Robert's is for a National ID

As you may have noticed as of late I've been posting quite a few articles from Neo-con and Libertarian websites. I don't know what to say, I'm still a liberal, but I've been concidering lots of things, how to deal with the existance of Evil on a policy level, whether imposing values with force of arms is okay, how exactly market forces work, why the hell Buchannan and David Duke are siding with us, how the whole Israel thing works, if the UN and other international agencies lack efficacy, that type of thing... No worries though valient readers, I'm still crazy liberal ELCA Democrat. More as my political thoughts progress.
Peace,
Chris

An explanation as to why Israel is abandoning Gaza

When David Duke is on your side you know something isn't quite right

That Lady camping in Texas is accusing Bush of making her son die for the sake of "A Jewish Cabal." Now David Duke is anti-war. It is worrysome when David Duke, Pat Buchannen etc. are siding with the left. Of course some argue it is a temporary alliance with the left by the Paleo-cons to oust the Neo-cons. I don't know about that, but I do know that I feel kind of dirty.
It reminds me of the first anti-war protest I attended where I nearly got into a scuffle with a family of anti-semetic anarchist over the idea that there was a "Jewish conspiracy" controlling America. That these "regressives" (as opposed to progressives) are siding with us makes me feel kind of bad about my position on the war.
I don't think Bush went to war over oil, but because America was still hurting from 9-11 and needed something more to smash (as Afghanistan was too easy) to make us feel like we'd done something. So he justified this emotional response to tragedy by saying there was WMD and that creating democracy will subvert radical Islam.
Sometimes I want to become a Neo-Libertarian, an advocate of free market practices, small government, and Liberal values, by all means necessary.
Then I stop and think about how much I hate Ayn Rand and how much I realize much of Libertarian values, both right wing and left wing, are hedonistic. Left wing Libertarianism leads to no nobeler vision than legalization of drugs, right wing Libertarianism leads to nothing more than corperatism...
That was a wandering post.
Peace,
Chris

Camping/Wedding

Went camping out by the coast with some folks from Christus House. Had a good time. Went to a friend's wedding. Had a good time there too. But it was a little scary. Specifically all the people that showed up. I realized when you marry someone you aren't just marrying one person, you aren't just enmeshing your life with anothers, you are gaining thousands of connections, thousands of people.
At this point I can hardly even distinguish between some of MY cousins/neigbors etc. Its liking gaining a second family. I'm sure all of this is obvious, but when everyone was going through the food line after the wedding I just realized how big and profound marriage is. Yipes!
Peace,
Chris
PS Congrat Dann and Sarah!

"Slut for faith" or Marriage in a church, not for the religious

By the way there is going to be a Lutheran Carnival

My Bio for my mission

Turns out I was one of a list of irrisponsible Lutherans who forgot to send a Bio to the ELCA. I whiped one up rather quick... I think it is kind of cleaver.

Chris is a Religious Studies and History graduate from the University of Oregon. This coming year he will be at St. Mark’s College in Northern Essex, England teaching children about Trampolining, Archery, and Jesus.
When not plotting to become a second Robin Hood with the use of his legion of bow wielding British children, Chris enjoys, (and is infuriated by) trying to write the great American novel before he’s graduates Seminary, squeezing the last few drops of ruckus fun out of Eugene before he flies off to jolly old England, trying to keep cool at the co-op he lives at in spite of no AC and 100 degree weather, and reading as much good literature as he can before his bookcase is shipped off to his parents in Wyoming.
Peace,
Chris

The great love poets are made, not born

Never again... again

The Constant Gardener

This looks like it will be good, it was done by the same person who did City of God!
Peace,
Chris

And then there is Wyoming

You Know You're From Wyoming When...
"Vacation" means going to Cheyenne for the weekend.
You have ever uttered the term " Greenie!"
It's "BIG NEWS" if a non-Wyoming friend saw a celebrity once.
Down south to you means Colorado.
All the festivals across the state are named after terrain features or Indian tribes.
You know what a Jackalope is.
You know that Devils Tower is in Wyoming and that it is not where the devil lives.
You know that Yellowstone is in Wyoming, not Montana.
You know that Wyoming is in the United States, not Canada. (Or a suburb of Denver)
You drink pop; not soda.
You never knew there was a taxi service in your town.
Down south to you means Colorado.
You only paid $5.00 to cut your own Douglas Fir Christmas tree.
You pawned a snow blower instead of a set of golf clubs.
The elevation is five times higher than the population on the city welcome sign.
There are more oil pumping units than trees.
Antelope outnumber the sheep.
Wide open spaces mean 120 miles to the next rest stop.
You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from Wyoming.

