Response to Bishop Spong’s “Political manifesto”
My Dear Bishop Spong:
I immigrated to this country, and now hold citizenship. I came neither for the “freebies” nor to have the Government look after me financially. I paid for my own secondary education by working jobs all through college. I am a Deist. I believe that if you give a man a fish you feed him for a day, but if you teach him to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.
A Biblical parable also sticks with me: the master who left his three servants with five, two, and one talent. The reward went to the stewards who did something that produced positive gain—not to the one who accepted room and board, but was unproductive.
I give generously to charities like the Salvation Army because there are some people who are in desperate need due to no fault of their own—do unto others as you would have others do unto you. Charity—yes. Supporting (through taxes) some that make little or no effort except to cash their welfare check, when we have millions working here illegally in legitimate jobs, is just wrong.
Spong: "I do not see how one can bring abundant life or enhance present life if racism, masquerading as “States’ Rights,” is allowed to linger;"
Agreed. And with a black President in office, non-caucasian elected government officials at all federal, state, and local levels, please elaborate on what racism that “States’ Rights” are infringing upon.
Spong:"if economic decisions are made to balance the nation’s budget on the backs of the poor, while just having passed an extension of tax cuts for the very wealthy top one percent of America’s earners."
No. of Returns with + AGI AGI($ millions) Taxes Paid Group's Share of AGI Group's Share of Tax Income Split Point Average Tax Rate
Top 1% 1,685,472 392,149 20.00% 38.02% $380,354 23.27%
Bottom 50% 1,074,514 27,873 12.75% 2.70% <$33,048 2.59%
Source: Internal Revenue Service
Folks: this table won't format correctly. botom line:
Top 1% tax payers pay 58% MORE actual dollars to tax than the entire bottom 50% COMBINED!
Top 1% pays 1.69 trillion $, bottom 50% pays 1.075 trillion $, COMBINED! But the "rich" aren't paying enough???
Spong:"I do not believe that life can be enhanced if this nation allows the gap between the rich and the poor to continue to expand."
You’re suggesting the Government should “not allow” entrepreneurs or others in our Capitalist system to earn more, but let the bottom 50% get a free ride plus Government subsidies. That’s virtually taxation without representation, and representation without taxation. When those persons leave because they’re fed up with paying for the bottom 50%, they’ll also take their companies (but not their employees) somewhere else. Governments trying to regulate (by tax structure) essentially how much one can keep destroy an economy—ask Great Britain (~90% highest bracket). Or look at the mess Europe is in with their socialist ideals that they can no longer afford. You want a country where “the gap between the rich and poor” is not expanding? Fine—move to North Korea.
Spong:"I do not believe that life is enhanced if wars are entered into on the basis of deliberately falsified statements about weapons of mass destruction and in which thousands of America’s young people are killed."
My older son (married) just came back from deployment in Afghanistan. He will be redeployed again before the end of the year. His enlistment time was 2002—after 911, which made him even more determined to serve. His best friend (he’s like a son to us too), is a Navy SEAL, also in Afghanistan.
If sufficiently conclusive proof existed that “deliberately falsified statements” caused the Iraq war, we’d have indictments and trials of individuals, instead of listening to Chris Matthew’s opinions.
Spong:"I do not believe that, in the interest of enhancing the wealth of the oil industry, our sons and daughters lives ought to be put at risk."
The oil industry didn’t need a war in Iraq to enhance their wealth, and we didn’t invade Iraq based on the lobbying of the oil industry. Their lobbying was focused on Anwar, coastal (South and West USA) and now, shale deposits.
Clear, substantiated evidence showed WMD and organized groups’ intent on their use—that’s the reality. Saddam Hussein’s execution had an interesting impact on Col. Gaddafi. Gaddafi thought “maybe me next” and immediately cancelled all Libyan nuclear and biological WMD activities and invited in the U.N. inspectors to show what he had done and was dismantling to be “clean.”
Spong:"I do not see how the lives of gay and lesbian people can be enhanced by allowing uninformed and homophobic people to place their prejudices into the law or state constitutions. Yet all of these things have occurred in the recent life of our nation by decisions made in the political arena."
I do not see how the lives of heterosexual people and married couples with families can be enhanced by gay and lesbian people attempting to place their agenda into the law or state constitutions only for their own benefit, making them “more equal” or “more special,” than me.
You realize that the political arena is the voice of the entire people? You also realize that those who wrote the constitution would have, to the man, defined marriage as between a man and a woman?
I’m not homophobic, but homosexuality is both some are born with, while others choose due to their environment—look at the levels of homosexuality in prisons and tell me it’s not a choice based solely on environment.
Spong:"I have no intention of abdicating my responsibility both as a commentator and a citizen to speak in and to that arena. To stay outside the debate is to do little more than to create a vacuum that will be filled by the Sarah Palins, the Glen Becks and the Sean Hannitys of the world."
I think you must be more than slightly paranoid if you’re worried by the likes of Sarah Palin, et al.
Canada has passed laws granting same sex marriage. Those pressing for passage downplayed the fact that environment can promote, as well as show acceptance of homosexuality. I have no problem with acceptance—I have a big problem with promotion. Canada is now realizing the impact of that decision—all children (starting at toy dolls and teddy bear age) are now exposed to and taught the fact that they can mate with whomever they like. Even their kindergarten literature is beginning to condone such “openness.” Maybe the homosexuality rate will increase because of this, maybe it won’t (pick your study). Canada will have to wait a generation to find out. Too late to close the barn door now.
We adults should consider the implications of “rolling the dice” on a child’s emotional future and the confusion that is resulting. Ninety+ percent of a population should not be made to conform to the emotional wishes of a few. Apparently you have either not considered this, or believe it is of no real consequence.
Spong:"I require no one to agree with me. My opinions are certainly not infallible. My thinking has changed dramatically over the years and I hope will continue to do so as “new occasions teach new duties and time makes ancient good uncouth,” to quote the poet James Russell Lowell."
“Marriage” has been defined for millennia as between man and woman.
For example: from Genesis, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife." This is not an “ancient good” that has become uncouth. I’m perfectly happy with “unions” and the legal rights that union brings to same sex couples.
Homosexuals describe themselves as “gay” (it is more uniquely descriptive), so they should also define their gay unions in a unique word / phrase describing their, not our, “new occasion”—they can call it what they wish, but not “Marriage.” They claim “discrimination.” I agree—they are also discriminating against heterosexual marriage.
Every society is imperfect, including this one. Not everybody gets everything they feel they would like or want or desire. Is it fair, or not, when the Robin eats the worm? The gay and lesbian community does not want to be equal—they want to be more equal.
As a Diest, I greatly value your framing of perceptions into the Bible--please stick to your area of expertise.
Respectfully
Bruce Muir
