No politics. Just prayers.

Meanwhile, MSNBC cashes in. Right now, I’m wondering whether I should write into the Wildcat to implore people to resist the inevitable politicking about to take place, if not already.

Norm Seeley over at NormRadio has just tagged me. I will therefore continue to pretend to be studying for tomorrow’s sociology test in favor of posting some random facts about my birthday.

When tagged, you have to take your birthday date and find out some things about it. You have to find, events, other people who were born on the same day, deaths and a holiday.

First off, in case you couldn’t tell, my noting of Justice Antonin Scalia’s birthday is my usual method of announcing that it’s my birthday. Other birthdays on March 11 include Rupert Murdoch (1931), Sam Donaldson (1934), Gale Norton (1954), Jesse Jackson Jr. (1965), and Bobby Abreu (1974). Deaths include Johnny Appleseed (1847), Charles Sumner (1874), Oscar Mayer (1955), and Slobodan Milošević (2006). Major events include the election of Pope Leo X (1513), the adoption of the Confederate Constitution (1861), Emperor Meiji’s annexation of Okinawa (1872), and the Madrid Train Bombings (2004). Holidays include Johnny Appleseed day, Lithuania’s reestablishment of independence, Lesotho’s Moshoeshoe Day, and Zambia’s Youth Day.

Sonoran Alliance and Lighthouse Blog, you are tagged.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANTONIN SCALIA!!

In case you couldn’t tell, I’m taking a break from blogging for a while. This day also officially marks having two months left before I retire from blogging. More on that later.

I went back yesterday afternoon. Originally I was intending to study over a good amount of coffee before a 6pm class, but the noise outside the southwest SUMC patio became too much.

Rev. Smock was back to his own ways, yelling and namecalling for no justified reason–which is to say that there are good reasons for doing so as Jesus did; Rev. Smock didn’t have one.

The epiphany came when he asked a certain skeptic whether he had been smoking marijuana. I confronted him again asking him to recall what I said to him Tuesday, he retorted back at me, and suddenly things were civil again. Rev. Smock left around 5:15pm with many of the rest of us discussing in a civilized manner.

After a conflict with one particular gentleman who became offended at me, disagreeing that one could still be respectful of a person while disagreeing in belief or principle, I went into the 24/7 prayer tent, talked about the dealings with the individual inside, and praised God for making the civil conversation possible. Throughout my 6-8:30pm class, I paid attention to the lecture but still couldn’t get my mind off what God was doing.

This afternoon, I discovered that Jed has been posting updates (1 | 2 | 3) on his website’s bulletin board. I don’t mean to be egotistic here, but I find it strange that my confrontations with him are not mentioned, despite having noted what I feel are the results of God using them to promote civility over mockery and theater.

Allow me to reemphasize that anger and loud voice in many circumstances is entirely justified. Mall preachers aren’t immediately in the wrong because of raising their voices; they are wrong when they do it for no good biblical reason. The story of the Gospel is offensive enough to man as it is.

Rev. Smock’s theology page contains a few rather questionable theological details (especially conditional love, which I believe is a matter of the specific Greek words used for love in the passages described). As far as intentional offense is concerned (which he undoubtedly utilizes), Rev. Smock cites Luke 6:1-11. Quoted version is NIV.

And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.

And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?

And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him;

How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone?

And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.

And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.

But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.

Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?

And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.

I don’t see Jesus intentionally offending people just to be provocative. Rather, He’s trying to make a point. So yes, Jesus knew full well that they would be offended, but offense was not His primary intention. Others like Cliffe Knechtle offend people too, simply for the fact that the Gospel itself is offensive to worldly notions of self-sufficiency, responsibility, moral relativism, etc. Unlike healing a man’s hand in the synagogue in the midst of hostile thoughts, calling a well-intentioned nonbeliever a marijuana smoker doesn’t accomplish anything positive.

I think I’ll go grab lunch right now and see if he’s back.

previous confrontation

Update: I just got back from visiting the Alumni Plaza, and he’s back to his old ‘gay’ song singing ways. I didn’t confront him this time. It’s just a theater. Regardless, God is bigger than Rev. Smock. Behind the theater and exhibitionism is a modicum of real Truth.

The primary election results are in, but I’ve come to a different conclusion than I expected, though I suppose I was just being naive. I really do hope things turn around soon for the sake of the student body.

This is one of those issues where liberal and conservative no longer mean anything. The Wildcat coming from a liberal perspective looks just as apathetic. What does that tell you, people?

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(updated)

This post contains sexually explicit descriptions and should not be read by children.

I didn’t get the chance to see Brother Jed Smock in action yesterday, but I did today. Coming out of a class that ended at 12:15 in the Psychology building, I headed west to find him at the Alumni Plaza in his trademark look going through a typical overdramatized routine about how he used to be into “rrrrrrock and roll!”

I observe for about fifteen minutes with some friends. Some campaign staff for presidential candidate Brad Wulff and executive vice presidential candidate Jessica Anderson arrive. I talked to one of them and explained my blog and questionnaire, asking if they could relay to their candidates a request to fill it out. Somewhere in the middle of this, they ask the crowd to vote for Brad Wulff.

