Miracles Still Happen

Posted on | February 16, 2014 | 34 Comments

Perhaps my method — relentless sarcasm — is not ideal, but somebody’s got to be Andy Sipowicz. Jesus gets to be the “Good Cop”:

As a professor of English and women’s studies, on the track to becoming a tenured radical, I cared about morality, justice, and compassion. Fervent for the worldviews of Freud, Hegel, Marx, and Darwin, I strove to stand with the disempowered. I valued morality. . . .
After my tenure book was published, I used my post to advance the understandable allegiances of a leftist lesbian professor. . . .
I began researching the Religious Right and their politics of hatred against queers like me. . . .
As a postmodern intellectual, I operated from a historical materialist worldview, but Christianity is a supernatural worldview. . . .

Spoiler alert: “Hate” wins. Way to go, Good Cop.

Category: Education, Feminism, Gays, Religion

Comments

34 Responses to “Miracles Still Happen”

Evi L. Bloggerlady
February 16th, 2014 @ 6:10 pm

Amazing Grace…
Adjoran
February 16th, 2014 @ 6:13 pm

I always thought Sipowicz and Lenny Briscoe would make the ideal partners. The perps would confess under the relentless snark.

Then if that didn’t work, they could take along Frank Pembleton to solve the case with a few more dry observations.
Bob Belvedere
February 16th, 2014 @ 6:43 pm

Three of the best TV Cops – although Pembleton was never as good after the stroke.
UseYourHead
February 16th, 2014 @ 7:08 pm

Pastor Ken is a former CIA spook, and sooner or later she’s going to start experiencing flashbacks of the MK-Ultra brainwashing she’s undergone(and the electroshock used to cover it up)which is the real reason for her conversion.
WaltPimbley
February 16th, 2014 @ 8:08 pm

RT @smitty_one_each: TOM Miracles Still Happen http://t.co/tPWnuAPm0Y #TCOT
richard mcenroe
February 16th, 2014 @ 7:16 pm

Something to remember while we’re ragging on those who desperately need it: we need to remember to keep one eye open for the genuinely sincere questioners.
Bob Belvedere
February 16th, 2014 @ 7:19 pm

Hmmm….
smitty
February 16th, 2014 @ 7:23 pm

>I operated from a historical materialist worldview

In other words, that of a corpse.
K-Bob
February 16th, 2014 @ 7:34 pm

If I were a perp, just having to listen to “John Kelly” (David Caruso) and his fake, low-whispery voice would make me confess, just to get away from it. He must be the only main character on any show today that has to redo every single line in the “dubbing” room.
K-Bob
February 16th, 2014 @ 7:37 pm

Animated meat.
K-Bob
February 16th, 2014 @ 7:42 pm

This is somewhat evocative to an astonishing (to me) fact of life. No matter how screwed up you are or how “bad” you are, somehow chances to escape that way of life keep appearing. Almost like …an invitation.

It’s why I think “career” criminals are all mentally damaged, somehow. It isn’t always their own fault for having been wounded that way, but it’s also something we clearly can’t fix yet. But damage is the only way I could see not choosing to have a better life. A happier life, anyway.
librarygryffon
February 16th, 2014 @ 7:51 pm

I think this is what Pope Francis was talking about when he said we should not be focusing so much on abortion and homosexuality. He was not saying that they weren’t wrong, he was saying that we have to love the sinners, for we are all sinners, and by meeting them with love instead of driving them off with hate, we give them the chance to open up to God.

I’m sure I’ve worded this badly, but hopefully folks can figure out what I’m trying to say.
Bob Belvedere
February 16th, 2014 @ 7:52 pm

One hopes that is what the Holy Father meant.

