A Loss of Confidence

"The authorities were not what they claimed to be. The cool competence and the stoicism were a fraud. The catastrophe of the Suez episode in 1956, when our governing class had tried to behave like imperial rulers in Egypt and had fallen flat upon their faces, had shrunk them and weakened their power to command. The government had sought to abuse (as later governments would also abuse) the semi-sacred incantations of 1940: Egypt's leader, Gamel Abdel Nasser, was a "dictator." Acceding to his demands for control of the Suez Canal was "appeasement." As we have found so often since, these modern villains are not Hitlers, and their ill-armed backward nations are not the Third Reich."

-Peter Hitchens in The Rage Against God, pg 32

Capital

Politics scare me… so does the internet, put them together and what have you got? Bibity-bobity-bad-news.

Explanation: I don’t remember WHY I did this, but for some reason I decided to “become a fan” of “being conservative” on Facebook. Yes, I realize now how horrid that sentence sounds. I cringe at the thought of having to proof read this rant because that means I will have to reread that sentence. I am tempted to blame Obama, but that’s cheap. I jump to extremes, so I suppose that is the best explanation. I “fanned” something as an over reaction, or perhaps because they had some kind of ad or post that resonated with me.

See, this is one of the enormous dangers of modern politics: one side will scare the willies out of you, but then the other side (who are just as scary) tries to mask their scariness by appealing to your fear of the other side. They both do this, so that those poor souls who are NOT fanatically loyal to one side or the other are left flip-flopping in between like some carp drying up in the sun, trying desperately to get back to the cool of the lake.

Now, for those of you who are familiar with the Facebook interface, I’m sure you have seen the “polls for science” that some of the fan pages and Facebook itself post. Well, the other day “Being Conservative” posts this:

The recent story about a homeless man braving a fierce storm to save an American Flag in distress got us thinking about how some others treat the flag. Please vote in the poll below.

Should burning the American flag be a crime?
a) Yes
b) No
c) Other

Allow me to fill in the “other” section:

What the heck!?!?!? Notice the spin that is put on this, you cannot answer this question negatively without feeling like a complete jerk. This is totally slanted, this is called sophistry… this is called “not being able to think for yourself.” Notice the usage of the words “braving,” “fierce storm,” and “distress.” This is no mere homeless man here, this is the arch angel Michael in disguise protecting the holy effigy of America!

Sarcasm aside, my point is this: protecting the flag with this kind of fanaticism is a fine practice if America is your god. You SHOULD worship and protect the honor of your gods. That’s the way we humans are wired. Question science? You’re a heretic. Blaspheme Allah? You get run through with a scimitar. Burn the flag? You are going to be stoned. This is the normal order of things; it happens all the time. I get all offended if someone insults my favorite song… so yeah, I have issues to sort out too.

So no, we should not be surprised at these kinds of reactions. Everyone needs something to worship, step on it and they will kill you. But this brings me to a very important theological point about Christianity. Many seculars believe that Christians embracing both the commands to not murder and to kill those who DO murder or rape or abuse other humans is nonsensical. Ah contrar, frater!

Based on the principle I already mentioned, it makes PERFECT sense. See, one of the basic tenants of Christianity is that we (humans) are created in God’s image, a gift that was not bestowed on any other creature (which is why PETA elevating animals above humans is ridiculous). As such, humans are made in the very image of the God I serve as a Christian, and as such, they are to be held in the highest respect and honor. Killing or raping and hurting a fellow human is to me what burning a flag is to a patriot, or insulting Darwin is to an Evolutionist, or denouncing Allah is to a Muslim. It is a capital offence, it is TOTALLY deserving of death. You have just defaced the greatest image in existence. Your death is the only option.

That doesn’t make this easy. Killing another human, even if they deserve it should NEVER be taken lightly. And killing animals or plants for the heck of it is akin to spitting on a painting by a great artist. I cringe when I see a fish flopping in the bottom of a boat or find a boy about to stomp on a bug. I am not advocating random acts of violence, I am merely trying to shed a little light.

Never Fear, the Flobots are Here!

It is finally time for another review. I am sure that some of you at least have heard of the fad hip/hop group, Flobots. For those unfamiliar with the group’s sound and direction, I’ll give you a point of reference. They take the political-mindedness of Rise Against, and add the Biblical worldview and catchy beats of Christian rappers like KJ-52, and PAX217. Have you ever wanted your music to actually SAY something, and yet not twist the facts? Have you ever been sickened by what the church is becoming and how it is aiding a fallen culture instead of impeding it? Never fear, the Flobots are here! And if you look beyond the exterior, I believe that they have the quality and power to stay on the scene for a long time.

 

Here are the lyrics to the opening song:

 

 

"There's a war going on for your mind

Media mavens mount surgical strikes from trapper keeper collages and online magazine racks

Cover girl cutouts throw up pop-up ads

Infecting victims with silicone shrapnel

Worldwide passenger pigeons deploy paratroopers

Now it's raining pornography

Lovers take shelter

Post-production debutantes pursue you in nascar chariots

They construct ransom letters from biblical passages and bleed mascara into holy water supplies

 

There's a war going on for your mind

Industry insiders slang test tube babies to corporate crackheads

They flash logos and blast ghettos

Their embroidered neckties say "stop snitchin'"

Conscious rappers and whistleblowers get stitches made of acupuncture needles and marionette strings

 

There is a war going on for your mind

Professional wrestlers and vice presidents want you to believe them

The desert sky is their bluescreen

They superimpose explosions

They shout at you

'pay no attention to the men behind the barbed curtain

Nor the craters beneath the draped flags'

Those hoods are there for your protection

And meteors these days are the size of corpses

 

There's a war going on for your mind

We are the insurgents"

 

WARNING: "Mayday," "Stand Up," "Combat," and "The Rhythm Method" contain some profanity.

Stand out tracks: "There's a War Going on for Your Mind," "Stand Up," "Handlebars," "Rise", and (if you can find this b-side track online) "So Happy Together."

Final score: 4 1/2 out of 5

 

Until next time,

Scott