A Little Honesty
17 January 2007I said a few posts back that I was back and there was a lot to talk about. While there is, indeed, a lot to talk about, I’m finding it difficult to stay motivated enough to be the one talking. Oh I can sit and have a political discussion or debate with someone all night long. But that isn’t the same thing as writing intelligently about the pressing issues of the day.
In truth I’ve become somewhat disillusioned. I see our once great country heading inexorably down the tubes and there seems to be nothing I can do about it. I’ve always believed that superior ideas will, in the end, win out over inferior ideas. I’m not entirely certain I still believe that. It appears that most of America either doesn’t have a clue what’s going on around them or just doesn’t care.
Demagogues rule the political landscape on both the right and the left, albeit much more so on the left. Political expediency or raw greed trumps ideals and principles everywhere. While in times past politics stopped at the water’s edge, the future of America itself now seems to take a back seat to the desire to amass power. All the while an apathetic public with little in the way of critical thinking skills sits idly by while the world crashes around them in slow motion.
So I’ve been thinking about what I’m going to do with this blog.
If you’ve read my profile you know that I majored in political science and religion in college. People tend to look at me like I sprouted an extra head when I tell them that. They seem to buy into the lie that politics and religion should have nothing to do with each other. My response has always been that my political views are a natural outgrowth of my religious conviction.
Politically active Christians face a challenge. We believe that ultimately, the only thing that can save this country and, indeed, the world is the savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Yet we also believe that there are sound political ideals that can do a great deal to improve our society and our safety. The question becomes, where do we put our energy? I’ve always tried to sort of split it. I do what I can within my own sphere of influence to leads others toward the savior. But I also argue passionately for what I believe is sound political policy.
I’m not now sure I’ve been approaching this correctly at all.
So I’m exploring what to do with the blog. One thing I can say for certain, it is not going away. It is, however, likely to have a significant change in direction.
There is no shortage of conservative political blogs. I started this one because I believed I had something to say, something to offer to the debate. I still believe that but I’m just not at all certain that my ideas or my particular way of expressing them really does much to improve the situation. That combined with my growing sense that this is a waste of time convinces me to reexamine what I’m doing here.
What you can expect, at the least, is to see a lot more of what I find in my study of the Bible and how that applies to us and a lot less of purely political reasoning. I just don’t think political reasoning has the value it once had because the world has become too polarized. So many people are beyond reason and all the reasoned debate in the world isn’t going to change their minds. For many, the facts will not be allowed to interfere with their assumptions. Fine.
It bears repeating that a political philosophy is never going to save us. Indeed, a bad political philosophy isn’t, in and of itself, responsible for our demise. The bottom line is, God never intended that we should be able to save ourselves or that we should place our faith in philosophies in the first place.
So the blogbursts are gone. You won’t see them anymore on this blog, at least not any time soon. And my frequency of posting is likely to be something like one a week rather than daily or nearly daily. I’ve got to find my focus and keep my priorities and those priorities have to include keeping God first, my family second and my business third. After that come things like this blog.
I may lose some readers for good. I am well aware that many conservatives have little patience for Christian conservatives. Certainly liberals tend to be openly hostile to us. I can live with that. What I can’t live with is wasting my time and short changing myself, my family and my readers in the process.
There will still be political commentary here. I can’t imagine that I could ever keep my mouth shut for long when it comes to politics. I just think the political commentary needs to be more than balanced by some Christian perspective and that has been sorely lacking here. I hope to correct that imbalance.
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Tags: Blogging, Politics, ReligionRelated Posts
January 19th, 2007 at 9:13 am
Ron, I can’t tell you how glad I was to read your post today. I really appreciate the change. I’ve enjoyed reading what you have to say so far anyway, but this is going to be awesome!!!!
January 19th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
Somehow I suspected you’d approve and I’m glad you do!
January 21st, 2007 at 2:29 pm
Ron, I know exactly how you feel. Being in Michigan, and now being in Bangalore, I have always been outnumbered, and sometimes with hostility, if you know what I mean. My feelings are that people have become so brainwashed, from the time are in grade school, to high school, to college, from Hollywood to Bollywood, that they can’t see the Forrest from the trees. All the major cultural institutions, are infested with the liberal elite and leftist bias.
I am unable to have intelligent conversations with people, co-workers, friends, etc… without being attacked personally. I applaud you for your courage and honesty, regardless of which direction your blog takes. I encourage you to continue to speak out, as eventually, the truth wins.
I look forward to your writings on Chistian perspectives, Bible inspired analysis and observations.
In my own blog, I have tended to focus on cultural issues, rather than just political.
To give you an idea, my German colleague, here in Bangalore, agrees with the polls where majority of the Europeans equate Osama and Bush at the same level. I ask, where is the moral clarity? No where to be found, since the media brainwashing has done some severe damage here. When I asked him about it, he saw no difference between killing of innocent vs killing of terrorists in Iraq. This kind of thinking is very prevailant and quite common, even with the locals here. So, you can imagine my plight.
Anyways, I’s said more than I wanted to. Keep up the good work. Look forward to your future writings and analysis.
January 22nd, 2007 at 10:07 pm
Thanks my friend. Good to see you again. Perhaps, once you are back in the states, we’ll have the opportunity to meet.
January 29th, 2007 at 9:38 am
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