In a display of selfless solidarity and courage that will bring the Establishment to its arthritic knees and inspire oppressed people everywhere centuries hence, The Churches That Nobody Goes To Anymore (and their interfaith dupes) is organizing a one day fast to end the Iraq War.
Wow, will La-Z-Boys chairs be provided (like the ones at Gitmo…?)
As Simone Weil observed, there is nothing inherently holy about “waiting and fasting” — after all, any desperate gambler does as much.
Such self-aggrandizing, no-risk stunts, mounted by aging hippie leftists, make a mockery of the real discipline, courage and suffering displayed by 21-year-old grunts in the field, not to mention their Iraqi compatriots.
(…)
First of all: as we’ve established through Scripture, Christian fasting is supposed to be completely private. And will any of these people be smiling on Oct 8, as Jesus ordered? No, having been in the peace movement myself years ago, I can assure you that they will be affecting looks of stern moral seriousness and “holiness.”
Secondly: we cannot do penance for the sins of others.
Obviously these leftist dupes don’t feel they are personally responsible for the allegedly awful Iraq War. Quite the opposite. So they are twisting the very idea of prayer and fasting to make Pharisiacal spectacles of themselves in the public square (“thank you, God, for not making me like that sinner [soldier/politician] over there”, remember?).
And when something seems sorta kinda Christian, has the trappings, but is the exact opposite of the true Christian message, turning it upside down (see the Devil’s offers to Jesus in the desert — they were all for “good” causes, after all. What could be bad about Jesus ruling the world, or just enjoying a piece of bread?), then the word we have for such actions is… Satanic.
Old Screwtape is thrilled by this fast and prayer day, with pompous church leaders fasting in public not private, and doing penance for other people’s “sins.”
These dupes are giving aid and comfort to the enemy (not to mention The Enemy). Free speech rights, the right of assembly etc do not extend to treason.
The Constitution is not a suicide pact.
