Contenting for the Faith: Christianity Doesn't Fit Inside a Political Box

Beloved, while eagerly preparing to write to you about the salvation we share, I find it necessary to write and appeal to you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain intruders have stolen into among you, people who long ago were designated for this condemnation as ungodly, who pervert the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.  

These are grumblers and malcontents; they indulge their own lusts; they are bombastic in speech, flattering people to their own advantage.  Jude, V. 3-4, 16

I saw this tweet and just had to put it here: 

"I'm so sick of seeing Christians in America claim persecution.  You aren't being persecuted for loving Jesus, you're being held accountable for not acting like him.  

In the midst of a decline in attendance and membership among Evangelical Christians in the United States, a trend that is highly disconcerting to many of its leaders who have boasted for decades that their church growth, compared to the declines in the "liberal," left-leaning Mainline Protestants, was a sign of God's blessing on their "correct theology", it has become popular to create analogies between the biblical accounts of the nation of Israel living in exile in Babylon, and the Christian church in America living in a "cultural Babylon."  

It's easy to blame the declining attendance and membership in their churches on pressures and influences of what many Christians label a godless, immoral culture, with hints that certain political party affiliations advocate and promote it, and not on their own ineffectiveness in preaching the Christian gospel and in evangelism that has been watered down by chasing after money and prioritizing wealth, and an inordinate investment of time and resources in the pursuit of political power.  People are leaving churches because the gospel of Jesus Christ has been pushed off to the side in favor of the gospel of conservative, right-wing politics with economic priorities that favor big money interests.  

The fact that some Evangelicals who are considered leaders in the church or the movement are themselves executives of multi-million dollar non-profit entities, like Samaritan's Purse, which has amassed $1 billion in assets, makes it difficult to sympathize with complaints about persecution.  Megachurches require gigantic infusions of contributions from members to keep facilities operating, and to pay large payrolls for staff members who head up "ministries" which are designed, not for evangelistic outreach, but to attract more members and their checkbooks from smaller churches which can't offer the smorgasbord of programs.  Christians in other parts of the world where there is real persecution might have trouble applying that term to those in America whose biggest problem on Sunday is having to decide between walking to the church auditorium from the outer parking lot, or waiting for a shuttle.  

I don't believe the Babylon analogy is valid.  It sounds biblical, and it's easy to convince those who already presuppose that anything they don't understand, or don't like, is to blame on the evil around them. They are also presupposed to believe anything that their pastor, or an evangelical leader who heads up a large ministry or pastors a megachurch, says or writes.  But Christian churches in America have complete freedom to gather, worship, preach, teach, operate ministries, raise tax free money, operate schools, children's homes and crisis pregnancy centers, without any interference whatsoever, and absolutely nothing like the restrictions the Israelites faced in Babylonian captivity. There is some religious discrimination in America, but not against Christians.  It's a nice propaganda gimmick to gather support, but America isn't Babylon, the church is not being held captive in a foreign empire and white, Protestant Christians are still privileged with a measure of freedom that others don't have.  

The answer to the often asked question, "How can you be a Christian and vote for a candidate who supports abortion?" is simple.  If I let that single issue determine how I cast my vote, to the exclusion of all other issues, I will be contributing to the election of many incompetent politicians who do not support representative democracy, equal rights and individual freedom, regardless of their stance on abortion.  In most cases, they're really not pro-life so much as they are interested in how they can profit off of that position in terms of getting elected.  I'm free to practice my Christian faith because of constitutionally guaranteed religious liberty.  If the religious liberty of those who hold a different faith perspective than I do is in jeopardy, then so is mine.  

The Real Problem is That Intruders have Stolen into the Church and are Wreaking Havoc

It seems to me to be a little bit on the inconsistent side (I'm really being tongue-in-cheek here, so bear with me) to moan and complain about Christians being captives in an immoral, pagan, Babylon-like culture, while supporting politicians, specifically one in particular, who spent their entire life crafting a public image that bears the same marks as Babylonian paganism.  Since the rhetoric is being used, I'll consider that permission to put my point in those same terms.  If the secular culture of America is analogous to that of ancient Babylon during the captivity of Israel, then Trump is the chief Babylonian. 

Making deals by throwing in a few political points that appeal to the religious right is not the same thing as actually having personal integrity and convictions, and believing in the principles associated with those issues.  Trumpism has an agenda, and those few bones that he throws to his Evangelical supporters are just a means to an end, which includes the dismantling of the Constitution and American representative democracy in favor of a Putin-style oligarchy with himself and his billionaire allies in control.  

There's no such thing as a "Christian" way to vote.  Voting for candidates who promise a short list of political reforms judged to be "favorable" to right-wing Christians, while those votes support candidates from a party in which the current direction is to dismantle voting rights, the representative democracy and the constitution that limits government power, overturn religious liberty in favor of an established, approved religion and set up an oligarchy of the billionaire class.  I don't believe for a minute that every candidate who claims to be pro-life holds that position out of conviction.  It's a bargaining chip. 

The verse I cited at the top is a warning from the Apostle Jude to a specific church where a pagan ideology was finding its way inside because the church wasn't careful about the people they were trusting when it came to leadership and teaching.  These intruders were pushing the gospel of Jesus out, replacing it with pagan ideology and teaching, using their personal power and influence, "bombast" as the Apostle describes it, denying the disciplines of the faith with a licentious lifestyle and even using flattery as a means of gaining influence.  Sound familiar?  It's happening in churches everywhere now. 

Don Jr., speaking at a Turning Point USA gathering in Phoenix last year, told the audience that he "sort of understood" the Christian practice of turning the other cheek, but that doing those kinds of "Jesus" things was not getting them anywhere in domains of worldly power.  Trump has mentioned the practice of being "meek," in some of his rallies, noting that meekness is a trait exhibited by "suckers and losers."  Those kinds of statements, along with denying having ever done anything requiring forgiveness, defines a set of values that I cannot vote for, and which are clearly opposite the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Yes, My Christian Values do Influence My Vote

Thomas Jefferson once said, "Truth is great and will prevail if left to herself errors ceasing to be dangerous when it is permitted freely to contradict them.  It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no god.  It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg,"  

The American constitutional republic, and the Bill of Rights, have protected religious belief and practice since it was ratified in 1789.  I am able to be a Christian and practice my faith without hindrance in this country because of the separation of church and state, set in place by the establishment clause of the Constitution.  That's not worth a trade off to abandon support for democratic principles in exchange for the support of a politician for one or two issues in a platform that may align with my religious beliefs, or may just be some kind of deal.  It's not worth losing voting integrity and voting rights, and risking the abandonment of the Constitution of the United States, along with my own religious liberty.  

There's nothing in a whole long list of Christian values, like integrity, equality, community, good stewardship, righteousness, meekness, perseverance, and being a peacemaker, whom Christ said would be known as the children of God, that has the ability to generate controversy or spark violence, especially not an insurrection aimed at subversion of the peaceful transfer of power.  And the fact of the matter is that if anyone's freedom is at risk in this country, because their rights have been threatened, then no one is truly free.  And that includes the basic guarantee of the rights of those who hold no religious belief, or are Hindu, Buddhist or Muslim, as well as the rights of Christians. 

It has become more apparent, over the past four years, that my best chance at keeping my religious liberty, lies with electing Democrats to office.  The Republican party has been moving toward establishing an oligarchy of the rich, something they do every time they are in position to get legislation passed.  They can't seem to win elections at the state or national level where they cannot manipulate the way congressional and state legislative districts are drawn, so they are now placing the outcome of elections in the hands of their own party's elected officials, not in the hands of the voters.  That's a long first step toward selective application of constitutional rights for the privileged and powerful, not for the meek, disadvantaged or for non-Christian religious minorities.  Doing so supports the whole scope of Christian faith and practice.  I won't judge Christians who vote differently, like some of those who insist that voting Republican is synonymous with "voting Christian."  Depending on the candidate and what the party is doing, voting Republican is a vote against religious liberty.  But that's a personal conviction, just like my choices are.  

There is no "Christian way to vote," because Christian faith does not need any political power to fulfill its mission and purpose.  The current intrusion of ungodly, bombastic, grumblers and malcontents, using flattery to deceive, is pushing the Christian gospel out of the churches that have embraced it and they are seeing the consequences of that.  "It is these worldly people, devoid of the Spirit, who are causing divisions," says Jude.  "And have mercy on some who are wavering."  

My loyalty as a Christian is to God, and my Christian faith is practiced according to the gospel message of Jesus, the Christ.  As an American citizen, it is to the constitution and the freedom it protects, to the principles it upholds and the institutions it creates to protect freedom, and to all of my fellow American citizens who share in it.  My vote is cast to elect politicians who will protect this, not tear it apart for their own self interests.  

