Hold Enablers Accountable

The weekend and Sunday news programs were full of comments on the assassination attempt of Paul Pelosi. Other than a few comments of sympathy, the silence from the far right is deafening, the ridicule from the extremists expected and for the media, and for a lot of politicians, including many Democrats, its tongue-clicking, head shaking business as usual.  

Democrats have the moral high ground here, and Republican attempts at deflection, like that which came from RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel, predictable.  The spin she put on it on Fox News, where she could safely spout off her nonsense and not have to ask questions or be redirected back to the truth, was dizzying. She's a Mormon, a graduate of Brigham Young University and a Romney, and her bald-faced lies discredit her faith, her alma-mater and her family. That's not surprising, since she was one of the first, most shrill voices in the fraudulent claims of voter fraud in 2020.  But her attempt to turn this back and deflect blame, calling the attacker a random crazy person and then making comments about the crime rate somehow being involved should be called out.  

Democrats universally and immediately condemned the shooting of Steve Scalise, and backed that up with more than just thoughts and prayers.  And his assailant was motivated by the rhetoric of the extreme right, not by that of the left, or Democrats or progressives.  He was a right wing extremist, something that McDaniel failed to include in her self-serving, backhanded defense of the attack on Paul Pelosi.  The President was one of the first, and most strident voices when there was a threat against Justice Kavanaugh.  The first two voices condemning the violence against Lee Zeldin were Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul and President Biden.  But Zeldin hasn't been demonized for decades, and his attacker, a veteran, who threatened him with a sharp key chain, was drunk, and had no political connections to anyone on the left.  There's some question as to whether he was Republican, since he had been admitted to the rally.  Both of those comparisons do not stack up to the intentions of the man who attacked Mr. Pelosi.  

Making the case that this attack was directly connected to the right's demonizing of Nancy Pelosi, for as long as she has been Speaker is as easy as looking at the facts.  Mika Brzezinkski on this morning's Morning Joe broadcast, did an outstanding job of laying out the facts, tying this in with the January 6th Trump Insurrection and pointing out that this guy was a radicalized right wing extremist, not just some random crazy, and that is actions are directly motivated by what the Trump Insurrection attempted to pull  off on January 6th, 2021, which was to stop, at all costs, the certification of a legitimate election.  

This is NOT Protected Free Speech

We need a justice system that is going to make it clear that threats against politicians is not protected free speech and will not be tolerated.  The tongue-clicking and head shaking and appearances on cable news to condemn this action is all just words.  It has no purpose and achieves no result.  It applies no real accountability and the danger to all members of Congress, as well as other elected officials, continues unabated.  

Making or inciting threats is against the law.  If news media personalities and the networks that pay their salaries are held accountable for allowing this kind of remark to be made and publicized on their outlets, they should be charged and brought to trial for being an accomplice.  Politicians who obviously encourage this should be removed from office and not permitted to run again.  Character assassination is clear evidence that the individual spouting the threats is not mentally or emotionally capable of handling public office.  Wishing opponents harm or death is as unAmerican and unpatriotic as it gets.  

Threats against members of Congress, according to MSNBC's Morning Joe, have more than doubled since the first year of the Trump presidency.  It doesn't take an astrophysicist or a psychotherapist to figure out where it's coming from.  Or does it?  All of the evidence is on video or recorded, and it doesn't take long, sifting through sites like War Room or Breitbart to see them proverbially yelling "fire" in what is a very crowded theater.  

Wasn't it Justice Alito who said that's not protected free speech?  

This is NOT the Rhetoric of the Left, it IS the Rhetoric of the Extreme Right

Even the most liberal members of the House of Representatives, the "Squad" as they are known, do not use the threatening, radicalized rhetoric that is thrown around by the extremists on the right like playground bullies.  They can be shrill, critical, loud, and sometimes even obnoxious with those whom they disagree.  But they aren't bullies, they don't make personal threats and they don't rally and radicalize their followers to take aggressive action beyond the ballot box.  There's enough recorded evidence of the extremists on the right inciting their supporters to violence against the left to make just about any kind of legal charge that can be made in this domain.  And they belong to a party claiming that crime is on the increase and it's the Democrats fault.  

