Archives For America

America, the Intolerant

October 29, 2012 — 22 Comments

If there’s one virtue that is esteemed in our culture above all else, it’s tolerance.

And if there is one sin that is disdained above all else, it’s intolerance.

Intolerance gets many labels: hatred (never just hate, hatred), bigotry, or a different word for every group you apparently are intolerant of.

I think we can all agree that there is something wrong with our modern culture. And I have finally figured out what it is.

No matter what we say, what we preach, how we boast, we are not a tolerant people.  In fact, I would say modern America is experiencing one of its most intolerant times in our history.  Intolerance is running positively rampant.

And the source of all this intolerance?  It might be a little bit surprising.

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In America, culture, politics
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The American Gospel of Self-Reliance

October 1, 2012 — 30 Comments

Last Friday, I ruined a Bible verse for everyoneamerican-pioneers

Well, that’s because it’s not really in the Bible at all.  The verse, oft quoted by well-meaning Christians is “God will never give you more than you can handle.”  Whenever life is rough, you can count on a Christian friend trying to perk you up with that little saying.

As the comments rolled in, and I thought over the weekend, I realized we were on to something bigger.  Much bigger.

Several people shared ways in which God is giving them more than they can handle.  It was amazing and humbling to read their stories.

As I read what many of you were saying, it struck me that we were only touching the tip of the iceberg.  We’ve actually uncovered an extremely pervasive false gospel that permeates the whole of American Christianity.  It goes against everything the gospel teaches.

It is the false gospel of self-reliance.

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In America, culture, faith
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Why I Am An Extreme Political Moderate

September 12, 2012 — 33 Comments

On Monday, Matthew Paul Turner (you may know him from Jesus Needs New PR) made a political confession:proud-to-be-moderate-at-what-other-political-rally-would-you-ever-see-this

He hates Christian moderates.

He thinks they’re wishy-washy and they don’t know what they believe.  Or they just want people to know what they don’t believe.  Or they are just hanging out in moderate land before returning to familiar ground on the election.  They parrot talking points without having an original thought.

I have to agree.  That kind of “moderate” would make me want to judo chop him right in his moderate bone (the ossicle).

But I’d like to give a playful, but serious response, because I consider myself a moderate…

…a very extreme moderate.  I’m the most closed minded moderate I know, in fact.  I hope you’re ready because I’m about to open a whole can of moderation on your sorry faces.

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In America, politics
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Why Political Parties Are Like Beer

September 7, 2012 — 13 Comments

Can we just go ahead and have the election now?

earl_timmons

His running mate shored up the extra fluffy voters, but alienated him almost entirely from registered kittens.

I mean, the conventions are done.  You either watched them with rapt attention, or you shunned them like the plague.  Or maybe you watched them, but fell ill with the plague in the midst of watching talking heads on cable news blather on with their asinine opinions like religious zealots.Is anyone undecided at this point?  I haven’t met anyone who has admitted to being undecided about how they’ll vote in November.  Is it wrong to call undecided voters “stupid”?

Come on, it’s pretty easy to decide which side you want to be on.  You either want sit with the cool kids at lunch, or the brainy kids.  One table is more fun.  The other table will graduate.

Ah, I kid.

But in our boiling hot political climate, one in which we claim the other side wants to “destroy America,” it’s easy to forget one thing:

You are voting for a person, not a color.

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In America, politics
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In Which I Shamefully Admit That I Voted For Todd Akin

August 27, 2012 — 31 Comments

Yeah…120820_todd_akin_ap_3281

…Sorry ’bout that.

You’ve may have heard.  Todd Akin, running for Missouri Senate, made some incredibly dubious claims about women’s bodies, and now he’s on a quest to hijack American politics and stick his thumb in everyone’s eye.

To my shame, I admit I’m one of the quarter million Missourians who, just a couple of weeks ago, thought they supported Todd Akin.

It was an honest mistake. For real.

I want to take full responsibility for my part in this debacle. In true American political spirit, I hereby accept 1 / 250,000 of the blame.

But I’d also like to say a few words in my defense, and a few words of caution to the rest of you who are weighing the candidates in your states and the country.

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In America, politics
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The Only Kind of Speech That Needs to Be Protected

August 15, 2012 — 21 Comments

We live in sensitive times.hate-speech-is-not-free-speech

Seriously, everyone is really sensitive to everything.  Every time you turn around, someone is hurt or offended, or they’re “denouncing” or “calling for an apology” from someone else.  Words like “hateful” are batted back and forth constantly.

Sure, we say we believe in free speech.  But we don’t really believe it.

Take Dan Cathy’s comments for example.  A bunch of people called them “hurtful” and “hateful.”  He was condemned and criticized.  Every so often, you can bet that a Robertson or a Piper or a Driscoll or a Phelps or someone else will test our beliefs in free speech.

The problem is, as we work to silence our opponents, we’re really taking our own rights away.

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In America, culture
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