Disqus - Latest Comments for DennisMN

Re: Swift Air to Acquire Eastern Airlines

Dennis Sanders — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 18:43:28 -0000

I wanted to share an article I wrote about this. Hopefully Eastern will continue, but Swift has not said anything. https://medium.com/@denniss...

Re: Swift Air to Acquire Eastern Airlines

Dennis Sanders — Mon, 18 Sep 2017 02:03:35 -0000

Do you know how/ if Eastern will continue to operate?

Re: The Problem Doesn’t Stop With Amtrak

Dennis Sanders — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 13:19:33 -0000

I have a larger question: is there a libertarian case to be made for transit? Being an urban creature, I've always seen mass transit as a choice to move around as opposed to roads-only. How can a varied transportation place fit under Bleeding Heart Libertarianism?

Re: Hillary Clinton Can’t Blame Michigan Gov For Flint’s Water

Dennis Sanders — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 15:51:50 -0000

If it was unclear I apologize. That was not my attempt. What I know from news reports was that the EM signed off on it. What I am not sure is what power, if any the City Council had since it is up to the EM to decide what powers local officials have. I believe the the City Council vote to join Karagondi was symbolic. I'm not sure what powers the council or mayor had during this period.

Re: Hillary Clinton Can’t Blame Michigan Gov For Flint’s Water

Dennis Sanders — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 15:48:25 -0000

I think the actual decision would have been the emergency manager. It's up to the EM to decide what powers local officials have. The City Council did vote in favor of joining the Karagondi Water Authority, but from what I've read, it was largely symbolic. That might not be the case, but I need to do some investigating to be sure.

Re: The GOP’s #FlintWaterCrisis blame game continues as Republicans freak out over protest rally planned for today

Dennis Sanders — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 10:38:59 -0000

Hi. I'm the writer of the Federalist article. I wrote the article based on my own experience being from Flint and from what I've learned from various news sources like Michigan Radio and Detroit News as well as sources from Michigan State University, so I don't know where the revisionist history slam comes from. I worked hard to be fair. This point of the article wasn't to excuse Snyder, he does share the blame, but to show this is the result of a lot of choices that lead to this disaster. It's not simply the governor or Republicans. The point is this was a failure of government at all levels. That's what I am trying to say in this article.

Re: Ponderings on a Faith Journey: Welcoming the Stranger and the Refugees

Dennis Sanders — Sat, 21 Nov 2015 15:19:07 -0000

I've been disappointed with Synder on this too. As to Patterson, I don't get why people keep voting him in.

Re: Are You Romantic About Christianity?

Dennis Sanders — Tue, 24 Jun 2014 12:34:35 -0000

I haven't really listened to Contemporary Christian music seriously for years, but most of what you say is true. That said, there are standouts. Amy Grant has always been a great songwriter focusing on grace, temptation and the love of God in spite of it all. Steven Curtis Chapman is not as consistent as Grant, but he can write some songs with deep meaning, including one written after the death of his young child. There is a lot of schlock in that genre, but there are also gems, but you have to look hard to find it.

Re: Syfy Cancels Being Human And Everything Is Terrible

Dennis Sanders — Wed, 12 Mar 2014 19:58:02 -0000

I have signed petitions to keep Being Human on the air or picked up by another channel. Don't know if it will do any good, but I do think this show has more stories to tell. While the ending is at least known to the cast, it will always feel a bit artificial. But who knows maybe a writing campaign will make a point.

Re: No, David Brooks, the poor are not the prodigal son

Dennis Sanders — Tue, 18 Feb 2014 14:55:34 -0000

Morgan, when I read this last night, I felt somewhat convicted in how I see the poor. I don't think he was trying to simply blame the poor. He was asking for society to come together and work for the common good. I also have to add that your response to Brooks' article was incredibly condescending. You have every right to criticize his article, but you basically attacked him. I've read Brooks over the years, and I know he is concerned about the poor. He might not share the same viewpoint or philosophy, but he does care and has more than once taken his fellow conservatives to task for not doing more.

I'm sorry to be so harsh, Morgan, but what I got from your post was that you have the solution to care for the poor. If you weren't so eager to lash out you might have seen where you and Brooks meet on this issue in addition to where you differ.

Re: Why I’m not getting ordained this year

Dennis Sanders — Fri, 31 Jan 2014 09:51:46 -0000

Hmmm. I work full-time at a Methodist Church and we have four pastors. Two are elders and can serve communion and two are deacons, but they all are pastors. At least that's what I'm starting to gather. Methodist polity is new to me.

