God's Great Plan

I don't usually blog too intensely about matters of faith.  I'm an atheist, but my lack of faith doesn't define me any more than anyone else's abundance of faith defines them.  It's part of who I am, but not ALL of who I am.  However, for the past few days (since November 6th, strangely), I've seen Facebook post after miserable Facebook post going on and on about how awful it is that President Obama was re-elected, how they will pray to their God to guide and save them, and you know what?

I want to scream.  Not because of their faith, but because of the utter disingenuousness of it all.

It is disingenuous, right?  Because if it's not, then they're just plain stupid.

You see, these same people have splattered my wall for years with talk of "God's Plan."  You know, "God has a plan for you" and "I know it seems scary now, but don't worry--it's all part of God's plan!"

Hey, kids?  Has it occurred that maybe--just maybe--President Obama being re-elected is all a part of that grand scheme, too?  Seriously, if your deity has some wowser, eternal plan based upon his knowledge of all, past and future, then he has ALWAYS known that President Obama was going to serve two turns, and he MEANT for that to happen. 

Go ahead.  Tell me your deity didn't foresee this.  Tell me it's a surprise.  Tell me he's angry, shocked, and devastated by the way America voted. 

Hmm.

Also, to the 14 year olds who petitioned the White House for secession on behalf of Texas and Louisiana?  Obviously, you'll have to put that up to a popular vote--you can't just condemn all in your state to the consequences of your stupidity.  But should you manage to make it fly?  Bye!  Don't let the international border hit you in the ass on the way out!  Oh, and don't forget to turn in your library card.

And dismantle those federal installations and return all the materials.

And kiss all your active and reserve military personnel goodbye.

And cough up all those federal dollars you've just accepted for highways, health and human services, education, welfare, Medicare and Medicaid, FAA (air traffic controllers?  Not on OUR dime, buddy!), TSA (terrorists in the airport?  Good luck with that, kids!), fuel subsidies, transportation subsidies, corporate subsidies, and federal benefits for Veteran's hospitals. 

Oh, and when that next Katrina or Rita hits?  Sink.  When that next salmonella or e coli outbreak sweeps through your food supplies because you've no access to USDA inspections?  Stock up on Pepto.  And when that Mexican drug war sweeps across that border that is no longer served by the Border Patrol?  Duck!  Safe drugs and protection from bogus medical claims?  Make your own FDA--ours is taken. 

And the kicker?  No wingnut will EVER threaten our White House again without Texas' electoral votes. 

Hey, I don't want to give anyone the idea that I would WANT Texas and Louisiana to swim that river and become the new South of the Border.  Not at all.  But if they do choose to hit the road, Jack?

Worse things could happen.

Scared in the USA

So I'm hanging on Facebook the other day, taking part in a bit of a political discussion on a friend's wall. He's stumping for President Obama, I'm agreeing with him, and in comes a friend of his who's backing Romney. We're discussing wage inequality and the gender gap in pay, and she pipes up with, "I guess I've been lucky--I've never been paid less than a man in the same job, so I have no reason not to vote Romney/Ryan."


What? Are you serious? Are you stupid? You don't think (and you're probably wrong) that you've ever been directly affected by a grossly unfair, sexist trend and therefore you're going to vote for the guys who don't give two spits about it? Who support polices that forward it? Really?


Well, let's toss that silly Voting Rights Act, then, because I've never been black and denied the right to vote. If it doesn’t affect me, who cares, right?


This woman saw nothing "off" about her position. She absolutely failed to recognize the impact wage inequality has on ALL of us, not just the women being underpaid. She couldn't comprehend why she should care, why she should, in any way, concern herself with the problems of others.


Is she typical? Is this considered good or right? I'm serious--have we slid that far, sunk that low? I know that "I got mine, screw all y'all" has been a growing trend since the early 80s, but surely we can do better than that.


Surely we WANT to. Don't we?


It seems we, as a nation, disconnected somewhere along the line. We went from "man on the moon/Roe vs Wade/human rights champions of the world" to something smaller. Greedier. We've become a nation where the loudest are the ones calling for a richer rich, a poorer poor, and a non-existent immigrant population to blame for all ills. I know we can't all have fallen so far. We can't have all given up on that dream of peace and fairness.