There is also no comparison between these two groups at the far extreme of Congressional representation when it comes to conduct and integrity.  Outright lying and deliberately misleading is evidence of a complete lack of integrity, but it is also not protected free speech and the law does make it possible to hold liars accountable for what they say.  Doesn't the Democratic party have enough resources to file lawsuits on behalf of constituents in congressional districts whose representatives have misled them by deliberately not telling the truth?  

I'm a passionate advocate of free speech and expression, and I believe that even nut jobs can say what's on their mind and put it out there in the ideological forum that is the United States of America.  But the boundary line between free, responsible speech, and destructive bullying needs to be clear.  What has been done to Nancy Pelosi, to Joe Biden, and to the opponents of some extreme radicals running on the GOP ticket is unconstitutional and legally open to prosecution.  The penalty for conviction should be removal from office and ineligibility to run for public office.

The Justice Department Has All the Evidence It Needs

We need to stop the head shaking and tongue clicking and get this done.  January 6th was an incited insurrection, the evidence is clear who planned, incited and intended to use it to subvert the constitutional provision of the peaceful transfer of power.  The longer it takes to indict and prosecute the perpetrators, the greater the risk of disruption and danger to the lives of members of Congress and their families.  

The same principle applies to the prosecution of Paul Pelosi's attacker.  There's a trail of accountability in that case as well and it needs to be followed to the prosecution of everyone responsible for incendiary, threatening, bullying rhetoric that incited violence against the Speaker.  

I'm Concerned About Crime and Inflation: Things We Need to Know

Watching our current Presidential administration approach the problems caused by the supply chain issues, which are the major factor behind the inflation we are now experiencing, has given me confidence that these are the people who need to be in charge as our country goes through the post-pandemic economic adjustments it is experiencing.  Republicans, with their laissez-faire approach to economics, would not lift a finger to do anything about supply issues.  Can you imagine Trump taking the time to search around the world for baby formula?  Or negotiating with the railroads to avoid a major strike?  

What We Know About Crime and Law Enforcement

It's not possible to reconcile support for the GOP as the party of law and order when they do nothing but justify the Trump Insurrection, which was not only an attack on our democracy, and on the Constitution and the rule of law, but also a direct attack on the Capitol and Washington police departments who were deliberately left short-handed there by the instigator of the insurrection.  If the Trump administration were really concerned about law and order, and about the crime rate, which started heading to where it is now during his administration, their budget commitments would have reflected this desire.  Depending on how you categorize the expenses, the Biden Administration spends 35% more on first responders, police and fire fighters, than Trump's administration, which ran up the biggest deficit in the nation's history on tax cuts, did.  

Supporting Republicans on law and order reducing the crime rate is the proverbial fox in the henhouse.  Crime rates are higher in red states where Republicans control legislatures and governor's mansions than they are in states where Democrats are in charge, and the cities and counties where the crime rates are highest are not the big, "blue" cities where Democrats control municipal and county governments.  And those cities and counties, and states for that matter, where Democrats are in charge, pay their first responders a lot more, provide a lot more in the way of health insurance and retirement benefits and spend more on their equipment and training.  

Nor is there anything in the prosecution of criminals through the channels of the justice system to indicate Republicans are tougher on criminals.  High profile cases always get a lot of attention, but the fact of the matter is that punishment and rehabilitation for criminals is no more lenient in blue states or blue counties than it is in red states and red counties.  In fact, there is evidence to show that in many rural areas, criminals are treated more leniently.  And we still have a huge inequity in the way white people are prosecuted, and the time they serve, as opposed to African Americans and Latinos.  

The crime rate has little to do with who's in the White House, or what party controls Congress.  Historical data about the nationwide crime rate shows no pattern based on who is in office or which party is in control, and since the latter quarter of the 20th century, it has slowly increased under every presidency, except for a sharp bump upward during Dubya's administration which correlates directly to his budget cuts to give tax breaks to the wealthy.  Yes it did go up, you can look it up. 

Would I Rather Have Low Inflation or Give Up Democracy?  

Economists have been telling us for a long time we were overdue for inflation.  But this round has some clear causes that have nothing to do with government budget policy at all, and we know that because it is happening around the world, worse for those in countries that are not taking the steps that the Biden administration has made here.  That's a fact, there's no arguing against it and taking it out on the Biden Administration is cannonading at gnats.  

