This is a response to the comments of this post at Okiefunk:
Okie Funk Noodling: News With A Bite
Upon further reflection over the last few days, I decided to say a bit more.
I went back and looked at everything I said about Brad Henry in the comments on this blog (I did this by running a search on your website for the word “Henry” ), and I have to say that I have nothing to apologize for.
Everything I said about Henry was backed up by fact. I won’t rehash all of my arguments from before in depth (that Henry is super-pro death penalty and lied about it during his campaign, he is pro-gambling to fund education, even though it hurts poor people, and he supports the corporate takeover of higher education), but those are all fair arguments. You certainly have the right to disagree with me, or even to say that the danger of someone like Istook getting elected makes living with Henry acceptable. But, what I do not think is fair or right is to say that my criticism of Henry is because I’m really a Republican at heart.
I don’t know too many Republicans who would approach my beefs with Henry the way I have (opposition to the death penalty, concern for the poor, and opposition to the corporatizion of higher ed). You certainly have the right to oppose my strategy and approach, but it is not right to accuse of holding to an ideology that I simply do not have.
I kept thinking that you would appologize for this statement and I thought I would be silent for a few days to give you the chance to make amends, but you haven’t done so. I did want to be conciliatory towards you because that’s my nature in most cases, but the truth is now I feel like you just ripped on me because of my faith and because I dared to criticize a democrat who I believe is far from progressive. Am I wrong about this?
I should also add that with my work in the Green Party, in anti-militarism/draft education work, in death penalty abolition work, I work with people of all kinds of different philosophical and faith perspectives, including several agnostics, atheists, and members of alternative spiritual paths. I respect those folks in their beliefs (and since I’m not an evangelical Christian I don’t try to convert them), but I do live my life in the context of those communities which includes my faith. More often than not I find that there’s a lot more common ground between folks than appears on first glance.
I know that you said above that every conversation you have with me revolves around religion. I don’t recall that being the case, but if it is, it is because that is who I am, and because I assumed that you would understand that my talking about my faith journey is in no way is a judgment of your approach to life. My activism work is integrally related to my faith journey. The two are not seperate.
I certainly try to be respectful of differences in people and try not to offend unnecessarily, but neither will I stay in the closet about my faith. To demand that religious people keep their faith hidden away is just as dangerous and as prejudicial as asking a gay or lesbian person to stay in the closet, or to ask a multi-racial person to deny who they are so that they can “pass” in white society.
This is the comment I posted at Okie Funk:
I want to add my defense of James, whom I worked with for almost two years. True, he does talk openly about his religious faith, but unlike most people who do so, he also lives a life where he acts out that faith. He cannot by any means be considered a conservative as the term is used today. I’m an atheist as well, and never felt that James was proslytising to me, or considered my worldview less valid than his. And, since I was involved with the Greens while in Oklahoma, I certainly never felt that religious matters dominated, in fact I can’t think of one instance when I felt uncomfortable by religious conversation, and I usually do notice that type of thing. Maybe I made extraordinary allowances for my friends, but I really don’t think so. I am sorry to hear, though, that some have had that feeling and hope that those concerned in GPOK will take extra care to avoid that perception.
And, finally, that this thread has been dominated by rather unkind personal attacks on James is unworthy of the blog owner, whom I have come to admire for his political insights. I hope it is and remains an anomoly at OkieFunk.
Just wanted to say thank you so much, Rena, for your kind words. I really appreciate it, as you made me feel a lot better in what has otherwise been some pretty hard times.
I think also it was helpful to me to hear your perspective as an atheist, in how my interactions with you were received. Ever since the mess at Okiefunk came up, I’ve been fearful that maybe I have not been as respectful to other persectives as I mean to be, so hearing your assesment of things has been helpful.
As for the issues of the perception of the GPOK, I think the folks who raised those issues have no actual experience with the GPOK (I have yet to recall any “religious ranting” at any GPOK meeting that I can recall, in fact religion rarely comes up except to complain about what the Christian right is doing), but Kurt did bring up one good point, in that maybe I’ve had too much of a public profile with the Greens and that folks too often associate my views with the party’s views. That definitely is a concern. It’s hard though because in a lot of arenas we just don’t have GPOK members who are speaking out, so my voice tends to dominate too much. Maybe the answer is that I should just shut up, but I kinda hate to do that too.
Anyway, lots to think about.
By the way, I’m blogging again. Stop by if you get a chance.
I’m glad to see you are back (btw, for any of y’all out there who haven’t read it before, Rena’s blog is at http://www.gypsyresort.com/re )
I tried to leave a comment on your blog but it said i had to be logged in to do so, but I couldn’t find a login link on the page.
Oops, sorry about that. I’ll check it out. I think you have an account already; if so I’ll mail you. For others, I’ll either add a link or change the requirement.
I also have to stand up in Mathew’s (James’) defense here. I haven’t even seen what was written on Okiefunk.com, but I have always known Mathew to be a person who truly seems to live by what he says and to be open to looking at other’s ideas. He doesn’t just spout off the latest fashionable idea, but is well-researched and well-considered in his opinions. We haven’t always agreed on things, but I truly respect him for the integrity of his beliefs.