http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuiUZiUnr0U

it's about time

Things I am learning from the birds in my backyard

Dr. Larry Taylor

24 July 2008

I'm blessed to live in a home on an acre and a half of land with woods at the back of the property. I'm even more blessed to have a master gardener for a wife who has filled that acre with color. Kathy's flowers (most of which she transplanted from her mother's garden after the elder master gardener passed away) along with the dozen or so nesting boxes and feeders in our yard, and the three birdbaths, makes our backyard highly attractive to various species of birds. We even let the sunflower seeds that germinate under the feeders grow into avian-planted gardens, which produces more seeds and draws more birds. For a while, we were raising meal worms in a bucket of meal (what else?) to feed the blue birds, but there seem to be plenty of insects to keep them happy.

I know it sounds nerdy, but I've always liked birds and bird-watching. It's in my blood. My parents were avid birders and took us kids on innumerable bird-watching outings led by ornithologists. We hiked mountains, tread carefully through swamps, wove through dense forests, forged streams, floated on boats in bays and oceans, estimated flocks, and focused our binoculars and telescopes towards sounds pointed out by leaders.

The other day, I made a cup of freshly roasted Asian single blend coffee in my Eva Solo coffee carafe, and sat in the early morning hours in the yard, listening to the Creator teach me a few lessons from the birds around me. Among them were:

Cardinals, from which I learn to be bright, cheerful, and to endure. Really no need to fly south each winter. Hang in there. Stick to it.

Blue jays sound the warning of impending danger to others.

The Robin who nests each spring above our front door and freaks out each time it opens or closes, reminds me to think ahead, not just take something because it looks good at first glance.

Eastern kingbirds are opportunistic. While most other birds hide in the woods, the kingbirds follow me on my lawn tractor because the tractor stirs up insects, which they then swoop down and gobble up. From them I am learning to be more entrepreneurial, to take more risks.

White breasted nuthatches remind me that sometimes you need to be upside down to get the best seed. This lesson applies to theology.

English (House) sparrows and Starlings are of the devil. Both species were imported from Europe by some well-meaning moron, and have proliferated and taken over America. Both can live anywhere, and both survive by killing the fledglings of other species and building their messy nests on the dead bodies of the victims. Genocide is bad. Some birds, like some people are just plain evil and incorrigible.

In a slightly different way, Cowbirds also present a negative lesson. They don't murder directly like the House sparrows and Starlings, but they lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, then, when the young hatch, they kick the legitimate fledglings to their deaths, and mom, because she's not real smart, spends all her time feeding the huge cowbird as if it were her own. Be smart and be nice.

Song sparrows unfortunately look a lot like House sparrows and may be mistaken for them, but they sing beautifully and have none of their European cousin's vile habits. Don't judge by appearance. Look deeper.

Bluebirds are our favorite. We have several families that raise three or four broods per season ever since Kathy rescued two fledglings from the devil birds, and hand-nursed them back to nature. One still nests here. We know it's Pippin because he would sit on Kathy's head if she let him. From them, I am learning to be gentle and kind.

Downey woodpeckers and their larger cousins Hairy woodpeckers don't bother anybody or anything, they just merrily drill the dead trees for bugs and eat the suet I put out for them. From the woodpeckers, I learn diligence.

Pileated woodpeckers are elusive and magnificent. They teach me the glory of God and make me wish I could see an Ivory-billed woodpecker because they look similar. The debate rages as to whether the latter are extinct. Whether extinct or very rare, they shout a lesson of environmental stewardship to me.

Morning doves mate for life. If one mate dies, the other remains celibate and single. True love. My commitment to Kathy.

Yellow-shafted Flickers and Redheaded woodpeckers are skittish, flying off if I make noise or move fast. I am learning not to be paranoid.

Tufted titmice are happy little guys who seem to be in heaven among the flowers. I wouldn't mind being like them.

Barn swallows are diligent also, swooping, and working for every flying insect they catch on the fly, and, unlike most other birds, refusing to take any crap from the House sparrows or starlings. Let one of them try to attack a swallow's nest, and he'll wish he hadn't. I'm pretty much of a pacifist, but sometimes you need the Marines.

House wrens also won't take any guff. Tough little dudes. They will be more gentle in the kingdom.

Swainson's hawks, Red-tailed hawks, Perigean falcons, and American kestrels are of course predators. Once we found a baby Purple finch in our garage. Since I used to help band birds for study, I know how to handle them so they don't hurt themselves, so I caught him and set him free. He fluttered off a few feet just in time for a hawk to swoop in and nail him for lunch. Kathy cried. From the hawks I learn that nature is not always kind and there is much in creation I do not understand. I believe, however, that Jesus is coming again to resurrect the dead and redeem all nature, and when he does, hawks won't eat baby songbirds.

