Where Is The Outrage??

[maude]

It seems great strides have already been made to make a perfectly good word like 'liberal' into, very nearly a derogatory slur.

Yes that is true. It's part of the political prejudice that is rampant in America. Please note that the same could be said for the word "conservative".

Despite what has been said I still stand by my previous statements. I fail to see the reason as to why I should call myself anything other then "Christian" just because the individuals Deep mentioned call themselves Christian and do and say things that are incompatible with Christ's teachings and example. Please see my previous analogy with Muslims.

 

[U2Bama]

Okay, let's discuss another incident:

At about the same time Suspended Chief Justice Roy Moore was running for office, then-current Governor Don Seigelman was pushing legislation that would require the posting of the Ten Commandments in all public schools. Where were the American Civil Liberties Union and the Southern Poverty Law Center? Where was the outrage then? We may want to look under the rug that it was swept under, because Seigelman was a Democrat. I don't think it's simply an issue of creed, but perhaps which party is endorsing religion. If a Republican does anything to show their faith, it is a theocratic oppression of everyone else; if a Democrat does it, it's A-OKAY! This former Governor Seigelman is the same one who enlightened us to the fact that "If God had wanted boys to wear earrings, he would have made them girls."

Trust me: I agree with most everything that just about every one of you have said about Suspended Chief Justice Moore and the golden calf he has made out of my Ten Commandments. I merely think there is sometimes a slight double standard in such matters and how we address them. If you want me to shut up and not "debate" things in FYM, then please feel free to say so. I won't tell on you or anything like that!

~U2Alabama

 

[pub crawler]

So what am I supposed to say? I don't see one Christian religion that has truly spoken up against what I have written. Sure, you have your maverick clerics, but when push comes to shove, they all cower when the Religious Right starts to threaten to secede. You know what I say? Let them.

Perhaps it is semantical. I still believe in Christ and all that, but I have lost my faith in religion and that word, "Christianity," that labels it. It is in a similar vein that the swastika, which, for thousands of years, was a peace symbol, is now permanently a symbol for hatred. Now, despite my best judgment, I cannot help but look at "Christianity" and all the semantics that embody it to be nothing more than a symbol for oppression and reactionary beliefs (for those looking for a fight, I'm not comparing Christianity to Nazism; but, rather, showing how a word or symbol's connotation can be changed over time).

The best thing I could have done, though, was separate Christ from "Christianity." Christ is no longer part of that entity, usurped by tradition and fear of change...

...I don't know. I feel nothing but betrayal at the hands of "Christianity." I have nothing but anger at the Religious Right, being nothing more than modern Pharisees, declaring a monopoly on God in the same manner as their 2000 year-old predecessors, and similar anger at the "Religious Left," which, if nothing else, is guilty of inaction and cowardice in the face of the Pharisees.

I would like to hope that things will change for the better, but, after seeing things get progressive worse since the election of Dubya in 2000 (and all the fanaticism that has surrounded him), I really have little hope.

Since this is mostly a rant of mine, rest assured, I agree with what you have written.

Melon

Agree 100% and I couldn't have said it better myself. Oh, and I allegedly am a "Christian."

 

[BVS]

Okay, let's discuss another incident:

At about the same time Suspended Chief Justice Roy Moore was running for office, then-current Governor Don Seigelman was pushing legislation that would require the posting of the Ten Commandments in all public schools. Where were the American Civil Liberties Union and the Southern Poverty Law Center? Where was the outrage then? We may want to look under the rug that it was swept under, because Seigelman was a Democrat. I don't think it's simply an issue of creed, but perhaps which party is endorsing religion. If a Republican does anything to show their faith, it is a theocratic oppression of everyone else; if a Democrat does it, it's A-OKAY! This former Governor Seigelman is the same one who enlightened us to the fact that "If God had wanted boys to wear earrings, he would have made them girls."

~U2Alabama

Did this legislation get passed?

 

[U2Bama]

Did this legislation get passed?

I think he was voted out of office before it came to pass. Does that make what he attempted to do acceptable?

