Wednesday, November 12, 2008

"Why Palin Still Matters"

"Some readers think my continuing attempt to expose all the lies and flim-flam and bizarre behavior of Sarah Palin is now moot. She's history - they argue. Move on. I think she probably is history. Even Bill Kristol and his minions in the McCain-Palin campaign may not be able to resuscitate her political viability now. But even if she is history, she is history that matters."

Read it all:
"Why Palin Still Matters"

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Sarah Palin: The Animal Kingdom Reacts!

I just found this tonight. I'm sorry I didn't find it a couple of months ago. Oh well. It doesn't matter anymore. Well, maybe it will be good to dig out for the 2012 election.

On the other hand....

Friday, November 7, 2008

Thursday, October 30, 2008

More politics

CNN Rick Sanchez Catches McCain Spokesman Mike Goldfarb Lying


Cafferty on Palin: "How Do You Present Yourself as Any Kind of Candidate of Reform, When the Practices You Employ Put You in the Very Same Category as Every Other Two Bit Sleezy Opportunitstic Politican That Has Come Before You?"


DEVELOPING STORY: CNN - Palin Withdraws As VP (Is this for real?!)

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

More campaign goodies

Maddow: McCain Hits the Panic Button (Cindy McCain's attacks on Obama) -- this is after the second debate:

Sunday, October 12, 2008

McCain-Palin Rallies Frightening

Maddow: Venomous Hate at McCain-Palin Rallies is Frightening:


MSNBC Rachel Maddow- 10/10/08 - McCain Campaign of Hate in Historic Perspective

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Drill Baby Drill

Drill Drill Drill - Eve Ensler:


Tom Friedman slams the GOP's "Drill, Drill, Drill" focus:

Monday, October 6, 2008

Full interview with Katie Couric



I'm not so sure that this is the entire interview. But it does cover some things I didn't hear before.

Palin's comment that it doesn't matter what caused Global Warming is so wrong. As was mentioned in her first interview, how one understands the causes shapes how one would try to deal with it. So, if conventional wisdom believes that our dependence on fossil fuel contributes to Global Warming, we should not "Drill Baby Drill!" I'm also disturbed how she acts as a lobbyist on behalf of the Alaskan oil supply. It strikes me as a conflict of interest in some way.

She thinks homosexuality is a choice.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

More politics

Rachel Maddow: The Palin Record:


John 'Bush' McCain & Sarah 'Cheney' Palin Worst Day Yet:


Sarah Palin is a Religious Nutcase 2 Demons in the South:


A quote from the interviewee: "The Rapture is an environmental policy...."

Countdown Keith Olbermann - Michael Moore destroys Bush, Republicans, & Palin VP Selection:


Michael Moore: Sarah Palin is an extremist when you find out about her! http://www.tinyurl.com/allaboutpalin:


The clips about Iran, nuclear war, and other aspects of being Commander-in-Chief are things I hadn't heard, and feel are worth watching. "He's going to make Cheney look like Gandhi." It also lists some fact-checks on some of Sarah's claims.

Newt: PALIN NOT READY!! Shocker!! Caught On VIDEO! GeorgeW: "This Was Avoidable" !!!


WHAT WAS PALIN THINKING?!?:

The Truth About Sarah Palin

The truth is, that she is as dishonest as McCain. But first this, before I post her latest smear on Obama, I found this:

The Truth About Sarah Palin (11 pages)

Palin accuses Obama of "Palling Around With Terrorist"


Do we really want her as our (vice) president?! Do we really want a government based on lies?! Can anyone other than the Democrats see through her? I call it bearing false witness.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Sarah Palin in the news today

I'm actually still looking for an audio or a video of something I heard Sarah Palin say today about her upcoming debate with Joe Biden. The transcript won't do. I want to capture her sarcastic tone of voice. It was also agist. It seems to me that whatever she or McCain have to say against the opposition, it ironically applies to them. I haven't found it yet. But I did find this:



I don't think I heard this in the Katie Couric video I posted earlier....



This kind of gets back to my point above:



Here's what I was looking for:

Sunday, September 28, 2008

GrizzlyBay.org


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Palin's attacks on Obama (responses), and more.

These are "old", like from the end of August after Palin's acceptance speech. The first one is good, because it refutes what she had to say. One thing I do want to theorize (again) is that if she sounded like a Washington insider with her speech, it's because it was written by a Washington insider. But I suspect she repeats the parts on the road that got positive responses from the Republicans at the convention.





This isn't about Palin's attacks on Obama, but about Exxon and the "Drill Baby Drill" chant. I got the same impression when I heard it. But I just figured Palin is looking out for the Alaskans to profit, and not necessarily a Big Oil connection. But I'd like more attention paid to this before we start drilling....