There's nothing quite a cheerful as the Meadowlarks singing in the fields that surround our house. From them, I am learning praise.

Redwing blackbirds like to sit on corn stalks, catch insects, and visit the feeders for seed as well. They are versatile.

Common Grackles stick together in flocks. There's strength in numbers.

Goldfinch are brilliant, and fly in a wave rather than a straight line. You don't have to do things just like everyone else. If you want to bob and weave, go for it.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds are like little dogs -- they don't know they are tiny and will attack anything. They spend more time chasing each other than actually feeding. Jealously and defensiveness are counterproductive.

Canadian geese, Mallards, and American coot don't actually visit our yard, but they do frequent the pond nearby and often fly low over head. The geese, of course, mark the seasons with their V-shaped migrations and loud honking. They trumpet change.

Turkey vultures are ugly and feed on dead stuff. It's a dirty job, but beneficial and somebody has to do it. There's dignity in lowly work and beauty inside is what matters.

The Purple finch bring color and beauty while minding their own business.

Indigo buntings are a treat because you only see them occasionally. Their royal purple color reminds me of the kingship of my Lord.

Carolina wrens and the various species of migrating Warblers sing praises way beyond their sizes and add beauty everywhere they go. They comprise an angelic chorus.

The rare Blue grosbeak is subtle, easily overlooked, but profound for its rarity. The queen of England once remarked after church that there were few good preachers, to which her husband replied, "My dear, there are few good anything." I want to offer excellence to my God.

Brown thrashers and Wood thrush are almost never heard. Very quiet, introverted, shy, yet soft and lovely. May I find the beauty hidden in others.

Time for another cup of coffee.

©2008 Lawrence Russell Taylor, PhD

Economic Hard Times

Dr. Larry Taylor

19 June 2008

Most of the people I teach and counsel are poor. For them, a worsening economy means losing what few jobs were available in the community, going without nutritious food in order to spend what little money they have on medications, taking half the prescribed dosages of prescribed drugs, and driving as little as possible. For others, who were on the edge of poverty before gas and food prices soared, it means bankruptcy, losing the family home, and going on public assistance. I am sensitive to the plight of those around me; in fact, I am in the same boat and share all the same issues. I would never want to say anything that might leave the impression of being insensitive to the very real needs of the poor and the almost poor.

Nevertheless, a sovereign God has allowed the current economic downturn for a reason and desires that we as a nation learn some lessons from it. The answer, therefore, is not to simply ignore the lessons and find more oil by drilling holes off shore and in the Alaskan wilderness. The answer is to first learn the lessons.

What are those lessons? This list is by no means exhaustive, but certainly God wants to teach us:

1. To put God and his work first. After they returned to Israel from captivity, the ancient Jews were content to build houses for themselves while the temple of God lay in ruins. Haggai the prophet rebuked them and encouraged them to put God first, and the people feared God and obeyed. Those were hard economic times when basic needs were not being met, but the people learned to tithe, sacrifice, and give money and time to God's work anyway, and God blessed them and met their needs. In these hard economic times, we need to not neglect our churches, pastors, evangelists, and missionaries.

2. To live simpler lives. We need to learn from the Amish, Brethren, Mennonites, and those who lived through the Great Depression how to get by on less, how to really economize. Do we need to run the air conditioning 24/7? Drive three blocks to the next stop? Leave our vehicles idling while we run into the gas station food mart? Do we need a $5 cup of coffee? Wouldn't a whole chicken serve as well as pre-cut boneless breasts?

3. To be good stewards. We Americans are 4% of the world's population, yet we create 24% of the carbon based pollution that is warming the climate and disrupting the weather. Any trash collector will tell you that we Americans throw out tons of perfectly good, usable stuff every day. Every piece of plastic ever made will be on this planet forever, yet we keep filling landfills with recyclable items. We keep driving pick up trucks, SUVs, and RVs that get single digit fuel milage. Coal fired electric plants keep filling the atmosphere with mercury and carbon dioxide. We take food out of the mouths of starving people in the developing world to make ethanol. Industrial farms pollute our waterways and subterranean aqueducts. With a great deal of justification, the world sees us as wasteful and greedy.

4. To be generous. Dorothy Day said, "If you have two coats, one of them belongs to the poor." God is calling us as apprentices of Jesus to share "all things in common" to have those without homes share our homes, to have poor people around our dining room tables daily, and to begin thinking about all the stuff we have that we don't really need, but which could bless others. He is calling us to community.

May God give us the grace to obey.

Copyright © 2008 by Lawrence Russell Taylor, PhD. All rights reserved worldwide.

