tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879552692521649812.post6877473723685746635..comments2024-01-04T15:56:19.156-05:00Comments on Commandments of Men: Some RamblesLewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05596138376570543467noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879552692521649812.post-6490817832093314652013-12-12T19:53:36.693-05:002013-12-12T19:53:36.693-05:00Back when the Tea Party movement, I took an intere...Back when the Tea Party movement, I took an interest because many of my libertarian friends were participating in it. Never attended an event because of an online run-in with some racist local leaders. Not a loss. The movement fizzled out as quickly as it came, and I'm opposed to picketing and rallies anyway. Complete waste of time.Jennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11046641822669890457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879552692521649812.post-382651782757044942013-11-22T14:11:02.260-05:002013-11-22T14:11:02.260-05:00Wow that was quite the zinger about LU in the ramb...Wow that was quite the zinger about LU in the ramblings you link to. When I was a student there not long ago I always chalked it up to LU making use of the TV audience all the time. Any time convocation was televized (usually just on Wednesdays as I recall) the speakers were often political in nature or Jerry Sr. Would do his own political speech. So when graduation speakers were the likes of a Jewish guy or a Mormon guy, although I thought it was ridiculous, I again chalked it up to them putting together what they wanted to go on TV.<br /><br />Fortunately, dorm life is set up in an attempt to be Christ centered, Monday/Friday convocations as well as spiritual emphasis week, missions emphasis week, and the like we're always very Christ centered and not anything related to being a republican. So I'd just like to say in defense of LU that they put a republican flair or outright emphasis on anything going on TV, but that's probably more about the political goals Jerry Falwell Sr. had than what the University is really trying to cultivate inside the hearts of the students. Just for what it's worth. - MLWAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879552692521649812.post-9874381931412089242013-10-20T02:22:31.768-04:002013-10-20T02:22:31.768-04:00What sticks in my craw about the religious homesch...What sticks in my craw about the religious homeschoolers I've heard from is that nearly all of them are homeschooling because of the boogeyman. It's school policy to indoctrinate them into other religions or into atheism. It's school policy to encourage them to have underage sex or take recreational drugs. It's school policy to turn them into a kind of Hitlerjugend for the current President (usually this one comes up when there's a Democrat in office). It's school policy to turn them gay. Codswallop!<br /><br />Isn't it funny how the "experts" who preach these lies always seem to have books for sale?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879552692521649812.post-42016955925212008252013-10-12T19:48:08.352-04:002013-10-12T19:48:08.352-04:00*to*..of course. Not *too".*to*..of course. Not *too". Tamaranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879552692521649812.post-51996961647803602422013-10-12T15:26:56.970-04:002013-10-12T15:26:56.970-04:00Thanks for your responses, Lewis. I appreciate th...Thanks for your responses, Lewis. I appreciate that you took the time to answer me. I try not to label (not always easy) but ask people to explain what they mean. I call myself a Classical Liberal (holding to the ideals of limited government and liberty of individuals including freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly) which put me in a "conservative" camp voting-wise. <br /><br />I definitely don't affiliate with the Tea Party because of some of the reasons you identify. But I also don't live in the South, so maybe I haven't seen the racism entwined in movement that you have. But I have spoken with many "mature" liberals whose opinion is solely formed from ignorant emotion and the mistaken idea that they are more "caring" and whose lack of logical reasoning is astounding. <br /><br />I don't know the situation with your pastor friend. It may be that he has private insurance and has received notification that his monthly insurance premiums will go up $130 a month to comply with ACA mandates. I don't know if he can qualify for subsidies without buying a policy through the ACA exchanges...which he may be hesitant to do. Hard to say. <br />Maybe if he explained his decision making process to you, it might not seem so hypocritical. Maybe not. Again, I don't know the situation. <br /><br />I agree it makes little sense when people protest "government spending" but carry signs saying "don't touch my Medicare" at Tea Party rallies. But, on the flip side, my "progressive father" would rant about how Republicans want to rescind all child labor laws and eliminate the social safety net while also bragging how he finagled his tax return, declared personal expenses as business ones, and utilized loss carry forwards to pay virtually no income tax for years. Hypocrisy can be found on both sides. <br /><br /> I do think, however, that it is a bit disingenuous to equate a government requirement to purchase a product, with penalties extracted by the full force of the IRS, with the clear constitutional function of the government to provide a system of defense. And it's a false dichotomy to say that if one accepts one government program in one area as legitimate, one must also accept all as equally legitimate. Or be considered stupid and shallow and dumb.<br /><br />But thanks for the discussion. I'm glad your original post says what you meant it too and thanks for allowing me to comment. <br /><br />Tamaranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879552692521649812.post-75911616212860628212013-10-12T03:09:03.175-04:002013-10-12T03:09:03.175-04:00As an example of the lack of depth and tunnel-visi...As an example of the lack of depth and tunnel-vision I'm driving at in what I write about the Tea Party...<br /><br />I have a friend - same age as I am. It would be more accurate to say he was my friend when we were young as we haven't physically seen each other in probably 20 years. He was (and I'm sure still is) a good guy. He's now an associate pastor of a decent sized church in FL. On his Facebook today, he weighed in on Obamacare, and it was troubling that he couldn't see how the Tea Party has radicalized his thinking. Under ACA, the policy he carries on his family will be going up from slightly over $600 to $730-ish, I think it was. He said that his income level would qualify him for subsidies that would more than offset the higher rate, but he was gonna refuse the subsidy because "I'm not going to become dependent on the government for something I can take care of with proper budgeting."