Rod Dreher's Eleven Theses
The Dallas Morning News' Rod Dreher nails his eleven theses to the door, giving the word on religion and politics in 2008. His points are a mishmash of self-serving, bad logic.
Dreher says Mormons aren't Christian, then defines the term as followers of traditional Christian orthodoxy. (How convenient for Dreher, a late convert to Eastern Orthodox Christianity, to reserve the term Christian for believers like himself.)
Dreher asks how Mormons can get mad when other Christian churches teach that Mormonism is apostasy when Mormons themselves teach that all other Christian churches are apostate? (See point one for the answer. Dreher himself rejects Mormonism as Christian. For Mormons, that's apostasy.)
Dreher says this is no big deal politically because Mormons side with Dreher on his social conservative issues. So-called cafeteria Catholics and progressive Protestants don't. (In other words, who cares why someone believes the way they do? The enemy of my enemy is my friend. That sounds less principled than practical and worldly.)
Dreher asks, if conservative Christians reject Romney for his Mormonism, on what grounds would they condemn secularists for rejecting conservative Christian candidates? (Indeed. Dreher thinks this is an argument in favor of Romney. Others might take it as a good argument to reject everyone who believes in ancient myths, thus like the electorate would be wise to question candidates who believe in, say, UFOs or astrology.)
Dreher goes on to say that Christians believe in some pretty outlandish things themselves -- seven day creation, a God-made-man, the Resurrection, Transubstantiation. Dreher says the content of a religion's doctrinal teaching is not a reliable guide to the overall judgment of one of its adherents. (Oh, and why not? In this day of science, anyone who still believes in the truth of these doctrines should have their judgment questioned. Many of the Founding Fathers understood the absurdity of some of these doctrines. It's inexcusable for 21st Century candidates not to be as enlightened as 18th Century Thomas Jefferson.)
After thesis upon thesis saying that politically, one's religious doctrines are no big deal, Dreher goes on to exclude Islam from any of this. He draws the line to include Mormonism but exclude Islam. He can not accept any good American voting for a Muslim. (In other words, please ignore theses 1-5.)
To save time, just extend that last point to the rest of Dreher's theses. Ignore them all. They are a mishmash of self-serving, bad logic.
Atty Gen Abbott says Speaker Craddick is King
Karen Brooks covers Austin for The Dallas Morning News, and reminds us of what a great state newspaper ought to be. She stayed late Friday night to be there for the release of the Texas Attorney's General's opinion on Speaker Tom Craddick's usurping dicatorial powers over the House in the closing days of the last session. (Who releases anything late Friday night other than a politician wanting the story to be buried?)
Not surprisingly, Atty Gen. Greg Abbott affirmed Speaker Craddick's position that he cannot be removed short of impeachment. Whether House rules give Craddick dictatorial powers is something Abbott prefers to leave to the House itself.
Brooks reports that "House members are expected to go ahead with plans to deal with the issue of his "absolute authority" when they write the rules early next session." That's the story to watch. Contact your legislators and urge them to show some backbone and strip Craddick of his self-assumed dicatorial powers to run the House as he see fits.
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