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I received an email from a person who was personally affronted by my comments. I mean absolutely nothing personal about anything I write; indeed, as several of you know, if I have personal things to say to an individual, I write an email. I greatly dislike ad hominem attacks (those directed 'against the man') in politics and society. Unless a person has engaged in illegal or grossly immoral behavior, their person is not a subject of religious, societal or political discussion. While I am expressing my views, they are not directed AT anyone.

I have listened to several people claim that any objection to Obama's policies is really racism in disguise. No it's not. Some people insist on seeing the world in polarized terms of race, religion and sex. It is perfectly possible to dislike someone's policies and not care whether they are white/black/make/female/gay/straight.

When I was in residency, we had a lecture by a famous diabetes researcher. She came for her lecture dressed in a mini skirt and a blouse cut down half way to her waist. I learned a great deal, and paid a great deal of attention to, her underwear that day. It was on near pornographic display, and was lacy and skimpy to boot.

I was troubled by my sexual response to her, feeling I should have responded to her as an academic, and I felt her dress was inappropriate. I spoke with my mother about her, and she asked me how I would respond if a man came in with a crotch hugging pair of pants, a shirt open to the waist and gold chains. I said that would be unprofessional. She then said something that has affected me the rest of my life. 'If you can reverse the sexes and get a different outcome, barring certain obvious physical differences, it's sexism'.

By that standard, it was not sexism that I felt that lecturer's attire was inappropriate. Sex is not a part of a professional lecture, and anyone should dress accordingly. Similarly, it is not racism to object to Obama's policies; people object to the policy not the man, and would feel the same way if it were a white man or a woman promulgating the same ideas. 

In the same vein, my examples of diabetics, the obese and the abused are not ad hominem attacks against diabetics, the obese and the abused. They are only rhetorical examples.

A brief thought in this regard. We worry so much about 'sins of the flesh' rather than offenses of the spirit. People worry about homosexuality, or alcohol, or smoking, or extramarital affairs. Will any of these things prevent us form being acceptable to God? I think the answer is a plain 'no'. What is more acceptable to God- a gay man who drinks and smokes who is generous, kind, helpful and of service to society, or a straight, non-smoking teetotaler who condemns others, helps no one and worries only about himself? The answer is plainly 'A'.

Illness is consequence of the weakness of the flesh. How we deal with it, our response to it, is a measure of the spirit. No one is at 'fault' for their inheritance or their abuse. It is how they respond, with dependency or determination that is a measure of their soul.

Ted  

Comments

  1. LavenderFebruary 10, 2010 at 11:01 PM

    I realize this is an "older post" but thought this worth noting. As to "What is more acceptable to God- a gay man who drinks and smokes who is generous, kind, helpful and of service to society, or a straight, non-smoking teetotaler who condemns others, helps no one and worries only about himself? The answer is plainly 'A'," I would offer the following little gem from C.S. Lewis, from his book "Mere Christianity"...."If anyone thinks that Christians regard unchastity as the supreme vice, he is quite wrong. The sins of the flesh are bad, but they are the least bad of all sins. All the worst pleasures are purely spiritual: the pleasure of putting other people in the wrong, of bossing and patronising and spoiling sport, and back-biting: the pleasures of power, of hatred. For there are two things inside me, competing with the human self which I must try to become. They are the Animal self, and the Diabolical self. The Diabolical self is the worse of the two. That is why a cold, self-righteous prig who goes regularly to chruch may be far nearer to hell than a prostitute. But, of course, it is better to be neither."

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