The Problem I Have with Social Conservatives and Religion

"Printing more money to play politics at this particular time in American history is almost treacherous, treasonous in my opinion." --Rick Perry referring to Ben Bernanke, on a campaign stop in Iowa

Ok, Mr Perry, don't you think you're being a little melodramatic here? Before you go painting people as unpatriotic infidels, maybe you should think about the fact that there are a good number of Americans who don't believe in the same things you do.

The rise of Christian social conservatives representing the GOP disturbs me. Just the other day I saw a Pew poll saying that the unity between fiscal and social conservatives is getting stronger, based on one common point alone--a deep dislike and distrust of government. Mitt Romney, a centrist Republican, even hailed the Tea Party recently. It's not that I don't like conservatives. When it comes to fiscal conservatives I can't agree with their economic opinions, but I don't have anything against them personally. Social conservatives, I have bigger beef with, because social issues like abortion, gay rights, etc etc are by nature emotional issues. You can't really argue that with data or figures, and those who try to are just being dumb and not convincing anyone. The other thing about super right social conservatives like Bachmann and Perry that I can't accept is their untrammeled application of religious, i.e. Christian, beliefs on politics and governance. As an atheist and a liberal, I can't find a single thing in common with them. And we're supposed to be living in the same country. I don't want someone who I have nothing in common with to be my President. I'm sure there are many, many Americans who feel the same way I do. Just looking at my circle of friends, my family, the people I know, I don't think they would support a presidential candidate with those beliefs. And I know I live in LA, a bubble for liberals. I think if you polled even a Republican from the Carolinas they would not support someone so extreme. Well, if either of them secure the GOP nomination I'll just shake my head and make sure I vote in November. There is NO WAY (knock on wood) that they will make it to the White House. There just isn't. They don't have enough in common with voters like me, and they don't seem like they'll be able to temper themselves to appeal to a broader mass. Anyway...

Not to be too philosophical, but I wonder why people even question whether it's possible for morality to exist without the "guidance" of religion. I totally believe it. I am a living example. I have my own moral compass that evolved and stuck with me free of any religious beliefs. I know not to harm another person, not because the Bible says so, but because to me it's just wrong. I don't need religion to tell me to do good, to be honest, to be righteous. Other people who do good deeds inspire me. My parents inspire me. To be totally, brutally honest, if you're someone who needs religion to tell you what the "right" thing to do is, that is a weak conviction. If you know to do good because of some internal, even unexplained, source your compass will waver much less.

And that is what I really believe, served straight up. No frills, booyah!

Ryan Lizza on Michele Bachmann

"There may “be occasions when Christians are mistaken on some point while nonbelievers get it right...Nevertheless, the overall systems of thought constructed by nonbelievers will be false—for if the system is not built on Biblical truth, then it will be built on some other ultimate principle. Even individual truths will be seen through the distorting lens of a false world view.”--Nancy Pearcey, Total Truth as quoted in in Ryan Lizza's "The Transformation of Michele Bachmann," The New Yorker

Now I understand why she's crazy. She believes in ideologues who want to wage the equivalent of a Christian jihadist war on non-believers. So what happens to non-Christians in a Christian-run state where all non-Bible based beliefs are not tolerated? Disturbing.

But She IS Crazy...

Maybe Newsweek did go a bit overboard, but what can you expect from the media? They're relentless.

As tempted as I am to keep pointing out everything that is wrong with the Tea Party blogging about politics, I should stop for now. It causes me too much stress and I need to minimize the number of wrinkles on my face. Every time I think about the current way of things in Washington, another one forms.

Food, Friends, and Famine

My friend Jessica bought me enough tea to last a year. So happy.


We also had the most delicious Farmer's market dinner tonight at Auntie Em's in Eagle Rock where Jess used to work. Everything was so fresh and beautiful. Paired all dishes with a bottle of cabernet sauvignon and it was the perfect meal with lovely company. Speaking of which, I feel absolutely guilty about my friendship with Jess...in the sense that it's so unbalanced. She puts in so much more than I do. Take tonight's meal for example. I know she's been planning it for weeks because she asked me a long while ago if I would be free tonight. And then I went on Auntie Em's website to read more about the Farmer's market dinner and I saw that it was 45 dollars a person. Oh my goodness. Not that I put a price tag on friendship, but I just feel bad when people spend so much money on me. The fact that it's to celebrate a birthday doesn't alleviate that. And then I made the stupidest mistake today by saying her birthday was in October...when it's really in SEPTEMBER. I wanted to crawl under the table and hide when I did that.
I need to be a better friend.

Peach+heirloom tomato+burrata cheese salad. I love tomatoes, so this was a no-brainer for me. Love!

Yummy, yummy, yummy cheeses. I LOVE CHEESE. Especially goat cheese. Those square blocks on the far left were my favorite. It was a classic blue log goat cheese from Wisconsin. I ate it and went to goat cheese heaven.

Peach and pluot shortcakes with creme anglaise and fresh vanilla bean whipped cream.

Miscellaneous stuff that's been on my mind:
I didn't know there was such a thing as a pluot until tonight. They're not very sweet by themselves, if you're into that. I prefer a nice juicy peach or apricot.

Google Labs is being slowly shut down so Google can focus more on a few projects (ahem, Google+) and make them better as opposed to staying in an experimental stage where they are throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks.

Famine in Somalia. There's a severe, severe food shortage crisis that's been ongoing in Somalia. It was really bad in 1992 and 1993. The US began sending aid then, but cut it off after the Black Hawk incident. I wonder if it's because of natural conditions like drought, and hence less food production, that are contributing to the food crisis, or if the distribution is characterized by gross injustice. I post all these pictures of the food I ate tonight, so full in my belly I was going to burst, and then I think about this. There's a lot of self-contempt involved in my thinking process, but I'll have to save that for another post. Sigh.

Is Michele Bachmann's husband gay?

I should go to sleep. Every night this past week I've been telling myself to sleep by 1 AM but of course, I fail. Then I don't wake up until 10 the next morning and the vicious cycle continues...