this morning, to say the least! Once again, BIL doesn’t show up on time, we move on. Then I lost control of our opening time, fortunately SU recognized it, stepped in and got control back. Then, in our men’s class, I made the fatal mistake of making a snide political comment about our reasons for being in Iraq, that was offensive to one of the guys. No way to get back on track after that one. And I know better. I mean, I KNOW BETTER!
Then, in big church, here we go with patriotism and flag waving. I’m sorry, I just don’t get that. I mean, I don’t get the connection between the gospel and patriotism to our country. Other than the proverbial give unto Ceasar what is Ceasar’s, what did Jesus have to say about politics? And yet, in God’s house today I look up and there are 13 US flags waving at the front, blocking the view of most. JM had mentioned beforehand how Independence Day had been changed to a military celebration and he certainly got it right today. Did everyone just plain forget that ordinary people resisted an authoritarian government so that we could be free? What we do now reminds me more of what the Soviet Union did with their May Day parades, glorifying the machinery and troops that suppressed the people. Here is a quote from MS Encarta about May Day Parades:
Under communist rule, an annual parade in Moscow’s Red Square marked the international labor holiday known as May Day. Although the parade honored the working people of the Soviet Union, communist leaders such as Joseph Stalin, used the event to display the country’s military forces and to honor themselves.
I think this is what we have done with Independence Day. Every day we lose more freedoms under the guise of good government, anti-terrorism, anti-drugs and public good. Have you ever considered what the Patriot Act is doing to us? Or the recent Supreme Court rulings about property rights and eminent domain? I’ve got an idea for a new law: every citizen of the US should be required to read the Declaration of Independence annually. Maybe then we will return to a free society with true representative democracy. Late.
I am constantly amazed at how siblings thinks alike without discussing certain topics…Friday I suggested to my coworkers that we read the Declaration of Independence since we seem to have lost the true meaning of 4th of July…I then suggested that perhaps we should read this at least once a year and then quiz each other on what we have read! Too funny!