President Bill Clinton’s library was inaugurated today. President Bush Ex-President Carter & Ex-President Bush all had very kind words for President Clinton arguably the most intelligent well read and charismatic president of our time. In listening to President Clinton one could not help but see the real contrasts between progressive thinking and conservative thinking.

Taking that thought further one sees that over the past presidents (Nixon Ford Carter Reagan Bush Sr. Clinton) the progressive ones have continued a positive & constructive social agenda that have had material impact on society the world over. Right wing conservatives may want to take heed. After all. the progressives seem to be more in line with your teachings as shown in James 2:14 – 2:26.

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• 2:14 What doth it profit” my brethren though a man say he hath faith and have not works? can faith save him?
  
  
• 2:15 If a brother or sister be naked” and destitute of daily food
  
  
• 2:16 And one of you say unto them” Depart in peace be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
  
  
• 2:17 Even so faith” if it hath not works is dead being alone.
  
  
• 2:18 Yea” a man may say Thou hast faith and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
  
  
• 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe” and tremble.
  
  
• 2:20 But wilt thou know” O vain man that faith without works is dead?
  
  
• 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works” when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
  
  
• 2:22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works” and by works was faith made perfect?
  
  
• 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith” Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
  
  
• 2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified” and not by faith only.
  
  
• 2:25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works” when she had received the messengers and had sent them out another way?
  
  
• 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead” so faith without works is dead also.
  

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• Clinton Presidential Library
  
• Carter Presidential Library
  
• Habitat For Humanity
  
• The Carter Center

 

Watching the Right Wing Conservative Republicans bring memories of Sunday school classes into perfect perspective. It is amazing that the same behavior exhibited by the
Pharisees in biblical times are once again upon us. This is not the first time such has occurred in our country’s history. Fortunately for our society” these people ultimately get exposed ” less we forget
Jim Bakker
, Jimmy Swaggert, David Koresh among many others.

We need not look too far to find the hypocrisy of these Pharisees.

• President George W Bush our morally superior president was arrested for drunk driving.
  
  
  
• The red states have a much higher divorce rate that the blue states. Moreover” Massachusetts has the lowest divorce rate in the country.
  
  
  
• Bill Bennett the conservative bastion of morality is a high rolling gambler.
  
  
  
• Dr. Laura Schlessinger the moral crusader posed for porn styled pictures.
  
  
  
• Rush Limbaugh the ultra conservative that wanted all drug addicts locked up with the keys thrown away is himself a druggy.
  
  
  
• Congressman Dan Burton persecuted Bill Clinton for his infidelities without divulging his more serious transgression” an illegitimate child he did not claim publicly.
  
  
  
• Congresswoman Helen Chenoweth persecuted Bill Clinton for his infidelities without divulging her own many infidelities.
  
  
  
• Speaker Newt Gingrich was ruthless in bringing down many politicians while himself having extramarital affairs divorcing his first of many wives when she contracted cancer as well as being reprimanded by the house for poor campaign finance violations.
  

Many more prominent conservatives could be named but the picture is clear. While a similar list could be composed for progressives the fact is they never claimed superior morals or for that matter attempted to impose them on others.


Progressive liberals have been very weak in exposing the hypocrisy of the right. Unless a willingness to do so is effected then the country will continue to migrate towards the Dark Ages.

Morality is a touchy subject. After all, who defines it? Many reporters as well as Republicans are saying that this election was the moral values election. Does that imply that Bush is moral and Kerry immoral or less than moral? The fact is that they are both wrong. Ironically during the Republican convention Bush showcased the “immoral” ones (Rudolph Giuliani & Arnold Schwarzenegger).

Morality is a very dangerous issue. One should never assume their morals to be superior to another less they set themselves up for the boomerang’s return. Bush however has opened the door for one to judge his policies’ “morality” on relative terms. Many Americans believed that in Bush they would be getting a more “moral” president. Ironically when looking at Bush’s issues through clear lens as opposed to the fog of his political machine, we see not only a president with “immoral” issues but a president that will cause physical and financial harm to those that are least able to defend themselves.

• It is immoral to send our soldiers to die on false pretenses.
  
• It is immoral that the richest country on the earth does not provide health care for all of it’s citizens.
  
