Mob Mentality
Things have gotten out of control, can we at least agree on that? From one of the country’s most prominent business men publically calling for the President of the United States to show his birth certificate, to the countless number of people blindly following him because they are more concerned with being against the liberal president, then being on the side of truth. This is the sad state of affairs in America currently. As a country, and more importantly as individuals, the level of discourse has shifted from what we stand for, to what we stand against. I’m not saying I’m exempt from this argument by any measure. As a matter of fact, I find myself often taking cheap shots at people I disagree with and not supporting the people I do agree with.
Mob mentality is ruining the way we think, the way we process, and most importantly the way we express our thoughts. We find people who think similarly to us and then we just rehash their opinions without thinking anything of it, or its accuracy. Partisan pundits, whether radio, television, print or online journalism are doing our thinking and expressing for us.
Regardless of your views of our current president, our former president, or any other president; there once was a level of civility, and quality of discourse that went in to expressing a dissenting opinion. Those days seem long gone. It is easier for people to ReTweet a poor opinion (myself included) than it is to have an original thought. THIS is what is ruining America in the long run, a lack of civility in public discourse. From Donald Trump and the “birther” movement, to liberal pundits and their broken-record anti-Bush rhetoric; it’s time to change. It is time to discuss the issues 90% of the time and assign blame 10%; instead of the current status, which is the inverse: assigning blame 90% of the time, and discussing/researching the issues 10%.
A recent study by Public Policy Polling found that 46% of Republican voters in the state of Mississippi have a favorable view of the government having the ability/authority to make interracial marriage legal/illegal. A liberal television show host tweeted “46% of GOP voters in Mississippi say govt should make interracial marriage illegal…” Which is not, in fact, what the data shows. Misinformation used to manipulate people is propaganda.
Propaganda is a form of communication aimed at influencing the attitude of a community towards a cause or position, so as to benefit oneself. Over the course of history we’ve seen powerful propaganda from a multitude of sources. From Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will, propaganda designed to show the meteoric rise in popularity of the Nazi’s Third Reich; and to implant a positive and patriotic image of the Nazi’s mission into the citizens of Germany to Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11, a “documentary” that attempts to prove the direct correlation between the conservative presidency of George W. Bush and the attacks on America on September 11th the entertainment world is filled with propaganda. Propaganda is everywhere, however it isn’t always nefarious. Propaganda engenders patriotism, ethnocentrism, encourages individuals to become part of a group and can even boost the economy with the sale of war bonds.
However, recently it is becoming more and more of a trend for “news networks” such as fox, msnbc, cnn, etc.; to fill their time-slots with what can be termed propaganda. Hosts will utilize the mass media devices known as framing, slanting and agenda setting to target a particular group of people for their own personal profit. Glenn Beck is a textbook example, using propaganda to target millions of conservative Americans and profiting from his restoring sanity rally and book deals, etc. Beck isn’t the only popular contemporary figure on a “news network” that engages in propaganda, not by a long shot; please don’t think I’m positing that.
There is a damming trend, however, in America where people are taking as gospel truth everything being said by these propaganda slingers. It’s particularly evident when individuals quote fallacies from their favorite television or radio pundit in arguments and discussions.” Rachel Maddow said this…” “well, I heard on Keith Olbermann that…” “Glenn Beck says if we don’t do this then the liberals will win, and there’s nothing worse than liberals winning…” These are all examples of people succumbing to propaganda.
America, we’re better than this; we all have access to the same research these pundits have, I suggest checking out the original research the pundits quote before believing everything they say.
What Hath God Wrought
The ominous, machine gun-like repetitive thud you keep hearing is Neil Postman rolling over and over in his grave like an end over end kickoff from your favorite NFL team. Postman wrote a book called “Amusing Ourselves to Death” where he discussed the variations and evolution in communication as new hardware and forms of communication became prevalent; from the printing press to the telephone and television. Postman couldn’t have imagined a day where the foundations of speech, communication and discourse were as low as they are today. The latest technological developments have the capacity to provide for greater information dissemination and a broader spectrum of competing ideas to enter the intellectual marketplace; which is a positive direction according to John Milton, in Areopagitica. However, with all the potential benefits of the latest technological advancement; the state of communication has never been lower than it is currently.
The efforts to mobilize communication over the past quarter-century has reduced the overall level of communication and discourse; there is no arguing this. Communication from a physical medium (letters, handwritten, typewritten) was more deliberate. Due to the laborious nature of having to recreate part, or all of a work, if errors were present people took more time, and pain to ensure everything was correct and well written. With the digitization of the written word (word processing programs, etc) and television becoming the dominant medium for information dissemination, the level of communication skills has diminished even further. With more recent mobile technological advancements (iPhones, iPads, other handheld devices) people are becoming even more flippant with their words, their logic, and their communication skills.
I often find myself guilty of dumbing down an argument, or a point to get it across over Twitter, a web/app based, 140 character limited social networking platform. Unfortunately it seems as we move forward with social networks, and a larger population engaging them, we will see further deterioration of the English language, and the art of argument and discourse. I’m reminded of the initial short message system, the telegraph. The first telegraph ever written was from Samuel F.B. Morse for the opening of the Baltimore Washington telegraph lines; it simply said, “What hath God wrought.” Never has there been a better statement of signs of things to come.
World Water Day
I could tell you about the 6,000 children that will die today. I could tell you about the countless thousands more that will be infected with illness, miss meals, and go unnoticed and unloved by society.