So where are we? And when did we stop putting ourselves in the shoes of our fellow men and women?


We're facing an historic election. We're faced with a clear choice. And for the first time in my life, I am scared. Scared to death. For the first time in my life, I can actually foresee a world where I have less freedom, fewer opportunities, fewer rights, and a markedly limited vision for my future, and for that of my son. And my niece?


Fuhgeddaboutit.


What can I do about it? Vote. It's really all I can do. I can vote, I can encourage my friends to vote, my family, YOU. I can make sure I'm registered to vote (http://www.canivote.org/), I can make sure that my state hasn't passed some restrictive, “keep the poor and elderly away come election day” voter ID law, and I can figure out what I need to exercise my right to vote, should it turn out they have (http://www.ncsl.org/legislatures-elections/elections/voter-id.aspx).


I believe in America, but, as more and more people hop on the "if it doesn't affect me, it doesn't matter" train, I'm finding it harder and harder to believe in Americans. Help me out with that. Inform yourself, seek your news and information from several sources on all sides of the political spectrum. Speak intelligently, don't encourage or tolerate obfuscation and slander. And for goodness sake, choose your candidate based upon his or her words, actions, vision, and character rather than looks, race, wealth, or religion.

Psalm 109:8

Or Bible as Bludgeon--How to Cheapen a Faith and use Scripture to Attack Political Rivals

A couple of days ago, I got a little blurb in my Facebook feed from a friend. A woman I’ve never met, but have known for years online. An intelligent, kind, compassionate friend I’ve always had the utmost respect for, even though our political and religious ideologies (if you can call mine that—I don’t HAVE a religion) are a million miles apart.

As always, I was happy to see her on my wall—until I read what she had to say.

You’ve probably already seen it. Hopefully, like me, you’ve seen it for what it is. Stupid, sneaky hate.

That’s right. My friend smacked me with the hate-mongering “A Prayer for Obama: Psalm 109.8” rubbish, which is cropping up on t-shirts, truckers hats, bumper stickers, and other classy modes of communication. For those not in the know, Psalm 109.8 reads thusly:

Let his days be few; and let another take his office

Okay. That’s not nice, but it’s not particularly bad, right? It’s just the cheesy politicizing of one’s faith in order to take a jab at a politician. Cheap and dull, but not bad . . . or is it?

As folks are so often complaining about things being taken “out of context,” let’s take a good look at that particular Biblical verse in context. Let’s take a look at it with its neighboring verses intact:

When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.

Let his days be few; and let another take his office.

Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.

Niiiiice.

Now, I’m willing to give some of these Psalm-shouters the benefit of the doubt—maybe they’re just stupid and have latched onto this catchphrase without being aware that it is pulled directly from a chapter dedicated to wishing torture, death, and damnation on an adversary. Maybe they don’t actually understand what it is they’re wearing/waving/typing. Fair enough. But what about those others? The ones like my Bible-studying, church-going, scripture-comprehending friend? Can we let them slide by on the ignorance defense, too?

I don’t think so. I think that, when they type/wave/shout this, they know exactly what they’re saying. And I think they’re amused by their own inherently dishonest cleverness. Why? Because, if called to the carpet on their bad behavior, they can argue, “Nooo, I just meant that one itty, bitty verse, completely divorced of its real meaning or context!” If that’s really the case, then they’ve just cheapened their faith by picking and choosing, using their holy doctrine as a cheesy little quote-generating stick with which to poke a politician. If it’s not the case, then they’ve just vomited up a deathwish for our President via King James.

Regardless of their real intent (and who can really know what that is?), the sad fact is that they’re adding to the piss in the pool. You know, Karma—if we all scatter rose petals, then we all get to swim in sweet water. But all it takes is one Psalm-spouting, Obama-hating, scripture-swinging git peeing in the pool to foul it all up for everyone.

If you’re reading this and YOU’RE one of these Psalmers, ask yourself why you would do something this dirty with what is supposed to be the inspired word of your God. Why would you use your supposed faith as a political tool or a cheap whoopee cushion? And then ask how you would respond, were someone to cut up your holy scriptures in search of pithy quotes to use against YOU. Ask yourself these questions and be honest with yourself when finding the answers. And then remember that forgiveness rarely comes without sincere remorse.

Oh, and my friend? I’m ready to forgive you.