"Country First"????

The theme for the Republican National Convention is "Country First" (http://www.gopconvention2008.com/) Here's a quote that explains that theme:

The convention's overall theme, "Country First," reflects John McCain's remarkable record of leadership and service to America. Each day of proceedings will center on a touchstone theme that has defined John McCain's life and will be central to his vision for leading our nation forward as president.

"Love of country, my friends, is another way of saying love of your fellow countryman."

--Sen. John McCain

I hate to sound unpatriotic, but that theme gives me the willies. I'm a follower of Jesus, albeit a struggling one. As a follower of Jesus, I cannot live by the motto "country first." It would be idolatry.

When someone asked Jesus what was the most important moral duty, he didn't answer, "Love your country" or "Love your fellow countryman." Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' " (Matthew 22:37-39 NIV).

When Jesus was asked "Who is my neighbor?" it prompted him to tell the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Samaritans were hated by Jews, viewed as mixed-breeds (part Jewish, part Gentile). But Jesus made a Samaritan the hero of his parable. The Samaritan was the example of what Jesus' meant by loving your neighbor. (I'll paste in the parable below.)

In that parable, a hated mixed-breed foreigner shows love for the Jew who gets mugged, while that Jew's fellow Jews avoid him as he lays there on the road bleeding.

Jesus held that Samaritan up as an example for us all to follow. In other words, Jesus wanted us to realize that loving our "neighbor" shouldn't be restricted to one's own countrymen. Neighbor love should extend to everyone.

Evidently, for Senator McCain, that love should not be for all our neighbors on earth, only for our fellow citizens of the USA. If he is elected president, I will have to respectfully decline to follow his lead.

By the way...
I do love my country. I appreciate our freedoms, and our Constitution and Bill of Rights. But I can't put country first before God. And I can't love my American citizen neighbor to the exclusion of, or before, my non-American neighbor. I'm a follower of Jesus.

THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN:
Luke chapter 10 (NIV), v.30 ...Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
36 "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
37 The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

Daily Kos compares VP picks

Apples and Oranges

by georgia10

Sat Aug 30, 2008 at 06:13:43 AM PDT

Democratic Vice-Presidental Candidate Senator Joe Biden, at the Democratic National Convention:

As we gather here tonight, our country is less secure and more isolated than at any time in recent history. The Bush-McCain foreign policy has dug us into a very deep hole with very few friends to help us climb out. For the last seven years, this administration has failed to face the biggest forces shaping this century: the emergence of Russia, China and India as great powers; the spread of lethal weapons; the shortage of secure supplies of energy, food and water; the challenge of climate change; and the resurgence of fundamentalism in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the real central front against terrorism.

In recent days, we've once again seen the consequences of this neglect with Russia's challenge to the free and democratic country of Georgia. Barack Obama and I will end this neglect. We will hold Russia accountable for its actions, and we'll help the people of Georgia rebuild.

I've been on the ground in Georgia, Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan, and I can tell you in no uncertain terms: this Administration's policy has been an abject failure. America cannot afford four more years of this.

Republican Vice-Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska for about 18 months, and former mayor of Wasilla, pop. 6000:

I've been so focused on state government, I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq.

Dennis Kucinich At The DNC: Wake Up America!

By: Logan Murphy @ 6:30 PM - PDT

Download | Play Download | Play

Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich spoke at the Democratic National Convention today and there is little doubt his was the most enthusiastic and hard hitting speech thus far. Dennis always comes armed with truth and facts, and today was no exception.

From illegal wiretapping, Iraq and high gas prices to playing the fear card, he blazed through the laundry list of Bush hackery and crimes and pounded the message home — Americans to wake up and vote for Barack Obama.

“…Wake up America! The insurance companies took over health care. Wake up America! The pharmaceutical companies took over drug pricing. Wake up America! The speculators took over Wall Street. Wake up America, they want your Social Security. Wake up America, multi-national corporations took over our trade policies, factories are closing, good paying jobs are being lost, wake up America!”

Now that’s the spirit! We need to hear more of this during the convention. The American electorate needs a good dose of reality. If this speech doesn’t get you fired up, nothing will.

Great photo from Daily Kos

Liveblogging the Convention: After Hours Edition

by Devilstower

Tue Aug 26, 2008 at 09:07:57 PM PDT

That's not a maverick, that's a sidekick!

Buchanan Re: McCain's foreign policy advisor

August 22, 2008 And None Dare Call It Treason By Patrick J. Buchanan

Share Your Comments

Who is Randy Scheunemann?

He is the principal foreign policy adviser to John McCain and potential successor to Henry Kissinger and Zbigniew Brzezinski as national security adviser to the president of the United States. But Randy Scheunemann has another identity, another role.

