What Happened to the Party of Lincoln ... ?

[bobfrgsn]

[William Thornton]

[Norm]

[William Thornton]

[Guest]

[Norm]

[bobfrgsn]

[Ed Pettibone]

[Tony]

[Guest]

[William Thornton]

[fox]

[Guest]

Foxy: Barry Hankins Uneasy in Babylon
I think William is the only one of you who has.
Bob Ferguson, have you read the book;and if not what is your excuse.
How about you Jim, have you read it???

<b><I>"Rather than sounding an alarm against the advancing barbarians [SBC, presumably], Hankins's attempt to understand and explain, not refute, is meant to move the scholarly discussion, not a partisan or ecclesiastical agenda, forward."</I> This is the last sentence of a review of the Hankins book by Justin Watson of Le Moyne College. Apparently this reviewer didn't think of Hankins as producing either a political or theological work, but simply explaining why the current honchos of the SBC think they should do something about what they perceive as the USA going to hell in a hand-basket. This is no different from what preachers do in the pulpit every Sunday, no matter how either right or wrong they are. Moderates can be expected to do the same thing in reverse, thus making whatever statement they like, including a political one. The #527 clergy clambake called the CLN is a good example, its only explicitly outlined purpose being for ministers to advance a political agenda (defeat Bush). Whereas, for instance, the moderates stump politically for same-sex marriage, evangelicals fight against it. Both camps try to work the system politically as well as doctrinally. The evangelicals are no more fervent than the moderates, though they receive much more attention, especially of the damning kind, simply because the prevailing foolishness in the nation currently is <I>political correctness</I>. The SBCers are no more dangerous to the nation than the CLN gang, and, may be much less so. While the SBC left me a long time ago, I admire the stands many of their leaders take in holding the line morally, no matter how unpopular that makes them.</b>

[bobfrgsn]

[Sandy]

[Guest]

BF: Thanks for clearing all of this up for us. What <u>[would, should, may, might, could, will, won't]</u> (sic) we do without people like you to keep all of us in line.

<b>All I do is what you do – post things. If this kind of putdown makes you feel good, then I'm gratified.</b>

S: Jim, you're no Garrison Keiller.

<b>Yes, certainly, and I'm grateful for even such small blessings. I'm a fan of <I>PHC</I>, and Keillor is an entertaining guy. He's also mean-spirited, as I've read about him, but his politics mean nothing to me. I can be kinda mean-spirited myself, but so what. Who cares?</b>

[Guest]

[fox]

[Guest]

JFA: Oh yes? My curiosity is killing me. Please give us all the lurid details.

<b>We were introduced when I was only nine and she was something like 90, give or take a few years. At that age (either one), who's counting anyway? As we grew older, we became close, and, though I was fervent in my attentions to her every instruction (no one argues with something that old), I could be heard sometimes humming something like "Stardust," a popular hit of the 30s-40s, but too worldly by her standards. I also sang "Everyday with Jesus Is Sweeter than the Day Before" and "There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood," but this was not enough to balance my sinful nature. Nevertheless, I made the supreme effort, even working full-time once in the vineyards, but she kept insisting that someone named John Calvin was more to her liking, if terribly unattractive in some ways. I finally sent myself packing while we were on good terms, since the busyness of my work was just too much. We remained close, however, until JC (not Jesus Christ, that other JC) came irrevocably between us, and actually threatened her with a five-point sword to the heart or perhaps to the area of the glottis if she didn't obey (even called her an [gasp] <u>uppity womming</u>). After that, we began to drift apart. When she (I think she actually liked me) gave me an ultimatum to sign, labeled the BF&M2M, in order to show my loyalty, I rebelled, as only a callow youth (by comparison, of course) can, and I actually slipped away, especially since I felt she "left me" (get it) when she went for JC. There's much more to it, but this is quite enough.</b>