Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Follow up on Thanksgiving

I had an immediate response to my Thanksgiving blog this morning. I was going to delete the comments but thought that I would rather leave them so people could read how misinformed and absolutely ignorant they are with regard to our nation's history. To think that this guy is writing history books makes me want to puke, I can only hope that there are few schools that would buy into his agenda of manifest destiny. Sorry folks, I can't believe that God would want us - let alone lead us - to enslave africans to work our farms, exploit asians to build our railroads, or kill any indian that got in our way, just so we can sit in our 4 bedroom homes with 2.5 kids, 1.3 pets, and tune out the world around us.

On second thought I don't need to give this guy a platform to spew forth his vile rhetoric, he and his manifest density are gone.

I apologize, but because of this incident, I've put tighter controls over commenting on here. I do this reluctantly because I believe that these forums should be as free as possible. But if someone is selling something, particularly if it is something I wouldn't believe in, it's not going to show up in the comments section.

Peace,
Jeff

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Amen!

Rory said...

well...I hear your thoughts..but you got my curiosity going on what the person said! (so I will make some guesses)
I think there is some cultural psychological defense mechanism that is working extra hard right now to create and reinforce some 'purity" of our heritage mythology..(our civil religion cosmologies)...a form of misplaced patriotism as a way of coping with some national anxiety... it makes people very touchy, ..we don't like our coping mechanisms or belief structures, attacked. Feel free to moderate these comments and I will understand!
Rory

Jeff said...

Thanks for the comments Rory. I think you're correct with your analysis. This went a little beyond that and the kicker was the poster was selling a history book. I probably could have cut out that part of the posting. His rant on my blog was that I was making people feel guilty. That certainly isn't my intention. Everyone needs to deal with these issues in their own way, however, they also need to have a common starting place that is based on historical fact. I feel horrible for many of the things that have been perpetrated in this country, but I don't necessarily feel guilty about it. That probably sounds and looks horrible, but if we wallow in guilt or do things as a result of guilt are we really accomplishing anything? If we're doing things because we feel guilty we're doing it for ourselves and not out of compassion for others (passage slips my mind, but I believe Jesus speaks about this ..... ). Thanks again, appreciate the thoughts and comments.

David said...

I appreciated your thougthful and conscientious comments about your Thanksgiving, Jeff. I am also amazed by the kinds of connections made, positive and negative, in this medium. I have been forutnate to have a theologian I quoted respond to my blog, and to be asked to submit a letter for publication. I was also plagued by a rather bizarre blogger who sent a comment everytime I wrote about "apocalyptic" sections of the gospels. I expect more to show up when my New Testament blog hits Revelation. Keep up the good work, Jeff.

David