Someone has to be the Mom

We are like a bunch of kids when we get together on Twitter! Everyone hollering, "look at me! look at me!" And then one of us holds up a bright shiny object and a cluster forms, each grabbing at it and adding our own squeals of delight. Sometimes we are like teenagers, sarcasm and irony dripping from our hoodies. Other times we are five-year-olds, giggling over the poop jokes and holding our noses when the poop is real.

Problem is, someone has to be the Mom. Mom has to make sure the stove is turned off and the china is put away. Mom has to pull us apart when we are scuffling and tell us to shush when we get too loud. Mom has to wash our hands when they are dirty and put bandages on our scraped knees. Mom has to be the grownup so the rest can have fun.

I get tired of being the Mom. So do a few other Moms on Twitter. Sometimes we want to laugh with you but we don't want the jokes to be mean. And we want to be critical without having to throw water balloons. Once in a while we want to be grownups having a serious conversation and other times we want to be kids, too. Just saying.

My problem with Christians

DISCLOSURE: I am a Christian. A long-time member and supporter of my church, Dayspring Fellowship in Eugene, Oregon, I taught a class called "Christianity 101" which covered how one becomes a Christian and the basic doctrines of Christianity. My husband is an ordained minister, the spiritual advisor of a large alcohol and drug treatment center, and an elder of our church. I have an investment in Christianity, so to speak, and my investment is looking bad.

When Jerry Falwell started the Moral Majority movement back in the late 70's, I was hesitant to support it. I quickly saw Christians cosigning with that "absolute" way of thinking. This was before email, but still the message was dissiminated at church meetings and casual get-togethers. Think alike. Think alike.

The force of Christian automotons began to move into the political landscape. Candidates for public office were "ours" or "not ours." I started keeping my mouth shut when I didn't agree because I didn't want this force to turn against me. I voted according to my conscience but I didn't speak out.

Eventually the Moral Majority expended itself, Falwell retired, and Pat Robertson and the Christian Coalition took charge. Robertson continued to promote the Think Alike version of Christianity, and his 700 Club took on the pretense of a news organization. Once more, I kept my mouth shut. I didn't stand up and openly disagree.

Now James Dobsen, Focus on the Family and The Family Research Council are the current rage, outspoken advocates for conservative "family values." They have every right to espouse their views, abhorrent as some of them are to me. But I greatly resent that I as a Christian am expected to agree with them. I must now raise my voice in objection to the tactics and fanatacism of the Christian right wing. As Christians, we are told to emulate Christ, but devotion to Christ does not include a slavish devotion to a political point of view.

It is the nature of Christians to work tirelessly on church projects and to engage in civic improvement. The right wing of American politics has taken advantage of this nature to redirect it toward political causes: handing out pamphlets, turning up at rallies, carrying signs, turning out to vote... the right way. Volunteers are willing to be led by self-proclaimed religious leaders and politicians whose Christianity is found in a fish on a bumper sticker. Christianity quickly disappears and hateful rhetoric appears. Fear rules. It disgusts me.

I dislike being identified with these people when I identify myself as a Christian. And I think Christ himself would shove them away because of their outspoken opposition to social programs and lack of empathy for the neediest or most oppressed people in our country. I have lost friends because of my liberal leanings. But I have not, as some Christian conservatives would claim, lost my soul. I think that the more compassion I am able to feel, the closer I am to my God. As Jesus said, "Whatever you've done to the least of these my brothers, you have done it unto Me." Matthew 25:40.

And that is my problem with Christians.

Pigs eating their young

When I was young, I had a couple of pigs. They lived in a pig pen and were not "real" pets, but I named them Tony and Cleo and talked to them as though they could understand. When Cleo was pregnant and had piglets, I was excited. My mom told me to stay back, but of course I squirmed through to get a closer look, and I saw dear Cleo eating some of her babies. She had too many and couldn't feed all of them. So she ate the extras.

I had my dad sell the pigs after that. It was too gruesome for me to forgive. Now I see us attacking President Obama, tearing at him for not being Spartacus and Jesus and Gandhi and FDR. We go after each other, too, blaming and nitpicking and being critical of every statement and position. We even criticise if we are not serious enough or if someone jokes about something that seems extraneous to the current crises.

Why do we do this to each other? I don't think we should rubber-stamp everything that Obama does. I welcome constructive criticism. But can't we remember from one day to the next what good things have happened? Maybe we need a list of accomplishments posted every single day so we can refer to it and remind ourselves that forward progress is happening.

We know process. None of us are ignorant of how government works. Why would we blame the President if signs aren't posted in our local area saying federal stimulas money is at work? Do you seriously think he is in charge of signs? Why would we criticise Obama if the Legislature is recalcitrant? Separation of powers is the underpinning of our government. So let's be realistic, people. Focus on what we can do, and get to work.

We are consuming ourselves, our energy, by our mutually destructive attitudes. This is how pigs act, eating their own. Are we not better than that?