Cultural IQ

Another day, another "uh oh" in Congress

I thought I might get an evening off but, alas, so many stars in our American soap opera have been throwing tantrums lately that I must work long hours just to broadcast the gospel of civility. (All in all, I'd rather be in Philadelphia, cheering on those Phillies.)

 Now the Republicans are demanding an apology from U S Representative Alan Grayson,

a liberal Democrat from Florida who warned recently that the Republican health care plan  for the sick and the uninsured is for them to "die quickly." Really, Alan, that wasn't very nice.

Then, on Wednesday, instead of apologizing,  Grayson likened the level of uninsured to a “Holocaust in America.” (Even though I am uninsured, I could come up with a very long list of crucial differences)

If we are going to worry about the moral well-being of Trent Franks, then it is only fair that we put Grayson on the same watch and worry list.   Last night, I gave you the contact in for for  Franks' Baptist church in Phoenix - so we could cheer them on in their quest to spread the love. I could not find contact info for Grayson's synagogue; he happens to be Jewish. (My guess is Grayson doesn't release that info for security reasons.)

As champions of civility, we must hold Republicans and Democrats, Christians and Jews, to the highest standards. We have faith all religions can and will find the lambs that have strayed from higher, holy ground.  

My philosophy is that we should  let the faithful handle their family's business. In this instance, let's call on members of the Jewish community in Orlando to remind Grayson that trash talking and hate lead to persecution, violence and intolerance.

We don't have to look very far to see the heavy Jewish imprint on America's commendable efforts to promote diversity and tolerance. So, to the members of his Jewish family: We love you, and we are here to support you as your affirm your principles of civility, attonement and tolerance and share them with Mr. Grayson.

 

Click the link below for the blog post n Trent Franks:

Should religious groups asked to deal with the behavior of their flocks?

Should religious groups asked to deal with the behavior of their flocks?

 

Visit the Web site of North Phoenix Baptist Church and you will get a welcoming message that is warm and gooey, like a taste of honey. 

 

 

 Discover love and live a Christ-centered life,” we – the potential guests – are encouraged. “What Jesus did during his time on earth, his character, and his teachings provide a consistent reminder of what we should be about with our lives.”

Alleluia! It sounds great but any fair-minded person might wonder how thse faithful go about living a Christ-centered life and showing their love for their fellow man. No doubt, they feed the hungry, tend to the sick and shine the light of compassion on their enemies. 

Just a minute!  Isn't this congregation home to Congressman Trent Franks, the Arizona Republican who is backtracking from his recent statement that President Barack Obama is an “enemy of humanity?”

Oh my. In case you missed the latest political name-calling incident, Franks spoke at the Take Back America conference over the weekend where he said, “Obama’s first act as president of any consequence, in the middle of a financial meltdown, was to send taxpayers’ money overseas to pay for the killing of unborn children in other countries. Now, I got to tell you, if a president will do that, there’s almost nothing that you should be surprised at after that. We shouldn’t be shocked that he does all these other insane things. A president that has lost his way that badly, that has no ability to see the image of God in these little fellow human beings, if he can’t do that right, then he has no place in any station of government and we need to realize that he is an enemy of humanity.”

The Congressman’s spokesman later explained his boss meant to say “enemy of unborn humanity.” Still should someone who models his life after Jesus Christ be saying  stuff like this?

I’d say this is a family matter – between the Congressman, his God and his church. Franks has some explaining to do – not to us – but to his own loving flock. You see, the congressman promotes his membership in this church on his bio, so it is up to them to ask, “Where’s the love, Franks?”

If the faithful won't tell us when we step across the line, then who should?  

I propose we write the church to assure the members that they have our love, support and trust during this difficult time. Let the family take care of the family business. If you want to remind them we are looking forward to watching as they put their faith into action here, I'll provide the address:

5757 North Central Avenue | Phoenix, Arizona 85012 | 602-707-5701 | or leave a comment at

http://www.discoverandlive.com/ministry/home.php?_inc=ministry_info&category=5&ministry=6

Dutch Bishop Proposes That All Faiths Refer to God as "Allah"

  A Roman Catholic Bishop in the Netherlands with very good intentions is promoting a very bad idea.

Bishop Tiny Muskens told Dutch television this week that people of all faiths should refer to God as Allah to promote racial tolerance and foster understanding with Muslims. "Allah is a very beautiful word for God. Shouldn't we all say that from now on we will name God Allah? ... What does God care what we call him? It is our problem," he said.

A magnificent sentiment! God probably does not care what humans call him or what language they use.  Human beings, however, are far less forgiving, loving, and tolerant. We wear cultural shades as we walk along through life, magnifying differences in language, culture, clothing, and religion.

Similarities, shared beliefs and values can connect us to the human family while differences can make us feel as though we stand alone or we are under siege. The labels help us size up the players in the game. But they are like scarves and ties in a wardrobe; accent pieces that add flair but little substance.

Suppose we asked our North American neighbors to stop making reference to their nationality, as that creates tensions and fault lines. We would no longer be Mexicans, citizens of the United States or Canadians - only North Americans. Fine, in theory, but it is not likely to work.

Even though we might call ourselves Americans, governments still are going to jockey for position with trade agreements, border controls, job protection, and climate changes. While new labels may promote harmony, they sidestep the larger issues: national and personal self-interest.

 Might we work instead to get nations and individuals to embrace values that protect the home front while fostering health, peace and prosperity abroad? That strategy requires far more than good will toward men. We may have to give up our big cars; share our drugs with the less fortunate; update the academic curricula to mbrace the world community and monitor our corporations to prevent global fallouts like the kind we've seen in the mortgage markets.

Unfortunately, there are no drive-by windows where we can pick up solutions to the global diversity problem. Relationships will never improve if we focus on getting rid of labels like "God" rather than on creating  community-centric cultures and values.

I have no problem referring to God as "Allah" while in an Islamic culture or community.Nor do I have difficulty asking  Muslims to extend to Christians the courtesies they might expect.  

The Bishop has a warm heart but he is overlooking the fact we are biased human beings.. 

We can't lift up any group by lowering our expectations of them.  That strategy simply confirms for detractors that the "outsiders"   are inferior. 

 

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