Kiva MicroLoans
If you haven't already heard of Kiva, do yourself a favor and click on the link for the organization. They are one of the early stage pioneers advancing real microloans in economically disadvantaged areas. My own account information and who I support can be seen here. Feel free, click, explore, then see how easy it is to take what makes capitalism great and get those strengths to help the disadvantaged who might otherwise get lost in a rapidly modernizing world.Postmodernity & Liberalism
Because pluralism struggles to differentiate between competing moralities under the auspices of an enlightened appreciation of another’s perspective, it does a poor job of distinguishing between clearly inferior and superior moral claims. Consequently, the elevation of each person’s perspective means pluralism encourages a wholly individual understanding of truth. Such a position inevitably leads to narcissism as we descend into a world where only what I believe matters. Religious readers eager to point out the need this illustrates for divine morals should reflect on the fact that postmodernity does not emphasize reason, and in not doing so, fails to extinguish the tired argument that morals must be disseminated from above.RENT!
RENT! comes at an interesting time for American culture. Too easily seen as a movie some will loathe due to its imagery and the raw nature of its portrayal of some people's relationships, the depth of RENT! is not accessible to all and may never be unless the stereotypes it uses can be seen for their humanity before the trappings their needs are hidden within.Blowdown Part 2: The Media and Society
Nothing has more damaged the historical role of media than the necessities inherent in filling the 24/7 content requirements of cable, radio and internet news. The ability to broadcast continuously and the value this has for breaking news stories is not the same as the necessity of doing either.Agnostic Obligations
Striking a balance in America is going to ride on the backs of two camps – religious liberals and moderates in conjunction with thinking rationalists and secularists. This is why in my own writing I have many occasions to apologize to my Christian friends for my own polemic tendencies. Many of my friends, specifically those who see truth in the Emergent movement, are those leaders who are honestly attempting to reconcile their faith with modernity. In what may become one of the more interesting phenomena of the next twenty years, the balance may only be found if moderate to liberal religious voices and secularists actively look to work together.Katrina & Poverty
It has been suggested that the problem with poverty is that the rich and middle class really do not care about the plight of the poor. There is certainly some truth to this. In fairness, it is easy to mistake someone who does not care, for an individual who does not know how to actually be a part of making a difference in the lives of the impoverished. The reality is that an answer to the plague of poverty does not present itself easily; consequently, this difficulty makes dialogue over it innately hyperbolic, punitive and terse. Conservative and liberal ideology is each right about one dimension to their respective political orthodoxies; however, each is also wrong ...Katrina
Some initial thoughts on Katrina and her aftermath follow ... more to come.The Point of It All …
Letting go of desire sets into motion an internal change of heart that is terrifying, an internal journey very few of us (myself included) have the courage for. This internal journey, what some call enlightenment and others call salvation is the point of it all. The point is not, as a former fundamentalist such as myself will struggle life long to appreciate, getting all the facts and ideas “just right.” The point is to be reborn, to become something new, someone special in his ethics, values and morals.God’s Politics or Man’s Dilemmas?
Jim Wallis’ timely book, God’s Politics, is a much needed reminder that the Christian message can not overlook its responsibility to have a prophetic emphasis on poverty and social inequality, nor does being a Christian mean you have to support the war in Iraq, blindly swearing allegiance to the current Bush administration. On these points, his analysis is prescient and a much needed caution to the supposedly monolithic Religious Right. But Wallis’ analysis leaves little room for either healthy secularism or competing faith traditions within what is an increasingly complex American society in need of meaningful religious spirituality with real empowered pluralism. He is at his absolute best when he is a voice for the marginalized, and ...Will Grace be Good Enough?
One of the underlying reasons evil men can come to power is that those in the middle err on the side of believing the best about those they would do well to discerningly distrust. I also fundamentally believe that most people in positions of political influence are of two varieties: they either are in it for the naked pursuit of power, or they are true ideologues. What seems important to me is that too few people who would be called gracious leaders seem to be able to find their voice and offer up alternative visions of the future within this setting, leaving only the weak and the wolves to vie for control. « Previous EntriesAbout MysteriousFaith
“If anyone can show me, and prove to me, that I am wrong in thought or deed, I will gladly change. I seek the truth, which never yet hurt anybody. It is only persistence in self-delusion and ignorance which does harm.”
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