See how great "faith"* is? It requires that human beings actually have to work at bridging the gaps it creates between, well, other human beings:
Obama said the office would also work to reach out overseas "to foster interfaith dialogue with leaders and scholars around the world."
Hmmm. i love how complicated religious beliefs make human relations. Instead of simply a dialogue on a basic human level, we have to translate, soft-step, and by gum make sure not to offend anyone. Does this sound like something anyone needs? Not to me.
And then there's this:
Before signing the order at the White House, Obama told the annual National Prayer Breakfast that the program would not show favoritism to any religious group and would adhere to a strict separation of church and state.
Um, i'm sorry, isn't it a little late for that? Replace the word "program" in that sentence with "government-funded religious kow-towing" and you have hypocrisy, or at least a little blindness, and for sure a lot of glossing over.
If this money was simply being spent on secular community-enrichment programs, perhaps we could actually begin the slow shift away from the divisiveness and fervor that has caused such a mess in this country (and others) for so much of our history. Are we really to believe that there is such a need for faith-based organized outreach? If a program was non-denominational, would those struggling communities who were adamantly pious turn up their noses at the help? i would really like to think not, and so the question becomes: Is this another form of pandering? Is the administration (and believe me, i know Obama is not the first to do this, but i will say that i am somewhat more surprised by it, by him) simply glad-handing a specific population of supporters who may be fickle, especially when it comes to their God-given rights/belief system?
i am just saying: why are we paying people, on the government level, to shake hands with any religious order, i don't care which one? This honestly makes no sense. Yes, i am agnostic. Yes, i do believe that a lot of religions contain good lessons to be learned form their beliefs, and good, honest practices being used by people, every day. However. This just seems a little bit like... dare i say, special treatment? Do they need to be hand-held and patted on the head because of some special significance? Is a Christian community center any more in need (of money, volunteer work, supplies, etc.) than a secular one? i really just don't get it. Someone, please clarify.
Also, sorry for using so many hand references. Toodles.
*the version of the word "faith" i use here is the one which is specific as being heavily burdened with saccharine religious connotations.
Thursday, February 5
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