> -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On > Behalf Of Deborah Harrell
... > "When a need is expressed, you don't have to be the > proverbial rocket scientist, a theoretical > mathematician. You don't have to be a Ph.D.," Ashcroft > told a luncheon audience of nearly 3,000 at the Adam's > Mark Hotel. > > "You just have to be a person whose spirit responds to > the need and says, 'I will.' " Yeah -- a *person*, not an institution! Ashcroft seems to be arguing this illogic: religious institutions do good, therefore we should give them government money. It doesn't make ideological sense, either -- is this how we make government smaller? By funding different institutions? That suggests that problems of big government are solved by the government funding institutions that it doesn't operate. And why should we trust these other institutions with our tax dollars -- because they're faith=based? Does this guy have no clue that thousands of years of history have shown that faith-based institutions can become bloated, arrogant and corrupt, too? Mixing the spiritual power of religion with the worldly power of taxation has fairly consistently led that way. The other ugly theme in those words is anti-intellectualism. Is he saying that some people just think too much? So, let's see -- don't think to much and just pay your taxes to the church-state. Where is Martin Luther when we need him? >From the heart of my fairly intellectual Christian faith, I believe it is wise to choose this enemy. And it's fairly creepy because it arrives clothed in Christianity. Nick _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
