music takes more and more of me - drum machines taunt me with their complicated controls and guitars mock me with the 1-4-1-5 fingerpicking style that eludes me when the 5 is on the 4th string instead of the 5th string - LOL -

it is time for a rant - a mega rant - one to pucker up some pussies who have been opening their mouths too much.

To me, nothing exemplifies Christianity in action in the 20th century then Martin Luther King Jr. - universally disliked in the South for his preaching vs. racism, I don't think the full extent that his faith played out was ever realized, in part because the tactics he covered were more recently utilized by Ghandi, but the core element of a non-violent Christianity that seeks to change hearts more then laws is at the center of where he stood and where he got his strength.

He didn't just want to make the south desegrated, but he wanted to shame those who stood for segreation - shame their ideals and make them want to change - to do that, he found the biggest nightsticks and police boots to throw himself under - that's a powerful faith. -

Compare it to today - the Pat Robertsons - the Republicans - one of the principal rules that I read in the bible is that the love of money is the root of all evil - fair enough - it's not money, but the love of it...

so what does the "Religious Right" do? - side with the party who has made the love of money the principle on which the party functions - we're supposed to do business with these people? - Warmongers and men who preach pro-life while putting ten's of thousands of lives at risk with the most irresponsible and selfish policy abuses of the 21st century?

wake the fuck up, people - if you wanna serve God, it ain't in the Republican party -
FYI,

I never really heard of him in all my time at Conservative Fundamentalist Bible School -- I believe part of this was simply racial - but part of it was, as Phillip Yancey pointed out in a book, probably due to the fact it's documented he did have extramartial affairs -

some folks would rather see a small piece of trash in a beautiful scenic view and go "tsk, tsk" - martial fidelity in particular is interesting, because I have known some of the Christian couples and seen them in action - a more possessive and divisive faith I have not seen since, and not only do I not see those friends anymore, they left the state and didn't say good bye - good riddence -

I know the personal failings of a man don't necessarily count towards his professional or artistic failings - and while I don't plan on having an extra-martial affair, I would hope to have a few more girls before marriage - LOL - since I was robbed in my 20's - but overall, it stuns me that to them, all that matters is his dick was somewhere that God might not want it to be, so now everything he's ever done, even when he was behaving was irrelevant.

Why the outrage, you ask? - cause a man I call a personal friend is being judged by these same religious people who think he let them down - I don't recall him ever putting himself on a pedastal and demanded to be treated as a religious leader - his songs, while heartfelt and based on a former relationship, have lost none of the shine or energy - he has been a friend and a brother - and

ah well - judge not lest ye be judged - but could they at least stop being so goddamn simple minded and stupid - at least think before the next election - this country can't survive another GWB or people who think a personal success can translate into God-blessed success when it comes to leaving the country....

RB