Please Note:  Comments are welcome, and are published at the discretion of the author.  Please note that those who identify as Christians and who want to comment are governed by principles of faith, including the Apostle Peter's words in his first epistle 3:16.  Comments must reflect a spirit of gentleness and respect.

Your words will demonstrate your faith, or your lack of it.  Comments which take the position that their author is more doctrinally and theologically "correct" than those with whom he or she may disagree, and which judge the points in the post based on their own presupposed beliefs will not be included in this dialogue.  

If you are claiming to be a Christian, your comments will reflect on the character and integrity of your own testimony, as well as on Christianity in general.  

Where the Christian Church Should be Leading in American Social and Cultural Life, But Isn't

Baptist News Global: A Conservative Case for Why the Church Should Lead the Way in Being "Woke"

Texas Baptist Standard: We Have Mourning to do and Action to Take

I strongly recommend clicking this link and reading this article, written by Stephen Baldwin, a media producer and author, in Baptist News Global.  Baldwin writes, "It is the very wholesale rejection of 'social justice' and anything they deem 'woke' that gives the appearance that Christians lack compassion."  That's the statement that captured my interest and got me to read the article, and then decide to share it here.  It's excellent, even for those who are not Christian and claim no religious faith.  

The focal point of the Christian experience is conversion.  It is that point where terms like conviction and repentance, forgiveness and restoration describe the spiritual and intellectual act during which one is forgiven of sin because of their dependence on Christ, acknowledgement of his divine and human nature, turning from sin.   

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works?  Can faith save you?  If a brother or sister is naked, lacks daily food, and one of you says to them , "go in peace, keep warm and eat your fill", and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?  So faith, by itself, if it has no works, is dead.  James 2:14-17 NRSV

The good works that follow are not what brings about the conversion experience.  They are a demonstration of conversion, evidence that there has been a spiritual transformation which has taken place.  And good works are not the immediate result of conversion.  A new convert to Christian faith needs guidance and instruction, along with motivation and inspiration, in order for their values to be aligned as an expression of their faith and their identity as a Christian.  Those instructions are found in the Bible, so a working understanding of how faith fits together and is lived out depends on an understanding of what Christ, and the early church apostles, had to say about it. 

An Infinite Set of Virtues and Values

The Apostles and leaders of the early Christian church who wrote the New Testament, most of them eyewitnesses to the three year ministry of Jesus, were absolutely convinced that he was the promised Messiah, belief in which was the focal point of Judaism and the Old Testament writers.  Their assertion is supported by their meticulous connection of their observations to Old Testament prophecy they contend was fulfilled by Jesus.  In fact, in Matthew's gospel, Jesus himself makes this claim.  

The long, troubled political history of the Jewish people, from the time of their exile in Babylon to the coming of Christ, had cause many of them, including most of their religious leaders, to believe that the promised Messiah would be a king, restoring the throne of David which had been unoccupied since Zedekiah was killed by the Babylonians.  But it's clear from the words of Christ himself that he never intended to establish another Jewish political kingdom.  He used the terminology to apply to his church, connected Old Testament prophecy that talks about the restoration of the Kingdom of God in the Messianic age to the establishment of the Christian Church on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, recorded in Acts 2, and declared while he was on trial before Pilate that his kingdom "is not of this world."  

And so, while evangelistic activity aimed at converting pagans to Christian faith is the starting point, the Christian faith is defined by its virtues and values, which are found in absolute abundance throughout the New Testament.  Observation of the lifestyle of Christians was designed to be the lifetime fulfillment of the conversion experience, as well as a means of attracting those mostly pagan people around whom they lived to the Christian faith.  Volumes of commentary interpreting the New Testament's words on good works of righteousness--not self righteousness--and the values which are intended to identify the Christian church have been written.  

How that should look was characterized by the Apostle Peter.  Speaking to the gathered church on its first day of existence as the "Christian church", the day of Pentecost, describing the unusual happening, he explained and defined the church's mission and purpose: 

"This is what was spoken of by the Prophet Joel: 'In the last days it will be , God declares, that I will pout out my spirit on all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.  Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my spirit and they shall prophesy.  

And all of those who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.'"  Acts 2:16-18, 21, NRSV

Peter ended his explanation of what was happening by declaring that Jesus was Lord and Messiah and the Kingdom of God that he was establishing would be the church, not the political kingdom with successors to the throne of David, but a spiritual kingdom that did not require human political power or favor to exist, and thrive.  

Christian Faith and Practice

Faith is what makes a person Christian.  It is the conversion experience, which includes repentance and the receiving of God's grace through Christ's Messiahship.  It is both an identifiable event and a lifelong process.  The life and teachings of Jesus Christ form the interpretive lens through which the Bible is interpreted and Christian faith is discerned.  

Practice is exactly what it sounds like.  It is the application of the spiritual values and principles in the systematic theology laid out by Jesus and his apostles as they interpreted the covenant relationship between God and humanity in the context of Christ's gospel message.  It includes the inward spiritual transformation as well as what James refers to as "works," or actions that are motivated by faith.  

So what does this look like?  

According to Jesus, in more than one of the gospel accounts, the two greatest commandments were to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself.  From the way he conducted his ministry, it becomes very clear that the primary means of identification as a Christian isn't in proclaiming belief, or condemning others who don't share the same faith, but is seen in how other people are treated.  Because the definition of neighbor, according to Jesus, was not limited to just those who are like minded or who are fellow Christians.  

Christian practice is an influence which produces character and testifies to their value.  Jesus, after laying out a set of values known as the "Beatitudes" in a narrative called "The Sermon on the Mount" recorded by Matthew, calls on his followers to be "salt" and "light."  "In the same way," he said, "Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."  That's obedience to the two great commandments in one sentence.   

Jesus responded to a question about his identity as Messiah from John the Baptist by sending a message to tell him, "the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them. (Luke 7:22),  In the synagogue in his hometown of Nazareth, he read from Isaiah 61 and then told those gathered that "Today, this scripture has been fulfilled within your hearing. (Luke 4:21).  The prophecy he read said, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Christian practice looks like Jimmy Carter, who humbles himself, puts on a pair of coveralls and an old shirt and spends countless hours volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, in addition to promoting the program itself and helping to raise money for it.  It looks like Danny Thomas, who said, "A dream is one thing.  A realization is something entirely separate," about the establishment of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, where childhood cancer research has been highly successful in saving lives, and providing essential treatment and care to children whose parents receive no bill for the services. 

It looks like Dr. Martin Luther King, the Rev. Dr. Ralph Abernathy, Medgar Evers, Rosa Parks, John Lewis, Jesse Jackson and a host of others.  The American Civil Rights Movement, which began in the 1960's, is one of the best examples we have of Christians taking the lead in American social and cultural life, in a positive way, using the influence of the church to make a positive change.  Most of its leaders stood behind pulpits on Sunday.  

It looks like Mother Teresa, who took her calling into one of the world's most impoverished cities and made a difference.  It looks like George Mueller, who provided orphanage care to over 10,000 orphans and educational opportunities to over 100,000 children from poor families who never would have been able to afford it.  He did so much for the poor in England that he was accused of raising the poor above their station in British life.  

But it also looks like ordinary, everyday people who do things on their own for others without prompting, simply because they see a need.  Most of what they do is inconspicuous, because those who do this because they are motivated by their faith aren't looking for recognition or accolades.  They aren't self-promoters and they're not using their good works as a launching pad for influence or fame. They're paying attention, they see a need and within their own ability and means, seek to meet the need.  

It looks like a small congregation in a gritty, inner-city neighborhood of a large, eastern American city, buying a run-down house next door, investing time and volunteer labor in a complete renovation, setting up a community center where career skill training and counseling is available to women in poverty.  The center provides job skills training, help with child care, food and rent while their clients get on their feet, interview and resume skills, arranges job interviews, serves as a reference and referral, and provides shoes and clothing appropriate not just for the interview, but to wear to work as well as counseling support to help the women stay on the job.  

Connected to it is a crisis pregnancy center, a real one, where women get more than just an ultra sound and a lecture that passes as counseling.  They arrange pre-natal care, assistance with food, clothing, rent, child care, helping relieve some of the effects of poverty that are factors in many abortion decisions.  The services for women are available to the clients during and after the pregnancy.  They also provide adoption referrals if that is needed.  The center was able to expand its clientele, almost tripling the number of women it served during the Obama administration, when federal funding was available to help with expenses.   

