It seems that dashing self-described Vietnam war veteran Richard Blumenthal (otherwise known as the attorney general of Connecticut) "may have helped organize a Toys for Tots drive as a member of the Marine Corps Reserve, according to the New York Times," writes George Neumayr at American Spectator.
"This task, among other stateside ones, became in Blumenthal's telling over the years 'service in Vietnam.' He says now that he simply misspoke -- that he meant to say he served 'during' the Vietnam war, not 'in' the Vietnam war."
"Oops!"
Said the lawyer.
After being presented with the videotape.
A friend of mine once asked whether a certain famous household name would "lie through his teeth" about a certain matter -- the pretended authorship of a book that would help his PR image as a great Christian intellect, for example.
Well, given the design of the human body, there really isn't much of an alternative. One could try smoke signals, I suppose. But this may upset the rhythm of an awards dinner, religious conference, or Capitol Hill press event.
The physiological fact is that most lying requires a "lying through one's teeth." And sometimes, unfortunately, a bigger audience and a bigger lie make for a more effective "lying through one's teeth."
This technique is not quite a trade secret known to assorted conmen in politics, science, religion, journalism, and bus terminals.
In fact, the next time you want to see that kind of practice on display, simply watch a member of the federal government swear allegiance to protect and defend the U.S. Constitution. No one is saying everyone who takes the oath these days is lying, but one might not be in the wrong to conclude that the truth-tellers in this instance are in the minority.
What's the answer?
For a good start, try this: "Test everything." That is, practice a healthy and humane skepticism rooted in truth about who we are as imperfect creatures (by choice) nevertheless striving for wholeness and perfection because we are, after all, still created in the image of God.
We are broken, yes, but not destroyed. Marred, yes, but not pieces of junk to discard.
And so, in politics, religion, ministry, science, schooling, and car sales: Test everything. Examine what is said and what is done. Do not accept anything "on faith" -- that is, on the basis of that weakened, nonbiblical concept of "faith" acceptable to the ACLU and privatized religious circles today. Instead, maintain your critical distance and follow the evidence wherever it leads.
Testing everything is essential to who you are as a human being, created in the image of God -- a God, by the way, who is a verifiable public figure who puts a premium on human brain power and freedom of thought.
And so also, a proper critical distance is essential to living freely and with dignity in what is now a broken world. As you may have noticed, it is a world full of imperfect people, some of whom want to control every aspect of your lives and don't mind applying requisite doses of propaganda, violence, and oppression to get the job done.
By way of contrast, in their Judeo-Christian realism, rooted in history, the Founders understood the fallibility of man. And certainly we should understand that nothing magical happens just because a guy or gal with a smile, honest eyes, and a great handshake occupies the White House, sits on Capitol Hill, stands behind a pulpit, carries a Ph.D. around, wears a white coat, or has "written" 27 books.
"Test everything" won't guarantee perfection in an imperfect world, but it will open the door to what thinker Francis Schaeffer called "substantial healing" in our daily lives, including our political lives.
In the struggle against those who "lie through their teeth" to advance their agendas, a critical distance that leads to substantial healing in human freedom beats magical thinking every time.
It's one of the "blessings of liberty" from the One who gives the blessings that the federal government does not have and, therefore, can never ever give. This is one way you know, for all of the pie-in-the-sky promises of a secular Heaven on earth of "equality," the government is not God and nobody's Savior.
One could say or suggest otherwise, but that would be to lie through one's teeth.
11 comments:
Thanks for your conviction and for speaking it. Businesses and companies will have to learn the hard way that they cannot trample traditional mores, morals and family and expect no consequences of diminished business.
April 4, 2008 7:51:00 PM EDTWhat is next? A "Macgay" burger? I shudder to think how the rabid homosexual agenda will continue to influence week kneed MacDonald executives who fail to understand some basic fundamentals of the culture. As Ben Franklin once stated: "Experience keeps a dear school, but a fool will learn in no other."
Thanks for posting this info. It shocks the intellect to see such corporate behavior, but, then again, I'm not that surprised when postmodern minds (including the executive boards they occupy) act according to their nature. Corporations who misguidedly and even passionately support the gay agenda generally see such activity as being that of a "good citizen," which they then translate to being "good business." They refreshingly aid all mankind (pardon the sexism) in reaching the pluralistic shores of tolerance and equality.
April 4, 2008 11:06:00 PM EDTHowever, in God's economy, such reasoning is futile.
See you at Chick-Fil-A.
One small step for common decency.
April 4, 2008 11:59:00 PM EDTOne giant step for civilization.
The Big Mac's price
is not worth perversion.
Spread the word.
Mr. Pearcey:
April 5, 2008 1:18:00 AM EDTThank God: you and your son will be healthier for it. McDonald's isn't exactly what's best for our bodies. (I am speaking as a former addict; my dad took me there every Saturday as a child. It was a hard habit to break!)
Parents, keep an eye on those Happy Meals: The homosexual agenda targets the youngest, most impressionable ones first...
Sincerely.
I am with you.
April 5, 2008 8:28:00 PM EDTGood for you. We decided to do the same. If McDonald's is going to support the homosexual agenda, they aren't going to do so with our money.
April 7, 2008 10:31:00 AM EDTIt always amazes me when corporations try to control and influence society like this. It didn't work out too well for Ford and it won't work out for McDonald's.
April 7, 2008 10:31:00 AM EDTWhat would Roy Kroc, founder, think?
April 7, 2008 4:19:00 PM EDTdig deep enough, and i think you're going to be growing all your own food and avoiding all packaged goods.
April 7, 2008 11:21:00 PM EDTsuch is life under capitalism, the profit motive by definition is amoral. my guess is that mcdonald's probably is looking more at numbers than making a dramatic social statement...
i love chick fil a
April 8, 2008 4:22:00 AM EDTAhem!
October 11, 2008 8:45:00 PM EDTIt's not just Mcdonalds.
I was very concerned when I heard that Google was contributing large sums of money to the homosexual marriage agenda.
I applauded Google on their stance over China. I left Yahoo because of their lack of concern for Chinese freedom on the internet. I love Gmail and have a blog on Blogger. :-(
I remember a time quite a few years ago when I had to go without buying onions for a few weeks because the only ones in the shops near me were from South Africa or Chile.
I stopped buying McDonalds a few years ago when I learned they buy up the diseased animals left at the end of trading at the markets and put MSG in their food. (MSG is an excitotoxin which kills brain cells and is an addictive substance.) - Chick-Fil-A also use MSG. They have to otherwise the caged bird-flesh they use would be tasteless.