"Benny Da' Big Thinker"

Interview with “Benny Da' Big Thinker”

Benny:  "Hi, my name is Benny the Big Thinker."

RA:  “Hello Benny, tell us, where do you attend church?”

Benny:  “I attend the local Baptacostalist church.  Half Pentecostal and half Baptist.  They got real cool music, Dude.  I can emote, stomp my feet, raise my hands, put my head back, and breathe without thinking.  45 minutes of da’ rock, roll, swing and swoon. When I get to that high, `I’m Da’ Big Thinka’ fellow Dudes and Dudettes.  We all get worked up to mindlessness...like that big word, Dude? I can leave my brains at the door when I enter, never use my mind during the service,  and never pick my brains up when I leave.  It’s real cool, man.  It's so user-friendly that I'm tellin' my fellow Dudes about it."

RA:  “Well, OK, we have your general church views.  What books are you reading?

Benny:  “Read books?  Are you for real? Huh…well, I don't read no books, no suh!  My Momma and Daddy didn’t need em’ and I don’t need none neither."

RA:  “Well, after church on Sundays, what do you do?”

Benny:  “Dude, I play my action-video games all day long.  Man, it’s far out.  I’m 30 years old and live with Mama and Papa.”

RA:   “You live with Mama and Papa, have the whole week off, and you don’t read any books?

Benny:  “Heck no, man, stop downin’ me with this book-stuff.  Are you for real?”

RA:  “”Benny, are you aware that 50% of America hasn’t read a single book in the last year?

Benny:  “See, Dude, ain’t that cool?  I belong to the top 50% in America.  I'm leadin' a movement!  What happened to the other 50%?  Those losers?”

RA:  “To answer your question, 25% read `one to four' books last year and the remaining 25% read `more than four books.'"

Benny: “Well,  I don’t belong to those two groups…the 25 percenters!  I belong to the top 50% that ain’t read no books last year." 

RA:  “Let’s get this right.  You are proud of "not" reading a single book last year?”

Benny:  “That’s why they call me `Benny Da’ Big Thinker!’  I got a big brain and got me some good ideas, like not reading. I’m Da’ Man, Dudes and Dudettes.”

RA:   “Well, OK Benny, nice chatting.  We took a picture and will leave it for you.”

Benny:  “Cool, man, haha!  That’s me alright, playing a video game.  But hey, man, is my head really that small?  I'll tell ya though, alot goes on in the three inches between my ears.  C’ya, Reformation Anglican." 

RA:  "We hereby conclude this interview, Benny, for your sake and for our readers.  We recommend this audit to our august Book of Common Prayer.  Here's the change:  `Pastor: Luni omnes sunt.  Congregational response: Et illiterati.'" 

Triablogue: Political Will, Cultural Elites and Confessional Churchmen

Reformation Anglicanism attempts several things.  One objective has been to vet solid blog-sites.  Triablogue is one such site, not because we agree on all things; they are Reformed and we are Anglican.  But, they often offer important insights.  Here, Matthew Schultz offers a good one.  We’d add a few qualifications however.  According to the Census Bureau 2010, 27% of America has a baccalaureate degree; even worse, 12% of African Americans have a B.A.; one can see how louds mouths like the Rev. "Big Al Sharpton" easily influences uneducated black folks ("Big Al" hasn't even finished one year of undergraduate college, but he yaps away anyways); of course, the Caucs aren't without their own tub-thumpers either like the Baptacostals at TBN; we do not believe these numbers have shifted widely since 2010. We do not live in a highly educated nation.  Illiterates still widely populate this large land. This means that elites in Hollywood, music, art, and academic centers can easily influence the masses and mobs.  Those who survive the academic world (“the few, the proud, the elite”) more often than not perpetuate earlier indoctrinations.  Relatedly, notice how easily the masses follow the Hillbilly religionists in Baptacostal-land;  these anti-intellectuals have been and always will be with us.  The educated flock to mainline churches, if they go at all.  There, they get doctrinal pablum proferred with polite and meaningless niceties, although the hymns and liturgy are often better. Ergo, the takeaway: be an educated Churchman or Churchwoman and influence academic, media, publishing and musical centers with a view to the unvarnished masses.  That’s exactly what elites are doing and they know it.  Elitist?  Yes, indeed, but wisely and, we pray, humbly so.

http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2012/05/political-will-and-cultural-elites.html

Thursday, May 10, 2012 

Political Will and Cultural Elites

 Rick Santorum said:
I will continue to fight to make sure that the cultural elites don't further undermine the institution [of marriage] that gives the best opportunity for healthy, happy children and a just and prosperous society.