The beginning of that video alludes to an affair Palin allegedly had, according to the National Enquirer. That story hasn't been talked about in the mainstream media. But then, they also didn't cover the story about John Edwards either until he confessed. Here's a comment from the UK, Sarah Palin ‘affair’: big media stays quiet as ‘lover’ named. I don't particularly care, since it seems the norm for politicians. But I don't like cover-ups. Here's another: Media dilemma over Enquirer’s ‘Sarah Palin affair’ allegation. I'm just posting those because it was mentioned in the above video, but wasn't the main point of that video. Here's the article from the National Enquirer.

Here's a blog I found tonight. Judging by the name, it might be biased, but has some interesting info:
HOW INSANE IS JOHN MCCAIN?

STATESMAN. PATRIOT. POSSIBLE ANGER MANAGEMENT ISSUES.

THE CRAZY ANTICS OF JOHN MCCAIN

Saturday, September 27, 2008

GOP concerns about Palin grow

"GOP concerns about Palin grow"



Some on the right are joining a chorus of criticism over Sarah Palin
John McCain's running mate and his sharp reactions to the nation's economic crisis have led several prominent conservative columnists to slam the senator as reckless and strident.


McCain Loses His Head, by George F. Will

I might as well post this here. I just found it on a site that talked about Matthew Scully writing Palin's acceptance speech:

"To knock a thing down, especially if it is cocked at an arrogant angle, is a deep delight of the soul."
--Santayana

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

McCain

The video that should sink John McCain's presidential dreams



This video is similar to one I posted earlier. One thing I noticed that was different in this one was that he admitted that what he said about the Confederate flag being a state issue, was said out of ambition.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Defenders Action Fund's ad

Environmentalist Assail Palin video (CBSNews.com)


Watch CBS Videos Online

GOP vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin has come under fire from environmental and animal activists for her positions on drilling and hunting in Alaska. John Blackstone reports from Anchorage.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

More found on YouTube

NBC John McCain: week in review:


Amusing, but sad. Dig the comment about how the fish like to hang around the oil rigs. Pretty compelling.
After the replaying of the gaffes, listen to what Ana Marie Cox has to say about the McCain campaign people not caring what people think.

NBC The right moves?:


This first part is similar to the video above, but the rest covers other topics. Of interest is a quote by some Republican whose name I can't remember. It's worthwhile to watch, if only to catch that quote. Well, here it is:

"McCain's recent conduct of his campaign... has reinforced my earlier, and growing, sense that John McCain is not a principled man. In fact, it's not clear who he is."

-- Elizebeth Drew
Author of Citizen McCain

Source: Politico.com


Also of interest is the topic of Social Security.

NBC Disproving the common wisdom on women:


Between watching the videos of the Alaskan women's anti-Palin demonstration (posted below) and watching this, I have more hope in the women voters of this country.

SARAH PALIN PRAISES BARACK OBAMA!!! (pssst, only until she was offered a seat as V.P.:

"Palin Disputed in Troopergate Probe" (CBS)

Palin Disputed In Troopergate Probe
Document Reveals Trip To Washington Supposedly Unauthorized Was Approved By Her Office
Sept. 20, 2008

Friday, September 19, 2008

"Exposed: McCain team includes 83 Wall Street lobbyists"

"Exposed: McCain team includes 83 Wall Street lobbyists"

‘Alaska Women Reject Palin’ Rally is HUGE!

Lest you think everyone thinks alike in Alaska....
Check out this story, pictures and YouTube video.

The third paragraph was troubling:

"The rally was organized by a small group of women, talking over coffee. It made me wonder what other things have started with small groups of women talking over coffee. It’s probably an impressive list. These women hatched the plan, printed up flyers, posted them around town, and sent notices to local media outlets. One of those media outlets was KBYR radio, home of Eddie Burke, a long-time uber-conservative Anchorage talk show host. Turns out that Eddie Burke not only announced the rally, but called the people who planned to attend the rally “a bunch of socialist baby-killing maggots”, and read the home phone numbers of the organizers aloud over the air, urging listeners to call and tell them what they thought. The women, of course, received many nasty, harassing and threatening messages.


How totally irresponsible and unethical of Eddie Burke to do that. I'm glad the women didn't let the hatemongers scare them off.

I just found some YouTube videos....

First, this one is why I'm an Illinois Woman who rejects Palin:

"Sarah Palin and Animals":


Here are some from the rally.

The first one is the news segment on the harassment and threats that the organizers received:









Here's an article from the "Anchorage Daily News":
"Anti-Palin activists stage their own rally"

More from Daily Kos

A collection of photos

Big polar bear

How it started

Women Against Palin's web site

I'm sure there's plenty more on references on Google.

Monday, September 15, 2008

More miscellaneous YouTube videos

Just checking out YouTube again, and thought I'd post some videos that I thought were interesting, and might want to come back to someday....