Is the Bible All We Need for the Solution to All Our Problems?

Dr. Larry Taylor

10 June 2008

"All We Need is the Bible for all our problems." A well meaning believer said those words to me a while back in the context of rejecting my suggestion that counseling and medication might help her chronic depression.

"Really?" I replied, "Does the Bible contain all the information needed to fix your car when it breaks?

"Are you opposed to going to a physician when you are sick because all you need is in the Bible? If so, you'd best join the Christian Scientists.

"Does the Bible contain all the calculus needed to build a bridge?

"All the biology needed to protect the environment?

"All the chemistry needed to manufacture an aspirin?

"Does the Bible teach you how to break a horse?

"House train a puppy?

"Grow flowers?

"Make spaghetti?

"Build a cotton gin?

"Play lacrosse?

"Fix a salad?

"Build a textile mill?

"Did Edison learn how to make a light bulb by reading the Bible?

"Was the cure for polio in the book of Deuteronomy?"

Of course not. While it sounds pious, the statement "all we need is the Bible for all our problems" is absurd when you think about it.

All truth is God's truth. Another way of saying the same thing is to say that everything that is true comes from God. And, obviously, God reveals his truth in several ways. Some of what is true is revealed in the Bible. Some of what is true is revealed in nature, science, history, mathematics, through experimentation, or through thought. God gave us brains and expects us to use them. As we explore all avenues of learning, we grow and increasingly better understand the universe God created.

Where do we get the idea that psychology is a pseudoscience without validation? Psychology is the study of human behavior. Industrial psychologists plan ways to make business more efficient. Marketing psychologists suggest ways to sell products. School psychologists test children and devise ways to help them learn. Practicing clinical psychologists help people understand themselves and function more healthfully. Psychology is just as valid as ophthalmology. We do not hesitate to get our eyes checked and get glasses if we can't see well. Why should we hesitate to seek counseling so we can have a better marriage or less anxiety in our lives?

I think the answer is manifold. Most people have a vague idea that Freud started modern psychology and was an atheist, so they fear that psychology is inherently atheist. But if you need heart surgery and the best surgeon is an atheist, who cares? You know there is a God even if she doesn't.

Others have a hazy notion about psychoanalysis with its penis envy and Oedipal complexes, which all just sounds weird. It is weird, but there's a lot more to psychology than that stuff.

Still others have heard anti-psychology sermons or read anti-psychology books, all of which are founded on profound ignorance and misinterpretations.

And, still others just fear that somehow they are betraying their faith by going to a counselor or taking medication for a "mental" condition.

Relax. You are not betraying anything. God gave us physicians, medications, marriage counselors, surgical procedures, psychologists, pastors, and good books because he loves us and wants, through those people and things, to help us live a full, happy life.

Copyright © 2008 Lawrence Russell Taylor, PhD. All rights reserved worldwide

Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Do Not Exist?

That there are people in positions of authority as religious leaders in the 21st century who apparently believe, and actually teach that mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder do not exist, is as incredible as the fact that there are still people who insist the world is flat. Absurd and incredible as it is, however, such mental illness debunkers do exist, and, in spite of all the evidence to the contrary, there are people who listen to them.

Schizophrenia is a complex physical illness that develops as a result of the interplay between genetic predisposition and environmental stressors. Much research across disciplines indicates that all of us have genetic weak links. For one person, it may be a predisposition to high blood pressure. To another, it may be a predisposition to develop diabetes. And to about 1.1% of the population, it is a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia. That does not mean that every person predisposed to high blood pressure will develop it, or every person predisposed to schizophrenia will become psychotic. If a person predisposed to high blood pressure eats carefully, exercises regularly and lives a healthy life style, he may never develop cardiovascular problems, but when stressors from the environment, such as worry, anxiety, obesity, and a high sodium diet are added to the mix, problems result.

Similarly, when a person predisposed genetically to schizophrenia grows up in a cold, distant environment, uses cannabis, or has a mother who contracts Rubella during pregnancy, he is likely to develop schizophrenia in his young adult years.

The human genome project was lead by a devout evangelical Christian scientist named Francis Collins, and as a result, researches have found some of the genes that predispose people to schizophrenia. Multiple copies of the COMT gene are implicated, for example. The combination of genetic mutation and environmental stressors results in an abnormal brain. Our brains communicate thoughts and messages across brain cells called neurons. In order to move my foot, my brain has to send messages down the intricate network of nerves in my spinal column to the muscles that control foot movement. Every thought and every physical action is the result of brain cells sending messages. Those messages are electrical, which is why they can be measured by an electroencephalogram, but there are spaces, gaps called synapses, between the neurons. To bridge the gaps between cells, the electronic impulse changes into a chemical impulse, jumps the gap, then changes back into an electronic impulse. A whole soup of complex chemicals such as serotonin help transmit the messages.

