Double Deity Dose

The rev who just gave the inaugural prayer quoted the pledge of allegiance twice, which I can only assume leaves Michael Newdow twice as pissed off.

Comments

[joe]

I'm going to go way out on a limb here, and guess that the passage he quoted wasn't "...and justice for all."

[Gary Gunnels]

Isaac Bertram,

That's unfortunate. 🙁

[thoreau]

W has devoted most of his speech thus far to freedom around the world. Does that mean we're going to fight another war?

[kevrob]

Helluva lot of hymn-singing and playing, too. The hymns outweigh the purely patriotic songs, which all have nods to His Hairy Cosmic Muffinness in them, too. They already had a prayer service before the procession to the Capitol.

Oh, here comes the Benediction. I could use a good word about now, but I bet it's another @#%!* prayer.

Kevin

[thoreau]

Wait, is that Trent Lott acting as Master of Ceremonies?

The dude who's delivering the prayer just said "Thank you, Senator Lott." And I'm like WTF?!?!?!?!

If that is indeed Trent Lott acting as MC, can we take it as proof that W is in fact not a uniter?

[Gary Gunnels]

thoreau,

Bush likes to fight two wars per term; so expect two more. 🙂

I'm reading a transcript of the speech right now; I note from the start that Bush adresses us as "fellow citizens."

"...that is the force of human freedom."

So when are you going to get behind the freedom to marry?

From the day of our Founding, we have proclaimed that every man and woman on this earth has rights, and dignity, and matchless value, because they bear the image of the Maker of Heaven and earth.

Though I don't wish to sound cynical, but this is poppycock.

America will not impose our own style of government on the unwilling.

Right.

All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: the United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors.

Except if you live in China.

The leaders of governments with long habits of control need to know: To serve your people you must learn to trust them. Start on this journey of progress and justice, and America will walk at your side.

I have to ask, why does this language resemble passages of the New Testament that refer to man's relationship with Christ?

This is the broader definition of liberty that motivated the Homestead Act...

Which was in great a measure a means to push Indians off their lands.

...the Social Security Act...

A ponzi scheme from the start.

Yet those divisions do not define America.

Yeah, right. There are core things (e.g., near absolute economic freedom, gay marraige, a right to an abortion, etc.) that simply set me part from other Americans and nothing is going to change that except a change in their position.

Not because history runs on the wheels of inevitability...

Wait a minute!!!! You seemed to have implied on several occassions in the speech that freedom for all humanity was inevitable because everyone yearns to be free!!!!

History has an ebb and flow of justice, but history also has a visible direction, set by liberty and the Author of Liberty.

So it is inevitable?!?!?!

[Brian]

I always wanted some religious type to explain to me how worshipping a flag doesn't violate the Ten Commandments. Oh hell they worship graven images of the Ten Commandments so what am I saying.

I don't think I can take 4 more years of this cornball cowboy crap either.

[Stevo Darkly]

Nobody "worships" the flag, nor the Ten Commandments -- nor, while we're at it, Mary or any of the saints or saints' statues or the crucifex, either. Not "worship" as in the sense of "honor as a deity" -- as opposed to the more colloquial and less literal sense of "adore." (Like when Molly Ivins says, "Unlike those who worship the free market...")

[Tim Cavanaugh]

Go, Gary! You're on fire.

[SR]

"History has an ebb and flow of justice, but history also has a visible direction, set by liberty and the Author of Liberty."

Isn't this a rather Hegelian statement? (Just insert "World Historic Individual" for "Author of Liberty".)

[Gary Gunnels]

SR,

Well, its quite determinist to say the least.

[Gary Gunnels]

SR,

Bush is a Christian, so its not surprising to see him speak in these sort of terms. The unfolding of God's "master plan" is how a lot of Christians think after all. Though where they get the idea that "master plan" includes human freedom I don't know. Certainly there is nothing (to my knowledge) in the Old or New Testaments which speak of liberty - religious or otherwise.

[joe]

Gary,

The Christain concept of liberty derives from the idea that it is pleasing to God when humans choose to seek salvation. Someone who lives like a good Christian under threat of execution doesn't really have the opportunity to freely choose to be holy.

[Gary Gunnels]

joe,

That's clearly not something required by the Bible however nor is it a concept (if in indeed your argument has merit) that was common amongst Christians until quite recently. Christians talk about freedom and the like these days because they've been successfully indoctrinated (for the most part) to reject some of the more vicious practices of their religion.

[Douglas Fletcher]

John Kerry in 2008!

[kevrob]

The OT does have this:

And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family. Leviticus 25-10

This doesn't refer to political liberty the way we moderns understand it, but the term is thrown around in the Bible.

Kevin

[kevrob]

Even Peggy Noonan thiks W went overboard on the god stuff.

This world is not heaven.

The president's speech seemed rather heavenish. It was a God-drenched speech. This president, who has been accused of giving too much attention to religious imagery and religious thought, has not let the criticism enter him. God was invoked relentlessly.

http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/?id=110006184

Peggy might think of me as a "fallen-away" Catholic. I prefer to think of it as "leaping to sanity", but to each her own.

Kevin

[joe]

Gary,

"That's clearly not something required by the Bible however nor is it a concept (if in indeed your argument has merit) that was common amongst Christians until quite recently." I guess that depends on how you define "quite recently." This understanding of freedom of conscience goes back to the Protestant Reformation. While it's not explicitly delineated in the Bible, various episodes are used to exemplify it - for example, the two apostles who left their father's fishing boat to follow Jesus.