Comments on: The Wisdom of Doubt, Part V http://www.mahablog.com/2007/07/07/the-wisdom-of-doubt-part-v/ Exposing the ugly truths about the Bush Administration. Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:16:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1.3 by: blue cross health insurance texas http://www.mahablog.com/2007/07/07/the-wisdom-of-doubt-part-v/#comment-529023 Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:08:02 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/07/07/the-wisdom-of-doubt-part-v/#comment-529023 <strong>blue cross health insurance texas</strong> I found your post comments while searching Google. Very relevant especially as this is not an issue which a lot of peaople are conversant with. blue cross health insurance texas

I found your post comments while searching Google. Very relevant especially as this is not an issue which a lot of peaople are conversant with.

]]> by: The Mahablog » Shattered http://www.mahablog.com/2007/07/07/the-wisdom-of-doubt-part-v/#comment-365598 Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:54:49 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/07/07/the-wisdom-of-doubt-part-v/#comment-365598 [...] The relationship between the small-government, libertarian-minded conservatives and the Religious Right always seemed improbable on the surface. Even so, there was a remarkable amount of cross-pollination between the two factions. For example, the late militant Christian whackjob Rousas John Rushdoony preached that God blessed America with &#8220;biblical capitalism,&#8221; and God&#8217;s Capitalism must not be sullied by wordly government regulation. The now-fallen Rev. Ted Haggart’s explained Jesus’ plan for free market capitalism to his flock. And I&#8217;ve encountered a remarkable number of self-described libertarians who oppose reproductive rights for women. [...] […] The relationship between the small-government, libertarian-minded conservatives and the Religious Right always seemed improbable on the surface. Even so, there was a remarkable amount of cross-pollination between the two factions. For example, the late militant Christian whackjob Rousas John Rushdoony preached that God blessed America with “biblical capitalism,” and God’s Capitalism must not be sullied by wordly government regulation. The now-fallen Rev. Ted Haggart’s explained Jesus’ plan for free market capitalism to his flock. And I’ve encountered a remarkable number of self-described libertarians who oppose reproductive rights for women. […]

]]> by: Jack H. http://www.mahablog.com/2007/07/07/the-wisdom-of-doubt-part-v/#comment-274710 Thu, 23 Aug 2007 21:36:20 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/07/07/the-wisdom-of-doubt-part-v/#comment-274710 Another great post. An awful lot of people from the center to the left are actually pointing to 'faux religion' every time they say 'religion'. A developmental scheme like that of Clare Graves (popularized as Spiral Dynamics) might be helpful to demonstrate how mythic value Christians hold very different beliefs than egalitarian value Christians. It's just one of many lenses that all have their own problems (a lot of people get very excited about developmental schemes), but mushing it all together is more dangerous I think. Another great post. An awful lot of people from the center to the left are actually pointing to ‘faux religion’ every time they say ‘religion’. A developmental scheme like that of Clare Graves (popularized as Spiral Dynamics) might be helpful to demonstrate how mythic value Christians hold very different beliefs than egalitarian value Christians. It’s just one of many lenses that all have their own problems (a lot of people get very excited about developmental schemes), but mushing it all together is more dangerous I think.

]]> by: The Mahablog » Stormy Weather http://www.mahablog.com/2007/07/07/the-wisdom-of-doubt-part-v/#comment-274286 Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:47:09 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/07/07/the-wisdom-of-doubt-part-v/#comment-274286 [...] It&#8217;s like what Susan Sontag said about religion, Amrican style: It&#8217;s &#8220;more the idea of religion than religion itself.&#8221; American patriotism, rightie style, is more the idea of America than America itself. They love to wallow in an idea of America as glorious and righteous and rich and strong, but if America needs something from them &#8212; well, you know how that tune goes. [...] […] It’s like what Susan Sontag said about religion, Amrican style: It’s “more the idea of religion than religion itself.” American patriotism, rightie style, is more the idea of America than America itself. They love to wallow in an idea of America as glorious and righteous and rich and strong, but if America needs something from them — well, you know how that tune goes. […]

]]> by: The Mahablog » Shifting Sands of Conservatism http://www.mahablog.com/2007/07/07/the-wisdom-of-doubt-part-v/#comment-273122 Sat, 18 Aug 2007 00:00:20 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/07/07/the-wisdom-of-doubt-part-v/#comment-273122 [...] I keep thinking of what Susan Sontag said about American religion &#8212; it&#8217;s &#8220;more the idea of religion than religion itself.&#8221; I think a lot of self-described &#8220;conservatives&#8221; are into empty rhetoric &#8212; liberty, freedom, rule of law &#8212; utterly disconnected from what they actually want government to do. [...] […] I keep thinking of what Susan Sontag said about American religion — it’s “more the idea of religion than religion itself.” I think a lot of self-described “conservatives” are into empty rhetoric — liberty, freedom, rule of law — utterly disconnected from what they actually want government to do. […]