He is a dual loyalist, a foreign agent whose assignment is to get America committed to spilling the blood of her sons for client regimes who have made this moral mercenary a rich man.
Click here to continue reading Pat Buchanan's column

TruthDig on John McCain

Robert Scheer on McCain's Myopia"McCain’s Warped Worldview" -- The world according to John McCain is one in which America is triumphant at home and abroad thanks to the Bush legacy, rolling to victory internationally and mastering its domestic economic problems. If daily news would seem to deny such a rosy scenario, then that only shows skeptics lack the courage that sustained McCain as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

Bill Boyarsky on McCain the Cold Warrior"McCain Is More Dangerous Than Bush" -- Forget the moderate image, promoted by an admiring media. Forget the so-called straight talk and independence. With the Russian-Georgian war winding down, McCain has firmly established himself as an old-fashioned Cold Warrior and a supporter of the huge oil companies that have a big stake in Georgia and the rest of the Caucasus.

Russia's invasion of Georgia

August 15, 2008

Blowback From Bear-Baiting
By Patrick J. Buchanan
Click here to continue reading Pat Buchanan's column

Buchanan argues that Georgia was wrong to invade two breakaway provinces and
that Russia's military reaction is understandable, if not entirely justifiable.

Another look at the abortion issue

Joel Hunter: Democrats Could "Steal the Title of the Pro Life Party"

Friday August 15, 2008

posted by Steve Waldman on BeliefNet

• 

One of the most interesting evangelicals these days is Joel Hunter, senior pastor at Northland Church in Florida. He does not consider himself a part of the religious left. He's a registered Republican, strongly anti-abortion, author of A New Kind of Conservative, and even spent about ten minutes as president-elect of the Christian Coalition.

I was therefore a bit surprised when he mentioned during our chat this week that he's been asked by the Obama campaign to deliver the closing prayer at the Democratic convention. He said yes.

The next surprise was his suggestion that Democrats "could arguably steal the title of the pro life party."

Huh? How is that possible? Obama is just as pro-choice as any other Democratic nominee; critics say he's the most pro-choice candidate ever. Hunter makes a practical argument: providing women with economic help in carrying babies to term can actually reduce the number of abortions more, and more quickly, than focusing on overturning Roe v. Wade. "With eight years of Bush the abortion rates have not declined. Every indication is that with financial support and different forms of supporting pregnant mother and then some post birth help also we could come close to 50% reduction in abortions. That's huge. That's huge."

Continuing with the same culture war paradigm is therefore morally dubious. "If we insist on keeping this an ideological war we're literally not saving the babies we could save. The Democrats have a huge opportunity here to really steal the thunder from those who are seen as traditionally pro life."

He's pessimistic that the Democratic Party would go far enough to really take advantage of the opportunity, though he does think the new platform took a step in the right direction. He was consulted by the Obama campaign, and believes that on balance "philosophically this is a huge move" because it put the party on record supporting certain abortion reduction measures such as maternal health and adoption support. (For the case against the plank as being a substantial move, click here) But those advocating for a larger push to the center "had to go up against the status quo - very strong and well financed voices," meaning pro-choice feminists.

This is a shame for Obama, he says, because abortion is the number one issue keeping evangelicals from embracing him. They keep hearing he supports "infanticide" and partial birth abortion. If Obama came out forcefully for an abortion reduction agenda - even one that emphasizes support for women rather than legal restrictions -- that "would go a very long way in establishing trust with evangelicals. That would huge."

Democrats have an opportunity with evangelicals in part because these Christians feel they were "used" by Republicans. Interestingly, it wasn't Bush administration policies on abortion that first ruptured the trust between Christians and the Republican Party. It was Iraq. "People are saying wait a minute, what else did we think was going to go right that didn't go right? There's kind of a ripple effect of disillusionment." Anger over Iraq created a political opening on abortion.

The question is whether the pro-choice activists are so strong within the Democratic Party that Obama will not be able to seize the opportunity.

Christianity Today re: David Iglesias

The Bush Administration has been unethical in so
many ways that we are probably numb to it by now.
Here's more numbing news:

Q+A: David Iglesias
The Christian lawyer at the center of the U.S. attorneys
scandal speaks out about his firing, faith, and future.
Interview by Sarah Pulliam

AlterNet article about rape in the military

Rape in the Military: Members of Congress Accuse Pentagon of Cover-Up By Tala Dowlatshahi, American News Project Pentagon official doesn't show up at a hearing on sexual assault in the military despite a subpoena; Congress members accuse the Dept. of Defense of a cover-up. Read more »