I find this interesting:
You were the first Christian that I ever met in some form of “authority” (since you were a professor at TEDS) that actually challenged the standard “I’m a Christian so I must also be a conservative Republican” line. I distinctly remember sitting in your Synoptics class and your telling us that Christ may not line up with the Republican platform–and that he may even be a pacifist. My jaw dropped.
And now you’re telling us you actually like Fox News?
Hmmm…
What happened?!?!

Well, Bob, I like to think of myself as an independent. I watch FoxNews at times, not always, because Kris likes it and because they get into fisticuffs about issues. Are any two journalists more predictable than Hannity and Colmes? Hence, a debate each time from a specific standpoint. I think we can learn more from hearing two sharp views that one softened view, and I also think we learn more from the opposite that constantly reading those with whom we agree.

I don’t think I agree.
I think we learn very little from pundits. I’d rather watch someone with a “softened view” (read: well-thought out, nuanced, and has grappled with the grays of the issue at hand) than the “sharp views” offered by today’s cable news talking heads. Hannity, O’Reilly, and Brit Hume have become, in my view, caracatures of the right. Have you very often heard anything come out of their mouths that would not have come off a Republican Talking Points sheet?
But then again, you don’t see Bush tapping any reporters from CNN or CBS to be his Press Secretary. And I think Keith Olbermann (MSNBC) is just a little left leaning!

By and large I enjoyed listening to Kerry yack; he was verbose and wandered, but he had nuance. I don’t think anyone who is a talking head news pundit, that sits at the desk to report, is paid to give nuance. So, I don’t look to them for that.
I like opposing points conversations. Just do. I can make up my own mind that way.

EXCELLENT article to read re: Can Christians Be Democrats?? And what effect that standing up for a neutral/or different view other than the Republican view can have on a congregation.
I was raised to be purple. (which I think in this day and age is rare, & a credit to my parents)I tend to vote red, occaisonally blue, but I never vote based on party.
http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/disowning-conservative-politics-is/20060729195809990004
If the link doesn’t work try:
Disowning Conservative Politics Is Costly for Pastor
By LAURIE GOODSTEIN, The New York Times

The article that J-Marie refers to is very interesting and well written. It was in yesterday’s NY Times – available online. The article is entitled “Disowning Conservative Politics, Evangelical Pastor Rattles Flock” This article is about a sermon series by Greg Boyd at Woodland Hills Church in Minnesota – where he basically says Christians shouldn’t be Republican or Democrat. Basically while he is in his own words, no liberal, he says that when Christians win the culture wars they inevitably lose. It is an interesting article. Take a look.

Scot,
Do you and Kris eat much fish? And if you do, what do you like best and how do you prepare it?
John and Julie

Bob,
Off the top of my head, in the past several months I can remember Bill O’Reilly criticizing George Bush on multiple occasions for poor planning in Iraq, failure to lead on immigration reform, and for failure to respond to high gas prices. I don’t see enough of Hannity or Hume to say anything about their reporting.

John and Julie,
We eat fish twice a week or so. Salmon is usually just cooked in a pan with a little olive oil.
I often do white fish, as I am tonight with Mahi Mahi, by doing the above but at the end of the time putting some Marinara sauce and veggies in the pan — turns out to be a good concoction for us.