I then observed him take out a pair of electrical extension cords and start explaining how homosexuality doesn’t work. The female ends don’t connect together. Neither do the male ones. But connect a male and female and it works, “up and down, up and down.”

Out of the west in the distance comes senatorial candidate Dustin Cox (an acquaintance and classmate of mine in a national security class last semester) campaign, probably unaware of the specific demonstration he was giving. They all start chanting.

We love Cox…for ASUA Senate!
We love Cox…for ASUA Senate!

Even I was laughing here. Smock responded by waving the end of his electrical cord to illustrate a limp penis. As the Cox campaign completed their demonstration, Brother Jed then starting singing his own little song, still illustrating male homosexual activity with the electrical cord.

It’s not okay to be gay…
It’s not okay to be [pause] HO-MO.

I feel like Jed and I are the only people not laughing, and I’m not laughing for a different reason than him. Though I was talking with a friend while this started, it was the last straw. For the first time in my college career despite Brother Jed having visited annually for decades, I verbally confront Brother Jed.

Sir, do you think this glorifies Christ? What is your objective, sir?

Brother Jed continues with his song and explanations ignoring me for a bit. I keep imploring him to speak with me. But once he’s done, I have his attention. My right leg is shaking uncontrollably. I explain that I am a Christian and I don’t think what he’s doing is helping out at all, but is rather engineered to induce mockery. We start debating. He then brings up a new subject and shifts the conversation, talking about how the scientific possibility of being “born gay” is a falsehood.

I haven’t examined this evidence, but what I do know is that we’re born sinful. My inclination to sin does not make sin right; it does not justify my sin. Brother Jed disagrees, noting that Romans 5 says that death is passed on, not sin.

Still yet, we have some common ground. The asking for mockery ends, and suddenly Brother Jed started making sense. The group became quiet. Some left out of boredom. One gave the middle finger, and for a guy like Brother Jed, that’s a small number.

Another man who’s been hanging around the mall for the past two weeks with his dog and his sign notes that Brother Jed spoke to him while he was a student in 1977; that’s what brought him to Christ. After much talking, he asks if I can say Amen to what he had been speaking since our dealing.

I can say Amen to that. Absolutely.

Later on, I explain how I came to Jesus. I also encourage the crowd not to examine Brother Jed, but to examine Christ himself. Is He real? Are the Gospels reliable? Does He want you to come to him? Brother Jed agrees.

Fellow students, it’s not about what we think of this one mall evangelist or anybody for that matter; it’s about the Guy Upstairs.

Despite the mockery of Dustin Cox, and the random imploring of the campaigns of Brad Wulff, Jen Dang, and Michael Slugocki, and the scoffing of yours truly during the past three years, something out of this made sense. Maybe Brother Jed isn’t as bad as we all apparently think. And no matter how the guy really is, something truly good came out of it all. It’s just what I prayed for last night. It’s what so man of us have been praying for during 24/7 Prayer. And God answered. And we’re going to keep praying. And He’s going to keep answering.

Uh, no comment. No description. Just play the file.

There is copyrighted music in here, so I’m reserving all rights.

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I am saddened to learn that NASCAR driver Bobby Hamilton has succumed to neck cancer at the age of 49.  Hamilton was a true racer who loved what he did.  He even admitted enjoying the Truck Series more than he did Cup, just for the racing.  Since I started watching NASCAR in the early 90’s, Bobby Hamilton’s been there in some way, shape, or form.  My condolences.

Update (October 9th): Expect a podcast report with my interviews of other candidates either tonight or tomorrow. You will find that the responses of the other candidates, even when we disagreed on many fundamental things, were very respectful and always ended with a genuine handshake. I unfortunately cannot say the same of Congressman Grijalva. Members of the press who seek direct comment may contact me at my email address: gpohara-at-gmail.com.

Update II (October 9th): I had never figured out why Grijalva and his staffer were so sensitive to having the conversation recorded, but perhaps it’s because they’re in a dispute over which debates they actually agreed upon. With this recent incident, Rep. Grijalva might be more likely than ever to avoid the University of Arizona as a debate site.

Update III (October 9th): The other interviews

THIS IS NOT A SATIRE.

I’m not going to delve into legal details here; I’m just going to say what happened and give myself some time to decide a course of action. Interviews of other candidates as well as further personal analysis of what happened will be posted at a later time when I can muster a more professional voice.

In short, I became involved in what I will term an "incident" with Representative Raul Grijalva (AZ-7) and one of his staffers during the October 6, 2006 Voter Block Party held at Main Gate Square by the Associated Students of the University of Arizona. The recording explains the rest.

While I wait upon my senses to allow me to choose a course of action, I urge my fellow District 7 voters to take this into account when marking the ballot on November 7th.

Garrett P. O’Hara
University of Arizona political science senior

P.S.: If you subscribe to the podcast, you might notice that the server I used for the other files is down. I’ll let you know when it’s back up.

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Addition: This audio work falls under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License. Content on the rest of this blog falls under the license seen at the bottom of the right hand column of the page unless otherwise noted in a post. Added October 9th: As stated in the license, this in no way affects your fair use rights.