From: Michael M. Butler (butler@comp-lib.org)
Date: Fri Sep 21 2001 - 13:59:14 MDT
Olga Bourlin wrote:
> So, why does the U.S. feel the need to lower itself by invoking God into so
> many important situations (and speeches)? Would Bush's speech have been any
> worse if "God Bless America"-type sentiments weren't written in? In my
> opinion, as soon as "God" is mentioned in the political arena, the debate
> stoops to "my Non-Existent Being can beat up your Non-Existent Being."
Okay, I know the feeling. For me, the pisser was that "crusade" gaffe.
I understand the sentiment. But bear in mind that something like 80% of those polled
throughout the world reportedly reply in the affirmative when asked if they believe
in a supreme being. Remember that subplot of the movie _Contact_.
Given the above, the short answer is, "Because it's effective rhetoric."
You don't have to like it.
Take a deep breath. Consider having someone you trust provide you with a seven-second
delay of such broadcasts--they can blank out the offending word(s).
Or rise above your irritation, just as you would if someone farted noisomely in a
posh restaurant just as you sat down to eat. What are you hungry for? Take a stroll
around the grounds until the air clears, and keep on point.
I consciously adopt the language of my audience. At the end of a recent post, I mentioned God
even though I'm an agnostic. Was the rest of the content valuable, or rendered valueless?
"I don't practice what I preach because I'm not the sort of person I preach to."
--J. R. "Bob" Dobbs
MMB
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