He, can convince the voters? If God wants her to rule, it'll happen, amen.
Which then brings us to the part that really inspires. Apparently, only Christians are wise enough to rule. Not Jews, or Muslims, and most definitely not Hindus or Buddhists. Nope, only Christians, because everyone who is not a Christian believes that every woman should be required to have an abortion and that the fetus should then be eaten whole before going out and stealing, murdering, and engaging in forced sodomy or, as non-christians call it: Friday night. Its true though, it really is. All Christians always do the right thing, and all non-christians are constantly trying to make sure that everything sinful and debaucherous is legal, if not legally required. That's why the Jewish people in Congress are always trying to overturn federal murder statutes, and why Atheists are always complaining about how it should be legal to steal. Note to Mrs. Harris: IF YOU HAVE A MORAL PROBLEM WITH ABORTION AND HOMOSEXUALITY, JUST SAY SO. Don't call everyone else a godless sodomite, and don't call any Christian who disagrees with you a false Christian. Though she backtracked and said she supports other religions, especially those wonderful Jews, she still believes that Christians hold the moral high ground.
You know what the difference between a good person and a good Christian is? A belief in Christ. Really, that's what it boils down to, meaning that it's possible to be a good and moral person and still not be a good Christian, so why can't people vote for a non-Christian and still be voting for a capable and noble person? Well, according to my buddy Kathy, it's because when you elect people who aren't true Christians, they legislate sin which then leads the average, dumb people astray by making them think sin is a good thing. Perhaps her Lexicon is out-of-date or her Dictionary has a tear across the page in the "A" section where the word "average" appears, but I think by definition it means, in the case of people, "typical, the norm". You know what is typical in the United States? Christians. 77 percent of the population of our country identify as Christians. 77 percent sounds pretty average to me. Considering that the next highest representation (aside from 'no affiliation') is Jewish with 1.3 percent, seems like the average person in the U.S. is Christian. Most of our leaders are Christian. So, is she saying that the average citizen, a Christian, is being led astray by the Christians in government, the ones that God appointed? Is she saying that the whole world is now going to become a new Babylon of abortions and gay marriages because Christians aren't electing enough Christians?
So after all that, I guess my point is that if you have objections to things, be they abortions, gays, liberals, social programs, free speech in the media, etc., and you expect to do something about it in Congress, perhaps it's best to start forming a real argument and deciding a.) why it is you believe what you do, b.) whether that's the best thing for all Americans, and c.) what's the best way to convince the people who disagree with you. Instead, your friend and mine in Florida decided it would be best to call people stupid, to call people heathens, and to tell people that Christians, and only Christians, are good people and that if you let a single Muslim get elected, that you are killing an unborn child.
From the party of inclusion, we have Katherine Harris, belle of the Bush coup. Some of you may remember her from the 2000 election when she was co-chair of the Bush Florida Campaign while simultaneously being the Secretary of State for Florida and thus the person who certified Bush's electoral victory in Florida, a decision later overturned by the state supreme court (then even later overturned by the national one) and then again by any number of non-partisan studies since. Before I continue, I should also mention that she is so crazy, many of her own party don't support her.
Her most recent madness came while she was campaigning and giving an interview to the Florida Baptist Witness publication. Just so I can't be accused of taking things out of context, here's what she said...
"...that lie we have been told, the separation of church and state, people have internalized, thinking that they needed to avoid politics and that is so wrong because God is the one who chooses our rulers."
and also...
"If you are not electing Christians, tried and true, under public scrutiny and pressure, if you're not electing Christians then in essence you are going to legislate sin. They can legislate sin. They can say that abortion is alright. They can vote to sustain gay marriage. And that will take western civilization, indeed other nations because people look to our country as one nation as under God and whenever we legislate sin and we say abortion is permissible and we say gay unions are permissible, then average citizens who are not Christians, because they dont know better, we are leading them astray and its wrong."
I guess I'll start from the top...that old "lie" that is our concept of the seperation of church and state. It's just like that story about Washington chopping down the apple tree...pure poppycock. Our founding fathers never wanted there to be separation of church and state. That's why when they wrote our laws, based in part on English law, they decreed that the Anglican church would be the official state religion and then proceeded to copy the bible word-for-word onto what we would later colloquially call our "Constitution". God already has a grade A form of governance. He's like the President, but for life, and Jesus is like his Vice President. And the Holy Ghost is like the Speaker of the House I guess. They never wanted these things separate. They wanted religion to dictate our laws, and for the law to enforce religion. That's why murder is a crime. That's why stealing is a crime. That's also why it's a crime not to honor my father or to desire my neighbor's possessions. Oh, wait a minute...