Re: Why I’m not getting ordained this year

Dennis Sanders — Fri, 31 Jan 2014 00:22:24 -0000

So I take it you are a deacon right now.

Re: The Evangelical Work Ethic - Kruse Kronicle

Dennis Sanders — Sun, 27 Oct 2013 00:23:35 -0000

I agree with you on both points. I've seen a few Evangelicals basically baptize American capitalism with no critique at all. But Mainlines tend to just automatically condemn anything that is profit making and in related to that condemn the very places where their friends work. I am amazed at how dense some of my fellow pastors can be on this matter.

Re: The Evangelical Work Ethic - Kruse Kronicle

Dennis Sanders — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 12:51:26 -0000

Question: do mainline Christians foster a good work ethic? My guess is no, because too often we lift up mission work or service and we saw work more as a problem to be solved (working conditions, pay) than something we do.

Re: Love Your Neighbor As Your Opponent: Why the Government Shuts Down When We Shut Each Other Out

Dennis Sanders — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 10:13:53 -0000

I'm African American and a Republican. I do think my party is being obstructionist in this case, but I think what's going on in DC is the sign of a larger problem, one that goes beyond left and right. Megan McArdle wrote something yesterday about how we in society no longer have empathy for each other and I think that's true. We no longer see the other (and in this case the other tends to be someone with a different ideology) as human being, but as something evil, something that can't be reasoned with. So we assume the worse calling them racists or socialists or what have you instead of trying to understand them. I'm not looking for a kum-bah-yah moment here, but we do need to at least understand where the other is coming from. In the end, we may not agree with them, but we will at least see the humanity in each other.

Re: Air Travel Is Worse Than a Hummer With Wings

Dennis Sanders — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 23:39:22 -0000

If we’re going to get serious about greenhouse gasses, we need to get
serious about air travel. Going to a distant conference should attract
the kind of scorn among the chattering classes that is currently
reserved for buying a Hummer.

So, should none of us ever fly anywhere?

This past summer, I've had to travel between Minnesota and Michigan to move my elderly parents. My partner and I have driven, but that takes close to 13 hours and it means losing a day that could have been spent doing other things with my parents. A flight from Minnesota to Michigan is at best an hour and it leaves a large part of the day to help my parents in moving their stuff.

Does air travel pollute? Yes. Should I give up flying? Not unless I'm willing to set aside huge blocks of vacation time to travel.

I think part of the problem here is that too much of modern environmentalism is about shaming. The fact is, we all do something at some point that harms the environment. That's the price we pay for the modern world we live in. Instead of heaping scorn on people for driving a Hummer or taking a flight to Boise, we might want to see if we can create alternatives that pollute less.

Of course as an alternative, we could consider upgrading our rail system to allow for either high-speed or higher speed rail, something that Megan has opposed.

Re: Mainline Resurgent: Is it TRUE?

Dennis Sanders — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 00:43:12 -0000

So, faith isn't about Jesus or God or the cross, but how well we do the liturgy? I tend to love liturgy as well, but if it doesn't have any meaning other than a performance it ain't Christianity. We have liturgy because of what God has done through Jesus, not just for the hell of it or because it is wonderful.

Re: Mainline Resurgent: Is it TRUE?

Dennis Sanders — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 00:38:21 -0000

Ummm...the whole Jesus is Lord thing is a political statement. In Christianity's early days, saying Jesus is Lord meant saying Ceasar is not and that got people into trouble. Are you saying that's all junk?

Re: Why Do We Hate the Suburbs?

Dennis Sanders — Tue, 07 May 2013 17:14:39 -0000

I thought you'd like to know that I wrote about this same subject yesterday. This is not just an issue for evangelicals, but mainliners as well.

http://questorpastor.wordpr...

Re: Booker Rising: Sophia Nelson: "Old Stereotypes Are Behind Republican Attacks Against Susan Rice"

Dennis Sanders — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 00:05:52 -0000

I just don't see the racism here. Maybe it's there, but we can't know. Graham and McCain don't seem to be the type that would use "code words" and the like to go after someone because of their race or a stereotype.

I don't doubt that some Republicans have used race in attacking someone (think Jesse Helms), but I don't think the GOP is going after her because she is black.

