I'm Back (Almost)
Sorry for my prolonged absence over the last several days -- I guess that's what fun with my family in St. Louis can do . . . once I return home tomorrow night, I'll be back "in the saddle" again!
In the meantime, a few things of note . . .
Michael Kinsley is tired of talking about values, and doesn't understand the difference between a "value" and an "opinion." Here it is: An opinion is what I think about something; my values concern what I know to be right, given what I have been taught -- religiously, ethically and morally. One can only hope that peoples' values inform their opinions.
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And in other news, there is more to the story about Target's eviction of the Salvation Army than meets the eye. I should have details in the next couple days .. .
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One of the best parts of being in St. Louis is having the opportunity to worship at The Church of St. Michael and St. George -- where I was confirmed, and then later married. Its brilliant young rector, The Rev. Andrew J. Archie, used a story to make a very compelling point this morning. At the cleaners, he heard someone wishing the proprietors a "happy holiday" - referring to Thanksgiving, not even Christmas! Has it come to this, he asked, that we can't even acknowledge Thanksgiving by name -- that everything must fall under the generic rubric of a "holiday"??? I wonder -- what's going on when political correctness requires a euphemism for even the "secular religious" holiday of Thanksgiving? It's a sad commentary.
Andrew Archie also mentioned that his calendar marks Hannukah, Kwanzaa, but not Christmas . . . and noted the danger of the latter becoming little more than a part of "happy holidays" or "season's greetings." For my part, it seems that when dealing with our friends of other faiths, it's respectful to acknowledge their holidays, and not run around wishing one and all a "Merry Christmas," heedless of whether they actually observe it. On the other hand, I refuse to let political correctness rob me of the right to wish my co-religionists of the Christian faith a "Merry Christmas" - with all the transformative potential the benediction carries, this year and every year.
In the meantime, a few things of note . . .
Michael Kinsley is tired of talking about values, and doesn't understand the difference between a "value" and an "opinion." Here it is: An opinion is what I think about something; my values concern what I know to be right, given what I have been taught -- religiously, ethically and morally. One can only hope that peoples' values inform their opinions.
------------
And in other news, there is more to the story about Target's eviction of the Salvation Army than meets the eye. I should have details in the next couple days .. .
-----------
One of the best parts of being in St. Louis is having the opportunity to worship at The Church of St. Michael and St. George -- where I was confirmed, and then later married. Its brilliant young rector, The Rev. Andrew J. Archie, used a story to make a very compelling point this morning. At the cleaners, he heard someone wishing the proprietors a "happy holiday" - referring to Thanksgiving, not even Christmas! Has it come to this, he asked, that we can't even acknowledge Thanksgiving by name -- that everything must fall under the generic rubric of a "holiday"??? I wonder -- what's going on when political correctness requires a euphemism for even the "secular religious" holiday of Thanksgiving? It's a sad commentary.
Andrew Archie also mentioned that his calendar marks Hannukah, Kwanzaa, but not Christmas . . . and noted the danger of the latter becoming little more than a part of "happy holidays" or "season's greetings." For my part, it seems that when dealing with our friends of other faiths, it's respectful to acknowledge their holidays, and not run around wishing one and all a "Merry Christmas," heedless of whether they actually observe it. On the other hand, I refuse to let political correctness rob me of the right to wish my co-religionists of the Christian faith a "Merry Christmas" - with all the transformative potential the benediction carries, this year and every year.
posted by LadybugUSA at 7:15 PM
1 Comments:
Values vs Opinions:
"An opinion is what I think about something..."
For you, perhaps. :-) For many, opinions need not involve thought at all but are simply unthinking reactions out of preconceptual biases. For others, opinions, as what _they_ --idiosyncratically or in herd stampede-- "think" _is_ the sole foundation for the values they (consciously) hold. With no other ground for their values other than opinions shaped by circumstances, appetites, etc., their values shift with their opinions. For such, the only apparent ground value is that values are flexible, dependant upon individual on group whim, and have no firm footing. (Has no one told these folks that moral relativism is old hat? :-)
"...my values concern what I know to be right, given what I have been taught -- religiously, ethically and morally..."
Well and good. I'd extend that a little. Our true values are what compels our actions. Value sloth and greed? Then the actions that result will reflect those values. Value a job well done and respect for others? Then the actions that result will reflect those values.
"One can only hope that peoples' values inform their opinions."
Regardless, peoples' values _will_ inform their actions. No matter what opinions they express.
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