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Post by rgrove on Jun 28, 2005 11:02:20 GMT -5
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Post by Soulfyre on Jun 30, 2005 23:50:58 GMT -5
I've always heard that the danger in straddling fences is the rather severe consequence if one slips. As usual, I believe the Supreme Court has failed to interact with what actually constitutes an "endorsement" of religion, as opposed to the simple historical significance. As evidenced by Madelyn Murray O'Hare's successful challenges in the Supreme Court, we have allowed ourselves to become an essentially secular nation (which does not seem to have been envisioned by our founding father's, regardless of the fact that many were Unitarian--essentially deists). I was not surprised by the failure of the Supreme Court to take a stand, just as I have not been surprised by the failure of members of Congress who court the vote of the "religious right" to act consistently, except when it suits their purpose. Most "Christians" in Congress make noises about hot-button issues to keep their voters concentrating on everything but their lack of activity on other substantive issues. Both political parties (yes...BOTH) live high upon the largess of special interests, in whose favor they vote (since they require money to run their re-election campaigns). They spread pork among among the pigs to create the illusion that they are in fact doing their job. And Republicans, who have always accused the Democrats of being "tax-and-spend" and promised an end to "politics as usual", have spent money like profligates and specialized in politics as usual, being quick with the defense that, well..."everyone does it." Democrats have often relied upon the vote of unions and black people, just as Republicans have relied upon the vote of religious and moral conservatives. But both parties do only as much as absolutely necessary to maintain our addiction to the hope that eventually they will come through for us. But perhaps we Christians, too, have lost our moral compass. Our nation was not founded in order to develop our own ruling class, although both we and our politicians have labored mightily to do so. The Supreme Court is a convenient "whipping boy", and I believe that they have made some dreadful decisions (extending all the way back to John Marshall, the justice famous for aggrandizing to the Court the sole power to interpret the Constitution), but the failure of subsequent elected members of Congress to address such judicial aggrandizement speaks equally poorly of the Legislative branch. And the Executive branch...well, given the creation of the executive bureaucracy and executive regulations that have the effect of law, I hardly need to expound. I realize this is rather far afield from the Ten Commandment Supreme Court decisions, but I pray that someday, we as Christians "wake up and smell the coffee." Instead of leaving the process of governing to the "professionals," perhaps we should realize that it is just that "professionalism" which the founding fathers wanted to avoid. Perhaps we should realize that integrity cannot be bought...and neither can our votes. In Christ, Matthew (soulfyre)  |
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