Calvinist Minister & Unitarian Universalist Minister Discuss “Pleasantville” Film

Over at the online “Midland Daily News,” we find a Unitarian-Universalist “Pastor” championing the Hollywood film “Pleasantville”

http://www.ourmidland.com/blogs/truth-and-meaning-top-s/article_06ee8e6e-3f5b-11e5-a1fc-273dc9d9af0b.html

In this piece Unitarian Universal Pastor Jeff (UUPJ) says,

“There are many layers to the movie and it certainly has relevance to many social issues facing us today. But perhaps most relevant is the way the people of Pleasantville speak. They speak, as one would expect, pleasantly. They never speak of unpleasant things and they always speak with the authority that their way of living is the one and only way to live. When new ideas get introduced into the community, they are first ignored, then shunned, until they are finally met with agitation and violence.

Sadly, it seems that much of America lives in Pleasantville. Many people assume that there is only one acceptable way to be in our country. And those who choose to be different are labeled communists, their lifestyle called unnatural, their ideas considered immoral. Take, for instance, the never-ending stream of letters to the Daily News from a handful of local residents who unceasingly tell us that their religion is the one and only true faith. To believe any other way is sinful and the punishment is an eternity in flames.

These are the black and white voices of Pleasantville. No compromises, no exceptions, no desire to examine facts or evidence or context. The scary thing is that while Pleasantville looks pleasant on the outside, on the inside it is a rotting, cancerous tumor of racism, homophobia, misogyny, violence and fear-mongering. And the only thing that can cure Pleasantville is the introduction of color.

Whether color means art, or books, behaviors, or vistas beyond the town borders, we must diversify or die. We must appreciate and embrace difference or risk dying of irrelevance and rigid creedalism. We must accept that everyone is not like us, and that that is OK.

What follows is my response,

Jeff,

So, you’re saying that those who have one pleasant way are not acceptable to your own one pleasent way? You, as Mr. Tolerance, can not tolerate those you deem intolerant? Contradiction much Jeff?

You complain about “black and white voices” UUPJ, yet it looks to be pretty black and white when UUPJ tells me that either I am an arcane Pleasentville voice or he is a reasonable Unitarian Universalist voice.

 Unitrian Jeff complains of creedalism yet he screams here a rigid creedal cry for the change that demands homophilia, feminism, cultural marxism and other cancerous tumors — the very change advocated for in this film that UUPJ is pushing.

Is it acceptable that I’m not like you UUPJ or  must I fit into your creedal vision of a monocultural world that only allows for the perverted, the outlaw, and the sociopath such is touted in this film you advocate?

 Are you saying that those who have a different “pleasant way” are not acceptable to your own one pleasant way? You, as Mr. Tolerance, can not tolerate those you deem intolerant? Contradiction much Jeff?

 UUPJ complains of black and white voices, yet it looks to be pretty black and white when Unitarian Jeff tells me that either I am an arcane Pleasentville voice or he is a reasonable Unitarian Universalist voice.

Unitrian Jeff complains of creedalism yet he screams here a rigid creedal cry for the change that demands homophilia, feminism, cultural marxism and other cancerous tumors.

Is it acceptable that I’m not like you Jeff or must I fit into your creedal vision of a monocultural world that only allows for the perverted, the outlaw, and the sociopath — the world of Pleasantville “colorized”?

UUPJ recommends a homework assignment for his readers. He recommends them to go view “Pleasantville.” Allow mt to offer my own homework assignment.

I recocmmend you read E. Michael Jones “Libido Dominandi,” or Jones’ “Monsters from the Id” and see just what kind of culture for which Unitarian Jeff is thumping. Take a look at the Weimar Republic and examine the exquisite diversity that Unitarian Jeff desires to come to pass. These books take a look at the true nature of the colorized Plesantville UUPJ desires that we embrace.

UUPJ  deserves to be listened to the way a spoon deserves to be used as a razor.

UUPJ then writes back offering,

Bret,

I don’t waste my time rebutting ridiculous arguments. Your post (or should I say rant) had nothing to do with my blog posting and everything to do with your paranoia and obvious lack of knowledge about Unitarian Universalism. If you offer an actual argument worth rebutting, then I will be happy to engage in an adult conversation.

I close off with going into more detail about the film itself,

Jeff Liebmann,
 
I said exactly nothing about your U.U.-ism except to note you are Unitarian Jeff. So, why you keep harping that I don’t understand U. U.-ism is quite beside any point I originally sought to make. Classic technique, on your part here  of pointing and spluttering about something completely irrelevant. This is done in order to detract from my original points.
 
The point I made implicitly, is a point I’ll make explicitly now. You are a cultural Marxist promoting a movie that pushes the cultural Marxist agenda. I’ve seen “Pleasantville.” I even viewed it twice because I was astonished at how the film-makers were going out of their way to caricature culture that is influenced by Christianity.
 
