LIVING WITH WAR

[Charles LePage @ ComicList]

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MDU5ZDdlZTJmNTg3ZTM5OTc4MjJkYzdjOWFlMTBmNGE=

http://theanchoressonline.com/2006/05/22/the-essential-president-bush/

[Reverend Joshua Sloane]

I have no respect whatsoever for a man who is of a lower intelligence and general knowledge than myself running the country in which I live. I'm an idiot, so how can I trust a lesser brained fool to run our lives?

[Reverend Joshua Sloane]

"See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda."

[Reverend Joshua Sloane]

"I'm also not very analytical. You know I don't spend a lot of time thinking about myself, about why I do things."
—Bush, reassuring us that the wartime president of the most powerful nation on earth does not think too much
Source: Federal Document Clearing House, "Roundtable Interview of the President by White House Press Pool," June 4, 2003

[Charles LePage @ ComicList]

I don't have the same issue as you do.  Pres. Bush doesn't have "a lower intelligence and general knowledge" than I do.  Sure, Al Gore or John Kerry may score better on grammar, but I couldn't trust them, whether they be a lesser or greater brained fool than I.

[Charles LePage @ ComicList]

I'm just thankful God graced me with a President of such high caliber in my lifetime.  I don't think either party will find a man or woman to meet or exceed Pres. Bush anytime soon.

[Reverend Joshua Sloane]

I gots ma countrees back ya see. I be da one 2 defend it and all that stuff. john kerry and dose guys are poop heads you poop heads!

[Reverend Joshua Sloane]

I'm just thankful God graced me with a President of such high caliber in my lifetime.  I don't think either party will find a man or woman to meet or exceed Pres. Bush anytime soon.

 

(this is not a bow)

[Charles LePage @ ComicList]

I gots ma countrees back ya see. I be da one 2 defend it and all that stuff. john kerry and dose guys are poop heads you poop heads!

Well, there you go.  Not everything is a joke to me.  Not everything is to be ridiculed and mocked.  I made it clear in my home that if Kerry had won the election, no one was going to refer to Pres. Kerry as "stupid" or "a fool," even if we didn't want him to be President. 

[Reverend Joshua Sloane]

Well exactly, it's a large responsibility. One in such a situation should be able to handle a bit of sarcasm from a teenager on a message board. It should not offend anyone, it should only serve to express an opinion which could be put much more harshly in serious terms.

And on the trust issues -- I don't trust a guy to run a country when he's previously been arrested for D.U.I. A person who cannot control their urge to be intoxicated and drive a vehicle is not fit to do anything sensible.

[Reverend Joshua Sloane]

I gots ma countrees back ya see. I be da one 2 defend it and all that stuff. john kerry and dose guys are poop heads you poop heads!

 no one was going to refer to Pres. Kerry as "stupid" or "a fool," even if we didn't want him to be President. 

That's a respectable thing to do.

What about those protesters who hold signs saying, "God hates fags!"? Can I call these people stupid? Fools? Or must I reserve respect for their stance because they hold ground at homosexuals' funerals?

[Reverend Joshua Sloane]

If there's one itty bitty thing I've learnt from Ian spewing his opinions here -- it's that when you believe something to be wrong you should stand up and at least make mention of it. It does no good to sit quietly while things go on which go against one's own moral belief.  And the fact that you make the thread topic in reference to that album is just pointless. Why not just start a pro-Bush thread? You didn't even mention Neil Young in the post! You just provided links for some Dubya 'pats on the back' sites.

[Jonas]

I'm just thankful God graced me with a President of such high caliber in my lifetime.  I don't think either party will find a man or woman to meet or exceed Pres. Bush anytime soon.

 

(this is not a bow)

Yeah, Im gonna have to disagree too. You've had a much better president than Bush in your lifetime and Im sure there will be more to come...

[I. Spaceman]

If there's one itty bitty thing I've learnt from Ian spewing his opinions here -- it's that when you believe something to be wrong you should stand up and at least make mention of it. It does no good to sit quietly while things go on which go against one's own moral belief.  And the fact that you make the thread topic in reference to that album is just pointless. Why not just start a pro-Bush thread? You didn't even mention Neil Young in the post! You just provided links for some Dubya 'pats on the back' sites.

Thank you, sir.

[Charles LePage @ ComicList]

There's a difference between showing respect for the office of President and respecting someones opinion on homosexuals.  There's a difference between believing sex between two men or two women is not what God intended for people to do, and holding a sign saying "God hates fags."  There's a difference between standing up and saying you believe something is wrong, and standing up and acting like a "lesser brained fool" compared to the people you disagree with.

The only President in my lifetime I'd rank higher than GWB is Reagan, and some days they are neck and neck.

[I. Spaceman]

The only President in my lifetime I'd rank higher than GWB is Reagan, and some days they are neck and neck.