In a person who inherited a predisposition to schizophrenia and was raised around extenuating factors, like Rubella, family dysfunction, or cannabis usage, the chemicals in the brain become unbalanced, and the brain does not work the way it was designed to work. Hallucinations (hearing, seeing, smelling, or feeling things that are not there) develop. Thought patterns disintegrate and the person talks or acts "crazy". People with schizophrenia may have bizarre delusions, such as believing that neighbors can control their behavior with magnetic waves, or radio stations are broadcasting their thoughts aloud to others. They may also have delusions of grandeur and think they are famous historical figures. People with paranoid schizophrenia may believe that others are deliberately plotting against them. They may also have disorganized thoughts, or make up nonsensical syllables. Most schizophrenics have what we call a flat affect, i.e., their faces show no emotion, even in situations where a normal person would feel intense sorrow or joy.

All of these symptoms are physically caused by genetic defects and abnormal brain chemistry. Schizophrenia is a physical disease of the brain and must be treated medically by a qualified psychiatrist who prescribes medications that correct the out of balance brain chemistry and return the patient to normal thinking without hallucinations or delusions. Most schizophrenics must stay on their medicine, just like a diabetic must continue with her insulin.

Similarly, bipolar disorder, formerly called manic-depressive psychosis, is caused by some of those same neurotransmitters (the chemicals that transmit messages across the gaps or synapses between brain cells) being out of balance in a different way. Like schizophrenia, some people are born with a genetic predisposition to develop bipolar disorder, then when stressors affect them, the weak link snaps, and the neurotransmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine, or dopamine, become unbalanced. A person may have too much of these chemicals, or too little, or the ratio of one to another may not be right.

This results in wildly abnormal mood swings, from the manic phase with disorganized thoughts, obsessive activity, and aggression, to deep, suicidal depression. Like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder is a physical disease of the brain that can be successfully treated with medication that restores the neurochemical balance.

One of the reasons Christianity is repudiated in some circles is because there are grossly ignorant people who in the name of Christianity attack psychology (which is simply the study of human development and behavior) and insist that mental illnesses, like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, do not exist. The absurdity of such a position is beyond description. It is like saying there is no such thing as cancer, or that ichthyology is a deception because fish really aren't there. Any person with any sense scoffs at such ignorance, but sadly, some also associate it with followers of Christ.

© 2008 Lawrence Russell Taylor, PhD. All rights reserved worldwide.

21 May 2008

The Bible instructs us to confess our failings to one another that we might be healed, so in that spirit, I offer this confession.

I grew up a child of the late 60s on the campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of a college professor. The combination made me politically liberal. I supported Eugene McCarthy when he ran for president, opposed the war in Vietnam, registered for the draft as a religiously motivated conscientious objector, joined the Church of the Brethren, one of the tree historic pacifist churches, worked for civil rights, read and followed Martin Luther King, Jr., and sported a "Make Love Not War" bumper sticker on my 1971 Volkswagen bus. Others were much more radical. I never joined the SDS or advocated campus violence, but I was a genuine liberal.

Years later, now a pastor, I moved to Colorado and then to Southern California and became a hard core ultraconservative, partly because the right wing agenda was all I heard in the circles in which I travelled, and mainly because I have always had a desperate internal longing to fit in, which historically made me chameleon like. (First confession.)

During my ultraconservative effort to gain acceptance, I fed my soul with a steady diet of Rush Limbaugh and James Dobson, and grew bitter and angry at the godless world around me. President Clinton's Lewinsky affair left me seething with contempt for him. I hated him and all his policies, refused to even listen to his voice, mocked him, and scorned him publicly. (Second confession). As one who professes to follow Jesus, I'm not supposed to hate anybody.

I rejected all things Clinton, but an even more longstanding whipping boy for me was Ted Kennedy. If I hated Clinton, I really hated Teddy. Ever since Chappaquiddick received international notoriety in 1969 when Mary Jo Kopechne was killed in a car driven by Kennedy that plunged into the water off the Dike Bridge, which connects Chappaquiddick with Martha's Vineyard, I have despised him. Kennedy, as I'm sure you know, did not report the incident until the following morning, and Kopechne's body was later recovered from the submerged vehicle. Kennedy entered a plea of guilty to a charge of leaving the scene of an accident after causing injury and received a sentence of two months in jail, which was suspended.

