More positive and less political

It hit me last night while reading The Orthodox Church by Timothy (now Metropolitan Kallistos) Ware and reinforced while praying Compline.

I need to move this website in a more positive and less political direction.

Let me explain where I am coming from.

I have been unusually down and irritable the last couple of months. Some of it is personal. December will always be a difficult time for us. Some of it has to do with the parish. This is a time when several internationals we have known and loved return to their home countries. Plus this week I embarrassed myself by reacting poorly to an issue that arose concerning church office operations.

But much of it is political. I have been following the (political) news closely for the first time since I was an undergraduate at Cornell University. And I have been distressed disgusted disillusioned and depressed.

• We can no longer trust the Mainstream Media. In 2008 they stopped even pretending to be objective and balanced in how they treat and present the news. They have more or less openly declared their allegiance to a liberal/collectivist social-political-economic agenda.
• Barack Obama – at least during the first several days in office – has begun to reveal his true character and agenda. Conservatives who strongly criticized him during the presidential campaign when he was elected said “Well good for him. We wish him well. Seriously”. Between election and inauguration they (indeed we) looked for words and actions that were hopeful and encouraging. Perhaps he truly wants to help the nation. Perhaps he truly will listen to and include Republicans in decision/policy-making. Perhaps he will not – as his campaign rhetoric sometimes caused us to wonder – govern from strongly left-of-center.
  Already it is apparent that conservatives were wrong to be hopeful. His rhetoric relentlessly marginalizes and misrepresents principled objections to his policies. “Bipartisan” apparently means nothing more than “forcing Republicans to vote for things they otherwise oppose”. Religion – and this has shocked me – is a tool for implementing change. President Obama already has demonstrated rank hypocrisy in some of his actions and appointments. (Such as appointing Tim Geithner as Treasury Secretary.) His campaign attempted to deflect charges that he is radically in favor of abortion – but one of his first acts to reinstate federal funding for groups that promote it. The White House website makes it clear that Obama Administration has a radically liberal social agenda.
  I genuinely want(ed) to support President Obama. But already he has driven me squarely into the camp of the Loyal Opposition.
• To be honest I am more concerned about the Congress than I am about the Obama Administration. The Congress is chiefly responsible for the dreadful condition of the American economy. And now they seek to fix a problem largely of their own making with an “economic stimulus package” this is more of the same. Government spending and social programs almost none of which will improve the health of the economy one bit and most likely will deepen and lengthen the recession by discouraging investment entrepeneurism and job creation. Many economists even of the Keynesian school (with a few exceptions of course) are arguing strongly against the approach which the Congress with the Obama Administration are taking. And there are almost no words to describe the monstrosity of the rhetoric and actions of Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
• The health of the American economy – not to mention our society – may become much worse and precisely because of the people to whom we are looking for “hope and change”. And what especially concerns me is if these people know exactly what they are doing. If their ultimate goal is to remake America socially politically – and permanently.
• Israel and a new rise of anti-Semitism. I have already posted on this subject.

The world is going mad. And America appears to be going mad with it.

Back to the original point. All of this distresses disgusts and disillusions. And this website will consist of almost nothing but negative posts that complain about what this person or these people are saying and doing.

Unless I move it in a more positive and less political direction.

I am supposed to be a pastor. I do not equate the Christian faith with political conservatism or the Republican party. What of the things of God that transcend our current historical and political circumstances?

Which is a dangerous and possibly a deeply flawed question. Perhaps better to ask, What does God call us to do and who does God call us to be in and during such circumstances?

And so I will try to concentrate more on meditations and sermons – as well as personal/fun items and movie/book reviews.

What do you think? I am genuinely interested.