• It is immoral to pass unabated wealth from generation to generation by eliminating the inheritance tax (death tax)
  
• It is immoral to privatize social security a program that should not be dependent on the whims of the stock market.
  
• Is it moral that a family that works everyday with will pay more taxes on income made from working than a person who played golf all day but made that same amount of income from dividends?
  
• Is it moral that drug companies are allowed to make large profits on medicine while a large percentage of our tax dollars pay for research?
  
• It is immoral to run ever growing budget deficits while cutting taxes for those who have prospered the most.
  
• It is immoral to disparage one that has spilled blood for their country while having evaded required service himself.
  
• It is immoral that one cannot practice religion or the absence thereof without government interference.
  
• It is immoral that new laws are allowing more pollution to the environment.
  
• It is immoral to put a woman’s body under government control irrespective of her health.
  
• It is immoral to disallow any loving pair from forming a loving relationship.

Many progressive liberals are very upset with George Bush’s legitimate victory for President of the United States. They cannot believe that with one of the poorest domestic and foreign records of accomplishment the he could possibly be reelected. Bush’s political machine was exceptional in translating all of their opponent’s strengths to weaknesses. As mentioned in a previous blog
it is amazing that Bush who did not serve could classify Kerry as the weak one.
How can Bush, a President with the largest budget deficit seriously classify any opponent as too liberal.

This election is over and progressives must decide how to work under an increasingly right wing administration and a congress that is leaning more to the right. It must first be acknowledged that the country is really moderate but was coerced into the politicians it elected. Smoke and mirrors can be very convincing by a generally trusting population. This will be expanded further in a future blog entry.

Progressives have two choices. They can fight on principle as Bush brings his agenda to congress and stall the process. This approach is completely flawed and will likely effect a further loss of progressives in both the House and the Senate as the right wing will use the same tactics used in this election to lay blame on the country’s failure on those in the opposition.

The other alternative is to let Bush have everything that he wants. The Bush’s agenda will be a great success for a small percent of the population but will be a dismal failure for the masses. It will make the oligarchic system now prevalent in Russia seem innocuous. At that point Americans will decide if they are willing to accept that massive transfer of wealth and freedom or elect progressives that will set things right.

The country will be set back for several years while digging out of the financial and social mess. This however should lead to several decades of governance by progressives as Bush’s disaster will form an integral part of the consciousness of millions for decades to come. The motto will be “Do you want to return to the Bush years?”.

”
Yesterday I participated in the www.elvesandmore.org http:>Elves & More charity bike ride in Montgomery” TX. This is a great organization that provides bikes for over 25 000 needy children in the Houston TX metropolitan area.

While riding 60 miles of rolling hills and beautiful scenery and excruciating leg pains on the steeper hills I began reflecting on the election. Why has it been so nasty and divisive? I started putting blame on the mean spiritedness of the leadership of the right wing faction of the Republican Party for their continuous attacks on all dissenters whether republican or democrat. Ten miles to the finish as the pain of the last few hills and the complete lack of energy (I should have had my Wheaties) began to eat at me I came to the correct realization. It is our fault. It is the fault of the masses. We have chosen to believe the spoken word of our leaders at face value. They have realized this and have used it to divide us along false lines.

Texas is decidedly Bush country and this area is overwhelmingly republican. Though I never asked most of the nice and friendly people I spoke to their political persuasion one can assume that they were likely predominantly republican. At this event neither religion nor politics were discussed just a great sense of camaraderie. People were all eating BBQ Sloppy Joes and chicken wings.

While driving home and still under the influence of the endorphins I went into one of my periodic philosophical states. It would be great if we could put all things in their proper perspective. Do some personally need a religious perspective to their life? We all have the right to worship pray and enjoy religion however way we want to. Do you have some political inclination? You have the right to vote. We live in a democracy. So what is the problem? It is that we are attempting to take it to a wrong level. Some of us are no longer trying to just live our individual lives. Some of us are attempting to force our beliefs and aspirations on others that are not willing to accept them.

Maybe we should all get a bike and start riding in the countryside. Take a couple friends and talk about things that really matter. Talk about working together to solve specific problems. Listen with an open mind. Be willing to change your opinion if you find a better one. But most of all do not allow yourself to be deceived by those that would simply expunge issues to divide.