Tread lightly on the things of earth

As William Safire writes in the NY Times, You are a suspect:

If the Homeland Security Act is not amended before passage, here is what will happen to you:

Every purchase you make with a credit card, every magazine subscription you buy and medical prescription you fill, every Web site you visit and e-mail you send or receive, every academic grade you receive, every bank deposit you make, every trip you book and every event you attend — all these transactions and communications will go into what the Defense Department describes as “a virtual, centralized grand database.”

On a related note, I completely agree with Bill Moyers’ commentary on modern Republican politics. He’s stirred up a fuss, but I see no other way to parse the present situation than the way he has.

Seminary is what transformed me out of the political conservativism of my early years. I remember in high school I thought that only a conservative worldview made sense. But after years studying scripture and theological writings that have accumulated over the Church’s history, and interacting more than I ever have before with people who are less privileged than me, I decided that I cannot reconcile (1) life in relationship with God and (2) modern conservative thinking and values.

God, as he reveals himself to me by way of his Word and Spirit, is a God of welcoming openness, inclusive generosity, merciful justice, and transcendent peace. Where we are being taken in Jesus’ name is not where he intends us to go. We are blinded by deceit, consumed by greed, driven by revenge, and drunk on violence. We are in rebellion.

[both links via Chris]

<!— imported into MT from 2002 Radio entry via RE on 2003-12-10 —>