4th, ok.

Thinking more about the 4th and the kinds of things that frustrate me. Greg notes how often America is defined as weapons and soldiers. Not peacekeeper. Not war protesters. People who fight and the weapons they use. And why, of all things, are these so often the image of America we see inside our churches? I can imagine kids growing up in these churches really confused by the idea of a church as sanctuary.

Over at Carlos's blog, I find myself in another ridiculous argument with ridiculous people. People who are calling Jimmy Carter incompetent and dismissing his peace and anti-poverty efforts. This from people who call themselves Christians. Peace, evidently, is for heathens. Makes me want to call myself a heathen. Because nothing makes me more interested in being part of a church than listening to Jimmy Carter. I admire this man very much. I understand all of the problems with his presidency. I know about stagflation and the issues with the American West. But even knowing his political problems, I would take him as Presdent in a heart beat. Even when he was one of the first to insert his faith into the public dialogue. But I don't think anyone thinks it wasn't sincere. If I really thought Bush was sincere, I don't think I would mind.

But I digress. I tire of the constant belittling of the left. Over at that same blog, the word "liberal" is most often hyphenated into "liberal-socialist" by conservatives. Liberal has become a bad word. Guns and bombs, and lower taxes, those are the good Christian ideas. WWJD? Evidently bomb someone and then lower taxes on the rich.

So, for this 4th, I will do what I can to reclaim my country. I will hold up Jimmy Carter as an American I truly admire. One of my heroes. A person who has lived his faith with honor and dignity. I will hold up the people who fought against the Vietnam war in protests. I will hold up people like Jeannette Pickering Rankin, the first woman elected to the House of Representatives (Montana) who also voted against the American entry into World War I. I will hold up Rachel Carson who wrote against corporate chemical companies who wanted to spray everything for their own profit.

These are all great Americans as well. This is our country too.