Last year I traveled with Children of the World Choirs across the United States raising awareness for children, like these, that have gone unnoticed and unloved by society for far too long. I heard all the stories, I read the book, “Cause Life” I knew the statistics, and I knew the importance of one simple issue, with one inexpensive fix that could eradicate the majority of this disease, poverty, and premature death.
That simple fix is water. It really is that simple, I could spout off the statistics about children walking two hours one way to fill a 5 gallon (40lb) jeri can with water from a disgusting pond with water that really isn’t safe to drink. They then use this water to clean dishes, wash clothes, drink from, and bathe in. This filthy, disease infested water is literally in everything they have.
This is why clean water is so important, it gives these children the chance to be healthy (taking medication with dirty water nullifies any health benefits from the medicine). Clean water sources in villages frees up the 8 hours a day a child spends walking to the pond, or stream. This will allow the young child to receive an education, and become a contributing member to their society.
Today is World Water Day, and I’m begging you, imploring you even to join me (that’s right, I donated too) in donating at least $20 to The Adventure Project a fantastic organization that several of my friends are involved with. The Adventure Project is repairing broken hand wells in Uttar Pradesh, India. With donations from people like you, and from people like me; we can help change the world.
The picture above is of me. It is from the happiest day of my life. In June of 2010, I had the privelege to join one of our partners in Uganda for the dedication and unveiling of a well that we helped to build. Nothing is more exciting than knowing that you are part of saving the world, and making an impact. Join me today in doing so. Donate here. Check back all day, and even in subsequent days.
We are all something we aren’t really
In D2: Mighty Ducks, one of my all time favorite movies; coach Gordon Bombay is at an affluent gathering in his Malibu mansion with several sport celebrities, undoubtedly sponsored by Hendrix Hockey, team USA’s primary benefactor. In one part of this scene in particular, Bombay is talking with someone (Don Tibbles I believe) about how everyone in this town is not what they seem to be. He (the person with whom Bombay is sharing the conversation) then proceeds to ask a cocktail waitress who she is, and she says something to the effect of, “I’m an actress, just waiting until I get my big break.” This is one of the most famous, “I’m just doing this until I get my break” scenarios; move to hollywood, wait tables while trying to become an actor/actress. This scenario is mocked in television shows, movies, and I’m sure in real life.
In reality, if you substitute certain words, it can be true for all of us. “I’m not a media specialist, I’m just waiting until I have the opportunity to get back into child advocacy” or “I’m a writer, but I’m just teaching to make ends meet until I finish my first novel” or “I’m a philosopher, but I’m making coffee, because you can’t do anything else with a philosophy degree” (I’m kidding). The fact is, very few people are truly living their dream life, and if you are one of the lucky few, congratulations; I’m honestly jealous.”
Whether you’re a graphic designer doing the layout for a small town newspaper until you get a job doing something you love; or an entrepreneur working at target until you receive start-up capital or if you’re a church planter working a menial job to make ends meet and establish yourself in the community; you are not alone.
Is Jesus the Reason For the Season?
Besides the obvious fact that much of how we celebrate the Christmas holidays originated out of a Pagan festival celebrating the winter solstice; Christians have hijacked the holiday and tried to turn it into a Christian celebration. Christians or more accurately people who consider them to be religiously conscious are emphatic that “Jesus is the reason for the season” and “keep Christ in Christmas” and are judgemental against those who abbreviate Christmas as x-mas, the seeming ultimate defamation of their “holiest holiday.”
During the winter holidays it seems Christians, despite their best efforts, don’t match up with their slogan, “Jesus is the Reason for the Season.” Yes we throw a reading of the christmas story in there for four minutes among the frantic shopping, the gift wrapping, the gift opening, the comparisons among what we all got, the family time, the break from work, the big dinner, the travel, the hustle and the bustle etc. Can “the reason for the season” really only account for about 2% of our mindset?
There is a religious movement afoot known as “Advent Conspiracy,” which seeks to combat the current state of advent celebration and celebration of Christmas among Churches nationwide. The founders wanted to separate themselves from the “rampant consumerism that turns Jesus’ birth into a cult of materialism.” They declared the state of the current church climate to be “Our story is consumption and consumerism… We worship less, we spend more, we give less, we struggle more.” The Advent Conspiracy counteracts that by “Worshipping Fully, Spending Less, Giving More, and Love All. The Church has been missing these four steps for far too long.
I want a Jesus who will take me shopping
Graffiti Art by David Sizemore and John Rice
Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” -Matthew 19:21 (ESV)
“For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”- Luke 18:25 (ESV)
“Churches” across America, televangelists in particular are touting the “prosperity gospel.” The gospel according to them states if you love God, he will bless you with financial abundance. They point to scripture such as John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” The two verses mentioned at the beginning contrast this idea, and concept of a materialistic blessing.
The culture of materialism and consumerism in the Church is so rampant, and has infected it so greatly, the message of the gospel is polluted and rendered ineffectual at changing lives. Families sit in pews in their finest clothes, nod amen as the pastor preaches the message of abundant possessions and gives a little bit of money to the church in hopes they will get more in return from God; they go home, unchanged. The gospel message isn’t one of acquisition, rather its one of sacrifice. The call is to “Die to yourself, pick up your cross and follow Christ” not “Worship meaninglessly, gain possessions, stay comfortable.”
This pollution of the gospel has infiltrated our lives, our politics and our message. It has become about keeping more and more of our money and giving less and less of it away. We work hard for our money, and we shouldn’t have to give any our money away. The Bible is replete with exhortations, and commands to sell your possessions and give to the poor, to pay your taxes (Give unto Caesar whatever is Caesars..), and not to forsake others. We’ve missed the mark, by a lot., generally speaking.
