Feb. 10, 2003 - 22:05 MST

THE WONDERING JEW

Have Faith

I am not the most knowledgeable, well read guy in the world but it seems to me that I read about the folks that fled England, far, far before the American Revolution. It seems that they wanted freedom to worship, freedom to choose their religion.

I guess they did, they came here and set up their churches. But then a funny thing happened on the way to the quorum. It appeared that everyone was free to worship, if they did it the way they were told.

Weird things happened, for instance the Salem Witch Trials. And other discriminations.

Then we progressed, the Ku Klux Klan came to town. Then it was okay to hate Jews, Catholics and for the big part of the action the "niggers." Crosses burned, lynchings, separate waiting rooms, of course toilets drinking fountains, the whole schmear. In our town we had a Mayor who was a Klanner and I think a state governor who looked upon Klanning with favor. We had "Progressed," we had !

Fast forward to the days we are occupying now. Wut happenin'? Well for a thing or two. Our tax money seems to be headed into stirring up dangerous waves in our society.

It happened while the Shrub discussed the State Of The Unity recently. He asked Congress to approve $600 million over three years for drug and alcohol treatment. (just a drop in the bucket in the land of billions). Some of the people invited amongst others were Tonja Myles of the "Set Free Indeed," program at Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Henry Lozano of "Teen Challenge Calfornia." Check "Set Free Indeed" web site. It seems the services provided are under the cloak of these words, "We believe that recovery begins at the Cross," says the groups mission statement. "We rely solely on the foundation of the Word Of God to break the bands of addiction." Professional ? treatment ? at the foot of the Cross ? Are the agnostics, atheists and pagans to be given the same treatment without being brainwashed ?

Then there is "Teen Challenge," an abuse program favored by our Pompousness -- this is the group who TOLD Congress in May 2001 that it hires only Christians.

Seems to be an administration ?trend? stampede? toward diverting our tax money to religous institutions.

There now exists seven federal agency offices -- all established by our esteemed Shubbery -- aimed at such things.

Seems, or at least on the face of it Bushwhacker credits faith with helping him in being an "Alcoholic In Recovery."

Not too long ago he set into motion giving "faith based" providers the ability to REFUSE TO HIRE employees who don't pass a religious test. So do we expect those groups to aid, counsel and help those not able, sentient and willing to take a stab at passing the test ? You gotta be kiddin'

He has already opened the portals of "Tax Moneyland," for the use of federal housing money to be used to build churches, synagogues and mosques as long as some of the structure is used to aid the aforementioned efforts -- fronts in other words it appears to me. And now he wants the $600 million drug abuse program to be done in the form of vouchers. Vouchers ? ? ? ? ?

I wonder if it will soon be that vouchers can be tendered to the corner liquor store that devotes some of its space to couseling drunks preaching sobriety, and far fetched as it may seem will the proprietor receive vouchers and pass out the booze? and the druggist selling illegal drugs if he has a section for counseling on drug abuse and nicotine addiction ? ? ? ? ? Will he give out freebies ?

This whole existence in our United soon to be maybe untied States maybe expire in a hail of vouchers and bigoted organizations ? I have nothing against religion, I have a goodly amount of it myself. In my ignorant opinion damn it when our political and religious entities lock arms and say, "This is the way it will be, just -- bloody hell, I am not going to buy into this thing of being pushed to Have Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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