Christianity is an Intentional Influence on Culture and Society, Not a Political Control on it

You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored.  It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.  You are the light of the world.  A city built on a hill cannot be hid.  No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it under a bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.  Matthew 5:13-16, NRSV

Christianity, allied with a partisan, political party and worldview, is salt that has lost its saltiness.  It is a dimmed lamp, casting long, dark shadows instead of brightly illuminating a room.  That's the way I interpret what is happening among some branches of American Christian churches, both Protestant and Catholic, as an ungodly, pseudo-Christian political cult infiltrates churches and subverts their purpose and preaching away from the gospel of Jesus Christ.  

Christian practice cannot be legislated into acceptance.  If it isn't motivated by the inward spiritual transformation that occurs in conversion, then it becomes dead ritual.  If it is visible, then the practice of values like honesty and integrity, sense of community and purpose that includes a lifestyle of simplicity, avoiding excess and being good stewards of common resources, having a desire for the common good, the equality, giftedness and inherent rights of all humanity and living a life that promotes peace, are the influences Christianity contributes to society and culture, as well as government in a democratic union.  If it does not do this, then it is not Christian.

A Pseudo-Christian Threat to Both Church and State: White Christian Nationalism

Ellis Orozco: Male Hierarchy and Dominion Theology are Threats Within the Southern Baptist Convention

Marjorie Taylor Greene to GOP: "We Should be Christian Nationalists"

Phil Gorski: The Threat of White Christian Nationalism

Arkansas' Minister of Hate: Arkansas Encyclopedia

Rachel Maddow led her show off this evening with a story about Gerald Lyman Kenneth Smith.  Smith passed away in 1976.  He retired in the 1960's in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, purchasing and renovating a Victorian mansion, and then, on the property he owned, building a large statue of Jesus Christ, known as the "Christ of the Ozarks" on Magnetic Mountain, overlooking the town.  A nearby hillside provided a place for 6,000 seats and the backdrop for the set of a seasonal Passion Play, depicting the last days in the life of Christ.  The tourist attraction also features a Bible museum.  

Smith was not the original white Christian nationalist, but he was a passionate advocate for it all of his life.  He was a Nazi sympathizer prior to and during the Second World War, his rhetoric was virulently anti-Semitic and violently racist, referencing "mongrel" races and using many of the same sources the Nazis did for their anti-Semitic rants against the "conspiracy of international Jewry".  He founded both the America First political party, and please make the connection to that name, and ran as its nominee for President in both 1944 and 1948, never earning very many votes, but gaining enough support to finance the campaigns, and the Christian Nationalist Crusade.  The latter earned a citation for being anti-Semitic from the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai Brith.  

Bubbling beneath the surface of Republican party politics for a long time, the intersection of far right politics with some elements of the Evangelical branch of American Christianity has brought this pseudo-Christian Fascist cult to the surface and revealed that a number of politicians adhering to this philosophy have already been elected to state legislatures, several governors and members of both the House and Senate.  

White Christian Nationalism is Not Orthodox, Mainstream Christianity; It is a Pseudo-Christian Worldview and Perspective

Without going into a long doctrinal discourse, it is very clear from the gospel narratives recording the words of Christ himself, and from the apostles and other authors of the New Testament that the Christian church, which Jesus declared to be his spiritual kingdom, "not of this world," crossed the racial, ethnic, language, economic and social boundaries that existed at the time of its founding.  The first organized Christian church existed in Jerusalem, and was made up mostly of Jewish converts but it crossed over to the "gentile" population, specifically Romans and Greeks, shortly after persecution broke out and many of its members were forced to flee.  

The Apostle Peter had a series of encounters with people who were not Jews, but who converted to Christian faith, and he became convinced, after some strong persuasion from God and from the Apostle Paul, that the concept of a "chosen people", which he had always associated with race, was a spiritual concept related to conversion, without any connection to race or ethnicity at all. 

To a multi-racial Christian church, he wrote, "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people.  Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."  (I Peter 9-10 NRSV)  

The identity of Christianity, at this point, was becoming separate from just being a "Jewish sect" because of the diversity of those who were converting.  Churches were made up of people who prior to their conversion, wouldn't have associated with each other.  Many Christians were slaves, while others owned property, including some who were wealthy enough to own homes large enough to hold the worship gatherings.  There were Greeks, Romans, Jews, and members of every local and regional ethnic and language group that existed in each community in the local churches. 

Christianity "conquered" the Roman Empire without any military, political or financial resources, in the teeth of severe persecution. By exhibiting steadfast commitment to the faith in a pagan society, following the Apostles instructions to demonstrate gentleness and respect for those they encountered, living out the values taught by Christ as a testimony to their faith, by the time Constantine became emperor and ended the persecution against Christians, the church was one of the predominant influences in the empire. Jesus never intended for his church to "conquer" in any other way.  

Based on Christ's gospel, the New Testament record and the early history of the church, any idea that a particular nationality or race of people have been chosen by God to use political power and military might to "claim" territory on his behalf is pseudo-Christian in that it is using language and symbolism from the Christian church, and anti-Christian in that it completely subverts and changes the Christian gospel.  That is destructive to the ministry of the church.  It would also destroy American democracy, since it only recognizes the liberties of individuals who belong to the preferred racial or ideological group.   

Trumpism is at the Intersection of White Supremacy, Christian Nationalism, Dominion Theology and the Prosperity Gospel 

The use of terms like "America First" should be ringing alarm bells among anyone who understands the background of American Fascism and the Nazi sympathizers of the early 20th century.  Gerald Smith's Christian Nationalist Crusade is also echoing among those on the far right.  The racism is back, along with the Fascism, being expressed in the old "international Jewish conspiracy" phrases and in the violent opposition to racial reconciliation on terms other than those dictated by white culture.

Donald Trump is a pathological liar.  He's not a Christian nor has he ever made a statement that would qualify as a testimony to a conversion experience.  Yale sociologist Phil Gorski says that some Christians believe he is one of them, because some of their leaders, like Franklin Graham, support that idea.  

"They see Christianity as under attack," according to Gorski, "and believe that he will stand up for it.  If they are choosing between a politician who has religious faith and somebody who is prepared to fight, they prefer the person with the fight to the person with the faith."  

Where, exactly, is Christianity "under attack"?  

Christians, and specifically white, Protestant Christians, already have a virtually unlimited measure of freedom that is well beyond the scope of that of Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and members of other, smaller, religious sects.  They have more freedom and are extended more opportunities and privileges--and yes, I am going to use that word--than agnostics, atheists, or Latino Catholics. They are an ongoing majority in state legislatures, governorships and in Congress and the judiciary.  There are no obstacles or hindrances to their free exercise and extending the same rights to others doesn't diminish their influence or interfere with their practice.  

But, even those who realize Trump is not Christian at all are still willing to support him. I have never understood how a coarse talking, God-cursing, woman abusing, frequent adulterous business fraud, liar and corporate-world exploiter has attracted support from a group of people who, if they really were in charge of a Christian nationalist government, would execute those who did what he's done.  He's everything the Christian right defines as "worldly," which is the exact opposite of what the Christian gospel proclaims.  

One of the "intersections" that brings Trumpism into the White Christian Nationalist picture is the connection he has to his "spiritual advisor," the self-proclaimed prophetess, Paula White.  White is part of the "Prosperity Gospel" movement, which associates God's blessings to people with money, a branch of the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement which is where most of the dominion theology and "Seven Mountains" dominionism exists.  It's easy to see how Trump was more attracted to White and the prosperity gospel message than to Robert Jeffress, the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas who still preaches repentance from sin and accountability to God, in spite of being tempted by and enamored by Trump's flattery.  Trump has made it clear that he has done nothing for which he needs to ask forgiveness or to be repentant, a frustrating position requiring his prominent Evangelical supporters like Franklin Graham, along with Jeffress, to ignore, pass it over and not discuss.  

As a self-proclaimed "prophetess," diviner of spirits, preacher and pastor of a large church, White would be condemned by conservative Evangelicals for her heretical doctrine which includes the belief that the Bible can be altered or changed by new "revelation," the fact that she is a woman but has usurped a male leadership role of pastor, preaches with authority over men, her "name it and claim it" approach to wealth, all of which are serious violations of their non-negotiable theological points.  But she's with Trump, so many of them are forced to either include her in the "good ole boys club" with them, or to hypocritically pretend she's not really there.  "Believe what we preach, except when it applies to anything Trump."  

Trump is clearly as ignorant of Christian faith and practice, and anything that can be found in the Bible, as any human being on the face of the earth.  His white supremacy and lust for money and the power that comes with it is his attraction to White and in turn, she is more than likely the source of his support for White Christian Nationalism.  Speaking on his father's behalf at Turning Point rallies, Don Junior articulates the idea that Christians have been left out of the places of worldly power and influence because they are too hung up on turning the other cheek and loving their enemies, and other core principles that come with following Christ which get them labelled as "losers" and "suckers."  The losers and suckers applaud this.  

Where, exactly, is Christianity under attack?  It is with this pseudo-Christian nonsense.  

