Apr. 28, 2005 - 20:04 MDT

BOTH FEET

Much ado in the schoolyard. The old bit of heckling a kid until he lost his temper and got into a fist fight over something inconsequential changed over the years and has become serious scuffling politically.

Now we have the "Faith Based Crusades," which seem to be all "Focused" up. Said folks and their friends have been egging on Senator Salazar recently and apparently reached their goal when he referred to them as, "The Antichrist."

Picking out pieces of an article in today's Rocky Mountain News by M. E. Sprengelmeyer of that paper.

Salazar regrets 'Antichrist ' barb

Senator says he meant only to accuse Dobson of being 'self serving'

"WASHINGTON -- "Sen. Ken Salazar said Wednesday he regrets referring to Focus on the Family and its founder James Dobson as "the Antichrist" -- a term among the worst slurs in Christianity."

"Salazar issued a statement Wednesday evening backing down from a remark he made Tuesday night during an audio interview aired on KKTV of Colorado Springs."

"In that interview, Salazar said of Focus on the Family: "From my point of view, they are the Antichrist of the world."

"The remark and Salazar's retraction represent the latest development in a bitter fight over President Bush's judicial nominees and efforts by religious groups like Focus on the Family to get them approved by the Senate."

"After being relentlessly attacked in telephone calls, e-mails, newspapers and radio stations all across Colorado, having my faith questioned, and having my wife's business picketed as part of these attacks, I spoke about Jim Dobson and his efforts and used the term, "the Antichrist," Salazar said in a written statement."

"I regret having used that term. I meant to say this approach was unchristian, meaning self-serving and selfish."

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There is more in the article but what is already quoted carries the gist. I'll do my own conjecturing and add an opinion or two of mine.

For quite some time President Bush has been pushing "Faith based" this and that attempting to accomplish, it appears, to have tax money given to religious organizations yet letting them hire and fire on religious motives. All along this religious bit has been beat to death, it seems to me.

And when it comes to selection of justices, why have they decided to insist on putting in justices after trying it once before ? What line of thought do they follow ?

It seems that anyone who is not toeing the party line is by backhanded insinuation "antichristian," and not admissable to the bench.

I tend to go overboard myself, frequently I admit ashamedly and say things in the heat of the moment which are ruefully regretted later. But Salazar's remark could start a real "holy war" in the halls of Congress which will filter out into the populace as the different sides put out their poison. Each side of course stretching the facts, bending them clear out of shape.

I fear that if this gets hot enough we will find ouselves going to the Faith-based-Mafia's Sunday school, twice on Sunday's and once on Wednesday night. And if we behave and profess to go whole hog to the administrations lines, then maybe if we wipe our feet we can go to the big guys church services.

Back and forth go the sallies, "I am more religious than you," "you think different than I do - so you aren't faith based." "Ain't either." "Are too." It is getting so ridiculous that the short verse in the Bible, "Jesus wept," keeps coming to mind with the refrain (invented just now) "Satan laughed."

I still believe that, regardless of what is on our coins and hanging from the walls of various public places, they should be left in place and respected. But I also feel that Church and State must be kept apart, left apart and may no man try to wed the two.

Or perhaps will it be the American Holy War ? ? ? ?

My sympathies go to Ken Salazar . . . . . in the mouth, BOTH FEET . . . . . . . . . . .

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