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Wednesday, December 28, 2005 Intelligent Design and Brokeback Mountain These are two very hot subjects. They are related in that major controversies are involved in both cases. The Dover School Board mandated that ID be taught in science classes. This was opposed by many parents as an infringement of their constitutional rights. They sued the school board. Intelligent Design (ID) is the Trojan Horse of Creationism. Creationism is the fundamentalism position about how we, as humans, came about. It is directly opposed to the Theory of Evolution as proposed by Darwin. That theory is taught in the science class in schools. Creationism states that we were created by an Intelligent Designer and that was God. This theory has been continually proposed as a subject for school curriculum by fundamentalists. It has been turned down by countless court rulings as a violation of the first amendment of our Constitution prohibiting the establishment of a religion by the state. Recently the Trojan Horse of ID was created to give another approach to the teaching of Creationism. The position is taken that in science classes ID should be proposed as an alternative approach to Darwin's evolution. This position has been proposed by our President Bush in his support of his political base of the religious right. His position is that ID is correctly taught as science. The opinion of the District Court in Pennsylvania presided by Judge Jones has overturned the actions of the Dover School Board. It is interesting to note that prior to this decision by the court the voters of Dover voted the school board out of office. The opinion of Judge Jones is fascinating reading. My friend and consigliori George Milman sent me the opinion. As it is 139 pages long I hesitated to read it. He prevailed and I read it. Fortunately it is double spaced so half as long. I am glad I did. It taught me many things from both sides of the matter. I am going to send it in a separate attachment to the notice of this blog if you wish to read it. Brokeback Mountain is another side of the coin of fundamental approach to questions facing us today. This film has caused great interest both pro and con. It has been nominated for seven Golden Globe awards. It has been criticized by the religious right. It is a love story of two cowboys who are thrown into a great quandary by their feelings for one another. It is set in the mountains of Wyoming. This is the state where Matthew Sheppard was murdered because he was gay. The film honestly portrays the problems caused by the lack of compassion for humans who are born with homosexual tendencies. With great taste the Director has shown the depth of feeling which same sex people may have for one another. It has some splendid performances, particularly by Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams. Actually the entire cast is of excellent actors. I first went to see it it in NYC with Nancy Friday but it was sold out. I tried twice to see it in LA and again sold out. Finally with advanced booking got seats. Three days have passed since Tom Proprofsky (one of HAIR's great Bergers) and I have seen it. The audience was sold out with all ages and genders. At the end there was sober silence then there was great applause We talked on the phone and still have the film vividly in mind-particularly the end. I do hope that Brokeback Mountain is shown in the Red states not just the Blue cities where it is being seen and discussed by many. It would open many minds. It is great film, do see it. |
ARTICLES
OF NOTE
The Season's Message Want To Express It Again Remarks for Friends of Conservation Probably Our Major Problem Today All In The Name You Give It We All Have The Same Problems Questions About HAIR Fury, Rage, Sadness, Embarrassed, Ashamed Answers for Simon ARCHIVES December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005
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Wednesday, December 21, 2005
The Season's Message
I heard, on NPR, an interesting description. They were referring to those astronomical mobiles of the planets. They said that if the Sun was a bowling ball the earth would be a peppercorn. And it would be 78 feet away. A peppercorn-which made me wonder about the usual mention that a human being is like a grain of sand. That description needs to be considered an exaggeration. So what are we in relation to the peppercorn? Perhaps the entire population of the earth might be a grain of sand?
Population continues to explode more than the planet can easily handle. There is little concern expressed in political/religious circles that this explosive growth exists mostly in countries where they can least afford to adequately support such numbers. Such growth can almost be compared to cancer. Growth is also out of hand in weapons, corporations, viruses, genocide, global warming, the gap between the poor and the rich and so many other areas. In almost all areas one can mention the numbers seem out of control. Resources on the Earth are not infinite and we are consuming them at an unsustainable rate.
These problems create a feeling of unease amongst all of us. Something is wrong. What can be done about it? Our leaders are adrift in their inability to do anything except create fear. Fear is a great lever for control. People will do all most anything to have security from any type of fear whether it be physical, financial or spiritual. Too many in power pander to those concerns. Too few create a sense of hope. This has been missing since the murder of JFK. No matter his problems, warts and all, what he represented was Hope. The loss of that Hope was why so many cried that day.
Hope, that is what we want. Compassion, Friendship and Love are the key to solving any of these problems. I don't think there is anything we need to fear if we can work together as human beings to assist one another. Notwithstanding separate philosophies, religions, governments we have one thing in common, our humanness. If there is an Intelligent Designer, as many believe, he/she/it must have also been smart enough to create a way for us to coexist.
Compassion is the state of being in touch with the bright, beautiful and flawed nature of humanity. I am very fortunate to be in touch with you and for you to be in touch with so
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