Romney: 'Obama A Senator Killer' - gonna 'take care of' John McCain


John McCain picks Sarah Palin


Romney on McCAIN: "HUGE MISTAKE!!" McCain is a liar.


Ron Paul 9-10-08 Press Conference


CNN: Ron Paul and Ralph Nader on Situation Room 9/10/08


More videos on the topic of the undemocratic way our elections are orchestrated for us can be seen here (on the right side of the screen), or on the Third Party candidates' websites. The sad thing is that people are made to feel that they have to vote against the worst choice, instead of voting their conscience, either because a race is close, or because they don't want to feel like they're "wasting" a vote on someone who isn't likely to be able to win. And that includes not only the Third Party or independent candidates, but Primary elections for the major two Parties. I purposely didn't vote for my first choice, because he wasn't even allowed to participate in the debates, and I wanted to vote for someone who could actually win and change the political landscape, even if moderately.

We really aren't given a fair choice. And there is a way to vote for a simple majority, where a third person isn't a "spoiler". This came up in my state a few years ago, when the independents were viable candidates. What I find disappointing this time around is all the talk of "change", but the only change I've noticed is that this is a nastier-than-usual campaign. I tend to believe that the Third Party and Independent candidates are actually running because they care about the issues that matter to Americans more than they care about winning.

This may be too big, but I'm going to try to embed the Google video of the whole conference.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Sarah Palin

Here this is, my designated "rant" blog, and I forgot to post my Sarah Palin stuff here. Not a big deal, since it's out there, and only about 3 people know about this blog, but I might as well get my ducks in a row.

If nothing else, I'll repost these:



"Sarah Palin Champions Barbaric Aerial Hunting of Wolves"


"Palin: Okay, I Didn't Quite Say 'Thanks, But No Thanks'"


"Don't let them insult your intelligence."

Friday, September 12, 2008

"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." (George Orwell)

I've posted some negative things about Sarah Palin on my Episcoveg blog, because they were motivated by her reputation pertaining to hunting, and support for aerial hunting of wolves. But I don't want that blog to become too negative, or too political/partisan.

But since this is my personal rant blog, I feel it is my duty as an American and as a Christian, to post things that bother me about the current presidential campaign, which is based on deception and distraction from the issues.

I'm tired of the lies. And I don't want the future of this country decided, based on lies. I also don't presume to know the truth, when I hear things. But when I hear McCain contradicting himself, and some of the other things I've seen that seem compelling, I feel like it's time to speak out (even if I only get one visitor every few months on this blog, which I've told less than a handful of people about).

Here are a few videos I found on YouTube tonight:

McCain's YouTube Problem Just Became a Nightmare



John McCain's ads are LIES. Here's the video proof.



Make McCain Disavow His Dishonest Obama Ad



Countdown: Lying in State




John McCain vs. John McCain



McCain Dishonest on Petreaus & Iraq Stability"




Unrelated, but painfully amusing evaluation:

TPMtv: McCain Leaves Fox Speechless



On home foreclosures:

McCain's Mansions




Once to every man and nation, comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side;
Some great cause, some great decision, offering each the bloom or blight,
And the choice goes by forever, ’twixt that darkness and that light.

Then to side with truth is noble, when we share her wretched crust,
Ere her cause bring fame and profit, and ’tis prosperous to be just;
Then it is the brave man chooses while the coward stands aside,
Till the multitude make virtue of the faith they had denied.

By the light of burning martyrs, Christ, Thy bleeding feet we track,
Toiling up new Calv’ries ever with the cross that turns not back;
New occasions teach new duties, time makes ancient good uncouth,
They must upward still and onward, who would keep abreast of truth.

Though the cause of evil prosper, yet the truth alone is strong;
Though her portion be the scaffold, and upon the throne be wrong;
Yet that scaffold sways the future, and behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above His own.


The View (part 1 of 3):


The View (part 2 of 3):


The View (part 3 of 3):


"Joe Biden On Fire":


"What do ya talk about when you can't explain the past eight years of failure?" Great quote.

Unrelated to lying, but a look at his personality:

John McCain Cursing

Monday, September 1, 2008

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Change your life, and make a public stink. Change society.

I am increasingly bothered since the Animal Rights National Conference about new things I learned, pertaining to the meat industry.

First, was a speaker who talked about the killing of wolves, bison, wild horses, wild burros, prairie dogs, etc., due to pressure from the cattle ranchers. He mentioned that there are many endangered species that are not included on the government's list.
I don't remember his name, or which group he was from, but thought that people who might not care about food animals might care about wildlife, and should know that it is the cattle ranchers who are behind the demise of many wild species.

Second, was Paul Watson's keynote address, where he mentioned that the world's fisheries are in a state of collapse, and on top of that, mentioned that half the wild fish that are caught go to feed our livestock! And that pigs eat more fish than all the people of Japan. He said more tuna is fed to our cats than people eat. He also said that many species of fish are caught before they reach sexual maturity, so there is little possibility of recovering those populations that we destroy.