More personally, I had contact with Ted. I spent summers in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, just across Vineyard Sound from Martha's Vineyard where Mary Jo died, and just down the road from the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port. We sometimes saw the Kennedy yacht from a distance. We raced our sailboats in Hyannis just off shore of the compound, and Ted and I entered the same regatta on Martha's Vineyard a couple of years before Chappaquiddick. I tell people I raced against Ted Kennedy, but that's pushing it. We sailed different classes of boats. He came in second or third in his class; I came in something like 197th in mine. But we saw him in his blue blazer with the gold buttons, his white deck shoes and red ascot, an ever present drink in one hand, and a babe young enough to be his daughter on his arm. We all knew Ted was a lush -- a rich, privileged, womanizing alcoholic.

Of course, there were other reasons to reject the Kennedys. Joe senior was a bootlegger who somehow managed to come out of the Great Depression filthy rich and with the ambition to buy the presidency for his son. Joe junior was killed in World War II. Daddy's money gave the presidency to John, during which he had multiple affairs in the White House. After his assassination, Bobby was in line as the heir apparent, but he too was assassinated, which left Ted. As an ultraconservative, Liberal Ted represented all that was wrong with America in my mind. I despised him. (Third confession.)

Now that Senator Kennedy has been diagnosed with a brain tumor, and now that I've given up (for the most part) my chameleon nature and returned to the progressive classical liberalism I really believe in, I've been motivated by media reports to rethink his life and legacy. To my shame, I now realize that the man who was once an alcoholic has been sober for years, thanks to 12-step programs, and the man who was once a womanizer has been a faithful husband for decades. As a Christian, I of all people am supposed to believe in redemption, in the possibility of change, yet for years I held Mr. Kennedy to account for sins of his past -- sins for which he has long since repented. Even Chappaquiddick. The man is genuinely sorry about what happened. He was drunk and dazed, stumbled out of the water and went home. It was a bad thing to do. I've done things just as bad. And for crying out loud, it was almost 40 years ago.

Moreover, although I do not agree with some of Senator Kennedy's stances (like abortion on demand, for example) it is not an exaggeration to say that virtually every advance in social welfare, health care, education, and civil rights in this country over the last four decades owes its existence to the senior senator from Massachusetts. His influence has been greater than many presidents and the lives of every single American, and many others around the world, are better for his service.

Ted, I'm sorry I scorned you. Please forgive me. Fight hard. Get better. Go sailing.

©2008 Lawrence Russell Taylor, PhD. All rights reserved worldwide.

Reverend Wright One More Time

Dr. Larry Taylor

30 April 2008

In spite of my efforts to give Reverend Wright the benefit of the doubt, and, unlike the mass media, read his previous statements in the context of the sermons in which they were preached, he is clearly now Reverend Wrong. I stand by what I said earlier, but his comments this past week are both outrageous and indefensible. Clearly, his remarks do not reflect the views of black churches or African-American Christians.

It is difficult to imagine why he would make such statements publicly and now, but several possible motives come to mind. Perhaps he has been bribed or blackmailed by people who don't want to see Barack Obama nominated for the presidency. Perhaps he is angry at Obama for disinviting him into his campaign 15 months ago. Perhaps he's a genuine nut. Most likely, however, he is a egocentric narcissist who cannot stand retirement and saw an opportunity to thrust himself onto a national stage. He would not be the first pastor of a megachurch to love the public forum.

Whatever the motive, it remains clear that his views are not and never have been those of Barack or Michelle Obama. Some (white) evangelicals have called Barack to task for not leaving the church a long time ago. Although a portion of American evangelicalism habitually abandons one church for another, there are many Christians (and in my experience, most African-American Christians fall into this category) who see church membership as a lifetime commitment, much like marriage. The Obamas' church on Chicago's south side has 8,000 members. It is a predominately African-American family of believers who worship and serve the community together. It is not centered on the cult of senior pastor personality. Barack and Michelle have simply been committed to a community of faith, not to Jeremiah Wright.

Of course, they were fond of Rev. Wright -- under his preaching Barack became a follower of Christ, Wright presided over their wedding and the baptism of their daughters, but in a church of 8000, they were not best buddies. Moreover, Rev. Wright is primarily an exhorter. His sermons are generally not theological or doctrinal, they are exhortations to action in a community filled with gangs, drugs, and violence. To pick apart Rev. Wright's theology, then ascribe it to the Obamas is unfair. Even in a small church, most parishioners do not know the difference between social prophetic postmillennialism and premillennial dispensationalism.

Jeremiah Wright is not Barack and Michelle Obama's pastor -- he is retired from the pulpit in Chicago -- and Barack has repudiated his comments and renounced his ties to him. In my mind, it no more fair to judge Obama by the former pastor of his church than it would be to call Abraham Lincoln an atheist because he did not belong to a church. The best way to deal with Jeremiah Wright is to ignore him.

