Monday, October 18, 2004
Just Before going in to Vote...
...in some parts of the world (in this case Belarus), you are faced with this:
It is difficult for me to imagine voting in a monastery...to face those faces on the wall. Holiness.
My mind is awash with political thoughts and I must be honest I am completely uncentered at the moment. Yesterday, during the Liturgy I found myself in a state of complete non-participation - my mind reeling with thoughts of politics. Not good.
I suspect seeing these Icons before stepping into the voting booth would be really hard to bear. How much responsibility is laid upon me to get this decision right? Can I be blamed for possibly bombing innocents under Bush? Can I be blamed for slaughtering innocents in the womb under Kerry? I do not pretend to know the answers.
I have reasons to go either direction on November 2nd, but I have at last made my decision (erring perhaps on the side of caution). And I will walk away from politics...washing my hands and trying to start looking more at the Icons on my wall and less at the "icons" on TV, in the newspapers, and on the radio.
...offered by Dn. James Ferrenberg, a sinner at 2:38 PM [+]
+++
9 comments
9 Comments:
are you telling us WHO?!!
)( s
By 
, at
7:36 PM
________________________________________________________________
If he does tell us, there is no doubt he'll set a new all time number of comments on one post record! :)
By 
Karl Thienes, at
8:59 PM
________________________________________________________________
James,
Cool image.
But… I doubt that Kerry (if elected) would never bomb anything. If he’s anything like Clinton (who bombed Christian Serbs on behalf of Muslim Albanian terrorists) then under his presidency, there would be both the continuation of the abortion holocaust (more than 3000 terminated lives per day here in the states) as well as casualties from the war on terror. At least with Bush, I think there might be a chance he could put pro-life justices in the Supreme Court and possibly reverse roe-v-wade – something I’ve been told would be almost impossible under Kerry (or Hillary). Or maybe I’ve been reading too much right-wing propaganda?
But yes, war is evil.
Lord have mercy on us.
________________________________________________________________
As my hands are presently clean I will ask the following in a context completely removed from the present political heat:
IS War evil?
By JamesoftheNorthwest, at
12:58 PM
________________________________________________________________
Hehe. Well, our church is a polling place this year...that should at least be interesting (Esp b/c we do not have a parish hall, and rather just put up a partition in front of the iconostais and use it as a hall. Lots of ikons on the walls).
________________________________________________________________
"IS War evil?"
As Fr. Alexander Webster demonstrates the answer is: yes and no at the same time--which one you get depends exactly what you are asking and, more importantly, in what context?
The Fathers are clear: It certainly is falling short of the glory of God. So the answer is yes.....paradoxcailly, it doesn't mean the other options aren't also equally examples of falling short...as the Fathers also explain.
By Karl Thienes, at
1:14 PM
________________________________________________________________
"Is war evil?"
I remember a Vietnam veteran saying that if you are asking a question like that then you have never fought in a war.
My thoughts:
Can war be justified (at times)? Yes. Is it a great evil? Of course. Is it to be avoided at all costs? Many great spiritual teachers have thought so. Has George Bush avoided war at all costs? No. Does George Bush seem to have a knack for making peace? No, not in this country or abroad. Do I have hope any other politicians can do better. A little, yes, but not much. My problem is that I am pro-life. I don't want to see folks killed in the womb, but I don't want to see folks killed after they have lived a while either. I think that to be a great peace maker one must have a heart full of peace to begin with. Then one must engage people in a spirit of peace. George Bush comes across to me as a very bellicose person who is not at peace with himself (I have never met him, so I am limited to what I have seen on TV). Therefore, how can he spread peace to those around him?
For whatever it's worth (if anything).
- Imran
By , at
6:32 PM
________________________________________________________________
so you still aint telling?!!
look man, i'll respect you whatever or whoever you choose. :)
)( s
By , at
6:53 PM
________________________________________________________________
Thank you Seraphim :)
By JamesoftheNorthwest, at
7:13 AM
________________________________________________________________