It is amazing to me, that not only is this happening with the fisheries in the state that they're in, but that I'm not hearing about it from the environmentalists or from the humanitarians. Maybe they don't know that we waste half the fish caught on livestock. I didn't.

I posted this on my other blog, and decided to link to it here, because not only are we endangering so many the world's species by killing off the oceans, but we are endangering our own species. And it isn't just the people in the poor countries who will suffer. Eventually, and probably much sooner than later, our society's inattention to and complacency toward the environment and other animals we exploit in every way possible, is going to affect us all.

Please take a look at my other blog's blurb -- especially Paul Watson's Keynote Address, and the article from Grist about the fish that feeds our livestock. Then get outraged, speak out, and change your diet. Anyone who is concerned about species extinction, the various forms of environmental degradation caused by the meat & fish industries, anyone concerned about the people of the developing countries needs to examine their personal choices, and what they promote -- especially in the Church! Stop pussy-footing around with general catchwords like "biodiversity" and "sustainability" that have no real impact on the listeners. Call a spade a spade. Wake people up. If you don't like the fact that 70 % of the world's grain is used to feed livestock instead of people, if you don't like that the rainforests are being cleared to grow crops to feed livestock instead of people, and if you don't like that 14 million tons of wild-caught fish are going into "food" animals feed every year just so you can enjoy your bacon, or so your church can make a little money on an "all you can eat" fish fry -- boycott those industries that are killing our planet, and change the culture around you.

It is not only time for the environmentalists to speak out passionately, but it is time for humanitarians to search for eco-friendly and animal-friendly solutions to "making poverty history". I feel all the more strongly that our churches, both local and national, should not be promoting and supporting the propagation of animal agriculture in developing countries. Our charities need to get out of the animal-supplying business. There are other charities and other things churches can choose to do, that won't add to other problems that impact the environment and multiply animal suffering. Look for alternative solutions.

Thursday, July 31, 2008

mamabishop: Artist and Engineer

mamabishop: Artist and Engineer

I agree with this, most personally, the part that says,
"...Then we talk and argue and go over things again and worry furiously, not wanting to have to make mistakes and yank things up. All the while, nothing has been planted, nothing has the chance to grow. No one gets too messy either, in good Anglican fashion. Well, except for those people and missions who are set aside waiting for a resolution - a plan. And those set aside can whither and die, while we chat each other up and express ourselves endlessly. I would like to argue for an artist's approach, knowing that our great Creator, fashioned us in a process of getting in the dirt, breathing on the wind and moving ribs and other things around. God got busy with the tools and used the available gifts in creation. I would like us, for a change, to get out there and get dirty, to get elbow deep and realize we might fail, and might have to do some replanting, reworking, re-hydrating in order to be a community acting for the love of Christ...."

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Why am I drifting away from Church?

This isn't a rant, but includes topics I don't want to post on my other blog. It may exhibit some sadness or depression, or even some sort of "passive agression" against who-knows-what. But I do know that it is "Episcopally-correct" for lapsed members to fade away quietly, and not to malinger.

Last week I was asked to substitute at church for a guy who couldn't be there. I agreed grudgingly, and church was heavily on my mind from Friday night through Sunday (and beyond).

I've known for a couple of months that it takes more than a week to "recover" from church, but that it really takes two or three weeks away to feel normal -- to the point that I don't have to think about it, or whether or not I have to set my alarm clock on Saturday night. And to continually make the trip, just to be the "dark cloud", doesn't seem like it would be healthy for other people.

I'm not particularly mad at anyone about anything, even if I have my gripes about the place. But a whole lot surfaces whenever I think about having to go. Like a whole lot, but mostly things from the distant past. (Neverthe less, the more things change, the more they stay the same.)

There were 4 recent "events" that contributed to my current state. I think 3 are posted already here.

When I consider why it is that I have no motivation to make the trip to church, I have to wonder if I'm generally depressed and spiralling into a life as a recluse, or if I'm being punitive in some way. I also know that "I'm supposed to be there". And when I've felt this way in the past, my presence was a form of "activism". I know I have to "stay in it", because nothing will ever change if I don't. (But nothing really has in all these years, anyway.)

In the past, my disappointments, frustrations, and feelings of exclusion (in a "your concepts of hospitality are inhospitable and exclusionary toward me" kind of way -- where every social event is centered around animal flesh and byproducts) were "grist for the mill", and actually led to some amazing things, like my other blog site, ENAW, General Convention, participation with the Multi-Faith relgious leaders who co-authored "A Religious Proclamation for Animal Compassion", an invitation to speak at a national animal rights conference on the topic of animals & religion, etc. But the time for "grist" is over, because it takes a constant and cumulative toll on me. It is not good for my soul in general. And I'm to the point that I have nothing (else) to offer my church, and I still go home feeling empty. I feel basically like a dandelion that has been snipped down to the root. That is debilitating and crushing, when I really think about it.