White Christian Nationalism is a Threat to Both Church and Democratic America

The increasing entanglement and relationship between far right politics and conservative Evangelical Christians has sparked a rapid decline in church attendance and membership, on a scale that exceeds the declines experienced by Mainline Protestants in the 60s and 70s which Evangelicals pointed to and claimed was the result of their "liberalism."  And as much as Evangelical leaders are loathe to admit the decline, they are even more resistant to making the connection between the ramping up of their right wing political connections, especially with Trumpism, and the decline in membership and attendance in the churches.  But it is difficult to deny, since the decline corresponds to the same time frames.  

The church is Christ's spiritual kingdom.  It exists on a different level than government, political institutions, business and finance, foreign relations and the temporal world.  It was designed to be an influence for good, "salt and light" as Jesus said, with integrity, gentleness, restraint, good stewardship and management of resources, avoiding excesses, building relationships between people based on trust, and promoting peace in the broadest sense of the word, at every level.  

The infiltration of far right politics, with its conspiracy theories, propaganda, dishonesty, self-interest, love of money and the use of worldly power has intruded on the spiritual kingdom and it demands primary loyalty, including loyalty to both God and country.  More than anything else has done in American history, including the Civil War, this pseudo-Christian philosophy has disrupted the mission and purpose of Christian churches and denominations, subverting the message and using its resources for purposes that have no redeeming Christian value. (See Jude, verses 4, 8-16)

White Christian Nationalism will also destroy democracy.  It will use democratic tools to get elected, and will then dismantle them, as it is already doing.  Since it promotes inequality between people, those who are, in its perspective, "less equal" or subservient in some cases, are not extended any rights that permit them to participate in the government through the prescribed means, mainly the ballot box.  And what we're seeing, through Trumpism and some of its promoters, is virulently anti-Semitic and violently racist, particularly against African Americans, though they also consider Latinos as "mongrels" and part of the plot to "mongrelize" America.  

For those who are guided by reason and intellect, this is the result of ignorance.  From a Christian perspective, the author of the Biblical book of Jude, says "These are grumblers, and malcontents; they indulge their own lusts; they are bombastic in speech, flattering people to their own advantage."  (Jude, v. 16)  

Here's the link to Rachel Maddow, July 25, 2022

And one more link, Interfaith Alliance, Rauschenbusch: Christian Nationalism a Threat to Democracy

 

 

What Chuck Todd and NBC's "Meet the Press" Left Out is Part of the Problem Democrats Are Facing

My television would normally not be tuned in to Meet the Press on a Sunday morning.  It was tuned to NBC from something I was watching last night, and I left it there while getting breakfast in the kitchen.  The panel discussion caught my attention, because they were putting up polling data and discussing its effects on the mid-term elections.  I got teased in to sticking it out because of an appearance by former Vice President Al Gore but the panel discussion, featuring host Chuck Todd, along with Yamiche Alcindor, Maria Teresa Kumar, Stephen Hayes and Jake Sherman, was quite informative. 

Informative, that is, in that what appears to be a round-table discussion with media-types that attempts to appear intellectual, authoritative and spontaneous can make some observations while looking at facts, and at the same time, miss some obvious points altogether.  I'm sure that these discussions are not anywhere near as spontaneous as they appear, and that the talking points have been outlined before they go on camera.  The presence of Kumar and Alcindor lent some credibility to the discussion, and they helped insert some perspective that didn't support what's becoming the tired, old narrative about the party in power losing in the midterms, which was the theme that Todd kept pushing.  

The other two panelists--and this is my personal opinion--are not anywhere in the same ballpark with the two women, especially in journalism.  Hayes is pretty low-level, with no connection to any major media source, not all that well known except among some media elites, and is not particularly good at being unbiased.  Sherman has a slightly higher profile, editor of Punchbowl News, which is a not-so-widely-read daily newsletter focusing on Congress.  I started reading it when it first came out, because Sherman, who is also an analyst and consultant for MSNBC, and was at Politico, attracted my attention.  But with limited time, I stick to the columnists and commentators at the Washington Post, New York Times and the Chicago Tribune.  

Too Much Focus on the President's Job Approval Rating but not the GOP's Rating, or the Generic Ballot

Some polling data was selectively chosen this morning, including a Quinnipiac poll showing that Joe Biden's job approval rating has fallen to 31%.  In a cluster of job approval polls out from the past week, that was the lowest number in the group.  Most of them are hovering at 40%, there's one or two at 41% and on the high end, I did find one from Marist at 43 and The Economist at 45.  So why pick the lowest one and go with it?  Why not start with the 40% average, since Quinnipiac is the lowest outlier?

There's really no question that the President's job approval rating is a problem, especially heading into the midterms.  I'm sure Todd picked the Quinnipiac poll because it was the lowest one, and he had to find one that put the President under the Supreme Court's showing, with just a 37% job approval rating.  If he used the composite rating for the President, then he becomes the most popular man in Washington, compared to the courts, his own party in both houses, and the GOP at the very bottom. 

The lowest scoring in this week's polls, 23% job approval, was earned by Republicans in Congress!  Kumar and Alcindor both went that direction, while everyone else, including Todd, turned the focus to past midterms where Presidents had higher job approval ratings.  I think the relevance of those circumstances is questionable, since the political situation in this country has changed dramatically since then.  The two ladies also, to their credit, pointed out that as much as the President's job approval record may be on the ballot, even though he is not, the former President's extremely high negative numbers, now averaging well above the 60% line in strong disapproval, and in saying "NO!" to a second term, 

Kumar managed to squeeze in a comment that polling data is showing a change in the dynamics for Democratic candidates in Republican-majority districts when a Trump endorsed candidate wins in the primaries.  Both ladies also did an excellent job with the time they had in pointing out that it is looking good for Democrats running for the Senate to hold their seats, and to take the seats in Pennsylvania and Ohio, and along with the generic ballot, head to head polling across the board has made a significant swing toward Democrats over the past month, and that the January 6th hearings and the Dobbs decision by the Supreme Court are still helping trend in the Democrat's favor.  

Some of the Inherent Problems in This Presentation

Though the whole program was not blatantly one-sided, it was pretty clear, especially in that panel discussion, that Kumar and Alcindor, who try to be objective and unbiased, were put in the awkward position of having to correct and challenge misinformed or irrelevant statements, or redirect the conversation when facts were ignored.  Though I don't watch this program very much, that seems to be the pattern of the other panel discussions I've seen there over the past year.  Sherman and Hayes just took up time, made their comparisons and analysis of 2022 in comparison to the GOP waves that occurred in Clinton and Obama's first terms, avoiding most of the relevant facts of the discussion. 

There was no discussion at all, in speculating about Trump's potential run for 2024, of the fact that he is very likely to be indicted, tried, and ultimately convicted for his role in the January 6th Trump Insurrection.  Nothing.  January 6th was mentioned, briefly, as a factor that is starting to benefit Democrats in the mid-terms, but the implications of a Trump trial and conviction aren't part of the speculation.  Nor did they mention that a whole cluster of polls came out this week showing both Biden and Harris ahead of Trump in head-to-head polls taken over the past week or so.  

It's not the media's job to promote a political candidate or political party, and I get that.  But it is also not to manipulate the circumstances in order to give some sort of appearance of fairness and balance, if I may use those two terms. It's not their job to "level the playing field" either.  It's pretty clear that in the extremist right wing media, there are "personalities" who don't hide their attempts to control and direct the Republican party's agenda in the way they want it to go.  Rush Limbaugh carefully planned his programs to send direct messages to Republicans to implement policy and push legislation that he supported.  Sean Hannity was a de-facto Trump advisor.  Is that what Chuck Todd wants?  Is he trying to influence  the Biden administration and the Democrats in Congress?  Is his negativity, as it comes across, an attempt to get some kind of action out of them?  

The Bright Spots

The momentum has shifted toward the Democrats.  The Republicans haven't offered much to excite their voters and the Trumpies seem to be more about alienating voters in their own party who aren't Trump loyalists, and appealing to the extremist elements of the party than in doing anything positive or beneficial.  The Democrats find themselves on the favorable side of issues from the Ukraine War, to gun legislation, to Roe v. Wade and January 6th.  Will that be enough?  Yes, it will, to hang on to the current small house majority, and potentially add a couple of senate seats.  I think the fact that Trump keeps hanging around, maintaining a rally schedule at smaller venues with vastly shrinking crowds will do as much to motivate independents to vote Democratic as anything else at this point. 

With a generic polling average of just under 40%, an out of control party leader with 67% disapproval, and a 23% approval rating of their own job in Congress, that's not a formula for taking back the house and Senate in November.  Not even close.  

