Scot,
Great to see you left Mart DeHaan’s links on that. It has been great to get to know him over at RBC Ministries where I work, and I wish everyone in your blog world would have that same opportunity. He is a true friend of “emergents” and of all of God’s people. And quite knowledgeable yet humble at the same time. He knows better than to think he knows-it-all. He is a good model in the Lord for me. (hopefully this is not flattery, because I sure don’t want or mean it to be; our goodness is in the Lord (Psalm 16).

Psalm 16:2-3 especially (but the whole psalm as well)!

Another great article by David Brooks.

Actually, I think the David Brooks article wasn’t that great at all. He wasn’t “reasonable;” he was partisan (not in terms of political parties, but in terms of ideology). He framed the tendencies he sees in politics in such biased terms that it’s clear which side he stands for: the “middle.” But of course, everyone claims to be in the “middle.” The fact that he decides to extrapolate his own preferences to all of American history hardly reflects well on his judgment.

Ben, Brook describe what I have been feeling the last few weeks in regards to an opportunity lost. I liked his concluding paragraph:
“McCain would be an outstanding president. In government, he has almost always had an instinct for the right cause. He has become an experienced legislative craftsman. He is stalwart against the country?s foes and cooperative with its friends. But he never escaped the straitjacket of a party that is ailing and a conservatism that is behind the times. And that?s what makes the final weeks of this campaign so unspeakably sad.”

Scot,
I am saddened (and probably angered inside, but I must watch that) over the fictitious letter from Focus on the Family. I see this played out a little among Christians. And this sort of thing is what made me post about when Christ is not the center. I don’t want to be judging others, but this can be an example of that, I’m afraid.

Here’s the correct link for when Christ is not the center. Sorry about that.

I don’t mean to be self-promoting at all, I hope, in the above link. But was just thinking on this. I’ve been troubled by it, thinking that we’re missing the point when we draw divisions which end up making Christ divided- I’m afraid (cf: 1 Corinthians).

Wow, Dobson’s letter was hilarious! I’m surprised the among such a “professional” organization there can be something to unprofessional. I honestly had thought that most of the “end times” rhetoric had died down after the Left Behind series kind of got exposed, debunked, and lost a lot of steam. Anyways, at least I got a good laugh, I suppose.
Adding on to that, I wonder what a “hypothetical” letter written in 2000 about the big bad evangelical George W. Bush would look like? I wonder if people would have voted for the “pro-life” Republican if they knew we would be involved in two wars, if they knew the largest attack on native soil would occur under his watch (there a question, why all the rhetoric about all the terrorist attacks under Obama when the largest attach in our history happened under the watch of Bush?), if they knew we would have an economic meltdown, etc.
Christian rhetoric about politics really frustrates me. I commend people that don’t get involved and don’t vote.

Luke, I’m getting overly full of thought on politics today, but I know Christians who defend Bush to this day, and the war. Puts a black eye on us, I’m afraid. (and it’s interesting to see the defense of FOF by commenters on that CT political blog- I know plenty who believe all that, so we have a divide- but what to do with that?)
And it makes me wonder if we just almost automatically go off center when we veer so hard into politics. Seems like this is easily the case, to me. It’s something we need to do, but how to do it, and remain grounded well in Jesus as believing individuals and communities, is my question.
(sorry for all these comments today; I’ll cease for now)

I loved Eugene Cho’s post on abortion; I’ve seldom read anything so thorough (It’s number 6: this isn’t a blog; it’s a newspaper article.) Michael Spenser on common sins was great too. I will read the Dobson piece now.

As for the Dobson letter, glad you could get a good laugh out of it Luke, but unf. I couldn’t. Sounds more like what a Focus on the Family administration would bring to pass: jail sentences, ruined reputations, etc! I guess Dobson fears that what he would do in power is what will be done to him and his org. Bottom line, however: It’s the typical Dobson sleaze, which is my chief objection to Dobson. Not his religious or political beliefs but the sleazy way his organization operates. Why does he for a second allow things like that letter to come out under his name? Does he feel no shame at its sliminess? I guess we need to thank divine providence that Dobson’s not running for president. And how does FoF keep it’s tax exempt status? Is he going to get on his radio show once again and say without a pause that the org. was not trying to influence how its followers vote?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmVAWKfJ4Go
The video of Johnny Cash performing Trent Reznor’s “Hurt”. Powerful message. No question in my mind – Cash “got it”.