©2008 Lawrence Russell Taylor, PhD. All rights reserved worldwide.

Rethinking The Reverend Jeremiah Wright

Dr. Larry Taylor

Whether America is ready to overcome its original sin of racism and elect an African-American as President remains to be seen. What is certainly clear at this point is that few among the Caucasian majority are willing to seek to understand why predominantly black Christian churches in America sometimes give vent to frustration and anger.

Jeremiah Wright took Trinity United Church of Christ on Chicago's south side from 87 to 8,000 members in his 36 years as pastor before retiring. Otis Moss III, Trinity UCC's current senior pastor, estimates that in his 36 years, Rev. Wright preached approximately 207,792 minutes (give or take a few seconds). Of all those minutes preaching, 15 to 20 seconds worth of out of context sound bites are all over You Tube. Rev. Moss points out that that amounts to 0.0000012 of his preaching ministry, a statistically absurd sample on which to judge anyone.

Those 15 to 20 seconds consist of a clip in which, after 9/11, Rev. Wright said, "America's chickens are coming home to roost." In context, the remark is part of an aside and attributed to a TV commentator. The main point of that particular message is that while we may be tempted to respond to a massive terrorist attack with hatred and revenge, we should instead reflect on our own personal relationships with God.

Most of the remainder of the 20 seconds being passed around the web at the speed of light is a comment about AIDS possibly being a government conspiracy aimed at people of color. While I believe that view is wrong and indefensible, I can understand why a man who has seen his government lie in the past would urge people not to trust government, but instead to trust God. Remember, this is man not far removed from the infamous Tuskegee case in which researchers deliberately withheld treatment from African-Americans with syphilis to study the progress of the disease -- a disease that attacks the central nervous system and leads to paralysis and insanity if left untreated.

I'm in no way defending the AIDS conspiracy statement. It was wrong, but it does not, as so many white people are saying, mean that Rev. Wright is a racist. Nothing could be further from the truth. Rev. Wright is a man of faith filled with love for people of all races.

For anyone who will take the time to listen to Jeremiah Wright's messages or scan the church's website, it becomes obvious that Rev. Wright is a powerful, loving man who has labored amongst the poor, disenfranchised, and marginalized for decades, loving, counseling, crying with, and ministering to people whose children are caught in drive-by shootings and other gang violence, whose young men are more likely to be murdered than go to college, who live in substandard housing and eat cheap highly refined foods, and often live in dangerous tenements or next to boarded up buildings -- people whose schools are substandard and underfunded and who are too often the last to be hired and first to be fired. Moreover, Rev. Wright preached for 36 years in the context of police brutality, injustice, and on-going racism. He lived through the Jim Crow era of lynchings and segregation.

Within the context of the Black American Church, preachers like Jeremiah Wright need to use the pulpit to awaken people from defeatism and low esteem, to fire them up. When they do so, they are not attacking white America or being racist, they are simply exercising the biblical gift of exhortation.

I have been in full time ministry almost as long as Rev. Wright, and mayors, council members, state legislators, and other politicians have been members of my congregations. I would hate for any of them to be held accountable for everything I've said from the pulpit over the last three decades.

It is to Senator Obama's credit as a human being and a Christian that he took the opportunity of Rev. Wright's controversial remarks to present what scholars argue is one of the greatest speeches in American history on race, and in so doing, distanced himself, but refused to renounce, Jeremiah Wright. Rev. Wright is Michelle and Barack Obama's friend. He married them and baptized their daughters. Barack came to faith under his ministry.

It is sadly reflective of bias in America that while Rev. Wright's remarks are played repeatedly out of context and Senator Obama is criticized for things his pastor said but with which he does not agree, no criticism is heard for Huckabee or McCain accepting the enthusiastic endorsement of San Antonio, Texas megachurch pastor John Hagee, a man who on national television calls for Iran to be nuked, and makes anti-Catholic and antigay remarks. Senator Obama is no more responsible for the remarks of his now retired pastor than Senator McCain is responsible for the absurd and sometimes dangerous remarks of John Hagee.


Corrections and clarifications

Some readers have rightly pointed out that in my article on why I support Barack Obama, the line should read "moot" not "mute". Stupid spell-check.
Others have objected to my characterization of Senator McCain as pro-choice. Now that he is the Republican nominee for president, Mr. McCain claims to be a staunch conservative and to be pro-life. His record, however, is not strongly anti-abortion, but I'll take him at his word. Still, whoever is president can do little to nothing about abortion, so the issue is still moot, albeit not mute.

©2008 Lawrence Russell Taylor, PhD. All rights reserved worldwide.

Why would a Caucasian Bible-believing, Jesus-following, Baby Boomer who is pro-life & pro-family vote for Barack Obama?