Sure, religion influences and is entwined with a person's moral and political values, and certainly if a person believes that something is a sin, then they would probably also think it should be illegal. However, there is the small matter of the fact that not everyone has the same religion, and even the ones that do often disagree, and that unless Jesus was elected to the House of Representatives, that no one in our government is capable of speaking for God or Allah or Vishnu and dictating how we should choose to live. The separation of church and state ensures (in theory) that decisions in government are based on reason and the good of all people and not simply the religious assertions of a few, while at the same time making sure that government never interferes in people's free expression and practice of their religious faith, whatever that may be (unless it harms another, which is why we no longer have sacrifices). But, you know what, I guess it is all a lie, because God has chosen our leaders, and as a Representative of both her district and the one true God, she must know what she's talking about.
So let's get into that. She says that our leaders are chosen by God. Not that God encourages people to run or gives them a calling, or that God informs people's decisions...no, God has hand-picked all of our leaders, and doesn't He just think it's adorable how we go through the motions of holding elections when it's so unnecessary. In fact, on election day, I usually head on down to the pulpit and pray "Dear Lord, in your infinite wisdom, please use your infinite power and wisdom to fill out millions of ballots across the country and tell us who you have decided we want to lead us." And you know what, God always elects someone, and whether I know it or not, that person is the best person for the job, and who am I to question the creator of all things.
It's an odd campaign strategy in a democracy to go out and tell people that they don't choose their leaders. Why is she campaigning then? If God chooses our rulers, then shouldn't she show some faith and let God decide whether she should be one of them? Is she doubting the power of Yahweh by thinking that she, and not He, can convince the voters? If God wants her to rule, it'll happen, amen.
Which then brings us to the part that really inspires. Apparently, only Christians are wise enough to rule. Not Jews, or Muslims, and most definitely not Hindus or Buddhists. Nope, only Christians, because everyone who is not a Christian believes that every woman should be required to have an abortion and that the fetus should then be eaten whole before going out and stealing, murdering, and engaging in forced sodomy or, as non-christians call it: Friday night. Its true though, it really is. All Christians always do the right thing, and all non-christians are constantly trying to make sure that everything sinful and debaucherous is legal, if not legally required. That's why the Jewish people in Congress are always trying to overturn federal murder statutes, and why Atheists are always complaining about how it should be legal to steal. Note to Mrs. Harris: IF YOU HAVE A MORAL PROBLEM WITH ABORTION AND HOMOSEXUALITY, JUST SAY SO. Don't call everyone else a godless sodomite, and don't call any Christian who disagrees with you a false Christian. Though she backtracked and said she supports other religions, especially those wonderful Jews, she still believes that Christians hold the moral high ground.
You know what the difference between a good person and a good Christian is? A belief in Christ. Really, that's what it boils down to, meaning that it's possible to be a good and moral person and still not be a good Christian, so why can't people vote for a non-Christian and still be voting for a capable and noble person? Well, according to my buddy Kathy, it's because when you elect people who aren't true Christians, they legislate sin which then leads the average, dumb people astray by making them think sin is a good thing. Perhaps her Lexicon is out-of-date or her Dictionary has a tear across the page in the "A" section where the word "average" appears, but I think by definition it means, in the case of people, "typical, the norm". You know what is typical in the United States? Christians. 77 percent of the population of our country identify as Christians. 77 percent sounds pretty average to me. Considering that the next highest representation (aside from 'no affiliation') is Jewish with 1.3 percent, seems like the average person in the U.S. is Christian. Most of our leaders are Christian. So, is she saying that the average citizen, a Christian, is being led astray by the Christians in government, the ones that God appointed? Is she saying that the whole world is now going to become a new Babylon of abortions and gay marriages because Christians aren't electing enough Christians?
So after all that, I guess my point is that if you have objections to things, be they abortions, gays, liberals, social programs, free speech in the media, etc., and you expect to do something about it in Congress, perhaps it's best to start forming a real argument and deciding a.) why it is you believe what you do, b.) whether that's the best thing for all Americans, and c.) what's the best way to convince the people who disagree with you. Instead, your friend and mine in Florida decided it would be best to call people stupid, to call people heathens, and to tell people that Christians, and only Christians, are good people and that if you let a single Muslim get elected, that you are killing an unborn child.
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