A little piece of me died there, when the DVD (which epitomizes all my hopes and dreams -- see the last paragraph to know what I'm talking about) became lost. "It represented my life". A large piece of me died on April 6th, when it was returned to me, unwatched. And another large piece of me died on Rogation Sunday, when any hope of a gardening group was pre-empted by the cancer support group whose forum was about Relay for Life. I felt like I was pre-empted by a presentation of authorized members, basically (if unknowingly) asking us to support animal research.

The hope for starting a group of organic veggie gardeners in the congregation was my own "dangling carrot" -- or the last straw. It turned out to be the last straw.

So, what excuses would I give for not making the trip to church? There are many. But I decided yesterday that it boils down to things like "time" and "priorities" -- in a twisted way that church people would think of in a completely different way.

To set aside time to watch the DVD, would have required it to have some priority. But it was not a priority. ("My life" was not a priority. How should I feel about that?)

When I thought about the time it takes me to drive to and from church each week, it struck me that the round trip is equivalent to the amount of time it would take to watch the DVD. When I thought about the time it takes to sit through a church service, it is also equivalent to the amount of time it would take to watch the DVD.

It almost feels like I'm trying to "get even" in some way.

I don't think I am. I realize that the DVD is at the core of my current issues. And it is the constant association between the unwatched DVD, and the lost hope that I'd ever be able to do anything with it there, that I think the drive is just too long for the trip to be a priority for me. I have to weigh which is worse for my soul -- to go, or to stay home. And I guess that's one reason I'm not burning any bridges.

I also believe that the choice not to watch the DVD was a passive way of saying "No".
I'm feeling like my staying home from church without explanation is also a passive way of saying "No", but mainly, "No, I am not interested in following any more dangling carrots that the church may have to offer. So, basically, I have to weigh from one week to the next whether I'd feel worse going or staying away. But it almost seems important to stay away on the weeks I'm not scheduled to be there.

(The DVD I'm referring to highlighted the event and the talks in Washington DC at the unveiling and official signing of "A Religious Proclamation for Animal Compassion". It can be ordered via the link in the last sentence of this article. I'm in the picture on that page. How sad that I have to look outside my own church for support for my cause.)

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Who speaks for God?

The following is a response to a priest who posted a message about prophets/being prophetic on a listserv that I read....




Interesting topic.

I had a conversation with my priest the Sunday after Easter, where we were discussing "my" issues that will never be aired in a public forum (over the idea of which bishop might be good to invite to speak at a conference I'm going to in August). I commented that the priests and bishops who seem most likely to openly speak out on "my" issues are those who are either non-parochial or retired. She agreed (probably implying a way to be left off the hook) and differentiated between the need for being pastoral vs. the need to prophetic. (The need not to create a divisive environment.)

Unfortunately, even though we agreed, it didn't make me feel any better about the Catch 22 that I'm stuck in there. If I had read this back then, I could have accused the Church of being a "not-for-prophet institution". Great description! I think it's worth a book.

No congregation, and certainly no religious institution, really wants or welcomes any kind of prophet in their midst. (I could rattle on, but won't.) But the bottom line for me is that since no one welcomes any type of truth that causes discomfort or implies any expectations from the hearers, or "makes ancient good uncouth", nothing much will ever change in a meaningful way. And it's too bad that I feel that way about the only institution that ostensibly represents God.

S...
[appropriate hymn]

"My own hunches and experiences point to an institution that is largely disconnected from the issues, needs and hurts of the world. I have felt that the church has been distressingly silent in terms of offering prophetic commentary and moral insight for the largest problems we face. In matters of public policy and personal transformation most churches are irrelevant."

-- (the Rev.) Peter Sawtell, from "The Irrelevant Church" (9/6/02)


"When the voice of God is invoked
on behalf of those
who have no voice,
it is time to listen.
But when the name of God is used
to benefit the interests
of those who are speaking,
it is time to be very careful."

-- Jim Wallis, Who Speaks for God?

Oprah, quotes & "A Lenten Fast From Violence" revisited

This is a post I decided not to send to one of my listservs. But it falls within the definition of a mini-rant. So I'll post it here:




Hi, all. I added links & quotes pertaining to Oprah's 21 day vegan cleanse on my site, along with things that came to mind as I went from link to link, both on her site and elsewhere.