And while there's really not been anything wrong with the economy, and I hate to admit that Americans are so shallow as to elevate the price of gasoline, and issues with inflation, to decisions about which Senator or Representative to elect, things are changing there, as the President said it would.  This was a temporary burst, due to the restrictions of COVID, as the President said it was, and it is following the pattern he said it would.  Our local news, just this evening, made a big deal about the drop in gas prices, 40 cents a gallon over the past two weeks.  The trend line in crude prices is also heading south.  If there were a Republican in the White House, their media outlets would be claiming it was because of the President's recent trip to Saudi Arabia, and his release of crude from the national reserves.  

And oh, did I mention?  Bread is down 20 cents a loaf this week.  

There are also some Republicans who are worried that an announcement by Trump about a candidacy for the Presidency in 2024 will cost them several gubernatorial races in 2022.  Larry Hogan, the Republican governor of Maryland, who is term limited and can't run this year, is concerned that a Trump announcement will cause problems.  Maryland GOP Governor Hogan Worried About a Trump Presidential Candidacy Costing the GOP Gubernatorial Races 

And as always, the bottom line for Democrats is go to the polls and elect Democrats.

A Side Note

During the same hour, Representative Elaine Luria was interviewed by Chuck Todd, and she really took him down.  She didn't bend to his manipulations, made her point clearly, redirected his negative, off-base comments, pointed out his errors and incorrect assumptions and stood her ground. 

The January 6th Committee Makes its Case Against Trump

In a systematic, thorough, well-organized, articulate manner, the January 6th committee has made its case against the former President.  Minds have been changed.  I don't expect that those who are loyal to Trump, rather than to America, will acknowledge any of what the committee has laid out, but that's not as large of a constituency as it might seem.  Will it lead to an indictment, a conviction, and the massive relief that would provide as people realize America really is a country based on the rule of law?  If it doesn't, then there's no justice in America.  

The organization of these hearings, the evidence, including witness testimony, corroboration and the identity of most of the witnesses, the soundness of the evidence and the whole presentation defies any kind of accusation that this is a "partisan" witch hunt.  Two Republicans, and Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney are core partisans, along with a host of Trump inner circle loyalists and his own daughter, provided about 90% of the testimony and content.  It would be laughable and ignorant to accuse this committee of being a partisan witch hunt.  

So now we know.  The committee left almost no room for doubt.  

We Are on the Verge of One of the Democratic Party's Finest Hours

The future of American democracy and the Constitution of the United States is now at stake.  It has proven to be one of the strongest political documents in world history up to this point.  It has been challenged, and the challenges have been met with the enforcement of its principles as necessary.  It has held.  That's what needs to happen now.  The Republic and the Constitution need to be defended, and in the process, to be strengthened in order to continue to support the enduring foundational principles that make America a nation.  And doing that is in the hands of the Democratic party's leadership, including President Biden, the justice department and Attorney General Merrick Garland.  

I hope Attorney General Garland makes Mitch McConnell regret derailing his nomination to the Supreme Court.  I hope, when this is over, that they wish he'd been on the court instead of at the justice department. 

The Exposure of Republican Duplicity

Besides the former President, Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy have been exposed as duplicitous frauds.  No surprise there, but now it has been put into a form that makes it very clear.  They actually looked like real patriots following the Trump Insurrection, defending loyalty to country and condemning the kind of loyalty Trump demanded from his followers.  The fact that both of them have withered and backed down under some pressure is evidence that they're more loyal to hanging on to their own power than to the country.  And that should be something that gets picked up and played over and over and over.  An intelligent mind with sixth grade reasoning ability should be able to figure out that it's not a good idea to vote for leaders like that who resemble Jell-o more than solid concrete.  

What's going through the minds of GOP senators and congressmen sitting there, listening, trying to figure out the impact on their re-election chances and how to disassociate themselves from the mountain of negativity without getting Trump angry at them.  I'm sure they're hoping for a Trump indictment and conviction to get him out of their way, though they had the opportunity in their hands during the impeachment and failed to show up for the fireworks.  

Encouragement and Support...

The Signal Press supports the Biden Administration and the Democratic Congressional leadership.  We urge those in positions of influence and responsibility to move quickly and effectively toward justice in this matter with the primary goal of indicting, trying and convicting the former 45th President of the United States.  We will use the means and influence we have in educating people regarding the truth of these matters and to encourage their influence by any effective and legal means.  

We, the people, expect justice.  We've worked hard to achieve it, and we expect our elected leaders to follow through.  Enemies of American democracy have been identified and credibly accused.  We expect the process to obtain justice will be followed.  That's why you received our votes.  We are expressing our confidence that justice will be served.

Send this blog post, if it meets your approval, along to your social media contact list, that's one of the best ways to communicate.  Comments are always welcome too, as long as they are respectful, on topic and not insulting or rude.  

A Pseudo-Christian Cult is Endangering Our Religious Liberty

Newsweek: Pastor Says Trump "Takes Back Over" the Goverment in Four Months

When I see something like this, reported in the national media, it sickens me.  The intersection of right wing politics in a political party bent to the will of the billionaire class, and right wing Christianity, influenced by the sensationalism of end-times false prophets and white Christian nationalism derived from dominion theology, has produced a pseudo-Christian constituency that has the ability to elect politicians to state and national office, and has, in fact, already done so.  And it produces statements like this, which demonstrate a callous ignorance of constitutional democracy.  Is that just ignorance, or wishful thinking, or do they really believe there is an authority somewhere that can make what they talk about actually happen?  

I use the term pseudo-Christian because that's exactly what this is.  It's not the Christian gospel, it is a perversion of it.  I've seen this term used in other places to describe this constituency that has emerged, mainly from the conservative, Evangelical branch of the church, but it has gained followers from across the spectrum, and there's also a parallel political movement in the Catholic church.  

But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.  Remember then from what you have fallen, repent and do the works you did at first.  If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.  Revelation 2:4-5, NRSV

For you say, "I am rich, I have prospered and I need nothing,".  You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked.  Revelation 3:17 NRSV

But why would a Christian pastor move away from the Christian gospel, and into public theorizing and pontificating about secular politics.  

Because he has fallen in love with a different kind of power.  

A Little Bit of History Goes a Long Way Toward Understanding

These verses are part of a larger narrative found at the beginning of the New Testament book of Revelation.  They were part of a vision of Jesus, given to the Apostle John while he was in exile on the island of Patmos, just off the coast of Asia Minor, not far from there the seven churches, named in the narrative, were located.  They had all been under his apostolic ministry.  

The first passage is from the message given to the church in Ephesus.  Initially, the church is commended for the good things that it had done, not tolerating "evildoers," and for its testimony as a Christian community in a large, very pagan city.  But, according to the narrative, they had "lost their first love."  Most historical sources say that what had happened was that the church leadership had sold out to the political power in the city, aligning itself with corrupt politics in order to protect its own interests and influence.  

Remaining loyal to the Christian gospel requires consistent practice of the values it produces.  It is not possible to claim to be a testimony to Christian spiritual transformation, but then endorse or support political rulers and leaders who live and conduct their business in a manner that runs completely counter to those values.  

The second verse cited above is from the part of the narrative directed toward the church at Laodicea.  In delivering this message, Jesus tells John that this is a church that is neither hot nor cold, meaning that it was neither passionate about faith, nor inspirational, encouraging and refreshing, like a drink from the cold spring located there.  They were depending on their wealth and prosperity, not on spiritual commitment, and as a result, says Jesus, "I am about to spit you out of my mouth."  

While these words of Christ's revelation to John are specific to the seven churches to which they were addressed, there is a message in them which warns all churches of the infiltration of the influences of the world, including that of politicians who may come bearing a few gifts, ready to make a deal in exchange for their loyalty, and in the case of this country, their votes.  Read the article from Newsweek. That sort of thing is happening in many churches and among many American Christians, particularly among congregations and in denominations made up mostly of relatively prosperous Caucasians, including those in the Charismatic/Pentecostal and Evangelical branches of Protestant Christianity.  

Those who hold this ideology and worldview can no longer be defined as Christian.  They have lost their first love, and they are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked.  

Crossing Boundaries and Endangering Religious Liberty  

We have religious liberty in the constitution because America's founding fathers observed that the state-church did not work well for either the state, or for the church.  Both James Madison and Thomas Jefferson came to the conclusion that religious belief was a matter of individual conscience that did not work under state-mandated compulsion.  They had observed religious oppression in America, as many of those who came here for their own religious freedom violently persecuted others who didn't share their convictions or faith practices.  