In your “Pleasantville” movie one of the main means (though not the only means) by which color vivifies black and white existence is by perversion and what used to be known as “sin.” Sin, therefore brings color and color is better. The film goes so far as to champion cultural Marxism that in one scene you find the Garden of Eden scene played out in the film as a young woman shows a brightly colored apple to a young (and yet uncolored) David, encouraging him to take and eat it. As the film progresss the black and white citizens of Pleasantville become full of color when they engage in such things as masturbation, adultery, premarital sex, or physical assault. For the cultural Marxist creators of Pleasantville “the fall” in Pleasantville that they create in their film reality is “very good.”
 
In this film one finds the usual Liberal-Marxist brain dead tropes on racism and the abuse of women that Christian culture supposedly always brings. One also finds the typical Cultural Marxist sneer that Christians are brain dead idiots who wouldn’t know a book if it bit them in the ass. Pleasantville is one tired Marxist cliche after another trotted out by ignoramuses in order to smear Christians, Christian culture, and the Christian faith
 
And here, in the “Midland Daily News,” we find Unitarian Jeff thumping for it as a great film.
 
Men like you Unitarian Jeff are going to have a great deal to answer for someday.

Scripture and Light

In the Genesis record, God said, “Let their be light” (Gen 1:3) and that light appears overcoming the darkness, saturating the creation realm with God’s authority.  In Isaiah the Servant of the Lord was promised to be a light both to Israel and to the Nations who were not yet covenanted with God as Israel was,

“I am the Lord, I have called You in righteousness,
I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You,
And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people,
As a light to the nations.” Isaiah 42:6

He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel;
I will also make You a light of the nations
So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” Isaiah 49:6

In the Gospel accounts, that Servant of the Lord promised … the Lord Christ is the Redemptive light come to inaugurate a new age, a new realm, and a glorious new day as from the Father of lights (James 1:17). He is the light who enlightens every man (John 1:19) Christ is the new covenant age light that shines in the darkness (John 1:5). The Apostles saw He who was the radiance of the glory of God (Hebrews 1:1) as the glory of the One and only who came from the Father (John 1:1-4). As the age to come Light, the followers of the Lord Christ never walk in darkness (John 8:12). Christ as the Redemptive light of the age to come demonstrated and revealed itself with a white hot intensity at the transfiguration wherein even His clothing became dazzling white (Mark 9:1-4).  In the crucifixion He who is “the Light of the World” is snuffed out and as on cue, the light goes out for three hours Christ (Matthew 27:45). Light is picked up again in John’s Revelation wherein John the Revelator falls as dead as before a super nova God-man (Rev. 1:14-17). Finally, as the Scripture started with light, it forms an inclusio by ending with He who is the light, as it closes with the motif of Christ as the light which illuminates the new Jerusalem.  He who ever was very light of very light remains the light of the world (Rev. 22:4).

R2K Advocate Dr. Rev. Brian Lee and Planned Parenthood II

“But the command to not take a life is not a command to pass a law not to take a life. Nor is it a command to politically agitate or lobby for such a law. Such political activity could be understood to run counter to Paul’s command to church to “live quietly and mind your own affairs” (1 Thessalonians 4:11).”
 
~ Dr. Brian Lee, WSC grad & R2k disciple.

Trump Regnant Follies

“Hillary Clinton I think is a terrific woman. I am biased because I have known her for years. I live in New York. She lives in New York. I really like her and her husband both a lot. I think she really works hard. And I think, again, she’s given an agenda, it is not all of her, but I think she really works hard and I think she does a good job. I like her.”

Donald Trump
To FOX News Info-babe — Greta Van Sustern

1.) I do believe that Donald Trump is controlled opposition. I believe all 17 candidates are controlled opposition. But with Trump it is a little different. I do believe the purpose of his candidacy is to so damage the Republican brand in the minds of zombie Republican voters (who somehow manage to think that the Republican party stands for anything but for profiting the Money Interest and themselves) and so guarantee a Democrat victory (presumably Hillary).  Failing that it is easy to imagine Trump pulling a Ross Perot and running on a third party ticket, thus again insuring a Democrat victory by splitting the Republican party vote.

2.) It is apparent that Roger Ailes and FOX News know this. It explains why FOX was and is committed to destroying the Trump Candidacy. Clearly, from the first question requiring a show of hands to Meagan Kelly’s questioning of Trump, to top FOX News political analyst, Charles Krauthammer, declaring the Trump candidacy dead, to the FOX push polling of Frank Luntz, there was a concerted and obvious effort by FOX to unravel Trump’s legitimacy.