If you look (or if you continue reading this) you might gather that after all these years, it still irks me, whenever I think about it, that our churches -- or the World Council of Churches(!) -- will not even mention giving up meat for Lent as an "option" for people to consider. Well, I know of one exception among us, in another part of the country. But I guess one has to be a veg'n to "preach it", because no one else will -- unless they're Orthodox, and observing a vegan Lent is the norm -- and from what I understand, the expectation to even be able to take Communion (with dispensations for the young and the elderly). As I've lamented in the past, The Episcopal Church is either too "protestant", or too self-indulgent (which is more likely the case), to care about such vestigial practices as self-examination, penitence and self-denial, even for the one season out of the Church Year that is set aside for that kind of thing.

Well, I'm thankful that Oprah is doing this.

Maybe her fans will take notice.

Sue


“How can you say you’re trying to spiritually evolve, without even a thought about what happens to the animals whose lives are sacrificed in the name of gluttony?”
– Oprah

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Rogation Sunday

So, today was Rogation Sunday. I had a little bit of hope that today would be the day I could interest some people in my church to join me in gardening this summer, with the intent of growing a few organic things for ourselves, and to share the extras with others at church including our Community Meal (soup kitchen).

This was the dangling carrot I invented for myself, to have a reason to continue going to church "for a season".

Nothing was planned for Rogation, except for the choice of hymns. I asked my priest (who liked my idea last September) if she would say something during the announcements, or if I could. She suggested that I do it, because she might forget. And so I did.

On the way out, I asked if she could bless my seeds. She wasn't sure, because the cancer support group was doing the forum (which we don't have on a regular basis) and said it would depend on time, etc., depending on what's going on with their presentation.

So during the forum, I sat at a long table next to my set-up card table. (I also had my copy of the Book of Occasional Services on the table in front of me.) She ended up sitting next to me. But as soon as the cancer presentation was finished, she got up and left.

So not only did I feel completely unsupported, as if I were the "Weed of the Church", I was subjected to the group who is encouraging us to support the Relay for Life, where the proceeds go to the American Cancer Society -- and the main chunk goes to (animal) research to "find a cure". Whatever.

No group in that church gets much support, if any, from the rest of the congregation. The church is "unresponsive".

I was visably upset before I left, and told one guy why (not a member, but a regular attendee) -- not just because of today, but because of the benign neglect (a passive way of saying "no") over the unpreviewed Proclamation DVD. I asked the guy who does the liturgical schedule to take me off, because I am in need of a "sabbatical".

One lady showed some interest in taking some lettuce, radish & cilantro seeds. But she has an apartment balcony, so doesn't really have room to grow much. Even so, since she's just one person, I really don't need to go back to church on a regular basis. I'll go back when I have something worthwhile to offer the church -- like my extra potatoes.



Even though it was cold today, I'm glad I wore my new "Episcopally-correct" T-shirt to church. It has the ENAW logo on the front, above a quote:

"Speak up for those who have no voice,
for the cause of those appointed to die."

-- Proverbs 31:8 [NKJV variation]

And on the back, it has one of the Baptismal promises from the BCP:

"Do you renounce the evil powers of the world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God?"

"I renounce them."


Another thing that bothers me is that the intercessions for the Prayers of the People are always cleared out, or non-existent. I have a friend in hospice care, and it is like pulling teeth to try to keep her on the church's prayer list. What's up with that?!


Basically, church depresses me. Why waste the gas to go? It takes me about two weeks to recover.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Inhibited by broken promises

I've been dreading going to church tomorrow, because I'm afraid my priest might ask, "How are you?" It's always such a complicated question to try to answer honestly, or accurately, since my mood can change from one day to the next. I will say that this was a rough week, and it took me most of that time to get over my disappointment of last weekend.

So what word would I use to describe how I am, or how I'm feeling? A few came to mind. "Grounded" was one that sounds pretty neutral, especially this past week, when so many jets were grounded to have their wire bundles in their wheel wells inspected. It is also fitting, because my organic veggie seeds arrived this week. So I've started planting them, hoping they'll be seedlings by mid-May.

But in the Episcopal Church's climate this week, the word "inhibited" came to mind. I feel inhibited. I'm not feeling personally inhibited as if I did anything wrong that would cause me to be kept silent. But the thing I was hoping would happen since last November won't ever happen, and now I am left feeling pretty much like the wind has been sucked out of my sails, that I am out of ideas, and that my hope has died. ("Zombie of the Church" just came to mind, too. But I think I'll keep that one to myself, hoping something will improve my mood soon.)

The gardening idea is still a "go". But I've all but lost interest in promoting it, even though I'll bring my seeds on the 27th (if nothing has sprouted by then) in case there is any sort of Rogation Sunday thingie that will be going on.

We talked briefly about the upcoming Animal Rights National Conference in August, where I'll be a speaker on the topic of animals & religion. I mentioned that the person who submitted my name asked if I knew of any bishops who might be interested in going to speak too. I had some in mind. My priest suggested another one, who happens to be retired. Somehow it came up in conversation that the clergy who are more likely to feel free to talk about animal issues are those who are either non-parochial or retired. And after the flak our Presiding Bishop got from the conservative bloggers, I felt like I was opting toward suggesting the retired bishop.