Observing the persecution of Christians in places like Virginia, where Baptists were arrested and persecuted for not complying with the Anglican church's rules, codified into law by the legislature, and in Connecticut, where an association of Baptist churches wrote a letter to Jefferson to convince him that a state church would be an oppressive burden on them, both Jefferson and Madison concluded that since religious beliefs were a matter of individual conscience, it was wrong to use the power of the state to compel compliance with a state-endorsed or supported church.  Hence, we have the first amendment and the establishment clause which Jefferson himself insisted established a "wall of separation" between church and state.  

But this pseudo-Christian cult that has formed by incorporating extreme right wing political perspectives into church doctrine and theology would completely break down the wall. There are various philosophies at work within that group which claim that God intends to "take back" domains on the earth that have been "usurped" by Satan, starting with the takeover of the United States government as a launching pad for this take-back.  They claim that God's original intention in history was to give the resources of the North American continent for white, Christian European settlers to establish a Christian nation, along the lines of the Old Testament theocracy of Israel, that would be a launching pad to put God back in control of the world he created.  Some groups believe that when this is acheived, it will open the door for the second coming of Christ.   

There are multiple variations of the pseudo-Christian political cult, but all of them are anti-democratic in that they believe that a specific group of people, usually Caucasians, have been predestined and chosen to rule, with everyone else in some sort of subservient role.  So they really have no use for a democratic constitutional republic in which a racially and ethnically diverse population all have an equal voice and representation in government.  Though they wouldn't use the terminology, they believe that their brand of Christian faith should be the state's official religion, and laws would be based on their interpretation of biblical principles and standards.  

True Motives Exposed

The intersection of this pseudo-Christian political movement with the Trump administration has exposed the true motives.  Trump, who has not only never exhibited any behavior or characteristics that would remotely indicate an interest in Christianity, and who has worked very hard to create a personal image of worldly debauchery and a pleasure-seeking lifestyle that is virtually the diametric opposite of Christian faith, realized that in order to have any kind of a shot at winning the Presidency, he would need the support of most white, Evangelical Christian voters.  So he made them a deal.  

Their embrace of an unconverted, unrepentant, still-worldly Trump sends a pretty clear message about their loyalty.  It can be bought, if the price is right.  Trump's actions and words defeat their best efforts to make him sound like one of them.  But if a twice divorced adulterous, lying, cheating, potty-mouthed, God cursing politician, and idol of the rich, will cut a deal to throw a few political bones, like court appointees, their way, then they'll throw Jesus and the Christian faith under the bus to have the political influence they need to advance their agenda.  

But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.  Remember then from what you have fallen, repent and do the works you did at first.  If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.  Revelation 2:4-5, NRSV

This is Tearing Churches and Christian Denominations Apart, Too

Last year, at a Turning Point gathering in Arizona, Trump Junior made a statement that, had it come from him at any time prior to his father's engagement in Republican party politics, would have brought a barrage of criticism and vitriolic spew from most Christian leaders.  Junior advocated for setting aside some of the basic principles taught by Jesus himself in order to develop an aggressive attitude toward getting back into positions of influence in social and political institutions.  He claimed that the Christian practice of showing love to enemies was a hindrance to dominating the public arena by Christians and other conservatives.  

I must admit, I have seen some conservative Christians actually criticize that statement and point it out for the heresy that it represents, regardless of who it comes from.  But that's really a red meat dog whistle for those on the far right in the extremist groups.  What Trump Junior articulated is exactly what many of those on the right believe, that God somehow wants this select group of mostly Caucasian Christians in places of worldly influence, as if that will help them with their mission and purpose.  That's completely contrary to the Christian gospel, and to everything Jesus taught that is recorded in the Bible, along with the Apostles written record.  

There's a massive amount of pressure on pastors, from among those who are members of their own congregations, to give this pseudo-Christian message a platform from the pulpit.  Some members, frustrated at pastors who refuse to cheapen the content of their sermons and defile their pulpits and worship experiences with political conversation, try to use their influence to pressure them into giving this a platform from their pulpit and if they fail, they leave, taking others with them.  In other cases, where the pastor has compromised his message with political rhetoric and is engaging in secular political campaigning from the pulpit, such as this example from Newsweek, those who see it for what it is wind up leaving the church.  Evangelical church membership and attendance is in a rapid decline which corresponds to the continued erosion of church-state separation that got started back in the days of Jerry Falwell's moral majority. 

There are no Christian values or principles in the politics of the pseudo-Christian cult.  They are not relying on the Beatitudes of Matthew 5:1-11, the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, the Apostle Paul's words to the Colossian church in 3:12, As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience.  These virtues and characteristics are apparently not adequate for gaining worldly power and influence.  

Thom Hartmann: So Where did all this right wing religious nuttery come from? 

We are in for a Rough Ride

I am able to write what I write, believe what I believe and practice my Christian faith as I do because I am an American, and the Constitution of the United States gives me that right.  And as Thomas Jefferson said, "But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no god.  It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg."  

Those who have been paying attention should have noticed a sharp change in the direction of the Republican party as its agenda becomes more pointed toward obstruction and opposing the extension of rights to citizens they do not deem as worthy to have them than it has focused on agenda that will actually use the resources of government to resolve, as best it can, some of the besetting problems of our society and culture in this day and age.  

White Protestant Christians, and even more specifically, white Protestant Christian men, in the United States of America still have more rights, and are more favorably privileged in this culture, and by the government, than any other of its constituencies.  I don't need to find proof of that, it's observable everywhere and in every social, cultural and political institution.  Trump Junior's assertion that conservatives have been pushed out of their worldly influence and must drop an essential doctrinal principle of Christianity in order to come back to dominance is false.  Any Jewish, Muslim or agnostic American can share multiple examples of glass ceilings they encounter, that Caucasian American males never do. 

But this is a group that is coming on with the attitude that they are on a mission from God, and that it doesn't matter what they do, including whatever means they may deem necessary to grab the government out of the hands of the "godless liberals" because they are more loyal to their cause than they are to the United States Constitution.  And because they believe that their cause is righteous, and they think that God will hold their coattails and cheer them on, they are dangerous.  We saw just a hint of the anarchic violence many of those who are philosophically compatible with this pseudo-Christian movement were willing to commit on January 6th.  If democracy continues to prevail by handing the rule of law over to the "libs" that these people hate, which by the way is also not a Christian value, that will become a common occurrence in state capitals and in Washington, DC. 

The best weapon we have in our hands is our freedom of speech and our freedom of conscience.  After walking out of a church because I got tired of the pastor's political diatribes, and never returning, I also sent a letter to every member of the congregation explaining why I left, and how that was contrary to the biblical principles they claimed to believe.  Apparently, there were others who felt the same way, because the pastor is gone, though so is about a third of the congregation.  I still refuse to go back.  

And freedom of speech and conscience depend on exercising it by voting and casting an informed ballot.  Informed.  If people don't vote, then it won't take an insurrection to overturn democracy and set up an autocratic dictatorship.  It will happen when the democratic process turns in on itself as people vote for leaders who will dissolve it for them. 

People in One of West Virginia's Deepest Red Counties Like Senator Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders Town Hall with Chris Hayes in Welch, WV 2017

McDowell County, West Virginia is the state's southernmost county and sits in the bulge that can be seen on a map of the state at the very bottom.  It has a declining population that has dropped from a peak of 98,000 in 1950 to just a little over 19,000 in 2020.  Population decline has been significant even over the last 40 years, as more than 60% of those who once lived there have gone.  Coal mining was the driving force behind the economy, peaking in the 1950's and as that declined, so did the population.  

The movie October Sky, about the boys who experimented with rockets, took place in Coalwood, a small community in the county.  That's one bright spot in what is an otherwise dismal picture of unemployment, poverty, drug addition and business closures.  The county has been a "food desert," with no major grocery store since its Wal-Mart supercenter closed in 2016, records the highest annual number of drug-induced deaths in the country and is the third poorest in the nation.  

So of course, it makes sense that the voters there have turned increasingly to the GOP, and in 2016 and 2020, to Donald Trump.  That's because, in spite of the overwhelming nature of the real problems in the county, voters were mad about Hillary Clinton's policy toward coal, and don't like the Democrats' perspective on guns.  The coal mining industry isn't coming back, because there's really no market for it, and because most of it in McDowell County has already been mined.  My guess is that nothing has changed with regard to gun ownership in the county at all.  And, expectedly, the drug problem is worse, the poverty is worse and the population continues to decline, because Trump was the least likely politician to care one whit about the people of McDowell County.  

But Senator Bernie Sanders does.  

Sanders dominated the Democratic primary in 2016, and then returned to the state in 2017 with Chris Hayes for a town hall meeting to actually engage in a discussion about what was really wrong and what could be done about it.  And in McDowell County, where 78% of the voters cast ballots for Trump, people showed up to listen.  

