Well, I've heard people (mostly joking) blame the current administration. The theory is that Bushco want people to blame Kerry for the inconvenience of having the city shut down, so they encouraged the Secret Service to go for maximum security. Seems a bit farfetched to me, I don't think even Bushco think they have a chance of getting Massachusetts.
Terry, yes, I've become more and more aware of that particular blind spot/prejudice myself. These days I go out of my way to have conversations with people who are connected with the military, because I've realized how much I grew up thinking of the army as this faceless Bad Thing. Nothing like realizing you think a certain way just cause you've always been told to, expecially when you pride yourself on not doing that sort of thing.
Terry,
I wasn't presuming ignorance on your part in particular, but "Quakerism 101" is kind of a reflex reaction to any mention. *grin*
As for disorganized, I mostly meant the exceedingly broad range of styles and beliefs that different Friends have. It feels at times like people expect small quasi-fringe religions to be more homogeneous than their larger counterparts.
Also, I think wearing the Dress Blues might be highly entertaining.
Terry-
Heh, yeah, Quakers are a little disorganized.
There do exist Quakers who have preachers (programmed meetings, we call them), and there are many Quakers (and even more outside the US) who are Christian, and who will tell you that "real" Quakers believe in Jesus/the Bible/etc. I'm always a little thrown by this, as I grew up in a part of the country (New England) where Quakers are a lot like UUs except with a different style of worship. Some of the beliefs are different, but they get expressed in the same ways, and we often seem just a wishy-washy. However, the "Inner Light" belief is consistent across Quakers, and is the one thing you'd be safe in saying that all Quakers believe in. And as its often expressed as "There is that of God in every person," it implies a belief in a supreme being. Dunno what the state of Texas would make of that, though.
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|---|---|
| 2004 | 5 |
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