Today’s Reading List – August 16, 2006

Posted by: John Schroeder at 06:46 am, August 16th 2006 — Comment on this post »

I haven’t checked out what Dobson is doing lately (I will have to though) but if this is correct:

Focus on the Family’s (FOTF) new efforts to encourage pastors to speak on political issues and create voter guides

I am going to have to side with Americans United for Separation of Church and State on this one. Pastors don’t need to be writing voting guides for their flocks. I say so for the church’s sake, not because of the crazy fears of AUSCS. Lowell: Agreed. Whatever happened to “rendering unto Caesar?”

The discussion of “Skeptical Conservatives” (atheist/agnostic) started by Heather MacDonald continues with great stuff. Here is a Catholic response. Jonah Goldberg wonders if envy is the issue and gets some amazing responses.

Lowell: I liked this statement by Jonah:

I . . . suspect that a very large number of people suffer from cognitive dissonance and think they believe in God but at the same time live their lives on a daily basis as if they do not. I don’t have evidence handy at the moment, but I’m pretty sure I’m right. And I think this reality results in a lot of people disliking or resenting authentically religious people for a constellation of reasons, high among them envy.

I am not sure I would start with envy, but I do think people feel gnawing frustration, guilt or inadequacy when they are not living up to their core beliefs. (As an imperfect human, I know those feelings.) One response to inadequacies is to try to do better; but it’s also part of human nature to lash out against, or resent, those who seem to be doing a better job of living up to what they believe. (I know this urge too.) I am about to end this mini-sermon, but I think just about everyone reading this knows what I am talking about. I even think one of the responses Jonah got is a manifestation of this phenomenon. Look here; you’ll know which one I am talking about.

By the way, George Allen’s current troubles are of interest to readers of this blog, I think, because they highlight the extent to which a conservative presidential candidate will be pilloried for dumb remarks, even if there was no underlying bad intent. Because of the unfortunate MSM emphasis on Romney’s relatively unknown religious beliefs, look for him to be hit harder than most conservatives for his gaffes.