I don't think party loyalty goes a long way in a state like West Virginia, which went back and forth in the 20th century between Republicans and Democrats.  It is a state with a unique set of problems, including poverty and drug abuse, isolation, lack of educational opportunity and a host of other things that have never really received the kind of attention they've needed from politicians.  So many of its voters are cynical. And they stay home in large numbers, allowing a smaller electorate in a shrinking population base, because most of the state is declining, allowing the special interests, mainly the coal industry and the pharmaceutical industry, to flood the super PACs with money and elect their advocates to office.   

Sanders' message resonates with voters there because he sides with the marginalized and disenfranchised and against corporate wealth and power. He is exactly the right person to be critical of Senator Manchin's obstructionism.  The political pundits say that if there's a Democrat challenge to Manchin's re-election bid in 2024, the party will lose the seat.  And that's probably the case.  But a true, independent populist, who speaks the language of the people like Sanders does, might just be able to pull it off.  

It will take more than a town hall here and there.  But someone who speaks their language, knows their problems, and actually does something about it might stand a chance.  In a neighboring county, Mingo, the only hospital and emergency room closed in 2021, due to financial problems.  But a local medical provider bought it to keep it a hospital with the intention of re-opening and thanks to help from the Biden Administration, it will re-open this summer.  And look who's taking advantage of it, as a Democrat, claiming some of the credit for it  

Lone Hospital in WV County that Closed will Re-Open This Summer, Thanks to Biden Administration Funding

We need to think creatively.  West Virginia would have benefitted tremendously from both of the signature bills that the Biden Administration has proposed and the people there need to know that.  And they need to know who's standing in their way.

We don't have much time, Democrats.  The GOP is offering nothing.  We should be out in front on this.  

West Virginians get ignored.  It's not a big state, it's now down to just 4 electoral votes and it isn't high on the list of corporate headquarters or big business.  I spent summers trudging up and down rural roads in the mountains, going up and down the "hollers" selling books to earn college money in Mingo and McDowell Counties.  My parents grew up there and had to leave when there was no work to be found.  It's a beautiful place, and yes, while it is remote, isolated and lacks a lot of educational and community resources, the people who live there are Americans who deserve to have the same opportunities as everyone else does.  They want a hand up not a hand out, and that's what they could have had from this most recent bill that the Biden Administration wanted to get passed.  

 

Is It Possible to "Steal" an American Election? Only if Voters Stay Home on Election Day

It depends. 

In the conventional sense, as it applies to the manner in which the 2020 Presidential election was held, and ballots counted and certified, no, it was not possible, and the election was not stolen.  None of the conspiracy theories or wild conjecture in stories about ballot tampering were true, no evidence was ever produced because it didn't exist and we've now arrived at a point where evidence indicates that, among those left within the Trump administration up to January 6th, Trump himself may have been the only person in that group to believe the election was stolen.  Not even those in his inner circle still believed that. 

We're seeing more attempts at doing this now, in the wake of the 2020 election, which, by the way, was not stolen, that we've seen in this country for a long time.  I'm sure there are ways to stuff ballot boxes in local elections in various places, where there's limited supervision and lack of accountability.  But under the current system, it would be virtually impossible to "steal" an election by manipulating the vote count.  It is possible to put legislation in place that allows certain politicians, most likely the secretary of state, to ignore vote counts and let a legislative body or court declare a winner, instead of the top vote-getter.  That's being put in place now, by the way, in case you haven't noticed.  

We've always had to live with the Electoral College, which is nothing more than a means for a minority, within the boundaries of individual states, to elect a President without getting the majority of the votes.  The fact that this has occurred, in larger margins, in this century on two occasions is the best case that can be made for eliminating this antiquated, anti-democratic institution and let the people decide.  And drawing congressional districts needs to be the job of an independent, politically-balanced commission, one commission for the whole country.  No state legislature or judicial body can do this in a democratic, equitable way.  

Other than that, we should be done with election reform.  The things being proposed by Republicans are more ways to cheat the voters out of their voice. 

It Makes for a Good Conspiracy Theory

Some of the conspiracy theories floating around about the 2020 election are so laughable, they are better than some of the top comedy shows in the media.  My favorites all have to do with the "Cyber Ninja" audit that took place in Arizona, after two audits had already found the statewide ballot count, and then the Maricopa County ballot count, to be virtually accurate.  

The fact that members of the state senate hired the group called the "Cyber Ninjas" is reason enough to question both the motives, and the sanity, of those who voted to approve it.  The whole episode has made a national laughing stock out of Senate president Karen Fann, who exhibited gross incompetence and insanity in wasting the taxpayers money on this three ring circus.  They were led by a guy who also exhibited gross incompetence and insanity in publicly expressing the conspiracy theories in which he believed and made outlandish claims about special devices capable of detecting bamboo fibers in ballot paper, which would indicate they were "imported from China."  No bamboo fibers were detected, by the way, though Trump has asserted this in every rally he's had in Arizona.  

The team assembled by the head Cyber Ninja, Doug Logan, resembled the Keystone Cops in their handling of the "audit."  They couldn't figure out how to access the county voter data base, they couldn't figure out how to count the ballots, store the ballots, keep track of what they counted and what they didn't.  Their maps, checking voter addresses, were eight years old, in a county that had added half a million new residents during that time.  But the president of the state senate wanted these guys to do it.  So they did.  Other than parroting complaints, their report showed no evidence of voter fraud, but the data they were paid to collect and then report to the senate never made it there.  Logan claimed that the audit, which collected more than $6 million, including a tidy sum from Arizona taxpayers, caused his firm to go bankrupt, leaving employees unpaid and no report to turn in to the senate.  

I hope there are enough voters in Karen Fann's senate district to hold her accountable for that fiasco.  

Michigan was a comedy act as well, with one on-camera testimony given by a drunk, paid informant, a mock "legislative hearing" for the camera and fingers pointed at cheating in a county that didn't exist.  It made a celebrity of sorts out of Melissa Carone, whose testimony was proven false by evidence.  She has somehow become the face of election deniers, a loud, inarticulate nut case.  There might not be a place in the country where Giuliani and the circus appeared to be more ridiculous and out of touch than Michigan.  

In Nevada, where the election deniers claimed that "dead people voted," there was a miraculous resurrection as all of those who were named showed up at the voter registration office to verify their existence and make sure their ballots counted.   That's quite an event for Sin City, huh?  In Wisconsin, after trying to find evidence of "widespread fraud," and failing, they've been grasping at straws, trying to find even a few fraudulent ballots.  Investigations have led them to several Trump voters who cheated.  Well, what did they expect?  

I'm waiting to see what happens in Georgia, where the Secretary of State was instructed to "find" enough votes to overcome the deficit.  That should be very interesting.  

The most amusing moment of the whole Trump-Giuliani scam came in Pennsylvania, where a hair-dye stained Giuliani held a news conference at the Four Seasons Lanscaping Company, appropriately located next to a sex shop.  In the same state, after several audits found absolutely nothing wrong with the ballot count, it was noted that there were far fewer complaints about malfunctioning machines and issues during elections than in the past, due to the fact that millions of people used the mail-in ballot system.  Most counties reported veritification accuracy of ballots at higher levels than ever before. 

New Ways to Steal Elections

So after some amusing laughter, we need to pay attention to what's going on with election reform, because most of it is aimed at putting up more roadblocks to free and fair elections.  And these reforms are being proposed by the party that has trouble winning a majority of voters.  

Gerrymandering is always good, and the line-drawers have gotten creative in their shenanigans.  It's been good to see Democrats fight back, especially in states where seats were given up to give to another state.  In several of the states that lost seats, lines were drawn eliminating at least one predominantly Republican district.  In most cases, geographically, there was no other way to do it.  So there was some balance.  As it turned out, in every state that lost a district, it was a GOP congressman's seat that was removed.  Well, that's too bad.  But there are still states that are drawing districts which look exactly like the salamander in the examples from which the practice got its name.  

Ranked-choice ballots are another trick of the trade of voter suppression.  Voters cast ballots for more than one candidate, ranking them in order of choice.  It's impossible to determine exactly how many individual votes were received by each candidate.  It is very likely that the Democrats lost the Maine senate seat held by Susan Collins because of ranked-choice voting, which favors incumbents.  

Placing the authority for certifying elections in the hands of partisan politicians who have an almost exclusive right to decide, without real evidence, that a vote count wasn't accurate is probably the biggest new way to steal elections.  A candidate can win a clear majority of the vote, but if an election official declines to certify it, the results are null and void.  I expect a lot of court cases this November in places like Texas and Florida, where the effort will be made to keep any Democrat from getting to the office to which they were elected.  