The pandemic disrupted employment, displaced workers, caused early retirements and produced supply chain problems and product shortages.  In a capitalist economy, supply and demand drives prices of consumer goods.  And, of course, many of the major corporations, those who have the capital to weather the storm, want to reclaim "lost profits" due to the downturn in business resulting from the pandemic so they are charging higher prices now.  It's starting to balance out, because people aren't buying the goods at the high prices.  

But we have a White House that is taking an active role in doing everything it can to resolve supply chain issues.  The administration used its resources to locate, and transport to the United States, literally millions of gallons of baby formula when the means of production was affected by the pandemic.  Would a Republican administration have done that?  Don't answer that, I'll do it myself, based on what we've seen from Republican administrations in the past, including the most recent one, no they would not have done that.  Not on their best day. 

Rails are running because of the President's negotiating work to prevent a railroad strike, and because they are opening up the use of rolling stock to transport commercial goods.  The President has also been releasing millions of barrels of oil from the national reserves, much to the chagrin of OPEC, and oil companies who have been profiteering off alleged "shortages".  If profit margins were back at pre-pandemic levels, we'd now be paying about $2.50 a gallon for gasoline.  Supply stocks of gasoline almost everywhere are near the top of the tanks, because demand is down and the Biden administration has opened up domestic drilling permits as wide as ever, to the point where oil companies simply don't have the resources to work them all.  

So the conclusion is that we are being gouged at the pump, as a comparison of the price of a barrel of oil two years ago with the current pump price will show.  A windfall profits tax is in order, words that are for the people, but never come from Republican mouths. 

Our Immigration Policy is Just Fine With Me

I'm in a location where I have first hand knowledge of, and even some contact with, refugees being housed in the area after being transported from Texas.  Chicago is a sanctuary city, and is welcoming the busloads of Latinos, Venezuelans mostly, who are being sent here by the illegal policy of Texas Governor Abbott.  But that's OK.  They're welcome here.  

These are not refugees, or "illegals."  They are human beings, with families, dreams and hopes that have been dashed by political violence in their own country, and were willing to make a very risky and dangerous trip to the United States because, in this hemisphere, the United States of America is still a refuge, and is still a place where both opportunity and freedom can be found in abundance.  

Some local churches, mostly those with predominantly Latino membership, are helping provide basic supplies.  It's a privilege to help.  These are people who, not that long ago, had a home, family, career and life, but because their country has become a political battleground of instability and insecurity, not only had their life disrupted, but would likely not be alive if they had stayed.  Many of them are Christians, when dropping off supplies, a worship service was taking place in one of the banquet rooms at the hotel where some of them are staying.  The job market here is good, and some of them are already supporting themselves and their families.  

The wait on asylum applications will very likely be a long one.  But they're safe now, and in this, the most prosperous of the world's countries, can we also not afford to be generous with all that we have been given?  For those of us who are Christians, this is a biblical calling,  

"I was hungry, and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me in... Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these, my brothers, you did it unto me."  Matthew 25:31-40  

But this is also who we are.  Why would someone facing political oppression and torment, and possibly the loss of their life or that of a family member, in Venezuela, or Brazil or Colombia or Nicaragua for that matter, think about getting to the United States in their need, rather than Argentina or Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica or Mexico?  And no, crime rates don't go up when the immigrant count increases.  

The Biden administration is doing exactly what I would expect them to do with the immigration that is headed our way.  We are a haven, a refuge for the oppressed, the hope of the world and the most prosperous country in it, with resources that go well beyond our ability to care for any individual who manages to reach our border.  Our policy should be to listen to them and their story, offer them food, drink and shelter and ask how we can help.  

Stay the Course

I registered to vote right after I turned 18, and that was in plenty of time to vote in the 1976 Presidential election.  I cast my ballot for Jimmy Carter, and never regretted it.  Carter was doomed by circumstances beyond his control, but history has vindicated his Presidency.  It is interesting that his successor, Reagan, turned to indebtedness and government spending to bail himself out of economic woes that, under Carter, had been turning around prior to the election.  But it was the influence of a foreign power, the capture of hostages by the Iranian revolutionaries, that led to Carter's demise.  

The Biden Administration is obviously moving in the right direction.  Patience is a virtue and it is something in short supply these days.  But economic issues don't turn around immediately.  If there's a political price for it, it is because people are ignorant of how the government and the economy work.  Sorry, but that's a fact.  So what that means is, not always knowing everything there is to know, we stay the course.  What is the opposition offering?  Nothing.  So there's your choice.  