The problem with our racial politics today is that it is mixed up with partisanship. If we don't like Republicans or think they are all evil and racist, then we will see racism taking place where there might not be any. And I think that's the problem here; folks like Sophia already have their minds made up about the GOP and they fill in the blanks.

I think the GOP is probably making more political hay than they need to. That said, if African Americans are going to take positions of leadership, then we are going to have expect some criticism at some point. It's time to grow up, people. Not every white person is gunning for us.

Re: Where's the Protestant Support for Catholic Bishops?

Dennis Sanders — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:54:01 -0000

Bob, how is this NOT a religious liberty issue? If a church organization is forced to pay for something that goes against their teaching, that to me seems like a violation of religious freedom. I can understand and would push for exemptions and work arounds so that women can still have access to birth control, something that satisfies the women who choose to work at religious institutions and those institutions themselves.

I'd like to see some theological or at least reasoned opinion as to why this isn't a religious liberty issue. My fear is that it's not a religious liberty issue simply because we don't like what the Catholic Bishops stand for.

Re: You Might be a Progressive Christian if . . .

Dennis Sanders — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 10:21:52 -0000

Bruce,

This is an interesting post which as gives me a lot to think about. I've been wary of the use of the term "progressive" within what was once called "mainline Protestantism." While I would say more often than not that I would fit into your definition of "progressive," I tend to think that far too often the result of using the word progressive is far different than from its original intent. Your definition is one that I think wants to be more than just another word for an ideological position. The problem is, far too often in noticing how people actually live, people tend to use progressive to mean subscribing to a particular political agenda. I don't think that people are walking around wanting to do that, but it happens.

I guess another reason I am wary of the term is more personal. While I am probably more liberal theologically, I tend to be somewhat more conservative/libertarian politically. What I see from people using the whole "progressive Christian" wording is they are both theological and political liberals. The unease at the base of it all is that the word "progressive" tends to make me feel unwelcome in the former mainline churches, even though I might share some theological views with folks.

I know that for many the term is freeing and wonderful and describes a more expansive understanding of Christianity. But for me it makes me feel that to be part of the gang I have to adopt a liberal Democratic agenda. Maybe I'm all wet about this, but it is just how I feel.

Dennis Sanders

Re: Confession, Ctd.

Dennis Sanders — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:51:48 -0000

Pete,

Since reading your original post on Tuesday, I've been wondering how to best respond in a way that would be instructive and not just yelling. So, here goes.

I think that you are not being honest with yourself in your reasoning. If you had said that you were disgusted with the GOP and decided that it made sense to become a Democrat, I would have understood that. But instead, you made this odd notion about wanting to marginalize parties in particular and the way to do that was to marginalize the GOP. I think this hides your own anger at the GOP in a nice veneer of "moderation."

It would be simplistic to start bringing up Cuba or the Soviet Union in talking about one party states. But I do think that in nations that have had one-party democracy such as Mexico and Japan, there tends to be a history of corruption. I tend to think that an all Democratic government would do the same (as would an all Republican government for that matter). I still believe that what is needed is two (or more parties) to help make democracy vital.

The problem is not political parties per se. Instead the issue is that both parties have grown far more partisan over time and have left moderates looking for a home. While political parties aren't outlined in the constitution, I do think they are helpful in providing some sense of order in democracy, to create coalitions that can work together.

If you have decided to become a Democrat, that's fine. I'm a Republican that lives among a lot of Democrats and I respect them. But please be honest about why you are doing this.

Re: The Great Recession; or, Why Do the Republicans Hate America?

Dennis Sanders — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:22:16 -0000

Michael, I have tried to hold my tounge at your posts, but I believe you have gone way to far this time.

Frankly, I don't think you are any better than a right-wing ideologe with your comments- you see those who disagree not only as wrong or different, but evil. You have every right to disagree with the GOP, but they don't have to simply roll over and accept what you think are the right views. They have different views and even though it might not be the right one in your eyes, that only makes it different. Republicans don't hate America, they just have different ways on how to fix it.

I am a Republican. I care about how to help those who are losing their jobs. I don't look at my Democatic friends as pricks simply because I happen to disagree with them.

I think this post was very mean spirited and you have basically become what you profess to hate. How shameful.

Re: Dissin' Detroit and It's Consequences for Conservatism

Dennis Sanders — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:26:31 -0000

Cannonshop, my I use your comments in a post? You made some very good points.