I'm going to miss Eugene

You Know You're From Eugene When...


You inadvertently own one or more pieces of tie-dye clothing
You have ever owned or traveled cross-country in a VW van
You used to play hacky-sack but had to give it up because you developed an allergy to the bag material
You understand the difference between cafe au lait and a latte
You know how to pronounce "Allan Brothers" but you don't care
You had to quit coffee
You find yourself humming along with the Grateful Dead, whether you like them or not
You can't always remember who among your friends is lesbigay and who is straight
You know what lesbigay means and how to use it in a sentence
You have friends who really are bisexual
You own a hand drum or know a friend who owns one
Men with short hair look kind of odd to you, but you're not sure why
You have potlucks down to a fine art
You think channeling was responsible for getting the cross removed from Skinner's Butte AND opening up Willamette Street
You understand how a reggae concert turned into a riot with the police
You don't run if it rains suddenly and you have no umbrella
You look up at the sky every morning and say "It'll burn off!"
A day without sunshine is a month
You have taught workshops and all your friends came
You know the difference between 1st and 2d degree Reiki
You and/or most of your friends are 1st or 2d degree Reiki
You dig your weekly Rolfing sessions.
You tone (with your voice, not at Gold's Gym)
You know what LMT stands for
You are an LMT
You know how to whip out a good-looking flier in Pagemaker
The people at Kinko's know you by name
You know what days they clear the bulletin boards at Fifth St. Market
You know that Fifth Street is actually Fifth Avenue
You have ever worn Birkenstocks, even without meaning to
Some of your best friends wear Birkenstocks, on purpose
You buy "distressed" produce
You get free produce from friends who work at any natural foods store
You don't know anybody who works 9-5, Monday - Friday and/or wears a suit
You call Eugene Weekly "What's Happening"
When a friend gets something she wants, you say "Way to manifest!"
You routinely use the female pronoun as generic in writing and speaking...
You think the Jerry Garcia mural on High St. is the coolest piece of art you ever saw.
You have ever attended a Grateful Dead concert at Autzen more than once.
You consider the Oregon Country Fair the highlight of the year.
You know the methods of growing marijuana without being caught.
You claim that the marijuana is "industrial hemp" if you are caught.
You understand the term "kind buds".
You actually buy Frog's joke books.
You know why Frog isn't supposed to sell the books directly to you.
You frequent at least five clothing resale shop for the clothes, not the bargains.
You miss Icky's Tea House.
You are offended by one or more of the above sentences
You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from Eugene.

The Christian Paradox

Hat tip to PP.

Iraq war casualties

I was looking at the casualties for the Iraq war this morning and noticed a few interesting things.
1. The number three killer of US soldiers, accounting for 8% of the casualties (166 deaths) is vehicle accidents.
2. Casualties are cyclical, March to June (conincides with the march 19th invasion) is when we take the most casualties. The good news is compared with the 2004 March-June cycle the 2005 March-June cycle has fewer casualties (304 in '04, 246 in '05). If this trend continues by 2010 there will be no American casualties.
3. There have been 254 Contractors killed in Iraq.
Peace,
Chris

Coffee as Sacrament

So after church I hung out and shmoozed with my fellow Centralites. I had a cup of coffee (I’m not a coffee drinker) and felt quite awake. It got me thinking about the sacraments. I think it was Voltaire who tried to explain them away as a sort of post-Bacchus religious institution; the Holy Spirit and getting drunk off spirits were one in the same. They both effect perception of reality etc.
My thought is if we REALLY wanted to mess with people’s heads and make them "feel the Holy Spirit" we would give ‘em coffee (or Wisky or Ecstasy or LSD for that matter, but Coffee is potent enough for me). That’s my whole thought, if the Sacrement of Holy Communion was nothing more than messing with parishioner’s minds the Church would use stronger stuff.
Peace,
Chris