I had another of those long, frustrating, seemingly hopeless debates about Politics and theology with a family member last night. They were quite willing to admit that they relied quite heavily on Fox News (but of course, also claimed that they check what they hear there against “other” sources— although I don’t know what those would be, since they also express a complete mistrust of the major networks, which they NEVER did prior to this present climate created by the extreme polarization of ideological political beliefs, which itself has been greatly increased by entities such as Fox News who take their “talking points” memos from Mr. Murdoch. I kept asking them about a recent rant by Bill O’Reilly (whom they listen to quite a bit, and react to every distortion and outright mistruth offered by O’Reilly with utter dismissal), where O’Reilly was going on about the “co-ordinated effort by the liberal media” to slam Gonzalez. This was a somewhat ridiculous theory, since the day in question when these “co-ordinated” reports ran was the day of the hearings for Gonzalez. Well, DUH! The only “co-ordination” happening there was media outlets commenting on “the news” that day. O’Reilly constantly says “I never sdaid that” in response to such things as being confronted with calling Barbara Boxer “a nut”, which he did. He said “She’s a nut”, referring to Boxer. O’Reilly absolutely goes offf on Media Matters constantly, since they make it a point to fact-check, and O’Reilly makes their list almost daily.

Aside from O’Reilly, the whole debate last night drained me. I went home wondering what the hell I am supposed to be doing. I need some alternative to incarnate. I have gifts in the area of theology and technology; both theological and technical, with degrees in the former and 10 years experience in the latter.

I am so disturbed by the utter deception and blind obstinance to testimony from what SHOULD be credible sources, except that they are no longer considered credible if they seem to call into question some basic assumptions of the neoconservative agenda, which they have “processed” through our society VERY SUCCESSFULLY.

I get looks of utter dismay when I make any sort of comparison of Bush and his administration with Nazi Germany, and their “propaganda” and enlistment of the Churches in their cause. They simply refuse to believe that there is any possibility that this administration may be deceiving them right out of their role as free citizens and into a gang war; a culture war, on all dissent.

The worst of all is the ability to tune out the horrors of war inflicted on an innocent popultation, and refuse to stand for the cause of citizens who come under attack under this vast sweeping umbrella of bombs and missiles in the name of “freedom and liberty”. Bush’s inaguaral was so innocuous and hollow, and the fact that millions of American Christians see no connection to affirming the policies of this President, and consenting to the evil it is inflicting on the people of Iraq and on world stability. They have allowed this ideology to sway their theology; and it is an ideology that, in my estimaiton, they have accepted, in the vast majority of cases, based on deceptions and propaganda. And this is SO much like the people of Germany rallying behind the Nazi party, including the vast majority of the Churches. The people of the American Churches have allowed the theology of empire to become their predominant Biblical vision. And this is, not “Biblical” at all. It is a distortion of the Biblical message. I BELIEVE the Bible. JUst not the Bible as represented by Empire. Not the one George W. Bush believes. Not the one Jerry Falwell believes.