Oh, that is SUCH A SHOCKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would NEVER HAVE GUESSED THAT!

In other far-out news, the sun may rise tomorrow.

[Charles LePage @ ComicList]

Who is at the top of your "President in my lifetime" list, Spaceman, and why?

[Rerun]

And on the trust issues -- I don't trust a guy to run a country when he's previously been arrested for D.U.I. A person who cannot control their urge to be intoxicated and drive a vehicle is not fit to do anything sensible.

I have nothing to add.  Just wanted quote this.

[I. Spaceman]

 

Not a big fan of politicians, really. They all take dirty money, and have to compromise any standards of moral conduct in order to get there. IMO.

[Jeff Mason]

We haven't had what I would call an admirable president in my lifetime.  I think that the pressure of TV guarantees that the best man for the job won't get elected, because what it takes to do the job and what it takes to please people on TV or in campaigning are two different things, and the most competent presidents we have had would have failed in the TV world.

All the more reason to consider politics irrelevant.  Pete Townshend was right: "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss."  It doesn't matter who is in charge, things go on the same for the most part.  As long as you can paint a pretty picture everyone is happy.

[Aegir]

I'm sure the President isn't as dumb as people think he is -- it's just the way he speaks (though why he has a Texas accent if his parents don't is beyond me) combined with his portrayal in the media. People certainly wouldn't think he was an idiot if not every comedian and joke newscaster was telling you that he was.

[I. Spaceman]

I'm sure the President isn't as dumb as people think he is -- it's just the way he speaks (though why he has a Texas accent if his parents don't is beyond me) combined with his portrayal in the media. People certainly wouldn't think he was an idiot if not every comedian and joke newscaster was telling you that he was.

Have you WATCHED any footage of him?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_6B6vwE83U&search=george%20bush

[Aegir]

That proves nothing other than that he's a bad public speaker.

[Charles LePage @ ComicList]

Not a big fan of politicians, really. They all take dirty money, and have to compromise any standards of moral conduct in order to get there. IMO.

I personally think that's a cop out, but believe me, that's not meant as an attack. 

[Jeff Mason]

Not a big fan of politicians, really. They all take dirty money, and have to compromise any standards of moral conduct in order to get there. IMO.

I personally think that's a cop out, but believe me, that's not meant as an attack. 

Charles, if I may move to the spiritual side on this thread (what, politics AND religion?), Scripturally speaking, that may be the best attitude to have.  One thing that drives me nuts on the modern religious right is the obsession with politics and the belief that public policy must reflect our moral values to be acceptable.  Yet:

1) We are as Christians supposed to be strangers and aliens in this world.  Aliens don't have input into the government or else they cease to be aliens.  IMO this also puts a serious damper on Christians and heavy patriotism, since we are members of God's Kingdom first and the US second.

2) We are supposed to be ambassadors to this world.  Ambassadors don't come in and try to change foriegn policies.

3) Our primary focus is supposed to be making disciples.  How many people have become Christians because marriage was defined as man/woman or because flag burning was banned?

4) Paul was imprisoned in the capitol of the largest nation known to man at that time, had had multiple audiences before the ruler of the world, and was in constant interaction with that ruler's bodyguard.  What did he say he was doing?  Impacting the rules of the empire?  Or communicating Christ?

I have hinted at this before and I will make this explicit now: to a Christian, politics are IRRELEVANT.  I believe this is orthodox teaching, and that Christians have never made a Scripturally based reaction to democracies since they are so recent.  All reactions I have seen start with assumptions that I can't find Scripture supporting.  Christians should be aware (as all ambassadors should) and vote (rendering unto Caesar and doing civic duty) but not depend upon a corrupt material tool to do incorruptable spiritual work. If we tie ourselves to the Republican party and it is marred by scandal?  What happens to the name of the church?  Don't say that can't happen -- I will show you scandals we have had in house in the last 20 years.  Think what would happen if that were to happen on the scale of the Republican Party central leadership.  You want the name of Christ associated with that?

And on policy matters?  Take welfare -- the welfare system as we know it had to be formed by the government because the church, after it decided that "evangelism" is spiritual and good and taking care of material needs was liberal and social gospel and bad, bailed out on taking care of the poor.  Rather than focusing on what the government should do, what if the church took the words of Jesus and the Bible serious and focused energy on taking care of the poor?  Why, the world would wake up one day and see that welfare was not nearly as needed anymore because the job was already being done and done better than any government agency ever could.  Marriage definition?  No matter what, a civil ceremony will never define marriage because God makes the covenant.  So who cares if the government changes that?  All they are changing is a civil arrangement, and they have no impact on the spiritual side of marriage.

We are to be an independent body that is non-partisan.  IMO THAT is the Scriptural approach.  So I totally sympathize with Ian's approach and basically say the same thing.