~U2Alabama

 

[sue4u2]

Actually, no. It's not that different. Singleman was throwing in religion for the same reason Moore has. This is a popular idea becaue this is part of the Bible belt and he can win points. Had he really gotten any futher than he did with it I would have felt the same as I did about Moore. I didn't care for Don Singleman, and didn't hear that much about this after it was swept under the rug, when it was realized that it would not further his political career. There has been precious little choices to vote for in this state, in recent years, but I'm still hopeful. I want to be optimistic about Bob Riley, but only time will tell. His current tax proposal "vote down" doesn't mean he can't do some good things for Alabama. Maybe. He'll just have to stop asking for billion dollar blank checks. and not threaten the wrath of God if he doesn't get his way.
*chills... just saw the tower of lights in New York City for the 911 rememberance .*

 

[U2Bama]

I want to be optimistic about Bob Riley, but only time will tell. His current tax proposal "vote down" doesn't mean he can't do some good things for Alabama. Maybe. He'll just have to stop asking for billion dollar blank checks. and not threaten the wrath of God if he doesn't get his way.

It's not the wrath of God, but state funding WILL be cut in many areas now because 860,000 people voted to keep the awful status quo in this state. There were no billion dollar blank checks in the plan which 860,000 people voted down. The people who claim there would be blank checks ignored the "ACCOUNTABILITY" portion of the plan because they wanted to be against it since they saw it simply as a "tax increase." Sure, it would have introduced new taxes; it would have raised taxes for some peeople. But it would have lifted the state income tax burden off of people who make less than $20,000 annually (for a family of FOUR). Yes, the state legislature (whom I despise) would have legislated where the money goes, but under the careful watch of a newly appointed, citizen based oversight committee that would have reported to you and me on a regular basis how our legislators are spending our tax money. Also, it would have criminalized legislators' fetish of taking state tax money and putting it towards pet projects for their cronies and campaign contributors by hiding it in other legislation. Instead, we voted all of that down so that we taxpayers can hang on to a few extra dollars each year, while forcibly eliminating 3,000 teacher units and 2,000 school support units and reading initiative funding, a horrible outlook for a public school system that is already the caboose of the nation. That's just a portion of the education cuts; do you want me tell you about the prison system? D.H.R.? State medicare cuts? The money isn't there. The two previous adminsstrations refused to address these needs but saw fit to enter into attractive no-bid business contracts and legal representations with all of their buddies and contributors. Riley tried to save this state with what may seem like "too much, too fast," but every bit of it was needed.

~U2Alabama

 

[BVS]

I think he was voted out of office before it came to pass. Does that make what he attempted to do acceptable?

~U2Alabama

Does it make it acceptable? No. But we're not talking apples to apples now. Moore got what he wanted, or I should say snuck in what he wanted, it was found wrong and asked to be removed. He then refused and that's when the outrage began. If Seigelman had gotten his way, the same outrage would have raised. This isn't a partisan thing.

 

[verte76]

U2Bama, I feel crummy about the vote on the tax thing too. Bad news for libraries, and oh, yes, the schools, DHR, etc, etc. It shouldn't have made any difference that Siegelman was a Democrat; he was just trying to make political gain with the Ten Commandments thing.
Alabama politics........... I wish I could move.

 

[sue4u2]

I don't want to move since there are many of the same problems in lot's of other states, I want to help fix it, some how. U2Bama I'm not saying there wasn't anything about this proposal I didn't like but I really researched it well from both perspectives. My decision was made and I voted the way I did for my take on things. There are a lot of people who are not aganist paying higher taxes, including myself, to help further the state but it now has to be obvious it will take another plan. Anyway I don't want to bore people with more on AL. politics but I do want to say keep up your passion, the state need's all of us.

 

[verte76]

I agree that other states have similar problems and there's no such thing as a state with no problems. I have two sisters in New York City and that place is infernally expensive. These are trying times for all of us Alabamians and sometimes I get fed up with the situation here.

 

[stagman]

just remember that there is only 1 way to God. Jesus Christ

I am The way the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the father except through me. John 14:21

If you believe in God and believe the bible, then this is the single most important thing to abide by.

 

[nbcrusader]

It's John 14:6

 

[stagman]

You're right sorry...hit self in head

 

[stagman]

You're right sorry...hit self on head