Meanwhile, the people respond to a person with "heart". Santorum has heart. He speaks from personal conviction. He speaks and acts according to his beliefs, and people like that. They like it a lot. But if Romney is the Tin Man without a heart is Santorum the lovable Scarecrow without a brain? If he's being quoted correctly, I worry that he's said some stuff that is well, dumb. Go to war with Iran? Please, not another Middle Eastern adventure.
So is Ron Paul--the cowardly Lion? He seems too isolationist, too disengaged. Does he lack backbone? Does he lack that pro active warrior spirit that is required? Dunno. He certainly has brains. What he says seems smart. He has heart and passion but does he have the will to succeed?
Newt Gingrich? He's the grumpy gate keeper isn't he? "Washington? The Emerald City? Naah. You're not getting in here!"
Rick Perry's got to be Toto...running along behind everybody else yapping at their heels.
Dorothy? That must be Bachmann...and she already went home to Kansas...err I mean Iowa.
Wicked Witch of the West? Nancy Pelosi...
...and I'll let you figure out who the flying monkey is.
Comparing a black man to a monkey, wow. And please don't play dumb, either. You know the kind of history that has in this country.
ReplyDeleteI honestly never thought about his race.
ReplyDeleteBut you did.
Could you please ban the troll, Father?
ReplyDeleteReality check, not everyone goes around with such heightened racial awareness. Fr L is an example. I teach at a black college, and people might joke about someone being being the flying there, but holy cow if a white guy does, right? Sure we have a history, and we also need to get past it and not point fingers assuming bad intentions all the time.
ReplyDeleteAs for Santorum saying dumb things, what candidate has not? We want a president who does not exists. An all-knowing, amazing guy who is a perfect performer, and also not elitist to boot. In a hyper-diverse culture where everything is accessible to and by media 24-7, there is no one who is going to seem "presidential," since all the candidates are mere mortals. We'd be better off not joining in the media attitude of high scrutiny. No one is up to the job. Who seems best, and whose ideas are closest to our politics? That is the rather routine question.
Father, with all due respect, please keep your political opinions to yourself. It strikes me as very inappropriate for a priest to post such comments. The voters, Catholic and otherwise, can figure this out for themselves, without your help. And comparing President Obama to a monkey is immature, offensive, and most definitely un-Christian.
ReplyDeleteOne of my deepest regrets on the way to the election is that Cain dropped out. Had we come to it, wit Cain vs. Obama, we would have had an election campaign in which race would be a non-issue. And that would have been just gravy, added to Cain's competence.
ReplyDeleteVery cute!
ReplyDelete'Sense of Humor' located in aisle Five!
Father, thank you so much for this amusing post. I wholeheartedly believe that priests should be *more* willing to comment publicly upon politics, within canonical limits of course. Priests are teachers and citizens, and should not be silenced on political matters.
ReplyDeleteoops, mixing politics and religion is a no-no...but why would one vote without faith being the center and ground for those decisions?
ReplyDeleteI don't know who the flying monkey is but I sure want to know who is the wizard behind the scenes lying and controlling everything to everyone's misery instead of just doing the right thing!
Anyone who is concerned that I am expressing my political views should read the post again.
ReplyDeleteI think I was successful in insulting all the politicians--not just one, and not just Republican or Democrat.
As to who is the wizard behind the scenes? We all know that is the Illuminati right? The secret bloodline of the Pharoahs alive today in Chelsea Clinton...
Dear Father,
ReplyDeleteI am a long-time reader and first-time commenter, but I have to respectfully disagree with this post. It is true that the Christian is not insulated from the world of politics, however it becomes very dangerous when clergy begin presenting political opinions, because clergy are seen to represent (rightly or wrongly) the views and interests of the Church.
I myself have to be careful in this regard. I have very strong political beliefs, but I also (though a layman), am in various leadership positions amongst Catholic groups. While that does not mean I am not allowed to speak about politics, I have to make it absolutely clear that my positions are my own, not the Church's nor the opinion of any of the several Catholic groups in which I have a leadership position.
If I as a layman must be so discerning, I, with all due respect, believe the clergy have an even greater responsibility in this regard.
Love it.
ReplyDeleteRead it to my husband. He says the flying monkey is Harry Reid. Sen Reid always does what The wicked witch tells him to do.
The Church has always commented on social and political issues. No problem, really.
The real lesson of "the politics of Oz" might just be the example of "Auntie Em" who stayed at 'Home' (faithful), didn't panic(trusted in God), and prayed that in the long run everything would turn out ok.....and it DID!
ReplyDeleteThere's no place like Home!
Father,
ReplyDeleteI am also a long time reader but first time commenter.
First, I am not commenting to be a "troll." On the contrary, I am commenting because I think warmly towards you after enjoying your opinions over the last few years. Indeed, if I thought that you were a racist I would not read your blog at all.
Second, I understand that you did not consider the president's race when you compared him to the "flying monkeys." But you are aware (or have been made aware if you were not before) that calling a black man a monkey is highly offensive and calls to mind horrific stereotypes that should be buried in the past and should never be encouraged by Christians.
Given that you did not mean the comparison to be offensive, but it is, if it were my blog I would edit the post as a matter of prudence to remove the appearance that I intended it that way.
Once again, I know that you did not intend the comment to be offensive and would not even bother to read your writing if I thought for a minute that you did.
Yours in Christ,
Corey
The evil, winged monkeys caught Dorothy in their arms and flew away with her. An appropriate similarity between Obama and the evil monkeys might be the snatching of unborn children from their mothers’ wombs and dumping them in garbage cans. However chilling and insensitive to some readers that might sound, President Obama’s record speaks for itself. As far as the Wicked Witch of the West, Pelosi has a NARAL rating of 100 percent and voted in favor of partial birth abortion. “Wicked” seems much too charitable to me.
ReplyDeleteFr. Longenecker used much restraint in his analogy. More priests should speak out. We are blessed to have in this area another bold and courageous priest, Fr. Scott Newman, who minces no words about politicians and the Culture of Death.
Of course, Fr. Longenecker probably didn't mean the analogy that I related above, but I hope he did.
ah Father, the Illuminati? Maybe the Bilderberger group...or perhaps the Freemasons, or the Skull and Bones Society? Or the Gargoyle Club?
ReplyDeletemaybe the Church ought to give up its tax-exempt status so we can stop with the hypocrisy of saying church leaders should not / cannot proclaim the truth of faith within the political sphere (but we see it happening all the time, especially when it's liberal preachers supporting liberal politics and MSM gives them a pass). good post, Father.
ReplyDeleteI think that the flying monkeys are the media!
ReplyDeletePS: some have quite a racial chip on their shoulders!