Are We Ready for November 8th?

We've had two years to know that many of the GOP's candidates in mid-term elections are planning to challenge election results they don't like while their party's minions in positions of power have made it harder to vote in many places, and have plans to challenge votes they don't like, especially those from Latino, Asian, and especially African American areas of cities and communities where they know the turnout will be high and the votes won't go their way.  

I see a lot of media commentary sounding as if this is something unexpected.  They've been telling us this through their mouthpiece, Trump, since before the 2016 election.  And they've been doing everything they can, pulling out all the stops, to try and prevent a free and fair election.  There is no doubt about that at all, from all of the evidence that has been gathered.  What they do requires a response that goes beyond just a high turnout of Democratic voters, something that is a little bit baffling in that voter enthusiasm among Democrats isn't reported to be as high as I think it should be with everything that is going on.  Maybe there's more than the mainstream media sees, I hope so.  But voting won't be enough.  

Don't Give Any Ground or Concede Any Points!

The accusations of "massive voter fraud" in 2020 were based on zero evidence.  They had nothing to take to court, which is why they lost every case, and why there were legal penalties levied against Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell.  They plant an idea in someone's mind that plays on ignorance and naivete when it comes to how ballots are gathered and counted.  Some of the more notorious claims made in 2020, all by people who received a nice chunk of Trump campaign cash for their testimony, were impossible scenarios.  

There won't be any evidence of voter fraud in this election either, at least, not by Democrats in states they control.  But there will be multiple attempts to suppress voting, already in motion, that will leave Republican election officials open to legal challenges.  There are already plans to challenge election results in precincts in Arizona where armed anti-Americans are trying to intimidate people putting mail-in ballots in drop boxes.  That's a post election challenge waiting for any Democratic candidate on those ballots to use.  

MSNBC's weekend lineup did a good job putting some Democratic members of Congress on the air talking about all of this.  It was so reassuring to hear them speak, to know that the party leadership is fully aware of all of the possible cheating and scamming that will occur on behalf of Republicans, especially those endorsed by Trump.  It's coming, and we need to be prepared for it.  

Someone Explain This to Me

The evidence is clear that January 6th was planned in advance by Trump and his cronies to subvert the Constitution, stop the peaceful transfer of power and set up a dictatorship with him at the helm.  Why is there any conversation at all of him running again?  Did we not learn anything from the European disaster of the 1930's?  Are our laws, and the executive branch's ability to enforce them so weak that there is still speculation about the possibility of Trump escaping justice and getting by with a crime that's a whole lot worse than shooting someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue?  

And how can anyone complaining about crime support one of the nation's biggest criminals, and those who were accomplices in committing this crime?  Hundreds have been held accountable, though I think most of the penalties for participating in the Trump Insurrection are far too lenient.  But the perpetrator of the crime and his minions are still free, and they're acting like nothing is going to happen to them.  We've had two years.  My patience is running out quickly.  It is particularly running out with those who see this, know it is going on and yet are still whining about crime and inflation and wavering over who they're going to vote for.  

A vote for a Democrat is a vote against Trump.  That's all you need to know when you go into the voting booth.  It's a vote for justice and it's a vote against the foreign interference in American Democracy that has been working to bring this country down and grab off their piece of it as a prize. 

Wake up!  Stop whining.  Inflation and crime are side affects of two years of a pandemic and are problems Americans are capable of resolving with good leadership like we have now.  We are on the verge of losing what we have, because of our indifference, ignorance, selfish interests and apathy.  And we need to become assertive in demanding that those we have put in office do their job, ending the charade of a possible Trump candidacy for the Presidency in 2024.  That needs to stop now.  

I saw a photo of a couple of ignorant jackasses at a Trump rally with shirts that read, "I'd rather be Russian than Democrat."  That says more than they might think it does.  As for me, I'd rather be an American than a Republican.  And I'm going to do everything I can to save my country.  

Are you?  

Another January 6th Attack

President Connects Attack on Paul Pelosi to January 6th Insurrectionists 

The attack on the husband of the Speaker of the House was another January 6th.  Yes, it was only one attacker, and one victim, but the ideology behind the attacker's motive was the same as that behind those who were part of the Trump Insurrection on January 6th, 2021.  The President equated the two events yesterday in a speech in Pennsylvania and he is right on target.  And he is exactly right.  