BTW: Your wording was damn good.
ChandlersGhost
February 16th, 2014 @ 8:03 pm

“This day is going to be…murder.” [Puts on sunglasses.]
ChandlersGhost
February 16th, 2014 @ 8:05 pm

You just named my industrial band.
DaveO
February 16th, 2014 @ 8:11 pm

Shorter Pope: the battle is for the soul, not the doctrine.
If the Ham-Nye debate is any example, the Enemy ignores the doctrine anyway.
Question being how does one determine a genuine questioner from a clever troll? In the article, the pastor, his wife and their church family ministered by example for a long period of time. And, in fairness, the woman was genuinely committed to her ideals, like a Camille Paglia without the snobbery.
DaveO
February 16th, 2014 @ 8:21 pm

Lots of defining and redefining of equality, and not a single anatomical map to be seen! I got bored halfway through – did you two cover Equality of Opportunity (conservative feminism) versus Equality of Outcome (liberal feminism)?
librarygryffon
February 16th, 2014 @ 8:24 pm

When I read what the Pope said, rather than what the LSM wanted him to say, it made perfect sense to me that we should be ceasing to have the sin as our primary focus. If a woman has had an abortion, telling her that she is evil and damned is hardly the best way to help bring her into a loving relationship with God.
Stogie Chomper
February 16th, 2014 @ 8:39 pm

An inspiring tale.
Evi L. Bloggerlady
February 16th, 2014 @ 9:05 pm

I tend to be of the Catholic school that grace is like working out…you can find it if you work those spiritual muscles (predestination takes away free will). But I can’t disagree with the Calvinists that God and the Holy Spirit do have their ways.
WarEagle82
February 16th, 2014 @ 9:31 pm

I heard about this woman a few weeks ago and was looking for her story.

Sometimes, you can scare a person into heaven. Often, most often, other approaches work better. And this lady is a great example of other approaches working better.

Thanks for the link.

You aren’t such a bad bloke for a ‘Bama fain…
K-Bob
February 16th, 2014 @ 9:46 pm

D’oh! I forgot the “BNRM” acronym.
K-Bob
February 16th, 2014 @ 9:48 pm

Two items from the interwebtubes that are related to common topics here at TOM…

The Facefook Comment That Ruined a Life

Online trolls really ARE horrible people: Researchers find they are narcissistic, machiavellian, psychopathic and sadistic
Bob Belvedere
February 16th, 2014 @ 11:25 pm

Wrong link. Correct one:
http://thecampofthesaints.org/2014/02/12/the-consequences-of-being-an-ideologue-part-69-feminists/
Bob Belvedere
February 16th, 2014 @ 11:26 pm

And, BTW, if you can’t bother to read the post, I can’t be bothered to reply to you.
M. Thompson
February 17th, 2014 @ 12:05 am

C. S. Lewis notes that everything that is good comes, ultimately, from God, who wants, in His own fashion, us to come to love him.

And His patience and goodwill are infinite for the penitent sinners of the world. We should all remember that, because we all are not perfect.
Adjoran
February 17th, 2014 @ 1:02 am

I laughed with he left to be a movie star after the first season, it probably ensured the show’s success. Ever see “Jade”? LOL
K-Bob
February 17th, 2014 @ 6:33 am

I wasn’t about to see it. He wasn’t that great to begin with, and then he demanded greater star status, so they let him go from the series, and it did help.

LOL for sure.
Quartermaster
February 17th, 2014 @ 4:39 pm

It’s not original with Lewis,

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” James 1:17
Quartermaster
February 17th, 2014 @ 4:39 pm

It’s not original with Lewis,

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” James 1:17
Quartermaster
February 17th, 2014 @ 4:45 pm

The early church discovered things long before Calvinists did. Calvin twisted it into Neoplatonist predestination with God determining all from eternity past. OTOH, God does not force himself on us, and the opportunities to escape God’s coming wrath occur throughout life.

No one is going to reside in the lake of fire because of their sin. They will be there because the refused God’s provision for it.
RS
February 17th, 2014 @ 6:22 pm

Spot on.
tlk244182
February 17th, 2014 @ 7:21 pm

“Battle is for the soul, etc” What’s that from? (I really like it.)
FMJRA 2.0: Washington’s Birthday Hangover Edition : The Other McCain
February 23rd, 2014 @ 3:49 pm

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