fileintothetrough.blogspot.com
As some of you may or may not know, Pennsylvania this year actually passed a bill that declared 2012: the Year of the Bible. I have no idea what that means, seems to me 2012's year after the persecution and death of Jesus is rather an ambiguous mark to set something as important as “the year” of the Bible, but this state and country “continues to face great tests and challenges” according to the author of the bill, Rep Rick Saccone (R). Thus it was said… 2012: The year of the Bible and by a whopping 193-0 vote in the state assembly too! And who said there was no longer any bi-partisanship?
Well, if you were like me, you didn’t pay anymore attention to this piece of news then did the 193 people who glossed over the five-billion dollar state deficit did, so they could get this obviously, crucial piece of legislation through. Funny, 193 elected officials sitting around declaring 2012: the Year of the Bible, while authorizing the purchasing of a 100 million dollar building in Harrisburg even as the state is drowning in the red this year. I have no idea why government is so ineffective.
Now, what gets me, is that here you have 2012 being passed into law as the Year of the Bible. And this isn’t a partisan issue, again, 193 elected officials for it, none against it. So you have all this overwhelming support and an organization, who opposed the bill decided to put up a quote from the Bible entitled: “Slaves, obey your masters." Biblically speaking, its accurate… but yet you have that organization chastised by some of the 193 for it? Seems, kind of strange, I thought 2012 was: the Year of the Bible?
And that’s where the humor comes in. It is the Year of the Bible, its just not part of the Bible… the 193 like. Typical really…but hypocritical and hilarious at the same time? You betcha’.
State Rep. Ronald G. Waters, chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus wrote a letter condemning the billboard company (Lamar) for putting up the message from the Bible with an African man in bondage. Mr Waters went on to say "This image and mere reminder of slavery are offensive to minority citizens in the city of Harrisburg”. Fair enough, but is the billboard not truthful?
Were black folks not slaves at one point here in this nation? Does the Bible have a verse that commands slaves to “Obey your masters? If this is truly the Year of the Bible, I suppose we ought to consider actually celebrating it, not just the parts that we don’t like or choose to ignore. Although, that would be the logical thing to do, in this context, logic isn’t useful.
Maybe, just maybe, Mr Waters ought to consider the minority of people who didn’t want 2012 to be the Year of the Bible and used a billboard to demonstrate that. He had no problem passing this bill, which clearly would/could be found to be offensive by a minority of folks as well. And therein lies the problem.
Mr Waters does not seem to care about the minority offended by this bill but he does care for the minority that might be offended for quoting the book…that has been passed into law as the Book of the Year? From political parties, caucuses inside those political parties, hate groups, religions etc etc… collectivism is a dangerous ideal that relies on double standards, ignorance and division.
Think for yourself and question authority – Timothy Leary