3.) Now, near as I can see, FOX would only do such a thing for two reasons. Either Trump really is a conservative or Trump is a known tool for Democrat ends. FOX news network is a neo-conservative network and so were a genuine conservative (should such a person exist at this level) actually polling the numbers that Trump is polling FOX would have an interest in bringing such a person down. However, clearly Trump is no Conservative. To suggest Trump is a Conservative would be to insist that Miley Cyrus is chaste. Trump is the incarnation of Corporatism Oligarchy. As such, I must conclude that FOX is seeking to destroy Trump because he is a stalking horse for the Democrat left which the Republican neo-con left find unacceptable.

4.) The fact that it is widely known by the inside players that Trump is not a Republican was seen again this past weekend as Presbyterian Seminarian, Eric Erikson, dis-invited Trump from his (Erikson’s) “Red State” candidate Bonanza. One simply does not lock out the front running Republican candidate from Party forums and retain credibility unless one knows that the front running Republican candidate is a poseur. Now some will counter my observation here by pointing out Erikson’s stated reason for dis-inviting Trump, Erikson offered, “It is unfortunate to have to disinvite him [Trump]. But I just don’t want someone on stage who gets a hostile question from a lady and his first inclination is to imply it was hormonal. It just was wrong. I have invited Megyn Kelly to attend in Donald Trump’s place tomorrow night.”   We need to keep in mind though that what a Politician says (and a Politician is what Erikson is in this context) is the reason for doing something and what the real reason is for doing something seldom match.  The fact that Erikson invites Megan Kelly in Trump’s place only underscores my point about Erikson the Politician. (And let’s not ask how any conservative Presbyterian, Seminarian or otherwise, could ever support neo-con Republicans.)

As an aside here, my take on Trump’s comments on Megyn Kelly’s orifice bleeds is a little different. In my view, if you, as a woman, are going to fight with the boys you shouldn’t complain about getting hit. Women who decide to enter the bloody arena that is politics shouldn’t complain when they receive as good as they give. The time honored principle where men must never hit the girl does not apply when the girl is whaling on the guy with brass knuckles. As metaphor this is exactly what Kelly was doing.

5.) If you are a Republican Trump does offer one advantage over the rest of the field. Whereas with the rest of the Republican field one can never be absolutely sure of who the Marionette Master is that is pulling the strings of any particular Republican one might vote for, however, with Trump you can vote directly for the Marionette string puller himself. No nasty middle man marionette politician. Instead. in voting for Trump, you can directly vote for the string puller himself. You might call Trump’s campaign a “populist Fascist” or “populist Corporatist” campaign.

6.) Look for the establishment neo-con (FOX) media to push Carly Fiorina. I suspect with the recent feminist explosion over Trump’s comments about women generally, and Megyn Kelly particularly that Fiorina will quickly become the anti-Trump card played by the neo-con media outlets. A Fiorina candidacy might provide great cat-fight theater if she were to up against Hillary.

7.) It is good to keep in mind when analyzing all this not to take it any more seriously then one might take World Wide Wrestling Federation seriously. This is all canned and the broad contours of the outcome is known before the players even take the stage.

The Untenableness of Neo-Orthodox Theology Exposed

“The (neo-orthodox) theologians stand before the Bible in the expectation that through preaching the words of the Bible will become the word of God as the Bible’s audience encounters them in the written witness to Jesus Christ. Barth is famous for the syollogism, ‘The Word written: the Word preached: the Word revealed.’ In other words the written words of the Bible become the word of God to the Church through the preaching of Jesus Christ. As the Bible engenders faith in Jesus Christ, it becomes the Word of God. Surely it is important to combine Word and Spirit  to know God in Jesus Christ, but to restrict the revelation  of the word of God to the human encounter with God in that preaching locates the Bible’s authority in the Christian’s experience of revelation, not in the Bible’s  divine inspiration of that revelation. God’s Word is God’s Word whether or not it is recognized as such, just as a father and a mother are a child’s parents whether accepted or rejected by the child.

The neo-orthodox tend to distinguish between Jesus Christ as the Word of God and Scripture as a ‘witness’ to the Word of God. Barth grounded his dogmatic theology on an orthodox understanding of Jesus Christ as the embodiment of God and of God’s purpose for humankind, but regrettably not on the whole Bible, which he did not regard as inerrant. According to neo-orthodox theology, biblical statements that do not contribute to the witness to Jesus Christ are not necessarily true. This position is unstable because it exalts Christ by depreciating the text that bears witness to His exaltation. In other words according to the neo-orthodox, one hears the Word of God in the Bible as one hears music on a scratched record. In this way they tend to set up the canon of the message of Jesus Christ (i.e.– The music) as more valuable then the whole canon of Scripture (i.e. — the record); a canon within the canon. This dichotomy creates an unstable theology — evangelical and unorthodox regarding the authority of all of Scripture. A canon-within-a-canon theology ultimately places authority in the audience.”

Bruce Waltke 
An Old Testament Theology — pg. 75-76

A small beef with Waltke, in this otherwise fine quote, is his giving in to feminist theology as seen in his usage of “humankind,” as opposed to “mankind.”