The Theology of "24"

So Jack thinks he is going to die and he has one phone call. Who does he call? His long lost daughter? The lovely and suddenly single agent Walker? The President? Ghostbusters? No, the Muslim spiritual leader he had met hours earlier. Aside from being sad that it was a Muslim cleric who got the chance to "witness" to Jack, I think there are some great theological implications to the encounter.

First of all, when Jack senses his mortality he has a sense of guilt over the mistakes he has made and a need to make peace. I think this is something that we can all relate to and imagine. So here is this spiritual leader at the bedside of a dying man who clearly expresses his need for forgiveness. Then we hear the prayer, "Help us both to forgive ourselves." What? Did I just hear that? So essentially the theology here is to forgive yourself and die with a clear conscience. While we do need to forgive ourselves, we also need the forgiveness of God. Color me disappointed.

Blind Politicians

For the first time in a long time, more Americans say they are pro-life than pro-abortion. The recent Gallop pole suprised many on the liberal left and conservative right. http://www.lifenews.com/nat5061.html

I think the reason for the turnoaround in the polling is twofold. First, many conservatives are embarrassed by the last election and are seeking to speak out and are more apt to answer surveys etc. Secondly, I believe that the technology inside the womb that has been developed will only cause more people to accept the truth that the unborn is human. 3D unltrasounds are breath taking!

In light of this, why are so many Republican politicians and so called "strategist" seemingly blind to this issue? Republicans have alienated their base as they seek to be more moderate. Maybe some of them will start to wake up when they see the raw numbers. This is a rallying cry issue that unites people across denominational and religious lines.
One can only hope.