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hope, skepticism............................"First, let's be fair to cynics. Cynicism is the place ofretreat for smart, critical, dissenting and formerly idealistic proplewho are now trying to protect themselves. They are not niave. Theytend to see things as they are, they know what is wrong, and they aregenerally opposed to what they see. These are not people who view theworld through rose-colored glasses, the ones who tend to trustauthority or who decide to live in denial. They know what is goingon, and at one point, they might even have tried for a time to changeit. But they didn't succeed; things got worse, and they got weary.Their activism, and the commitments and hopes that implied, made themfeel vulnerable. So they retreated to cynicism as a refuge fromcommitment."And later..................."And if you have middle-class economic security(as many cinicsdo), things don't HAVE to change for YOU to remain secure. That isnot intended to sound harsh, just realistic. Cynics are finally freejust to look after themselves."The above is excerpted from the book "God's Politics: Why theRight Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It. A New Vision forFaith and Politics in America", by Jim Wallis, an evangelical,preacher, theologian and faith-based activist.Part of my rededication to serious reading is an effort toclarify my thinking, and my positions on some issues that are veryimportant to who I am and how I relate to the world.In the past, when I haven't been sure of my feelings about athing or idea, I generally try to immerse myself in it. Not by tryingto absorb information just from my orientation to the issue, but byusing sources that make me uncomfortable. I definitely approachedthis book with more than a modicum of discomfort. The passages Iquoted above really struck me. I don't necessarily consider myself acynic.........more of a skeptic. But then, maybe that's justrationalization on my part. The definition sure as shit fits me. Icould never again embrace mainstream Christianity. I am just as sureof the validity of my particular religious philosophy as the author isof his, but I could work with this man. The vast majority of his bookresonated strongly with me. Much of the content regards our moralresponsibility to work to provide an improved standard of living tothe world's poor. I was reading this as we were travelling from theairport at St. Lucia, past squalid housing to our posh resort.Much of the rest of the content involves politics in America, itsdysfunctional relationship with those it is supposed to serve, and itsabuse and fear of communities of faith. This man is very balanced inhis analysis. Despite my initial reticence, his sense andevenhandedness won me over. Not to faith, but to the realization thatI could work with him DESPITE his faith, and accept that if weprevailed, we might both end up in the same place.It's an endless source of frustration to me that my ruminationsnever sound as clean, concise and coherent as Dr. Don's, but then, Igenerally start with much messier premises;^)My next selection is, "The Bottomless Well: The Twilight ofFuel, The Virtue of Waste, And Why We Will Never Run Out of Energy".Friend Don, this is one for you. The first pages alone havefired my thinking a quantum leap past the rudimentary energy exchangeswe've had here and on the blog in that past.More to come. I feel invigorated, frustrated...............gawd,it's a beautiful, fucked-up world.Hank
