BAYLOR: Hot Hofstadter, cold Cappuccino
On Monday evening, I overheard a New Albany city councilman explaining to a bystander how much more he knows about drainage issues than any number of trained experts in the field, and that our problems with stormwater primarily result from virulent conspiracies between city planners and a veritable mafia of builders.
I reached for my steaming wand, and thought immediately of Bayard R. Hall.
New Albany is a state of mind … but whose? Since 2004, we’ve been observing the contemporary scene in this slowly awakening old river town. If it’s true that a pre-digital stopped clock is right twice a day, when will New Albany learn to tell time?
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Today's Tribune column: "Hot Hofstadter, cold Cappuccino."
Code enforcement alert: Today's column knowingly and indiscriminately violates the city of New Albany's ban on words of four syllables or more. I'm at home this morning and available to be cited and/or arrested.
speaking only on writing style, another good work. But I have to ask again, why more attacks on religion? The point it seems you are trying to make has little if anything to do with religion. You quote a man talking of paranoia yet you sound equally as paranoid with the constant poking at religion. It appears to be less about principle and more about gaining attention by getting under people's epidermis.
ReplyDeleteDaniel,
ReplyDeleteI think that you being a little thin skinned, this time. I had to go back and read the article again. Religion is just a tiny, tiny part of the column.
It is certainly no more, and mostly less, than many columnists from the other side of the spectrum.
I quite reading after "another good work."
ReplyDeleteSeriously ... it's one brief sentence from Dorfman, and one other reference to creationist museums.
Sum total: Roughly ten words out of 900.
Was I implying a connection between anti-intellectualism and fundamentalism? Yes, but the eal point has to do with the effects of mindlessness as practiced by elected officials, not preachers.
BTW, I believe I was edited, because it was supposed to have said "masturbatory tea party circles" so as to gently hint at the concept of "circle jerk," but that's only one word, and I don't mind that much.
Er, maybe it was removed because it's five syllables ...
Point is why is it there at all? It has nothing to do with the weekly predictable rant. As stated above it's obvious to me why it's there.
ReplyDeleteMy guess is your column was edited do to word choice. I know you would believe it's because we aren't smart enough to get you. A somewhat related concept to my first comment
Oops I didn't say due, I could never cut it with those bloated Leo types
ReplyDeleteIf only it were shinier and spinning.
ReplyDeleteI didn't read that as an attack on religion. I read it as a critique of the local culture, which is, in my opinion, the thrust of Roger's columns.
ReplyDeleteAnd it really is about culture, not religion, isn't it? Christianity exists all over the world in very different cultural and political contexts.
Around these parts, we have this homogenized, mega-church, suburbia Christianity lined up behind the political right in the culture wars. We also have an "old-time religion" culture losing ground to the mega churches. Both have anti-intellectual streaks, and this creeps into the political culture.
(And no, I'm not saying everyone who belongs to these churches are anti-intellectual, but it is fairly easy to ID and trace the history of "anti-intellectualism" as described in Roger's essay in these groups.)
To critique this culture is not necessarily to attack religion. Your typical right-wing Floyd County evangelical will view it as an attack, however, because they assume their political/religious culture IS Christianity. They refuse to acknowledge that sincere Christianity exists in many other contexts.
Religion in Floyd County is under no threat from Roger's column. I wish we had more Rogers out there to create space for other types of culture and ways of thinking.
...and that's about as clear as I can be with a cold on a lunch break. This is why Roger writes columns and I don't.
ReplyDeleteIt was an attack on religion and I plan on egging the brewhouse as a result to show my pristine level of maturity. I'm about to text my preacher to see if he wants to take part in the misdemeanor act.
ReplyDeleteSome people say, "Keep government out of my religion."
ReplyDeleteSome people say, "Keep religion out of my government."
I agree with both groups.
Yeah Hoosier but I don't think we'll ever live in a country where we'll have both of those things.
ReplyDeleteI clearly remember how angry my mom would get when I was a child and our preacher at the time would start talking about Rush Limbaugh and Republican is the moral way stuff while in the pulpit. They overlap during so many junctions that it's probably impossible to end it.
Look at what will probably keep health care reform from being passed by the Senate. Abortion. Religous and political influences are everywhere.
Daniel,
ReplyDeleteThen I would humbly submit that the members of churches that are becoming over politicized to ask their church leaders to keep worship where it belongs, the teachings of God.
And those who vote to ask their elected officials to keep government where it belongs, an equal and fair representation of of all faiths, all beliefs, by not imposing the dogmas of any religion into the running of our government.
Paganly speaking, of course...
Never said it was easy, you thin skinned wanna be Bernstein.
ReplyDeleteWhich Bernstein will you be referring to? Bonnie or the Bears?
ReplyDelete