Vox Populi?

If Jesus Christ would resurrect now He would be a follower of the Fuhrer

The popular statement in the German schools in 1933-1945

Whenever we talk among us, fellow- immigrants from the former Soviet Union, whenever we discuss the US politics I always say the same thing over and over and over again,

- Folks, be aware, please, that we as people are in a unique situation. We had never experienced a religious mentality of the nation. We were born in atheism, so where our parents and grandparents. That means that no matter how much we now pretend to be the opposite, we in reality are atheists and as atheists we will die. For us forever the Bible will be just an interesting book, Jesus Christ- just a figurehead and Moses will be Charlton Heston. That makes us unique in sorts because all the other immigrants to the US come from the countries with some religious mentality in place, even the ones from China. They thus have a chance to adopt and absorb that mentality here; we don't.

The religious mentality manifests itself in many ways but one of them is very distinct- it is the association of personal goodness with the religious belonging. I would dare to say that in the Western Christianity it is more a Lutheran thing; Catholic Church acknowledges the burden of sin of an individual and thus has an institution of confession. LutheranChurch is first and foremost a Service, a convenient shell for the group of people to perform certain rituals whether in a comfort of their own homes or in the special buildings if they choose. In both cases it is like a Superball; the belonging is more important than a substance. It makes you comfortable, cozy, content and" good, not to worry. Here is a quote from the "Handbook To The Bible' as I call the book by Oswald Chambers "My Utmost For His Highest',

- Believe God is always the God you know Him to be when you are nearest to Him. Then think how unnecessary and disrespectful worry is!

Worrying in fact, the permanent discontent is the privilege of the non- believers. Believers, especially do not have to worry about the current events- their worries are to be concentrated on being close to God.

It is thus rather imperative in the US especially that people of God are good people. That is very evident during the parole hearings in prisons. All the parole boards in the US accept without a hint of a smile the arguments from the convicts about "finding Jesus' which helped them to rehabilitate, to become better. The simple argument like ,'I have been here for a while and I learned my lesson,' doesn't cut it. You MUST find Jesus or else. I haven't heard so far about any convict who was freed because he or she " discovered Allah' or performed conversion to Judaism. If you know someone like that send me a postcard. That is exactly like in the Stalin's prisons the only slim chance to survive was associated with the hysterical praising of the Great Leader. There it was called a cult. Here it is called an enlightenment.

Enlightened people are good by definition. That means that you can have seven guns in your house, read Sarah Palin, attend the Tea- Party rallies and spend your Sundays sitting on a sofa with Bud but you are good. You are good if you 'support our troops', listen to Glenn Beck and embrace the Arizona racist laws. That makes it possible for you to never worry from self- doubt. NEVER. Of course, that also presumes a high level of ignorance because otherwise you would be familiar with an old Scandinavian saying,

- Every man is what he is. But only trolls are beyond self- doubt.

This is maybe the most guarded secret of the US life; the religious mentality protects morons en masse from the self- assessment. It is much more potent than even the most flattering communism. It is a shining armor continuously fortified by the media which trumpets 24 hours a day, seven days a week how great the US public is, how good, how smart and how enlightened. The Shining City on the Hill must have enlightened citizens or there can't be such a city. Thus one thing drags in another one and another one and another. Polls, votes, rallies- we see the faces of the 'simple people' and Devil forbid to say or even think that maybe they are not so bright. That's a taboo more deadly than the corporate citizenship.

So at the Miss America pageant we have that blond stick Miss Oklahoma answering a question about the recent Arizona mockery of law; she mutters something stupid about 'states rights' and gets a standing ovation. Remember the movie Italian Job?

-You are not that bright, are you?

But no one says that. She had done her utmost for the Highest.

We are in serious trouble. The following things we encounter, each of them on its own is enough to topple an Empire. Here they are;

Paralysis of Power. It becomes very obvious that the administrative power is definitely following someone's orders and is incapable of solving even the most urgent problems.

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