Denial

Let's face it. We're all guilty of it to some extent. I often find my mind probing the depths of this all too human tendency. Denial runs the gamut from the trivial and ridiculous "He'll never know I ate two of his ravioli", to the serious and tragic "Iraq". The famous English political philosopher Edmund Burke once said, "Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it." He also quipped, "I venture to say no war can be long carried on against the will of the people." Nicely said. We should listen to people like Edmund more often. Just this week, one of the most powerful Christian evangelisists died, Jerry Falwell. He and others thought he was a good Christian. This was the same man who said after 9/11, "I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America. I point the finger in their face and say you helped this happen." Doesn't sound very Christian to me. Maybe he was in denial. Despite ever increasing violence in Iraq, President Bush still remains optimistic about his troop surge, and believes we should too. When asked by Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward if he ever consults his father for advice he replied, "He is the wrong father to appeal to for advice. The wrong father to go to, to appeal to in terms of strength. There's a higher Father that I appeal to." Could this "Father" be the source of his current optimism? Maybe he is in denial. All I do know is that denial can have disastrous effects. So the next time you steal two more of my ravioli, and then deny it, I'll give you a pass. Things could be far worse. They could have been prepared by Chef Boyardee.