<br /><br />I can only shake my head at this idea of being "dependent on the government", and the stupid, shallow hilltops on which people plant their flag concerning it. I <b>guarantee</b> you he's fine with his government dependence on roads and other infrastructure, and that rather than taking his rifle to the shore and guarding it he's perfectly content to let the government spend billions doing it for him. It may be completely unintentional, but it's stupid, it's hypocrisy, and it's <b>entirely</b> because of who's in the White House. You can probably thank the Rush Limbaughs, Sean Hannitys, and Glenn Becks of the world for his shortsightedness. They make people dumber.<br /><br />The people who "hate the government" really only hate the parts their opponents like. They LOVE the rest.Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05596138376570543467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879552692521649812.post-79951384863448849282013-10-12T02:23:53.229-04:002013-10-12T02:23:53.229-04:00Tamara...I'm generally not a political support...Tamara...I'm generally not a political supporter of President Obama. If you had to put a label on me politically, conservative would probably fit better than liberal, although I really balk at both.<br /><br /><em>Have you seen the numerous videos of "stupid" liberals? Why didn't you choose to embed any of them? They also fit your definition of "clueless as to the issues, but dedicated to doing something about the issues that they know nothing about."</em><br /><br />I have. Most of them are young college kids speaking from ignorant emotion and lack of life experience. They weren't relevant to what I was writing, and the ratio is too small to make a big deal out of it. OTOH, I've yet to interact with a Tea Partier who knew anything about what they talked about politically - or who wasn't motivated by an apocalyptic, fundamentalist religious view, greed, or racism (whether outright or beneath the surface).<br /><br /><em>But I wonder if you believe that an individual can have legitimate reasons for supporting "conservative politics"</em><br /><br />Of course. You seem to believe that conservative politics and the Tea Party are one and the same. They aren't. Tea Partiers are radicals. Dumb, uninformed, angry, racist, toothless redneck radicals at that.<br /><br /><em>...for believing that it is imperative for the future health of our country that the national debt and federal budget deficit be addressed and spending controlled?</em><br /><br />I believe those things too. I also know that such a drum can't be realistically beat when people don't know anything about the govt budget (most TPers qualify) and can't name a single area of spending that they agree with cutting.<br /><br /><em>Or can have legitimate reasons to disagree with the President's ideology and policies that have nothing to do with his skin color?</em><br /><br />Sure. I'm not in lock-step with his ideology. That said, the neo-confederate Tea Party hates him in small part because he's a Democrat, and in large part because he's black.<br /><br /><em>Or does saying this automatically label me with your "dumbasses..ignorant...mad at everything" stereotype?</em><br /><br />Not unless you identify with the Tea Party.<br /><br /><em>I'm not sure this post was worth coming out of hibernation for. It certainly seemed unworthy of sharing blog space with your appeals to honesty and integrity.</em><br /><br />I'm happy with it.Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05596138376570543467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879552692521649812.post-44043905880990841332013-10-12T01:57:38.569-04:002013-10-12T01:57:38.569-04:00This was a discouraging post to read. Not because...This was a discouraging post to read. Not because you aren't entitled to your opinion but because you expressed it is the exact way you are condemning: name-calling, insults, exaggeration, gross generalization, and stereotyping. Plus a couple accusations of racism thrown in for fun. <br /><br />Have you seen the numerous videos of "stupid" liberals? Why didn't you choose to embed any of them? They also fit your definition of "clueless as to the issues, but dedicated to doing something about the issues that they know nothing about."<br /><br />Obviously you are annoyed by ignorant social media comments and mass forwarded emails and shallow, cliched memes from Christians who should be taking a bit more seriously "wise as serpents" and emulating the Bereans. I am too. But I wonder if you believe that an individual can have legitimate reasons for supporting "conservative politics"; for believing that it is imperative for the future health of our country that the national debt and federal budget deficit be addressed and spending controlled? Or can have legitimate reasons to disagree with the President's ideology and policies that have nothing to do with his skin color? Or does saying this automatically label me with your "dumbasses..ignorant...mad at everything" stereotype?<br /><br />I'm not sure this post was worth coming out of hibernation for. It certainly seemed unworthy of sharing blog space with your appeals to honesty and integrity.<br /><br /> Tamaranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879552692521649812.post-85010911329669325392013-10-10T18:26:57.427-04:002013-10-10T18:26:57.427-04:00Good to hear from you again! I agree with you 100...Good to hear from you again! I agree with you 100% as usual. I live in Texas where the Tea Party is very entrenched (I'm in a small oasis of reason in Austin), and I must apologize to everyone for the idiots my state keeps foisting on the rest of the country -- Dubbya, Rick Perry, Tom DeLay and now God help us all, Ted Cruz, the biggest idiot of them all, and the most dangerous.<br /><br />I have to shake my head often at the total idiocy that so many Americans display. But as you said, that doesn't stop them from voicing their opinions -- loudly.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879552692521649812.post-86499949352915871662013-10-10T18:00:10.849-04:002013-10-10T18:00:10.849-04:00Thanks, Lewis. You are loved.Thanks, Lewis. You are loved.Incongruous Circumspectionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16232186225573312896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879552692521649812.post-47185290399075294322013-10-10T12:36:37.340-04:002013-10-10T12:36:37.340-04:00I can do you one even better. One of my older rela...I can do you one even better. One of my older relatives desperately needs to sign up with the ACA b/c she's currently uninsured, has had health problems, and another health problem would bankrupt her. But she's reluctant to sign up, because someone at church told her that Obama is going to use the ACA to distribute poison to the elderly.<br /><br />And she believed it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6879552692521649812.post-30320936073131217112013-10-10T08:19:08.569-04:002013-10-10T08:19:08.569-04:00Excellent post. After months of daily checking and...Excellent post. After months of daily checking and seeing nothing, I was beginning to worry you'd slipped into hiding.TRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01634167173039527519noreply@blogger.com