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| East Side Park, Morris MN (B.W. photo) |
The ELCA continues trying to support two separate churches within our community of Morris. Is this sustainable? First Lutheran has been in steady decline with its numbers. This is easily supported by noting that through most of its history, the church had two Sunday services. The realization sank in this wasn't going to fly any more. We are forced to capitulate to reality, ultimately.
I realized the same thing last night in relation to my college alma mater. Imagine a major state institution, or at least what formerly stood as a major state institution, watching its theater program die out. It's a fact: this is happening at St. Cloud State University. I read about it last night. The place has practically become a poster child for the stresses that have set in with public institutions for higher learning.
What a pretentious-sounding term: "institution for higher earning." These places have become vacuum cleaners for sucking the money out of young people and their families. Should we maybe listen to Bernie Sanders more?
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| Arianna Huffington |
I weave this topic in because it relates directly to the $ pressure felt by young people and their families. So girls will consider hooking up with older men who have money.
Unsavory? It's hard passing judgment in such matters now. People who believe totally in the liberation of women will say it's a woman's choice. That continues being the direction of our society despite what has happened with our U.S. Supreme Court, which incidentally has turned into a cesspool of corruption. Led of course by Alito and Thomas and maybe even Kavanaugh, the latter having misrepresented himself on Roe vs. Wade in his confirmation. You'll remember another element of that confirmation, hoo boy.
But we in America have chosen to just step aside on a range of matters where we once had a common sense consensus. We would never allow a clear power-hungry autocrat to try to seize control of our national government with a "coup," would we? We would never elect someone who had sex outside of marriage with an actual porn star and then tried to pay her off for her silence, would we? Well of course not. Well, not in a previous time we wouldn't.
The ethical lapses at the Supreme Court level would not have been tolerated in an earlier time. Why? Because we simply had principles, principles which a child could grasp. The political right wing in America has gone beyond the standard political mix of right versus left, Republican versus Democrat. The latter arrangement looks quaint in retrospect now: the "two sides" both representing America, wanting the best for America, but having different views on how to get there.
The politics right now was represented in the attempted overthrow of the U.S. government in 2021. Our own elected congressperson was openly sympathetic to the insurrection efforts, with her vote against certifying the election results. But are we in West Central Minnesota of a mood to even "throw her out" now? Well no. I would even bet she'd be re-elected. This is the America of today.
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| First Lutheran Church, Morris (B.W. photo) |
Oh my, the "L" word. This all started with gay rights but it has come to encompass more.
I of course can't do anything about it. I can share these thoughts online. The "thought police" have not come along yet. But the continued hard edge of the political right wing might change that. It is trying to burst past all legal barriers or checks that our justice system is set up in theory to provide. Can the theory hang in there a while longer - I mean the Judeo-Christian ethic of knowing right from wrong? If one's spiritual life does not reflect that, then my God, what is the point of belonging to a church?
Whither the faith?
Is Christianity becoming totally bastardized? Well I really think it is. Pastors are now reporting that parishioners have complained to them - actually complained, if you can believe it - about Christ's own words being quoted. In church.
I smile as I consider that Our Savior, who I am really trying to stick with, could sound a little Bernie Sanders-ish. Can't you all just smile a little about that? Well, maybe not. I have actually lost friends because of the concerns I am trying to point out here.
Today at least, First Lutheran Church of Morris is still a "thing," it is an entity. So I'll see a few people I know, share some friendliness. We are not the kind of people who would support the impeachment effort of the newly-elected Wisconsin Supreme Court member. The Republicans have massed like howling rabid dogs over there, frothing at the mouth. Such people speak for an apparently wide swath of the U.S. people now.
And we have a U.S. congressperson who fits right in. Unless you want to vote her out. But we will not.
Previous congressperson Collin Peterson made the mistake of posing for a photo with Nancy Pelosi, both smiling nicely. The Republicans seized on this and went into their rabid dog routine. Peterson got feet of clay and started behaving like he wasn't even proud to be a Democrat. I could be as upset with him as with the other side. How about "courage of your convictions?" Well, he got his rear end handed to him.
So now we have the insurrectionist sympathizer. I can only observe, I cannot effect change.
Moving on
Do you think I should look for my own "sugar baby?" Money talks, you know. It means more than Jesus Christ, that's for sure. I cannot get a female friend the standard way, and if I even hint in that direction, it's like I get a pie in the face. People react like they're offended.
I am struck by a point George Will makes about our colleges in America. He says that society insists we keep them, the reason being that colleges are needed so young people around the age of 20 can go someplace among peers of the same socioeconomic stripe and find their future marital partner.
So is this really the primary reason for the existence of "institutions of higher learning?"
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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