That whole idea brought up a Catch 22 in my mind -- knowing that non-parochial or retired means that this is a topic that will never get discussed in our churches in a meaningful way. Congregational life. It's a pit, because no one wants to ruin the tranquility, or get anyone riled up enough to leave. (I don't count. I'm just one person.) So this is what it boiled down to for me:

"...the thought occurred to me that the problem with the Church is that it allows 'the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God' to orchestrate for us what is safe and acceptable to talk about in a public forum, and, that the churches are unwilling to 'renounce them'."

How is it that the Church expects people to publicly renounce the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God as part of their Baptismal promises, when the Church will not?

The Presiding Bishop's Easter Message

Since this is a rant, I decided to move it here, from my other blog site. (It was from April 2nd.) As a background, here is the link to The Presiding Bishop's Easter Message.




I started a blurb, and then deleted it. It ended up being a diatribe about the typically disrespectful/hateful comments I found on the conservative blogs. I'll wait until I can simply state why I was happy to read the Presiding Bishop's Easter Message. I know why I was. I'm not so sure that I'd want to post it here. Maybe I'll let the positive reside on my March 23rd blurb with the excerpt that can speak for itself. Maybe I'll concentrate on the negative comments I read, instead, since I don't feel like posting my opinions on their blogs, and subject myself to the self-righteous pyranhas. I need to get some sleep.




Added 4/5/08:

In response to those who ripped the Presiding Bishop apart because her Easter Message wasn't "Christian-enough" for their taste (and nothing she could ever do or say would make them happy anyway), I would simply say that she was speaking to Episcopalians, who already know what Easter is about. Anyone who goes to church once or twice a year knows about Jesus' death and Resurrection. She was saying things that most Episcopalians do not seem to know about -- or care about. Why Easter? Why not? It is a time when churches traditionally do baptisms. Maybe people who read the Easter Message had a chance to hear this for the first time:

"Do you renounce the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God?"


"I renounce them."



One thing I found so potentially important about the message, is that we are big into the MDG's. I am hopeful that her message will encourage charitable people in our churches to find ways to support the MDG's that not only help the poorest of the poor, but do not hurt the environment, or add to animal suffering. If the higher-ups in the Church take her message to heart, maybe we can stop encouraging people to support "buy a cow for a poor family" schemes. Maybe ERD will phase out their "animal slavery project". Maybe the creator of the animal-exploitive Advent Calendar that is posted every year on the Diocese of Washington's website will update the daily outreach suggestions. Who knows what could happen, when someone in a position like hers actually goes out on a limb to speak to a topic that even our environmentalists who talk about Climate Change won't touch?

(Go ahead and eat your Easter hamburgers out of contempt for our Church leader, you self-righteous, self-indulgent, hard-hearted brood of vipers. Why not throw in a gluttonous Turducken while you're at it, just for spite? How many creatures of God are you willing to corrupt and destroy, just so you can dehumanize another Christian who doesn't fit your mold?)


The Easter Message came to my attention just at a time when I was ready to drop out, because I've been so impatient with, and disillusioned by the Church's silence (and "imposed silence") on these topics -- eternally displaced by more important topics of the day like "sex and schism" that is a smoke screen that diverts attention from everything else, and is generally out of touch with anything other than its own self-interests. I'm back, because she opened a door!


I was reminded of these old posts:


- An Open Letter to Episcopalians (and other charitable people) in support of MDG's

- The other "Inconvenient Truth" -- a message for the Church (and the world)


- MDG's: A few cruelty-free international relief and development organizations

Sunday, March 30, 2008

The Easter Bunny reminds us of The Episcopal Church's GC2003 Resolution D016

This is a week late, but I decided to post it here anyway -- for as long as the link works:


Click here to listen to a surprising message from the Easter Bunny.


This is a reminder that we do have a resolution to "support ethical care of animals" in the Church's archives.

I just gave GC2003 Resolution D016 a "thumbs up" on "Stumble Upon". Since it was the first time anyone highlighted that web page, I had to write a review. Since adding some hyperlinks here, this is an "amended" version.

It is important for Episcopalians to know that our Church has a resolution on supporting the ethical care of animals in our archives. With so much controversy over a couple of things that get people worked up, everything else "collects dust". This is an FYI for those who didn't know, and a call to become educated on the way animals are treated by the animal use industries, and to do something about it, to make the world a more humane place for animals. But we should not wait for the Office of Government Relations to send out e-alerts on animal protection legislation, because it is 2008 now, and they haven't yet.

Please take the initiative to visit a site like the Humane Society of the United States, Farm Sanctuary or others to learn about the various issues, and any legislation that is in the works.

