exploring mormon culture, thought and texts
I have only seen the first two edisodes, but I am loving it. I may do some commentary later, but here is the first episode. I would love to hear what you think.
Here is a link to the program website.
Episode One: A New Adam
Chapter One
Watch the full episode. See more FRONTLINE.
Continue reading “God In America on PBS: Watch it! (Episode One)”
The Church has released a statement in response to the petition circulated by Human Rights Watch. While BCC has a thread up discussing the full statement, I want to highlight my favorite part:
God’s universal fatherhood and love charges each of us with an innate and reverent acknowledgement of our shared human dignity. We are to love one another. We are to treat each other with respect as brothers and sisters and fellow children of God, no matter how much we may differ from one another.
I think that this message was also well stated by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf in both his Saturday morning session talk and his talk during the priesthood session.
Here is a video of the full statement:
Allen V. is a political scientist. His academic specialties include international relations, American Politics, and American Political Thought. He is also a veteran of the world of campaign politics. I am happy to share with you some of his musings about this campaign season.
There is a lot of discussion about a fundamental transformation underway in American Politics. Right leaning political pundits celebrate the Tea Party movement as a historic shift from the longstanding political environment. Beck in particular, with his inspired constitutional restoration to save a document “hanging by a thread” stands as the best example of this line of thinking. Many Democrats have bought this rhetoric and are fretting this election as a new “end of times.”
It is certain that Republicans will do very well in the upcoming midterms. What is often forgotten is that the party out of power (the opposite party of the sitting president) often does very well in midterm elections. We seem to have lost a little historical context as we consider the current election.
In the House, for example, there are currently 255 Democrats (178 Republicans). Based on Nate Silvers’ prediction based on 100,000 simulations of current polling data, the new House after the election would likely be 226.5 Republicans (208.5 Democrats). I say we have a lottery to decide which Congressman gets the Solomon treatment.
If these numbers hold true, that would represent a shift of 47 seats (rounding for that .5 seat). This transition would be just the 7th largest shift since 1942. It would fall 7 seats short of the Republican’s 1994 Contract with America which netted 54 additional seats for the GOP. It also falls just short of the largest GOP losses of 48 seats in 1958 and 1974.
The average loss, throwing out the two times that the party in power gained seats, is 29.5 seats. This election will certainly be above average in terms of lost seats, but is unlikely to be historic as has been argued by some.
In many ways, given the deep recession, the GOP performance seems to clearly underwhelm. GOP approval ratings are still lower than approval ratings for President Obama. The selection of tea party candidates in a number of seat have made them competitive elections when in any other year with similar conditions they would be strongly in GOP hands. High unemployment and other ongoing economic concerns should point to a historic transition. Instead, this one is likely to fall only in the top third of midterm elections in terms of number of seats lost.
What does it mean? Electors are certainly upset, and while some are clearly motivated by the more extreme rhetoric of Beck, Limbaugh, etc., most Americans remain fed up with both parties. They are willing to replace a number of members of Congress (particularly Democrats in susceptible seats) , but are also underwhelmed by the choices offered by the GOP. The GOP will perform under its potential in this election cycle given the conditions in which it takes place. Continue reading “Guest Post: Mid-Term Elections, The Tea Party and Historical Context”
October 9th will mark John Lennon’s 70th Birthday. This post is about my favorite John Lennon song.
This video is of Green Day’s cover of the John Lennon song “Working Class Hero.” I think this song serves as a good reminder of the social outlook that goes along with the socialist political and economic program. It is this outlook that I so very much relate to. It is probably the reason that I am comfortable with the socialist label. While Lennon’s song “Imagine” addresses a form of a social utopia, this song addresses socialist social theory, in particular the concepts of alienation and exploitation.
Green Day covered this song as part of a Save Darfur album that was put together by Amnesty International. The best part of the above clip is that this performance was at the American Idol charity show. Like so many charity events, little mention is made about the root causes of poverty and suffering. It is more about the advantaged feeling better about themselves. Green Day brought the issue to the table. Continue reading “Happy 70th Birthday John Lennon: Working Class Hero”
Author’s note: I would like to dedicate this post to Stephen George, a great teacher and Steinbeck scholar at BYU-Idaho. I co-taught an Ethics course with Stephen at BYU-I. It was the first class I taught in Rexburg. It was his last. His cancer had returned after going into remission. He passed away in November 2006.
I love The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. When I taught American Heritage at BYU and BYU-Idaho, I enjoyed showing the movie version along with A More Perfect Union and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
The Grapes of Wrath is a very important work of literature within the American social justice tradition. The film strongly portrays the devastating impact of poverty on the family. It also masterfully depicts the concepts of alienation and exploitation.
Near the end of the film, Tom Joad gives a famous speech as he bids farewell to his mother.
I’ll be all around in the dark – I’ll be everywhere. Wherever you can look – wherever there’s a fight, so hungry people can eat, I’ll be there. Wherever there’s a cop beatin’ up a guy, I’ll be there. I’ll be in the way guys yell when they’re mad. I’ll be in the way kids laugh when they’re hungry and they know supper’s ready, and when the people are eatin’ the stuff they raise and livin’ in the houses they build – I’ll be there, too.
This message inspired Bruce Springsteen to invoke the image of Tom Joad in a song about the struggle for social justice.
While Springsteen’s folk hymn provides a reflective tone, Rage Against The Machine reworked his song into a battle cry.
We often talk about the prompting s of the “still small voice” when it comes to the Holy Ghost. I think the Holy Ghost of Tom Joad comes in many forms. Sometimes it is the reverent tones of Bruce Springsteen. Other times, it is the screams of RATM. Either way, let us follow those promptings by looking out for the hungry and the oppressed.
Please keep it friendly.
Here is my introduction from this morning’s session:
I personally think that the best way to watch General Conference is with good friends, good food, and good commentary. Since we are low on good food and I do not have any friends (conference-watching, at least) in the area, I thought that maybe I could go for some good commentary at FPR with some of my ‘nacle friends.
I realize that other blogs are going to be doing this on a bigger and better scale. However, I am not trying to compete with anyone. This is about enjoying conference at home…at Faith-Promoting Rumor.
I personally think that the best way to watch General Conference is with good friends, good food, and good commentary. Since we are low on good food and I do not have any friends (conference-watching, at least) in the area, I thought that maybe I could go for some good commentary at FPR with some of my ‘nacle friends.
I realize that other blogs are going to be doing this on a bigger and better scale. However, I am not trying to compete with anyone. This is about enjoying conference at home…at Faith-Promoting Rumor.