Pimping the Culture War

Bill O'Reilly's got a new book coming out, where he's proclaimed himself a "Culture Warrior".

From an online conservative bookseller: "Bill O’Reilly is the very embodiment of the idea of a Culture Warrior—and in this book he lives up to the title brilliantly, with all the brashness and forthrightness at his command. He sees that America is in the midst of a fierce culture war between those who embrace traditional values and those who want to change America into a “secular-progressive” country. This is a conflict that differs in many ways from the usual liberal/conservative divide, but it is no less heated, and the stakes are even higher.

In Culture Warrior, Bill O’Reilly defines this war and analyzes the competing philosophies of the traditionalist and secular-progressive camps. He examines why the nation’s motto “E Pluribus Unum” (“From Many, One”) might change to “What About Me?”; dissects the forces driving the secular-progressive agenda in the media and behind the scenes, including George Soros, George Lakoff, and the ACLU; and dives into matters of race, education, and the war on terror. He also shows how the culture war has played out in such high-profile instances as The Passion of the Christ, Fahrenheit 9/11, the abuse epidemic (child and otherwise), and the embattled place of religion in public life—with special emphasis on the war against Christmas. Whatever controversies are roiling the nation, he fearlessly confronts them—and no one will be in the dark about which side he’s on.’

Culture Warrior showcases Bill O’Reilly....an unrelenting fighter for the soul of America, and in this book he fights the good fight for the traditional values that have served this country so well for so long."

The culture war is a sham perpetuated by people who can profit from it and those who use it to keep us divided & disempowered.

I live side by side with Democrats, Republicans, Christians & non-Christians. We coexist peacefully even if we do occassionally disagree idealogically. For most of us, no matter our religious or political affiliation, the only war we are fighting is to get by. We are trying to raise kids (and in some cases our own selves), keep a roof over our heads & food in our fridges, stay healthy, and live peacefully & spiritually.

I'm sure most of you have the same experience.

Why is it that some are so afraid of allowing other people to have their opinions & beliefs & holidays? People different from me do not threaten my values. There is enough room in this country for Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Ramadan and more. We are all children of God, he created us all, so why do we elevate ourselves above our brothers & sisters? Jesus himself said, "the Greatest Commandment is LOVE." He wasn't saying to love only those who are similar to ourselves or who we consider "good". In fact he said that it is the sick who need doctors, not the healthy. From love comes love. If you love yourself you will be kind to those around you. People with mental baggage or who hate themselves, tend to do harm. If we all loved, we could leave behind our emotional baggage & then the sins of fathers/mothers would not be visited upon our children. We need to start practicising love, not just toward others but first & formost to ourselves.

The U.S. does not have a homogenous culture. Christians themselves have splintered into many different sects & traditions. Even our founding fathers came from varying Christian backgrounds. Later immigration has further created our melting pot culture. We can be proud of our country's Christian heritage without having to shove it down everyone's throat & disclaim others beliefs. People who shove their values onto others are hate themselves and are insecure in the veracity of what they are preaching.

Our Founding Fathers wrote the main driving document behind our Republic, The U.S. Consitution, giving everyone the right to have & share varying opinions, as well as the right to practice any religion. These were intellectual, well-read men, they had to know of religions beyond Christianity, so I don't believe they were saying you can be any religion as long as you are Judeo-Christian. You can have your beliefs & religion. And I keep mine.

So many people are hypocrites. They talk about Christian values but don't follow them. I myself have known Chrisitans who say Catholics and Mormons are evil, even though those religions are Christian. Then there is our supposedly Christian President who has no problem TORTURING prisoners of war because they are non-americans & apparently sub-human.

It isn't about values, it is all about personal power and glory. Jesus must be weeping in heaven that his words have been so twisted.

The true threat to our culture is the seductive, mind-numbing din of consumerism, corporatism, and entertainment. We have nobody but ourselves to blame if we are losing our souls. It's we who vote for the "lesser of evils" rather than demanding moral politicians. We do not take people to task when they lie or cheat or abuse. We are serving two masters: the Dollar first and God second.

If our music, television & literature are immoral then we can take the advice of 1950s TV host funnyman Jack Paar, "I have never seen a bad television program, because I refuse to. God gave me a mind, and a wrist that turns things off." If we stop buying it, people/media/companies will stop selling it because it's not making money.

Do not believe it when THE MEDIA & POLITICIANS (the kings & queens of sound bites) tell you there's a culture war; however, I do plan to keep my eyes open & I'll fight (Care Bear Power!) against the forces that want such a war. We must get to know our neighbors: Republicans, Democrats, Progressives, Muslims, Mormons, Jews, people of color, or anyone who's different. We are more similar than we are different.