Sunday, April 2, 2006

"F The President" ?

There was a big peace march & rally here in Atlanta over the weekend, and a number of people parked at the Atlanta Friends Meetinghouse and carpooled to the rally. Ceal and I had to go by the meetinghouse in the afternoon and I saw a car with a small, square black sticker that said "F the President". At times I have seen similar things like "Muggles for Bush", "W Is Not The Answer", and much worse. Even in Meeting for Worship there are also occasional snide remarks about Bush and Cheney. I have been guilty of this myself, not in Meeting for Worship, but in my daily conduct. This is not a practice of love, is not what Jesus calls us to do.

    

Look at these pictures. Can you love these people, hold them in the light, and pray that God will bless them? Our peace witness comes from the commandment to love our neighbor as ourself, not out of some duty to "do the right thing". Loving someone doesn't mean we have to agree with them, but it does mean that we treat them with respect and dignity, and do not make fun of them.

When I first started attending meeting, a dear woman named Jane Wellborn would ask us to hold in the light George W. Bush, his Cabinet, Osama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, and various others. This was a little more than a year after 9/11 and I had some difficulty with holding Osama Bin Laden in the light, and I will admit some difficulty with the others as well. I am so very grateful for Jane's witness, which continues today, and I look forward to her constant reminders.
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3 comments:

  1. JohnApril 19, 2006 at 6:26 AM

    This is the funniest posting I have ever seen. If I remember correctly, Cheney has said publicly, "F" another senator, and Bush has called reporters a-h, when his mike was on. I'd say a bumper sticker with F the President is fairly minor. Love may be given, but respect is earned, W has received and F for his efforts.

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  2. Mark WutkaApril 19, 2006 at 8:20 AM

    John,
    The point isn't whether it is major or minor offense. It's hard to believe that a loving attitude would result in the statement "F the President", not even if you have no respect for the person. Loving someone does not mean that you also have to accept and approve of what they do. Sometimes we are called to resist them firmly, even rebuke them, but I do not believe that also means we are to insult them.
    With love,
    Mark

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  3. AnonymousMay 4, 2006 at 8:22 AM

    I believe we are called on to open the path of repentence and justice for each other. Calling names and insulting (wrongs I have done) do not typically open that path, but cause us to harden our hearts. I personally do not want the president's heart to be hardened any further, but to be softened toward the people living in the battlefield, the poor, the environment. I want him to cry in sorrow at the conditions of this world, so that he can begin to work with others in healing them. I don't want him to simply blow me off as yet another liberal who is aiming at him rather than at the wrong he is doing.
    E.L.

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