It has been suggested that I sound “too preachy.” Yeah, that should have been expected. Let me introduce myself a little more to those of my neighbors who, so far, have only smiled and waved.
As you probably have noticed, there’s nothing like a conservative preacher, any teacher, or a flaming liberal, to tell you just how things ought to be.
First, I was actually the closest thing to a conservative preacher in my young manhood. I was raised in a fundamentalist, evangelical Christian faith that believed in the ordination of all lay ministers. During that time, I led adult Bible study groups every week for years. For the record, the brotherhood and I eventually saw fit to part ways.
Second, I have also regularly taught children and adults. I spent almost two decades in computer work for Amoco Oil Company, where I designed and led many technical classes. Next, I spent a decade as an herbalist – telling people how to live. I was also a substitute teacher for several years and am married to a career public school teacher.
While I was with Amoco, they gave me a series of career-development psychology tests. In one of them, my top two archetype identifications were found to be “Evangelist” and “Warrior.” That was tough news for someone with social anxieties.
The counselor had a hard time putting his finger on my potential. He mumbled his way through the obvious, but I knew he was thinking: missionary to the heathens, tilting at windmills, and questing hero. In the end, Amoco buried me deep in the corners of several computer rooms. I managed to make trouble anyway.
And finally, in case you haven’t noticed, I’ve become that odd duck in the middle of rural Iowa, a flaming liberal. Find me a tree and I’ll hug it. Fear not, my good neighbors. I am a gentle soul and, as my wife says, “the nicest man I’ve ever met.” I’ll put it out there and you can buy it or not. I quit putting my foot in actual doors a long time ago. Love, DavidS
would like to say a few nice things about the Girl Scouts.
Ms. Marsden also has a new book called American Bombshell, which prominently [The entire cover, actually] displays her attractive face and flowing dark tresses with the title information plastered across her chest. I’m not suggesting that there is something wrong with any of this, and I haven’t read the book. I suspect that the book addresses serious explosive national and international issues, and that the subliminal implication that Rachel is an “American Bombshell” is entirely unintentional. But, I’m drifting into Rush Limbaugh territory here, so let’s backpedal real fast and move on.
Dear Kat, 
Is America a Christian Nation?
Is America a Christian nation? What if one of our Presidents had been a Primitive Baptist from Tennessee? Should he have felt right about insisting that no citizen play musical instruments in church or hand out temperance society tracts?
Would Americans have approved of anyone who had insisted that we were, and should act like, a Primitive Baptist nation? A Baptist nation? A Protestant nation? A Christian nation?
Actually, in the greater scope and scale of history, this continent has only very, very recently changed from being a collection of native tribal civilizations. We are presently a diverse nation of immigrants.
The framers of our constitution were careful to draft a secular document that gives our government authority drawn exclusively from the people. It is structured to actively resist the overriding influence of any special-interest group without having to resort to another revolution.
Our elected President is expected to represent all Americans. He is responsible for managing a civil society that protects life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all of us. Modern civilizations like ours work best when no social class, race, religion, or business interest is allowed to cause others to be oppressed.
President Obama does, in fact, have the benefit of teaching constitutional law for over a decade. This has given him a profound understanding of the balances that must be maintained for the health and growth of this nation.
As for Obama’s personal faith, Christianity Today published an interview in 2008 and quoted him: “I am a Christian, and I am a devout Christian. I believe in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that that faith gives me a path to be cleansed of sin and have eternal life.”
President Obama, has a lifetime disposition of seeking to find common ground between people. He promotes sincere respect within a healthy discussion of issues, including faith, in our pluralistic society.
To achieve this goal, he believes that, during public debate, religious people should translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific values. [Whitehouse.gov] He has also been pointedly frank about telling liberals that they “must put aside any religious biases, and reach out to others, including evangelical Christians, as a reconciling essential in a democracy.” [June 28, 2006]
We may, in our pursuit of happiness, seek out and associate within communities of people like ourselves. However, this does not diminish our responsibility to respect, honor, and defend those with different faiths.
We should take care to not aggressively thrust our private values or religious symbols into the face of others. The fact that the faiths of others are different from our own does not mean that they are without values or have no goodness.
It is precisely our diversity that, bound together like a bundle of sticks, strengthens our nation to bend without breaking. We should be determined to treat all neighbors as we would want them to treat us – to, as far as it depends on us, live at peace with all men.
©2012, David Satterlee