You can't fight cultural elites with political weapons. Film makers, journalists, artists, university professors--these people care little for what a conservative politician says.

Even if you legislate a law against their positions, it will be overturned in a generation (or less) since these elites are the ones who train our youth and future political, cultural and business leaders.

This is why liberalism, despite being a minority position, holds ascendency in our world. Power lies in cultural transformation, and conservatives own little of it.

There's a sense in which we lost the cultural battle generations ago, when the fundamentalists fled the universities and similar cultural institutions and let the secular perspective reign unchecked.

We are just seeing the fruits of that capitulation.

There's hope, but the change will be generational, and will involve sending more Evangelicals to the university. This is also reason to be glad many Evangelical philosophers have made headway into the university setting. There is a very real sense in which philosophy undergirds all cultural pursuits.

It will also entail giving more money to foundations, scholarships, etc., for Christian artists, lawyers, academics, and similar groups--another reason to support sending more Christians into business, since they are the cash cows for serious, lasting cultural efforts.

Protest to Jacksonville Daily News Staff & Editor, Camp Lejeune., NC

(Sent to numerous Professors and Instructors by email)

 

Dear Professors and Instructors:

My jeremiad is registered below. This was sent to the Editor of JD News. Whether Elliot Potter, the Editor, publishes it or not, is unbeknowst to me. I am more than annoyed and intend to follow up, as a retired Marine.

 

Thank you for being scholars, thinkers, and teachers in Jacksonville, a forlorn and dessicated tract of geography amongst the old corn fields. This city is much, much and far, far better for your presence.
Thanks for your dedication. The thoughts below are mine and mine alone.

Regards,
Donald Philip Veitch
----------------------------------------

 

Dear Editor:

An item of developing interest concerns me. I intend to watch this like a catch watches a mouse.

Magnificently, the Daily News has been affording the thinking community in Jacksonville a host of articles about the law by our state Justices. An awesome lecture by David Stewart, Esq., at the Superior Court, Onslow County, JAX recently. A marvellous lecture. Anticipating the next lecture on 17 May by a NC SC Justice. Marvellous! JD News, keep it coming!

This is most highly commendable, worthy, meritorious, thoughtful, important, and an intelligent contribution to the community. I can't speak more highly than this. JD News, kudoes. Also, kudoes to the State Judge, Judge Henry, for sponsoring these important lectures at the Court House. Judge Henry's sponsorship can't be praised more highly. May His Dread and High Majesty, a Sovereign God, continue to afford more intellectual and deliberative support and development in this community. Judge Henry, many kudoes.

However, a jeremiad of significance is preferred...of warrant, of merit, and of importance. More than a jeremiad, perhaps, a vigourous public protest. Why do we, as Jacksonvillonians, not get regular, weekly, and deliberative articles from the faculty at CCCC?

For example, why are the 10 English courses important? Should that not be covered? Why doesn't JD News cover each course? Are they unimportant? An article per course? Dear Editor, you have a host of scholars in the English Department, but what do we hear of them?

Or, why, are the 19 courses in law important at CCCC? Need help? CCCC has a COL, USMC, a federal Judge, of depth and signifcance. Why not an article per course, week in and week out? Ask the instructors and they'll provide answers. JAX has some important thinkers.

Why aren't we getting articles in the JD News on these matters and a host of other issues? This makes this old Marine a tad grumpy and, to your disadvantage, exposed. JD News, I intend to follow up on this line of inquiry.

This much, the CCCC-thinkers have some background that JD News might plumb. CCCC provides this community with a host of thinkers and scholars. JAX is enriched by the scholars at CCCC.

If the editorial or staff writers are challenged educationally or personally, this can be ameliorated quite quickly. An inquiry? Does anyone at the JD News have a Masters or Doctoral degree? At present, why not significant involvement or coverage by JD News by way of educated, thoughtful, deliberative and scholarly Professors at CCCC?

The cultural and intellectual nexis is not at 17 and Western Blvd. with WalMart and stripmall stores, or with JAX's forlorn and agricultural past in generations past, but just up the road at CCCC.

God give us scholars and thinkers, such as we have at CCCC.

Donald Philip Veitch
Jacksonville, NC