This morning on my way to work, I took a road which normally has a 40 MPH speed limit. Unfortunately, I discovered after I was on it that there was a reduction to 25 MPH because it was under construction. So I slowed down and tried to obey this absurdly low speed limit. And both the zone itself and the people behind me who apparently thought the law to be optional frustrated me.
I know this speed limit makes sense. I know roads need improvements. And I know that driving 25 MPH for about one minute will barely impact my overall travel time, not to mention that I might have just as easily caught a light wrong before and not even have been ahead. Nevertheless, I was still frustrated.
Was it because I was already running later than I wanted? Was it because I have unrealistic expectations for travel? Was it because I wasn’t focusing on how grateful I should be for pavement, road crews, and enough personal wealth to drive my own car by myself to work? D. All of the above.
Thought of the Day 10.14.09
Is America a Christian nation?
I used to think this was a terribly important question. After all, if America was founded on Christian principles, then the abandonment of Christianity would eventually mean the loss of key American ideas. But then I found that people are irrational. Even though they do not recognize God as their source, they still believe strongly in the freedoms and rights our system protects.
So then I started thinking about whether it’s accurate to say America is a Christian nation now. Certainly if you look at the way we treat poor people, allow divorce, wage war, celebrate sexual deviance, hoard our money, and protect abortion, you’d have to admit at least that we aren’t a very good Christian nation. Besides, the popular view of America entails freedom of religion, or from it, as the case may be.
My task is to serve God by serving my country. I’m just not sure anymore whether the most effective way to do that is by persuading people that America is or ever was a Christian nation.
I used to think this was a terribly important question. After all, if America was founded on Christian principles, then the abandonment of Christianity would eventually mean the loss of key American ideas. But then I found that people are irrational. Even though they do not recognize God as their source, they still believe strongly in the freedoms and rights our system protects.
So then I started thinking about whether it’s accurate to say America is a Christian nation now. Certainly if you look at the way we treat poor people, allow divorce, wage war, celebrate sexual deviance, hoard our money, and protect abortion, you’d have to admit at least that we aren’t a very good Christian nation. Besides, the popular view of America entails freedom of religion, or from it, as the case may be.
My task is to serve God by serving my country. I’m just not sure anymore whether the most effective way to do that is by persuading people that America is or ever was a Christian nation.
Thought of the Day 10.13.09
If I tell you that I like music by the band Air Supply, it’s entirely possible you would chastise me for liking silly, sappy, 80s soft-rock. Depending on how deep is my love, I might recant under scornful pressure. You’d certainly have the upper hand in tone if you castigated me for my favorable taste.
On the other hand, if I told you that I disliked music by Pat Benatar, it’s equally possible that you’d chastise me for not liking the hard-rocking 80s diva. However, depending on whether I think you’ve hit me with your best shot, in this case I’m more likely to stick with my negative judgment. You wouldn’t have the upper hand in getting me to affirm a taste for her music.
And that’s the point. Unless the social consensus is overwhelming one way or the other the pressure in our society is always towards disliking things. People almost never feel embarrassed to be caught disliking something, whereas they do often feel embarrassed to have been discovered liking something. It’s cool to dislike, but not as cool to like.
On the other hand, if I told you that I disliked music by Pat Benatar, it’s equally possible that you’d chastise me for not liking the hard-rocking 80s diva. However, depending on whether I think you’ve hit me with your best shot, in this case I’m more likely to stick with my negative judgment. You wouldn’t have the upper hand in getting me to affirm a taste for her music.
And that’s the point. Unless the social consensus is overwhelming one way or the other the pressure in our society is always towards disliking things. People almost never feel embarrassed to be caught disliking something, whereas they do often feel embarrassed to have been discovered liking something. It’s cool to dislike, but not as cool to like.
Thought of the Day 10.12.09
St. Louis Cardinals fans have an amazing reputation. We are widely known for being knowledgeable and fair about the game of baseball, but we are equally famous for being patient, forgiving, and encouraging with our players.
Whereas other cities regularly boo ex-players, Cards fans always cheer them. If someone makes a great play, even on the other team, we still applaud. And even when someone messes up, we soon remind them with our support that we still believe in them. About the only way to alienate us is to not respect the game by not trying your hardest.
New fans learn all this by example, and continuing this tradition becomes a matter of pride for us. As a result, players love to play in St. Louis and hate to leave. I expect all this will again have been shown over the weekend by the crowd’s positive response to Matt Holiday, whose error cost us game 2 against LA.
I really hope that someday my religious team’s fan base will have earned as good a reputation as my sports team’s fan base already enjoys.
Whereas other cities regularly boo ex-players, Cards fans always cheer them. If someone makes a great play, even on the other team, we still applaud. And even when someone messes up, we soon remind them with our support that we still believe in them. About the only way to alienate us is to not respect the game by not trying your hardest.
New fans learn all this by example, and continuing this tradition becomes a matter of pride for us. As a result, players love to play in St. Louis and hate to leave. I expect all this will again have been shown over the weekend by the crowd’s positive response to Matt Holiday, whose error cost us game 2 against LA.
I really hope that someday my religious team’s fan base will have earned as good a reputation as my sports team’s fan base already enjoys.
Thought of the Day 10.09.09
There are two different kinds of deadly sins. Lust, Wrath, Pride, and Envy apply to things that are always wrong in any amount. In contrast, Sloth and Gluttony apply to desires that are good in moderation but bad in excess. So, in which group does Greed belong?
I’ve always thought that material gain fell into that second category, being okay up to some nebulous boundary marker beyond which it becomes sinful. The big problem with this is that degree-sins encourage us to soothe our own defects by comparing them with much more egregious examples. We look at the lazier, fatter, and greedier people and think we must be okay.
But what if Greed isn’t something that’s wrong in degree, but wrong as a category? What if it’s like Lust and Pride, where any concern for material possessions at all is a problem? More importantly, if you understand what I’m really asking here, what conclusion do you draw from the extreme discomfort which I’m sure even considering this question seriously is causing you?
I’ve always thought that material gain fell into that second category, being okay up to some nebulous boundary marker beyond which it becomes sinful. The big problem with this is that degree-sins encourage us to soothe our own defects by comparing them with much more egregious examples. We look at the lazier, fatter, and greedier people and think we must be okay.
But what if Greed isn’t something that’s wrong in degree, but wrong as a category? What if it’s like Lust and Pride, where any concern for material possessions at all is a problem? More importantly, if you understand what I’m really asking here, what conclusion do you draw from the extreme discomfort which I’m sure even considering this question seriously is causing you?
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