Linda Shield's conclusion below is very much the commonly stated wisdom on this matter. BUT, I do not agree. Each generation provides the culture with its appraisal of the way things ought to be. My generation is currently the one in power. I am sure I cannot "prove" this opinion, but the antagonism that abounds in the American political scene is the product of an inter-generational divide. It will have a ripple effect into the next generation, but I do not believe it will continue. My children -- especially those who are still in their twenties, are thoroughly disgusted with the political rangling. We have talked about the current political heat on several occasions "Why, Dad, all this bitterness?" I actually blame it on the Vietnam War
!! Yes, I blame it on a political circumstance. It was a war that lasted 10 years -- 5 or 6 years of which provided a political climate of discord that was never resolved. Those who fought the war were of the same generation as those who threw brown bags at the soldiers when they returned home. Same generation !!!!! When John Kerry decided to make his war effort an issue, he did himself in. But he was not opposed,IMO (again) , by those who were "pro-war" I am not a pacifist but I opposed that war. It was a political decision for me -- and had nothing to do with those who were fighting. Without Vietnam, the hippy influence (again, my generation) would not have gotten off the ground and there was nothing in that culture of ideas that I agreed wi
th except their opposition to the war. Kerry's campaign tied itself to that culture - in my mind. I came to actually despise that culture and saw John Kerry as a representative. His side ran the arena of ideas years ago. It was not going to happen again. When Rush Limbaugh came along -- a part of my generation -- he voiced opinions against drug use, free sex and all the generational crap that many (if not most) of us emotional disagreed with. He was saying -- for the first time -- what we had been thinking for a long long time. And guess what !!! Rush does not even understand his own popularity. He is very supportive of the Vietnam conflict and seemed to pit the Kerry nomination in terms of pro-an
ti Vietnam colors. That missed the point. The generational divide is not a war issue -- it is a cultural issue. The same identical crowd that stood in the public square and screamed "F---" today has fashioned a culture response that says, "if you offend me - it is illegal" Same people. And others in that very generation are saying -- NOT AGAIN. You are not the only ones in the room.
My children will not continue this argument. It is not their battle. The culture moves with cyclical influence.
The church is always the Emerging Church. Always. Years from now, the Christian church will conduct itself differently (to a significant degree) than it does today ---------------- just as the church of today is some different for the church of our mothers.
JD
-----Original Message-----
From: ShieldsFamily <[EMAIL PROTECTED]com>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Sat, 18 Jun 2005 08:51:48 -0500
Subject: RE: [TruthTalk] lost kids
What a news flash from Lance! (At this rate America
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Lance Muir
Let's just say that I believe the USA
