Evangelical Madrasas

Salem on the Porch
Climate change? Yes, it's unseasonably mild tonight and most people would consider that a blessing, but when you live on and from the land, you know how every day should be within its season. We know that something is happening around the world that isn't right, and tonight we can feel it. There is very little logic, up here in these hills, to taking off your sweater as November is just around the corner. But hey, try telling "rancher" Dubya that. Schuyler mixed up a batch of Platinum Blondes, a cocktail he made with golden rum and Grand Marnier. Also, he made a pitcher of nonalcoholic sangria.

Bob and Liz, drinks in hand, told us they felt they were living the Salem Witch trials all over again, what with this rabid culture of hate fostered by the rabid religious right, which, Liz avowed, is neither religious nor right, just rabid. When Alex asked her what she meant, she said that on a short visit to see some of her family, they had made her feel that if they could, they'd tie her to one of those stools they used in Salem to torture the so-called witches, and dunk her in the pond until she drowned. This conversation she had had with her family was innocuous enough, trivial really, but the results terrified Liz. When pressed to explain by Alex, Liz said that when asked by her family if she went to church, Liz, honestly and truthfully said that she didn't always feel the need to since, she told her family, living on a farm is like living in a church. She explained to them that looking at a flower, this thing of powerful beauty, she saw and felt God.

Well, Bob unhappily reported, in an instant the kind and loving family he and Liz had gone to visit erupted into a torrent of recrimination, accusation, condemnation and fault-finding.

Culture of Hate in Evangelical Madrasas
Liz and Bob could hardly believe what they were hearing, and still don't know what's wrong with seeing God in a perfect flower. Soon after they finished dinner, Bob and Liz decided to cut their visit short and returned to their farm.
Tonight, they also told us so many things they had heard on their visit. For one thing, Oh Joy! isn't it nice to hate? For one, they learned that these radical born-again evangelicals have decided that they, and they alone, will be saved. Every other faith, Christian or not, has been condemned by these sweet born-agains to hell. Now folks, Bob said, that's an awful lot of Christian religions, plus an awful lot of other faiths that are going to hell. They feel nothing but contempt for Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and, quite telling, since Bob and Judy both have relatives-in-law who are Episcopalian, Catholic and Mormon, those faiths as well. This clearly frightened Liz because all she could see was this desire for a Crusade of gargantuan proportions: the evangelicals against the world! She said it made Al Qaeda sound like Shirley Temple.

These rabid "christians" go to their churches and mindlessly, thought-free, and absorb all the drivel fed them by unnaturally unintelligent zealots. You've seen images of little kids leaning forward like little metronomes, back and forth, repeating by rote everything they read? No difference in these scary radical evangelicals. Nope, not a bit of difference - it's all as mindless, and in the end, since that kind of teaching involves no use of intellect, just as potentially dangerous. Jeez, whatever happened to plain old Sunday school?

The Mother of all Crusades
Unless we find some way to legally and constitutionally rein in these fanatics, they're going to goad our enemies into destroying us all, regardless of our faith, for in the end, faith is not really understood by rabid, radical evangelicals. Just as Bush seriously does not recognize the difference between good and bad, neither do these rabid, aberrant pseudo-christians. Given the chance, they will only too gladly engage in a world-wide crusade. A few of us, expressing doubts that things were getting that bad, were more than a little saddened by Liz' announcement that her family was invited by a group in Arlington, Texas, to send their youth, under subterfuge, to China to proselytize.

Liz found this offensive first, because these people were knowingly breaking the law, and second, because it cost a minimum of $4,000.00 per person to send countless teenagers to China; money which could have fed a heck of a lot of hungry people. As Kim said, why, if they were so concerned for other human beings, didn't they pool those $4,000.00 X ? to feed, clothe, or house poorer Chinese, or hell, even people here at home who have no food, clothing or housing? Their next step will most likely enflame the entire Muslim world, and well, sweetheart, there we'll go: everybody against everybody, all because of a sorry lot of zealots.

Rescue Us, Wondrous Dinner
Tonight, several families collaborated on dinner, and we were ready to enjoy it, as much for the supreme pleasure as for the chance to think of something other than wacko pseudo-christians. A few of the older teenagers, who can handle our dinners and still get their school work done, have decided that helping us and earning a little bit of spending money would benefit everybody. We appreciate their help, and in no time at all they had served everybody some minute Sesame Bleu-cheese Pizzette. From Michigan, the pizzette were paired with a St. Julian 2003 Lake Michigan Shore Riesling.

Next, from New England, we enjoyed small bowls of bean with bacon soup, paired perfectly with a nice Spanish wine, a Marqués de Riscal Rueda Blanco. After the hearty soup, we next had small paillards of Trout Poached in sparkling wine, and paired with a Prosecco di Cornegliano from the winery Carpene Malvolti. On the plates, we were served a warm salad of Zucchini, Tomato and Basil. After small dollops of peach sorbet, and wanting to follow the hearty soup and light fish courses with another hearty dish, we were served a delicious and spicy Beef Casserole. Paired with a Rhône-style wine from Bonny Doon. The casserole contained many delicious vegetables from Art and Terry's greenhouses.

To end the meal, mango pie was served, paired with a delicious Tokaji from Hungary, which always goes well with mango dishes.

Winding Down
Wonderfully satisfied, we joined the teenagers to enjoy our special-blend after-dinner coffee prepared from one of Max's many special blends. Since we enjoy the comfort of many faiths in our group, we wished the same comfort on our teenagers. The atheist neighbors in our group too, enjoy beautiful values. We all hoped the children would benefit from their own beliefs, but not at the expense of those who would disagree with them.

Summary:
Evangelical madrasas spewing unholy right-wing hatred are a danger to our country and an affront to true faiths everywhere that work honestly in behalf of all men, women and children.

©Copyright 2005 Grindstaff Chronicles. All Rights Reserved.
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Reprinted from The Grindstaff Chronicles Newsletter which is published in the USA by farmers, ranchers, and neighbors.

It is intended to share the thoughts and lifestyle of people who work hard, like to relax and enjoy life, and are often dismayed by news, politics, and the events of the day that defy common sense.
http://www.GrindstaffChronicles.com
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