The Bishop of California went public as an endorser of the California humane farming initiative. Other Californians should follow his lead, and vote "Yes" on November 4, 2008.

Look beyond how animal (ab)use benefits you personally, and think about what life is really like for them every day of their lives. Look at who profits by keeping things the way they are, and how they do it in ads, in the media, with lobbyists, etc. Look to see who is against the animal rights advocates, and find out what their motivation is, who they represent, who pays them, etc. Then we can begin to break the myths, and get on with creating a better world for "the least of these" of the Church's concerns.

What kind of God do we worship?

When I Google for "I desire mercy and not sacrifice", my "boycott fur" page shows up # 5 out of 1,610,000.
When someone in NZ Googled for
the same thing
, my page showed up # 3 out of 1,580,000. This is what shows up on Google:

'I desire mercy and not sacrifice', says God. Boycott fur.
31 Dec 2005 ... "I desire mercy and not sacrifice." -- God (Hosea 6:6). Of all the forms of animal exploitation that
benefit humankind, fur is the easiest ...
episcoveg.weblogger.com/2005/12/31 - 30k - Cached - Similar pages

Interesting that there's a difference in ranking & number, depending on where one is in the world.

Another page that shows up on that Google search is this one
this one from the Girardian Lectionary
with some anti-sacrifice quotes attributed to the same God who is credited for our Maundy Thursday reading that some of us found substitutes to read, to avoid "doing violence to our faith".

(As I've mentioned in the past, one of my favorite questions that the "unhappy" Episcopalians do not seem to have an answer for, or are unwilling to engage when they talk about the "plain meaning of Scripture" is, does God desire mercy and not sacrifice? Or does God desire sacrifice and not mercy? The "plain meaning" doesn't seem so plain to me. Inquiring minds want to know.)

Choose this day....

http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=73802486

"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve;
whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood,
or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell:
but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
(Joshua 24:15 KJV)

Dangling Carrot Veganic Farm

I posted this to one of my listservs this morning, looking for a reason not to drop out of the church "for a season":

I've been in one of my "moods" lately, wondering how I'll spend my Sunday mornings in the weeks/months to come. (I'm home today, because I didn't set the alarm. I'll be there next week, because I'm scheduled, and because I hope to retrieve my DVD of the speakers at the unveiling of "A Religious Proclamation for Animal Compassion", whether previewed or not by then for some unlikely future event. I want my life back.)

So. What will it take to keep me going to church?
It would be easy to stay home if Sunday is only one of two days I have to work in the yard this Spring & Summer.

But I remembered my idea last September about starting a congregation-based locally-grown organic food exchange club .

My first thought was that I had zero responses to the article I put in our newsletter a few months ago -- that no one at my church has a "square foot" to spare. (Not surprising, although I know there are a handful of gardeners there.)

My second thought was that if I have a few extra strawberries or whatever paltry extras to put out during Coffee Hour, it won't be impressive enough to generate interest in a meaningful way. And the point of growing it is to raise my own food, not to impress other people with my whole harvest. I thought about putting out a sign of some sort, like "Free to food exchange club members; free-will offering for non-members" (knowing that there are no members, and thinking that any proceeds could go toward defraying the cost of General Convention).

My third thought was that potatoes might be a decent, substantial table-space using crop that recreational gardeners don't normally grow, but that most people eat, where a weekly harvest might be more than I'd need and look like a decent offering. (And potatoes are on the "Dirty Dozen" list of foods that people should buy organic or go without.)

My fourth idea was that I could start out with starting plants from seed in the house early (like any time now), and for the first week or two in early-mid May, offering those to anyone who would like to plant them, and recruit gardening club members from whoever they might be. I could also have hand-outs explaining the reasons why it is a good idea to grow free organic veggies, and especially being able to share the extra with people who don't want to (or can't) pay extra for organic in the stores. Giving away plants might create anticipation that something will happen a month or two later, so that a few extra strawberries won't seem so paltry. (I currently have only one strawberry plant that bears fruit. But it does have some runners. So I might get more than 12 berries this year if the birds don't eat them.)

Up to this morning, I have recalled the litany of dangling carrots that prevented me from dropping out of church over the years -- "carrots with empty calories." This is my own dangling carrot. It just might work. So I found a name for my future "farm". But I don't think I'll tell them why I named it that.

I'm not dead yet.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Introduction

I decided to start a new blog. I'll keep my old one. But even though it covers some controversial topics, I tend to let other sources speak my opinion for me. In other words, I post things that either outrage me, or that I agree with, but rarely say how I actually feel about a topic. So I need a place to say what's on my mind.

I'm at a cross-roads. We'll see what I'll decide to do with this space. But I will say, that this seems like an easier format for posting. I wonder if I'll figure out how to edit, and do fancy stuff here.