West Memphis 3 phree

The law does not pretend to punish everything that is dishonest. That would seriously interfere with business.
Clarence Darrow

LA TIMES:

"When the "West Memphis 3" were freed from 18 years of imprisonment, emissaries of the entertainment world were there -- as they have been for years.

Arrested as teenagers, Damien Echols and Jessie Misskelley, both now 36, and Jason Baldwin, now 34, had long garnered support among musicians and Hollywood types because their black clothing and fondness for heavy metal music were used against them in trial. Prosecutors had suggested that the teenagers were Satanists who'd committed an "occult murder."

On Friday, when the men were released, Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam were in the courtroom. James Hetfield of Metallica offered this commentary in an interview with a Times reporter: "The way you dress, the things you listen to... I can basically speak for myself, growing up, that that was just a sign of wanting to be creative and be different."

And former Black Flag singer Henry Rollins, who had released an album to benefit the defense team, said in an email with a Times reporter that he was happy for the men -- but he's upset that "so much has been lost.""

speculation du jour: the typical WASP Krimefighter--or juryperson-- has often been indoctrinated--explicitly or otherwise-- in the strange evangelical doctrine known as Dispensationalism.    The New Dictionary of Theology, edited by Furgeson, Wright and J. I. Packer defines Dispensational Theology as follows: “The systematization of modern Dispensational Theology owes much to J. N. Darby and the Scofield Reference Bible.” Notice that the word systematization is just a fancy word for doctrinal development. This is a new doctrine, not found in the Church, not even in the early Church. It is a newly invented doctrine of the nineteenth century. It came into being simultaneously with the invention of the doctrine of the Rapture".


There are various distinctions to Disp. but the central concept implies that Believers are not bound by law or any biblical commandments. This might be considered a variation on Lutheran-Calvinist anti-rationalist concept of sola fide: The Just Shall Live by Faith (so much for Reason, justice, scientific thinking, etc).   Under Dispensationalism, the Elect are permitted to be pious anarchists, more or less while they endure trials and tribulations, and await Rapture-day. So, for instance, perjury--lying about someone's guilt--is acceptable, especially when the accused are not sunday schoolers or are considered pagans (infidels, minorities, queers, etc.)--though granted those who do not attend sunday school or La Iglesia are not necessarily sane, virtuous, or intelligent (in that regard Dundersons wicca creeps might be every bit as psychotic as biblethumpers). For that matter, Dispensationalism would seemingly allow for injust wars, corrupt courts or police forces, or criminal activity itself.  Thus Dispensationalism is quite unlike the thinking of St. Augustine, who attempted to provide arguments for just wars, and an ethical society in a sense. In reality the Dispensationalist tends to be a would-be Jefferson Davis: he envisions a holy kingdom where he and his brethren can do whatever the f*ck they want to. Like Davis & Co, they're mostly semi-literate bunglers and cutthroat yokels.


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