[Buddha-l] Re: Greetings from Oviedo

[Richard P. Hayes]

On Wed, 2005-10-05 at 09:08 -0600, Jim Peavler wrote:

> I used to be amazed at the number of people who argue about "rights" 
> and "amendments" and "the constitution" who have never even read the 
> damned thing from end to end, and who don't have the slightest idea of 
> what is actually in it. 

Now that's a hell of a way to talk about our president.

> I think it is quite appropriate, if one is going to discuss American
> society and politics to remind folks of the Constitution and what it
> says. So it's OK for Dan to remind us I think.

Yes, I also think it's a fine thing to do. I just needed to be reassured
that he didn't think I was one of those strict constructionists who seem
to believe that the American constitution is something like the
Napoleonic code in that whatever it doesn't explicity say one can do
(such as have an abortion or be a Buddhist) ought somehow to remain
illegal for all eternity. It is pretty fascinating to me that we find in
this country a convergence between Biblical literalists and
constitutional literalists. 

If any of these literalistic American folks become Buddhists, we're in
for it. There will be no theaters, no music, no taverns, no cosmetics,
no discussions of war or politics or other frivolous topics, no sporting
events, no restaurants open before or after noon and no weddings
allowed. Smoking would be allowed, though, since it doesn't say in the
precepts that tobacco is not allowed. Watching corpses decompose would
become America's main spectator sport. (Some reprobates would probably
find a way to bet on which corpse in a field of corpses decomposed
faster. The Republican Party would, after all, need to have gambling
revenues to support its programs of keeping society free of gambling.)
I'm pretty confident we'd all be praying for the Taliban to come along
and drag us kicking and screaming into the seventh century.

> The good news (gospel) is that our newest nominee for the Supreme Court 
> spends her off hours performing Christian Ministry to folks in prison 
> (Can't be  Republicans because they don't go to prison). Nothing wrong 
> with that of course, so long as she doesn't perform Christian Ministry 
> from the bench.

Amen to that, Brother Jim. Hallelujah and praise Jesus.

-- 
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The Logging Chain of Loving Kindness
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