Progressive awakening
We shopped for hiking boots this weekend, I overheard the funniest conversation. A woman and her mom were trying on some clothes, lamented that the sizes were all wrong.
"These clothes aren't made for American women. (Looks at label) See? 'Made in India'. Women over there are made differently. That's why all our jobs are gone, because the were all sent over there".
I had to laugh. Haven't we gotten a grip on a global economy yet? When will we get with the program? Other countries have a prospering population, universal health care. Other nations are united to solve climate change issues. Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands allow gay marriage.
There's an exceptional article in the Boston Globe this week called Why Fundamentalism will fail.
In Christianity, the fastest-growing wing of the church is the Pentecostal/Charismatic wave...accounting for one in every four Christians. One writer has called them “main street mystics.” Among Muslims, it is the gentle but ecstatic Sufi version that is growing fastest, not the suicide bomber cults. All these movements...represent a fatal threat to fundamentalism.
Surveys have shown that the rapid growth of evangelical Protestantism in Latin America has not produced a replication of the American religious right, but rather a moderate leftward tilt. A majority of Brazilian evangelicals, for example, voted for President Lula, who ran as a Workers Party candidate. ANOTHER REASON WHY fundamentalists are faltering today has to do with the world outside. The fundamentalist world view is unbending and monochrome, but today’s world is variable and multi-hued, and the plurality is more and more visible. children live every day with a heightened, web-enhanced awareness of a diverse world.
I'm encouraged to hear this. Because while the far right-wing may be making a lot of noise, they are clearly in the minority. They've even caused some Republicans to switch parties - and I'm a huge supporter of the Working Party.
I don't think it's about being the loudest, I do think it's about forming communities.
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Comments
I think it's easier for people like me to live someplace where it's growing more inclusivist and less bigoted, frightened, "it's you or me" / Lord of the Flies.
Here? It's not happening. I've had certain houses that I thought after my parents died, I might like (suburban STL not out here in the middle of the forest -- mind you, I love the forest but I mean it's like I live in Yosemite--it ain't connected to anything ;p) to buy.
Then, I think, "Even in town...here?" I had better hie myself to the left or right coasts, yo! ;p
I love reading your posts about the places you want to live. I get to imagine them and think maybe me, too, one day! :)
Wow, I just mentioned that book a few days ago. Spooky! :D You'd like the coasts, I know there's that big red right-wing splat in the middle of the country but there are loads of different cultures all along the eastern seaboard, just from SC to NH you have vastly different lifestyles.
I think SC is a purple state - when we visited there to my shock there were 3 different letters to the editor in one day, supporting gay marriage. I certainly don't think arabs and Muslims are deserving the reps they're getting from the hypocritical right.
You must check out the coasts. Although you may be surprised how many far right wingers we have in Mass.
Thank you, GOF! Yes I and a large portion of the country are absolutely horrified at other countries' perceptions of us. In reality it's more of a mixed bag, as I told MT even when we were down south I saw letters to the editor supporting gay marriage, freedom of religion, etc. So much for stereotyping.
Of course the fundamentalists are very media saavy and that's the real crisis here in America, the common sense faction has not learned how to make their voices heard.
So there, communities are not failing but are all over the world forming in little bits in fragments! Online or in a wider sense!
Exactly right - I was just reading about Germany....they seem to have a good, common sense balance. Of course as you said no place is perfect, but their system makes a heck of a lot more sense than ours.