Thoughts by Dr. Larry Taylor

Because racism is an evil in our society that must be opposed by righteousness. Senator Obama not only has a strong record of standing up for social justice causes, as an African American, he knows first hand the sting of prejudice and racism, yet is committed to bringing together an interracial coalition to promote social justice. Barack Obama was raised in a mixed racial family in racially blended Hawaii and Indonesia. His family tree is Technicolor.
Because Barack Obama is a dedicated follower of Jesus, who combines the evangelical belief in the necessity of personal commitment to Christ with the social gospel of Martin Luther King, Jr. Mr. Obama is dedicated to the eradication of poverty and injustice, not through government handouts, but through education and social networking.
Because Washington politics has too long been run by special interests with lots of money. Senator Obama takes no money from special interests, and has led a clean, honest, upright life in the public eye. He is beholding to no one other than his constituents.
Because party politics in America has long been controlled by powerful political machines, as, for example, the Clinton machine that has controlled the Democratic Party for 20 years, complete with the Clintons' faux marriage and carefully orchestrated poll-driven policies. Senator Obama has consistently spoken out for and maintained positions that were not necessarily what his audience wanted to hear. He is driven by his assessment of the issues, not by polls, and his marriage is real.
Because the Bush administration has buried us in a war with no apparent end. Senator Obama was one of the few senators who opposed the war in Iraq from the beginning, but who also strongly supports the war on terror, the incursion into Afghanistan, and our troops.
Because U.S. Economic interests, particularly those of big oil, have driven foreign policy in recent memory. Barack Obama has used (and promises to continue to use) a new brand of diplomacy that involves talking to friend and foe alike to seek peaceful solutions to complex problems.
Because we Americans have not always had our brightest people in the White House. Barack and Michelle Obama are both brilliant. Barack has a BA from Columbia, his law degree is from Harvard, and he was a constitutional scholar at the University of Chicago. His deep rich understanding of history and world governments complements his Ivy League education. Michelle was educated at Princeton and Harvard.
Because global warming is a real undeniable threat to the planet, as are a host of other environmental issues. As a Christian, environmental stewardship is essential to my obedience to my Master, and Senator Obama strongly supports protections for the environment.
Because many of our children, most especially those of color in inner cities, are receiving a substandard education that condemns them to a life of ignorance, poverty, and crime. Barack Obama uniquely combines a Bill Cosby-like conservative message of personal responsibility, hard work, and self determination with government proposals to fund new schools, pay teachers closer to what they are worth, and supply children with the environment and the tools they need to learn.
Because 40 million Americans lack health insurance coverage and many more have inadequate coverage, which is unconscionable in a nation as wealthy as this one. Unlike the back room deal Hillary Clinton put together when Bill was president, Senator Obama proposes bringing representatives of every side of the health care issue together around a table to devise a plan that will provide health insurance for every American.
Because giving homosexual couples the right to visit each other in the hospital, inherit property, and share benefits does not in any way threaten traditional marriage. If traditional marriage is under attack in America today, it is under attack more from the serial polygamy of evangelicals whose divorce rate is higher than the national average than from gays. Mr. Obama supports the carving out of some sort of legal niche short of "marriage" to protect same sex couples, and I see nothing wrong with that.
Because the President of the United States has nothing to do with abortion other than the very remote possibility of being able to appoint enough judges (not to mention get Congress to approve the appointments) to force an antiabortion agenda on the nation. There have been just as many abortions under pro-life Reagan, pro-life Bush I, and pro-life Bush II than there were under pro-choice Bill Clinton. Moreover, Hillary and McCain are also pro-choice, so the issue is mute. The solution to abortion is in winning the hearts of people, not judicial or legislative coercion.
Because hysteria about Mr. Obama being a "liberal" or about comments his former pastor made, is nonsense that has nothing to do with his potential presidency.
Because internet reports that Mr. Obama is a closet Moslem opposed to the Jewish State of Israel are flat out lies. Barack Obama is a devout Christian who fully supports Israel and the finding of a peaceful solution to the displacement of Arab Palestinians so that Jews and Arabs can live side by side harmoniously. Those who point out Mr. Obama's middle name, or the fact that his last name rhymes with Osama advertise their gross ignorance.
And, finally, this Caucasian, Bible-believing, Jesus-following, Pro-life baby-boomer is voting for Barack Obama because, regardless of policy, he inspires me. He is authentic, real, hopeful, and eloquent. When I listen to Obama, I feel the same sense of inspiration and hope I feel when I read a speech by Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, or John F. Kennedy.

© 2008 by Lawrence Russell Taylor, PhD. All rights reserved worldwide.

