May 5th, 2009 -- Posted in religion |
i was talking to my sister recently about how when we were kids - thanks to certain christian magazines which shall remain nameless - we thought the world was ending, “the gays” were going to take over and everything was going to hell in a handbasket. i haven’t seen much change in the way of this type of religious alarmism (if anything, it’s gotten worse - depending, of course, on who’s president …) except that i’ve realized a). not everyone believes this, b). *i* don’t have to believe this, c). there are a number of factions of christianity that are seeking to change this and - oh yah - c). these things AREN’T TRUE. (with perhaps the exception of the first point - the world MIGHT be ending, but not in the fire-and-brimstone, blaze of glory, burn-burn-burn way that this alarmism implies.)
i’ve noticed that alarmists tend to do one of two things: 1). resign themselves to the fate of the world, believing we ARE going to hell in a handbasket and the sooner it all goes down, the sooner jesus will come, or 2). point to an adverse political climate (by their definition), using nationalism mixed with religious fervor to spur people to action.
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May 3rd, 2009 -- Posted in career, consulting, the city |
i always wanted to be “necessary” in my jobs or my career. not in the way that a relief worker is necessary - or people will starve - or in the way a surgeon is necessary - or people could suffer and die - but simply in the ways that related to my job. i guess everyone probably has a bit of that desire, but i’d venture to say that i went further out of my way than most people to convince myself that i WAS necessary: i’d sit in on meetings that i didn’t really have to be a part of, i’d come in early to work - even when i wasn’t asked - if there was a crisis and they needed extra help, i’d volunteer for all the special projects, train the new hires, etc. etc. and not because i was trying to get ahead or because i was trying to get in good with my bosses, but because i really wanted to believe that what i did was a necessary function.
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May 1st, 2009 -- Posted in military, politics |
as i’ve mentioned, one of my favorite people to debate hot-button topics with is my friend curtis, who recently wrote a guest post for me on limited government from a more conservative perspective. curtis and i went to high school together, and to the same college for undergrad, but thanks to facebook (what else?!) we have re-connected and begun sharing our opinions (as i’ll do with most anyone who will listen :-).
curtis recently posted this article from one of the former heads of the CIA on the recent publication of the “torture memos.” naturally, it touches on the usual issues - national security, what constitutes torture, privacy, accountability, etc. and naturally it sparked an exchange. i’ve been planning on posting some thoughts on torture and these memos, and i thought publishing our dailogue might be an interesting and more well-rounded way to do so. i would LOVE to hear other thoughts and opinions in the comments.
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