My Own Personal Jesus

Christ was very punk rock -- a complete revolutionary out to smash the status quo. I dig J.C. (I love the Baby Jesus too). In typically strange fashion, I didn't relate to Jesus much at all until I read Mikhail Bulgakov's magnum opus The Master and Margarita and, much later, saw The Last Temptation of Christ. (The obvious corruption of Swaggart, Robertson as well as the St. E's priest who slept with my friend's sister didn't exactly encourage me breach the Jesus gap). The Jesi of these"heretical" works rang true to me in a far more vital, visceral and human manner than the King James version ever did.

I have reservations about Deepak Chopra. Part huckster, part spiritual advisor and part snake-oil saleman, Chopra is a very smart and persuasive fellow. He's out hawking his new book The Third Jesus. Here Deepak prods us to greet the new Jesus (same as the old Jesus?). This bit slamming the winger evangees grabbed my attention:

Many believers are satisfied with one or the other Jesus, and yet millions are not. They have witnessed their faith being hijacked by rigid fundamentalism. A teaching of love and peace has been perverted to justify war and bigotry.

Chopra may not have the ear of Dobson, Phelps, Perkins, Wilmon and the rest of the flock but his message will reach viewers of Oprah, The Today Show, The Daily Show, Steven Colbert, etc. He also counts Madonna, Demi Moore, Martin Sheen, Blythe Danner, Goldie Hawn, and Debra Winger among his show biz friends.

Anything that yanks the concept of Jesus back to the actual teachings of Jesus is just alright with me.

-AF

Charles Barkley Goes Off

Former NBA star and TNT b-ball commentator Charles Barkley has never been shy about voicing his opinion. While I don't always agree with "Sir Charles", I'm always interested in what he has to say. Yesterday he appeared on TNT sister network CNN's "Situation Room." Barkley completely went off on Republicans, "fake Christians" and the dearth of role models for the black community sans athletes and entertainers. Not surprisingly Barkley supports Obama.

Raw Story has the clip.

-AF

NY Times: Bush's Faith & Middle East

There's plenty to question in the reporting for today's piece In The Heart of Islamic World, Bush Puts Forth His Faith. Two of reporter Steven Lee Myer's characterizations made me gag immediately:

Bush's "push for an Israeli-Palestinian peace accord" and "his unswerving support for Israel." This is a joke.

Bush's push for an Israeli-Palestinian peace accord has been weak at best. He's gone through the motions but has refused to apply an real pressure on Israel for concessions lest he antagonize his administration's many pro-Israeli hawks. He cannot execute his poor execuse for a foreign policy without their "unswerving support." When examined through the prism of his immediate predecessors, the Bush Presidency has been notable largely for his public ambivalence towards Israel. Again, George W. Bush cannot appear to be overly cozy with Israel lest he alienate his Muslim oil business and GWOT partners.

I didn't graduate from Harvard Business school. I did once work in a field where my "clients" offices were spread nationwide. My company was in fierce competition with much larger ones with whom I had to occasionally cooperate. While I had the resources to bring clients to me, it was less disruptive to them and showed more respect for them when I visited their place of business. The same must hold true on the geopolitical stage.

Bush has visited Iraq a handful of times to for purely personal political purposes i.e. to bolster his flawed policy and plummeting approval ratings. If Bush's support for Israel is so "steadfast," he would not have waited until his presidency's very last year for his very first visit. It proves his contempt and complete lack of respect for Israel except as a Biblical symbol and as an emblem of American might in an area of the world where there are few.

In the twilight of his Presidency, having been disgraced and discredited and declared wrong at every turn, Bush has finally become aware that his legacy may not possibly match his delusions. The American people owe it to themselves and the world to elect the least delusional candidate this November.

AF