Why would a Caucasian Bible-believing, Jesus-following, Baby Boomer who is pro-life & pro-family vote for Barack Obama?

Thoughts by Dr. Larry Taylor

Because racism is an evil in our society that must be opposed by righteousness. Senator Obama not only has a strong record of standing up for social justice causes, as an African American, he knows first hand the sting of prejudice and racism, yet is committed to bringing together an interracial coalition to promote social justice. Barack Obama was raised in a mixed racial family in racially blended Hawaii and Indonesia. His family tree is Technicolor.
Because Barack Obama is a dedicated follower of Jesus, who combines the evangelical belief in the necessity of personal commitment to Christ with the social gospel of Martin Luther King, Jr. Mr. Obama is dedicated to the eradication of poverty and injustice, not through government handouts, but through education and social networking.
Because Washington politics has too long been run by special interests with lots of money. Senator Obama takes no money from special interests, and has led a clean, honest, upright life in the public eye. He is beholding to no one other than his constituents.
Because party politics in America has long been controlled by powerful political machines, as, for example, the Clinton machine that has controlled the Democratic Party for 20 years, complete with the Clintons' faux marriage and carefully orchestrated poll-driven policies. Senator Obama has consistently spoken out for and maintained positions that were not necessarily what his audience wanted to hear. He is driven by his assessment of the issues, not by polls, and his marriage is real.
Because the Bush administration has buried us in a war with no apparent end. Senator Obama was one of the few senators who opposed the war in Iraq from the beginning, but who also strongly supports the war on terror, the incursion into Afghanistan, and our troops.
Because U.S. Economic interests, particularly those of big oil, have driven foreign policy in recent memory. Barack Obama has used (and promises to continue to use) a new brand of diplomacy that involves talking to friend and foe alike to seek peaceful solutions to complex problems.
Because we Americans have not always had our brightest people in the White House. Barack and Michelle Obama are both brilliant. Barack has a BA from Columbia, his law degree is from Harvard, and he was a constitutional scholar at the University of Chicago. His deep rich understanding of history and world governments complements his Ivy League education. Michelle was educated at Princeton and Harvard.
Because global warming is a real undeniable threat to the planet, as are a host of other environmental issues. As a Christian, environmental stewardship is essential to my obedience to my Master, and Senator Obama strongly supports protections for the environment.
Because many of our children, most especially those of color in inner cities, are receiving a substandard education that condemns them to a life of ignorance, poverty, and crime. Barack Obama uniquely combines a Bill Cosby-like conservative message of personal responsibility, hard work, and self determination with government proposals to fund new schools, pay teachers closer to what they are worth, and supply children with the environment and the tools they need to learn.
Because 40 million Americans lack health insurance coverage and many more have inadequate coverage, which is unconscionable in a nation as wealthy as this one. Unlike the back room deal Hillary Clinton put together when Bill was president, Senator Obama proposes bringing representatives of every side of the health care issue together around a table to devise a plan that will provide health insurance for every American.
Because giving homosexual couples the right to visit each other in the hospital, inherit property, and share benefits does not in any way threaten traditional marriage. If traditional marriage is under attack in America today, it is under attack more from the serial polygamy of evangelicals whose divorce rate is higher than the national average than from gays. Mr. Obama supports the carving out of some sort of legal niche short of "marriage" to protect same sex couples, and I see nothing wrong with that.
Because the President of the United States has nothing to do with abortion other than the very remote possibility of being able to appoint enough judges (not to mention get Congress to approve the appointments) to force an antiabortion agenda on the nation. There have been just as many abortions under pro-life Reagan, pro-life Bush I, and pro-life Bush II than there were under pro-choice Bill Clinton. Moreover, Hillary and McCain are also pro-choice, so the issue is mute. The solution to abortion is in winning the hearts of people, not judicial or legislative coercion.
Because hysteria about Mr. Obama being a "liberal" or about comments his former pastor made, is nonsense that has nothing to do with his potential presidency.
Because internet reports that Mr. Obama is a closet Moslem opposed to the Jewish State of Israel are flat out lies. Barack Obama is a devout Christian who fully supports Israel and the finding of a peaceful solution to the displacement of Arab Palestinians so that Jews and Arabs can live side by side harmoniously. Those who point out Mr. Obama's middle name, or the fact that his last name rhymes with Osama advertise their gross ignorance.
And, finally, this Caucasian, Bible-believing, Jesus-following, Pro-life baby-boomer is voting for Barack Obama because, regardless of policy, he inspires me. He is authentic, real, hopeful, and eloquent. When I listen to Obama, I feel the same sense of inspiration and hope I feel when I read a speech by Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, or John F. Kennedy.

© 2008 by Lawrence Russell Taylor, PhD. All rights reserved worldwide.