]]> by: The Mahablog » The Wisdom of Doubt: The Series http://www.mahablog.com/2007/07/07/the-wisdom-of-doubt-part-v/#comment-269071 Fri, 03 Aug 2007 12:36:25 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/07/07/the-wisdom-of-doubt-part-v/#comment-269071 [...] Part V: The late Susan Sontag said religion American style was more the idea of religion than religion itself. So true. [...] […] Part V: The late Susan Sontag said religion American style was more the idea of religion than religion itself. So true. […]

]]> by: The Mahablog » The Wisdom of Doubt, Part IX http://www.mahablog.com/2007/07/07/the-wisdom-of-doubt-part-v/#comment-264554 Sun, 22 Jul 2007 11:18:12 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/07/07/the-wisdom-of-doubt-part-v/#comment-264554 [...] Fundamentalism isn&#8217;t religion. It&#8217;s social pathology expressing itself as religion. In Part V I touched on the fact that right-wing Christianity has become remarkably disconnected from anything resembling standard Christian doctrine. The movement is being manipulated by money and by political power, and its followers seem to be getting most of their &#8220;theology&#8221; from popular culture &#8212; the Left Behind books come to mind. Certainly the Presbyterians who published The Fundamentals back in 1910 had serious theological intentions, but the fundamentalist movement has morphed into something much sicker and much uglier since. As John Garraty wrote, the unifying element is intolerance. As Karen Armstrong says, it is rooted in a profound fear. [...] […] Fundamentalism isn’t religion. It’s social pathology expressing itself as religion. In Part V I touched on the fact that right-wing Christianity has become remarkably disconnected from anything resembling standard Christian doctrine. The movement is being manipulated by money and by political power, and its followers seem to be getting most of their “theology” from popular culture — the Left Behind books come to mind. Certainly the Presbyterians who published The Fundamentals back in 1910 had serious theological intentions, but the fundamentalist movement has morphed into something much sicker and much uglier since. As John Garraty wrote, the unifying element is intolerance. As Karen Armstrong says, it is rooted in a profound fear. […]

]]> by: The Mahablog » Mugged by Reality http://www.mahablog.com/2007/07/07/the-wisdom-of-doubt-part-v/#comment-264060 Fri, 20 Jul 2007 13:08:45 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/07/07/the-wisdom-of-doubt-part-v/#comment-264060 [...] Those last couple of sentences are doozies, huh? Although the American invasion brought many things to Iraq, so far &#8220;freedom&#8221; seems in short supply. But (as I&#8217;ve argued elsewhere) what Bush is talking about is more an idea of freedom than freedom itself. [...] […] Those last couple of sentences are doozies, huh? Although the American invasion brought many things to Iraq, so far “freedom” seems in short supply. But (as I’ve argued elsewhere) what Bush is talking about is more an idea of freedom than freedom itself. […]

]]> by: The Mahablog » The Wisdom of Doubt, Part VII http://www.mahablog.com/2007/07/07/the-wisdom-of-doubt-part-v/#comment-263428 Wed, 18 Jul 2007 12:09:39 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/07/07/the-wisdom-of-doubt-part-v/#comment-263428 [...] Let&#8217;s look again at the so-called God Gap. I wrote in The Wisdom of Doubt, Part V that when mass media present the &#8220;religious&#8221; view of social issues, inevitably they call upon the Religious Right, as if extremist right-wing Christianity were the only legitimate religion. &#8220;Moderate to liberal religious voices are shouted down, just as they are in the political realm,&#8221; I wrote. The Left-Right divide in religion parallels the Left-Right divide in politics, and for many years extremist right-wing religiosity has been crowned &#8220;mainstream,&#8221; while more liberal religious traditions are treated as an extremist fringe. And please note that many of the more liberal denominations are actually much older than Christian fundamentalism, which was born in the late 19th century. [...] […] Let’s look again at the so-called God Gap. I wrote in The Wisdom of Doubt, Part V that when mass media present the “religious” view of social issues, inevitably they call upon the Religious Right, as if extremist right-wing Christianity were the only legitimate religion. “Moderate to liberal religious voices are shouted down, just as they are in the political realm,” I wrote. The Left-Right divide in religion parallels the Left-Right divide in politics, and for many years extremist right-wing religiosity has been crowned “mainstream,” while more liberal religious traditions are treated as an extremist fringe. And please note that many of the more liberal denominations are actually much older than Christian fundamentalism, which was born in the late 19th century. […]

]]> by: Transforming Seminarian http://www.mahablog.com/2007/07/07/the-wisdom-of-doubt-part-v/#comment-262751 Mon, 16 Jul 2007 16:43:48 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/07/07/the-wisdom-of-doubt-part-v/#comment-262751 <strong>Marking Territory</strong> When I was visiting my family recently in Kentucky, I got into a rather stupid argument with my father over a posting of the Ten Commandments in someone's yard. Apparently, my former home area (I confess that I don't know if it's the Louisville area... Marking Territory

When I was visiting my family recently in Kentucky, I got into a rather stupid argument with my father over a posting of the Ten Commandments in someone’s yard. Apparently, my former home area (I confess that I don’t know if it’s the Louisville area…

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