[lit-ideas] Re: The new fascism
- From: Carol Kirschenbaum <carolkir@xxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 06 Nov 2004 16:32:48 -0800
Re: community and fascism.
New Sparta has adopted AA and its branches as its "community" and style.
Check into an AA in any town in the US and you'll find "community," of a
sort. The AA community, complete with Higher Power and a proclamation the
individual is "powerless." Bush exemplifies this style. For a long, long
time the AA movement--and the churches founded by and for AA members--has
been looking for its charismatic leader. Voici le roi Bush.
Carol K.
----- Original Message -----
From: <Eternitytime1@xxxxxxx>
To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, November 06, 2004 4:22 PM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: The new fascism
>
> In a message dated 11/6/2004 5:03:32 PM Central Standard Time,
> atri2715@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
> The fundamentalists step in and provide those values and
> people just embrace them, because nobody wants to feel empty and
confused.
>
>
>
> Hi,
> I was thinking about this. (Especially as I have been thinking of what
> 'religion' provides to and for people...)
>
> I remember 'once upon a time' that there were meetings in libraries (for
> example, but other places as well) where people came together in community
> settings to discuss varying political topics. Mostly (at least in
libraryland),
> these faded with a rise of churches providing more of the sense of
'community'.
>
> Now, we are seeing, in libraryland, a movement (started many years ago and
> is now becoming quite large) for more of the library to become more of a
> 'community center' again.
>
> Some libraries, like mine, will not have such activities as 'political
> discussions' as they are just too much 'work' and potentially too
controversial
> for some to want to deal with...but others will and are beginning to do
so.
>
> Was thinking of how so many people DO (initially) join churches because of
> the sense of 'community' and support that they receive...(I am thinking
here
> of one of the non-fiction best-selling titles/series on the market
today--the
> fellow's first book is what all the evangelical churches were
reading/going
> through/doing Bible studies for the year before the Billy Graham Crusade
came
> to town a couple of weeks ago: The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren,
> pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., has spent more than
70 weeks
> on The New York Times' best-seller list. ") The fellow has also written
one
> for pastors: The Purpose-Driven Church. Now, if you really go through
the
> formulas he gives, they are kind of scary if you don't like manipulation.
On
> the other hand, there IS a need for people to have this sense of
'community'
> and alot of what they do is simply what any growing organization which
has a
> decent hospitality mission is going to do.
>
> (Except that there are few other vehicles for that to happen these
> days--remember 'the soccer moms' in the past? Have any of you ever been
involved in
> the sports culture for kids? It really IS its own subculture...and
almost
> evangelical...I remember when soccer was just beginning to take off in
this
> country--now? Everywhere. But, the other sports are still thriving, as
> well...ever ask why? NOT just or even because of the kids. Because of
the parents.
> Ever talk to a family as to why they are not involved any longer?
Generally
> it is because they didn't connect with the parents...the kids enjoyed
> playing [even after they get older--there are always parks and rec teams
even for
> those who don't make the school teams]) There are team get-togethers,
> informal and formal times of all sorts of gatherings so that the sports
faith can
> grow...
>
> I wondered if taking a page from how we do the whole 'hospitality' thing
for
> our programs (remember that I said we wandered the lines of hopeful flu
shot
> folk passing out cookies, juice and coffee? I give talks on how to make a
> library a welcoming place all the time and food often helps <g>), the
> evangelical church world, and the sports arena and somehow someway move
the
> re-training of liberal values in a setting whereby other needs will be met
as well?
> (I think of the training of our bookclub leaders--we ALWAYS have to
explain
> that people are not just getting together with like-minded people to
share
> books, they are also looking for a fun and safe place to share ideas and
become
> part of a 'community'.)
>
> I'm not sure it is about being 'empty and confused' as it is being alone
and
> afraid of the dark.
>
> Just musing about concrete solutions,
> Marlena in Missouri
>
>
>
>
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