It was comforting to see the state supreme court in New Mexico order the Otero County commission to certify the results of a primary election which was held back by a conspiracy-theory believing Trumpie nut job because he didn't like the result.  It was also comforting to see the other two commissioners have some common sense and vote to certify.  It would be even more comforting if that nut job commissioner were to be removed from office for his conduct.  What's so troubling about that whole situation is how someone like Couy Griffin got elected to the county commission.  A lot of people there were either not paying attention, didn't vote in the election, or are too stupid to be given the privilege. 

The 2020 Election Was Not Stolen!  And to Protect Future Elections, Turning Out in November of 2022 is Necessary

It was very clear, even before the Trump insurrection of January 6th, that there was absolutely no evidence anywhere of any "massive voter fraud" or that the election results of 2020 did not represent the will of the voter.  In fact, since the hearings began, we've heard that members of Trump's inner circle never bought into his nonsense.  They just went along with it for their own benefit.  That is criminal fraud.  And I devoutly hope that the Department of Justice prosecutes, gets rightful convictions, and sends a message to anyone else who might think about pulling something like this that it would be the wrong thing to do, and very detrimental to health, and personal freedom. 

When I lived in Pennsylvania, I saw a pattern there that was the reason why a state with a million more Democrats than Republicans in the voter registration had such incredibly gerrymandered congressional districts and a state legislature with a veto-proof Republican majority.  State elections are held in mid-term years, and Democratic turnout was always low.  The state's Democratic senator was re-elected in a Presidential election year, while the Republican was narrowly re-elected in a mid-term year.  When the court finally mandated the re-drawing of congressional district lines, the number of Democrats in Congress from the state went from 5 to 10.  And that's still under-representation based on voter registration.  The same needs to happen with their state legislature. 

Given the percentages of unregistered adults, and the percentages of voters who don't cast ballots in any given year, the solution to these kinds of problems is simple.  Turn out on election day, or with a mail-in ballot, but cast one.  That's how Democracy works.  Ballots come from voters who cast them to get the kind of government they want.  If we want to put a stop to all of these Republican shenanigans, then we need to vote in every election and know who it is that we are supporting.

We're Still Backing President Biden

And we will continue to do so as long as he is President of the United States.  

After a long string of achievements and accomplishments, not the least of which was restoring the NATO alliance confidence in America's support and unifying the alliance after Trump's disastrous undermining of it, and his flirting with Vladimir Putin, along with getting a signature infrastructure bill passed, nominating and successfully seating an African-American woman on the Supreme Court, as promised, we are having a bit of a legislative lull.  That's not the President's fault.  

Nor is the inflation and price of gasoline, which are always high on the complaint list, President Biden's fault, or due to his energy policy or economic policy.  It's not like the news media doesn't have something to talk about, with the January 6th hearings moving along, and of course, the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe.  But here we are, with the President's job approval ratings at a low point of his Presidency, with the news media finding Democrats who want to see someone else run in 2024, before the midterm elections in 2022, at a point when Democrats should be rallying around their candidates and working to the best of their ability to make sure Republicans do not win the majority in Congress back.  

This is a critical point for the United States, with the imminent danger of a fascist takeover, and yes, I mean fascist and I'm not just using that word for its shock value, still trying to put the pieces together after a sitting President, for the first time in history, attempted a coup and used the power of his office to try and keep himself in that office after losing a legitimate election.  The response to what has happened should not be to find a way to splinter support away from the party by criticizing a sitting President of the same party, and undermining all of the progress that has been made on top of all of the favorable political gifts that are sitting out there, waiting to be turned into enough votes to keep the house and senate majorities in Congress and make some much needed gains in state houses.  

If people in this country are so politically fickle that they have forgotten, in less than two years, what a complete disaster the Trump administration was, and the incompetence and corruption that flooded out of it on a daily basis, then it's going to be much more difficult to try and hang on to this democracy in the face of an all-out fascist attempt to take it over than I thought it would be.  Focusing on the 2024 presidential race is a distraction that, intentional or not, will take the focus off of the momentum-making issues that have actually made a nice dent in the enthusiasm "gap" Democrats were experiencing.  That's why it's happening.  

Whoever the Democratic nominee will be in 2024 is irrelevant.  What is relevant is winning the mid-terms and keeping the party agenda on the table.  

Starting a discussion about unhappy Democrats and speculation about who needs to run in 2024 is irresponsible journalism.  But then, there might be some motivation on the media's part to try and distract and dent the momentum Democrats have picked up with the overturning of Roe and the gun control legislation, along with job growth reports which now indicate that employment has grown past the place it was in this country prior to COVID.  

The Biden Administration is head and shoulders above any recent Republican administration in terms of achievement and accomplishment and equal to the Clinton and Obama administrations in all categories.  Democrats and Independents who still believe in and support representative democracy better wake up now and see what's going on.  These media attacks are perfectly timed distractions, and appear intended to erase the gains made by Democrats over the issues of the past year.  This is the GOP's M.O. and has been for quite some time now.  Joe Biden is experienced in and seasoned by partisan politics.  He has surrounded himself with some of the best advisors in the Democratic party.  He was legitimately elected and the vote count was accurate, not fraudulent.  Don't allow that to be taken away from you by media speculation and attempts to improve ratings.  

We have to write our own narrative, since we do not have a party propaganda outlet like Fox News.  We need a historic turnout of Democratic voters in November to resolve the issues we face.  You can help by spreading the truth, not lies.  Get on board and elect some more Democrats everywhere.  

 

 

 

What Purpose is Served by a Coach Praying Publicly at Midfield After a Football Game?

Beware of practicing your piety before others to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your father in heaven.  Matthew 6:1 

And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners so that they may be seen by others.  Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.  Matthew 6:5-6

The Supreme Court may have decided that Coach Joe Kennedy's prayers on the public school football field with players and students is protected free speech, but those who are now hollering about this being an example of "religious persecution" need to review what the Bible has to say about the practice of Christian prayer.  These two scripture passages are actually the words of Jesus himself, from the narrative known as the "Sermon on the Mount" recorded by Matthew.  

While prayer is mentioned frequently through the Bible, and specifically the New Testament, this is one of very few references which provides actual instruction about how to pray, which includes the atmosphere and the posture of the individual Christian who is praying.  There isn't any place in the Bible where Jesus or one of his apostles, or one of the writers of the text, outlines something different than is found here.  

The Principle

The question that Jesus is addressing is one of motives.  Why is it that someone would openly pray in public?  I don't want to assign a motive to the coach, since all I know about what happened is what I've read, including his comments.  This was just something he chose to do.  Those in authority over him told him not to do it, and he made the decision to go ahead and do it.  Citing this scripture passage doesn't mean that I am considering him a hypocrite, or overly pious.  But for a Christian who claims to believe the Bible is without error, and is authoritative in all matters of faith and practice, it is a legitimate question to ask what his purpose was in defying authority, and lacking any consistency with the instruction of Jesus about prayer.  

Stepping out onto the field after a game, and kneeling, is not a discreet, "secret" way of praying.  From the information that has been gathered since this case hit the news cycle, the players on the team were all aware of what the coach was doing when he kneeled on the field, and that they were invited to join him.  It was voluntary.  If it wasn't intended as a demonstration of personal piety, then it would be much more consistent with what Jesus says about the posture of personal prayer to step into a more private setting, away from the crowds departing the field, and perhaps even away from the football team, and pray in private.  That way, regardless of personal motives, whatever posture the coach took to pray, kneeling, standing with folded hands, head bowed, or lying face down on the floor, no one else would see it, which is the point Jesus is making. 

Inviting players to join in means that the prayer is not being made in secret.  A football team depends a lot on a spirit of team unity, which is a major responsibility of the coach.  Are there players who might think that while the coach has said this was "voluntary," there may be some nuance of favoritism given to those players who do show up to his time of prayer and go even if they're not necessarily Christian?  And for players who are not Christian, or who may even be of a different religious tradition, won't they feel excluded?  There's a lot more to consider here beyond the coach's right to free speech and expression.  The students should have the same consideration.  

Defiance and Resistance

The fact that this coach defied the instruction of those in authority over him, and decided to go ahead with this practice, is the bigger issue here, from a Christian perspective.  Defiance and resistance are not the manner in which Christians are instructed to deal with what they perceive as a challenge to the practice of their faith.  Approaching adversarial situations, or issues where there's a disagreement with governing authority demands submission, not resistance, according to both Apostles Peter and Paul.  A Christian is an image-bearer for Christ, a testimony of faith and in this case, the testimony was not well received by many of those who were involved.  

I've been in church long enough to know how this works.  In spite of claiming that the Bible is the sole authority for faith and practice in the church, people often put their own constrictions and interpretations on those passages that don't support their personal preferences and then they do as they please.  And just because the Supreme Court says Coach Kennedy can pray on the field after a game doesn't mean that he doesn't have to follow what Christ said about the practice of prayer.