Hi there, my name is George W. Bush. No, not that George W. Bush. But, I am running for president and I fully expect your vote because the current president and I share the same name. While it is true that I am grossly underqualified to be president, that doesn't matter because as I mentioned, I have the same name as the president. Sound stupid? Well, Doris Matsui just won her husband's seat in congress because she has the same last name as he does. Me, I have the same first, middle and last name as the president so there is no way I can lose! So vote for me in 2008, George W. Bush...Shift Manager at KFC #455

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Ceremony and ritualistic process are important to any idea or dogma. The repetition of the ritual, as part of the process, reinforces and perpetuates the idea behind the ceremony, Holy Communion for example.

But what happens when the ritual itself becomes the point and the idea recedes into the background, or even oblivion?

That is the dilemma I face today as a resident of the 5th California Congressional District. The ritual is voting. The idea it upholds has vanished. Ironically as the Purple Finger of Freedom ricochets around the world, reverberating in such unlikely places as Lebanon and Egypt I, as a 5th District citizen do not have the same freedom to select my own representation as is being won, often with blood in those faraway places. None of us in the 5th District has that right today. All that remains is empty ritual.

The outcome of today’s special election has been pre-ordained. The only question is: shall we pay only once or shall we pay twice for this result. We pay twice if Doris Matsui does not get 50% of the vote today.

That is because the end result of this election was written when both parties sat with their big-money special interest friends and drew the district lines. It was decided when both the democrats and republicans sat with their special interest PACs and decreed that the 5th District shall not be put into play, that the state and national republican coffers would not be opened to properly fund a viable challenge to the coronation of Doris Matsui. It was decided when the most popular governor in decades, an alleged republican named “Arnold” made the choice (or was told) to sit this one out. It was decided when torrents of Beltway money – some ¾ million dollars – arrived at the Widow Matsui’s Washington, DC doorstep with her carpet bags, the same way carpetbags full of Beltway money arrived on Dan Lungren’s Washington, DC doorstep for his purchase of the California 3rd District last year. Any representation offered to the voters of either district by these mirror image interlopers is purely coincidental in that it happens to coincide with the corporate and big-government interests that they actually represent.

So, it comes to this: Do I mindlessly join the trickle of people who today engage in slavish adherence to ritual that has replaced the idea, and thus become a collaborator in the fraud? Do I swallow hard and attempt to save myself my portion of the cost of a run-off election by voting for the Widow in the hopes that she garners the 50% of the vote necessary to avoid that expensive lie? Do I cast a blank ballot in protest? Or, do I stay home and join the majority who see that sacrament without purpose is worse than pointless; it is destructive to restoring the reasons for its existence? The latter only works if we take the necessary steps to restore the idea behind the ceremony.

Hobson’s choice only concerned whether to take the horse nearest the stable door or walk without mount. Mine is how best on this day to contribute to the bringing down of a corrupt system so that it may be restored to its purpose.


Listen to KFBK weeknights from 7-10 PM for details on how you may join in me banging pots and pans for immigration reform in the very belly of the beast, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. this April 23-28!

Mark Williams
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Chad,

I am glad you chose to broach the subject of Christians who drink alcohol; or as some like to call them “Sipping Saints”. (See Chad's Blog)

As I have studied this issue out, I have not found anywhere that the bible explicitly calls drinking a sin (feel free to email me if you know of any scriptures that do.) But there are a number of references to being sober in mind and spirit and not being given to strong drink. Below are just a few:

• "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging; and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise" (Proverbs 20:1).

• It is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes strong drink, lest they drink and forget the law . . ." (Proverbs 31:4,5).

• "Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things" (Proverbs 23:29-33)

What these passages point out is that strong drink is an open door to unwise decisions and in some cases sin. This does not mean that drinking is, in and of itself sin. Nor does it cause us to sin. But even in small amounts it can dull our sensitivities and inhibit our ability to follow our conscience and/or common sense. Thus, leading us to do things we otherwise wouldn’t do.

And anyone who says that alcohol or drugs doesn’t affect them; or that they think better when they have had a drink or two is a prime candidate for one of those unwise decisions.

So, is drinking a sin? I don’t think so? But should Christians drink? I believe that is for each Christian to decide. Can you afford to have an open door to in your life?


PS. As I understand it, the alcoholic content of wine in Jesus’ time was nothing close to that of wine today.

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Visit The Home of Uncommon Sense…
www.craigdeluz.com

I have recieved some emails regarding my guest commentary in last week's Sacramento News and Review and the fact that it refers to me as the Publisher of the North Sacramento Union.

I am publisher of a community newspaper in North Sacramento that was previously named the North Sacramento Union. But as of September of 2004, this publication now goes by the name of The VOICE of North Sacramento and is not an official part of Sacramento Union Publications. Like several other community papers, we are working with the new Union to cross promote our publication and provide a quality product to our readers. And our relationship with them has been a tremendous asset.

As far as the reference in the SNR; they have published several of my pieces over the last few years and they simply used the title from the last artilce of mine they ran. Unfortunately, I neglected to update them on the change.

My apologizes for the mix up.

BTW.

You can check out the VOICE of North Sacramento at www.NorthSacramento.org

Posted by:

Visit The Home of Uncommon Sense…
www.craigdeluz.com

I like beer. No wait, that's not true. I love beer. I love lagers and pilsners and ales and stouts. As a Christian this begs the question: Is drinking a sin? In the words of Rev. Lovejoy, "Short answer No with an If, long answer Yes with a But."

In Christian circles there are a number of conflicting points of view on this subject. Extremely devout denominations abhor alcohol while less devout denominations, say Epsicopalian, may throw parties that rival the hey-day of Motley Crue (a joke, of course).

I often wonder, when Friday afternoon rolls around, if I am sinning when I get home and crack open a delicious, ice cold brew. There are arguments that go either way but from what I can tell drinking itself is not sinful.

Of course most of you have heard the old defense, "Well, Jesus drank wine!". By now you may think that this a tired excuse of the alcoholics among us. The fact is Jesus DID drink wine. Why, every time you celebrate communion at church you are recalling a moment where Jesus and the disciples drank wine and ate bread.

There are numerous examples of alcohol consumption in the Bible. The world's only sinless man drank wine. Other verses, such as Deuteronomy 14:26 read: "You may spend the money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen, or sheep, or wine, or strong drink, or whatever your heart desires; and there you shall eat in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household.

However, another perspective comes is found in Isaiah 28: “Woe to the drunkards of Ephraim…that are overcome with wine"

It seems to me that drinking is not a sin but overindulgence can lead to sinful behavior. Like many things, alcohol taken to extreme can harm a person and those around him. If you think drinking is a sin because it can lead to health problems then you must also consider overweight people sinful. If you think drinking is a sin only when taken to excess then I would be inclined to agree with you.

Be it food, money, alcohol, sex or any other worldly activity, there is a right way and a wrong way to manage your involvement. As I get older I find myself actually getting drunk to be a rare occurence. But I still like to drink beer.

Drinking is not a sin, in my opinion. With the exception of some obvious activities, most things are not sinful if you do them responsibly. The old maxim, "In all things, moderation" is applicable to so many things in life.

So be careful when you are ready to cast judgement on fellow Christians and non-Christians alike. If you believe any and all drinking is wrong, that's fine. I also feel bad for you since you will never know the simple pleasure of being in Austria drinking a fine Austrian boch biere that was brewed by monks.

I don't think drinking is a sin. Drinking to excess can be. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go have a beer.

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