Pennsylvania Congresswoman Madelyn Dean, quoted in an article in Politico, a member of the January 6th committee who now carries a bulletproof vest in her car, because of threats, said, "We know what has fueled this: It is years of vitriol and disinformation.  What we have sown is what we are reaping," regarding politically motivated lies, including those about the validity of elections. 

It's Long Past Time to Make January 6th's Perpetrators into an Example

Some prominent Republicans have spoken up to express their concern for Mr. Pelosi and to condemn the violence, though I would call their response somewhat underwhelming, as Rand Paul simply used his remarks as an opportunity to slam Pelosi's daughter and Virginia Governor Glen Youngkin simply made it part of a political theme.  But we need more than condemnation, we need action.  

First of all, there is an opportunity for the American people to make a clear statement on November the 8th, that this kind of political violence, which is an attempt to subvert constitutional law and the will of the people, is unacceptable.  Go vote, and cast a ballot against every politician who has not publicly condemned the January 6th Trump Insurrection, and spoken out against the former President who incited it.  The evidence has been laid out clearly, and while all the legal considerations of Trump's involvement and role in inciting the violence are being debated, the people need to speak loudly and clearly.  

Second, it's time for the Justice Department to move.  The longer they wait, for whatever reason, the greater the chance there will be more of this in the wake of an election that has a real chance of not turning out the way that violent, right wing Republican extremists want to see.  And members of Congress are not the only potential victims.  Armed insurrectionists and anti-American traitors are sitting outside polling places trying to prevent people from casting legitimate ballots and interfering with a process that is at the very core of our national identity.  That is a virtual guarantee that there will be more violence.  

This is not new information.  It's been clear, for almost two years, that Trump was a traitor who intended to subvert the constitution and set himself up as a dictator.  And while I understand all of the need for caution and making sure the case is legally sound, every day that goes by reduces the chance that Trump will ever be held accountable or brought to justice, and increases the danger for anyone who stands up for the constitution, democracy and "law and order" as we know it.  

It is now time to enforce the law, indict the January 6th perpetrators, hold them accountable, keep them in custody until they are tried and let the law and justice prevail. Send a message.  Attacks like January 6th, and its continuation in San Francisco against Paul Pelosi, will not be tolerated.  

Author's Note:  There are politicians, Marjorie Taylor Greene for one, who have called for the Speaker's trial and execution on grounds of being a traitor.  Sarah Palin with her "target." Kari Lake, the GOP candidate for governor of Arizona, has already used her media bias to make this a "whataboutism" and blame it on the left, even though it is the right that is perpetrating the violence.  How someone like that gets elected can only be explained by rank ignorance and stupidity, but that's where this comes from.  These extremists want to end America as we know it and that makes them traitors, not patriots.  They are complicit in this crime.  

It's time to prosecute Trump and the other perpetrators of January 6th, now!   If we don't say NO to these people, we deserve what we get.

Christianity Isn't a Matter of Opinion

In a discussion on a political website, I occasionally encounter someone who uses the broadest possible definition of the term "Christian" with the critical intent to put all of those who identify by using the term in the same basket.  As you read through posts on this website, you see documented information and interpretations of passages of the Bible, quoted and interpreted in context, used for the purpose of defining genuine Christian belief and practice, and distinguishing that from the pseudo-Christian cults and practices, mainly associated with extreme right-wing politics, which are not, by any legitimate definition, Christian.  They may derive some of their beliefs from the Bible, or from some Christian tradition, use similar terminology, appeal to people who are Christians for support, and succeed in doing so.  

But there is an objective definition of true Christianity, rooted in the words of Jesus Christ as recorded by the gospel writers in their works, and by a historical, contextual discernment of that doctrine, theology and practice, among the works of the Apostles in the New Testament, most of whom were eyewitnesses to the life and teachings of Christ and who were instrumental in the development and leadership of the early Christian church.  In the 27 different "books" of the New Testament, the writers lay out a consistent, systematic theology identifying Jesus as the fulfillment of the messianic promise of the Old Testament, record his gospel message for the redemption and restoration of humanity to its creator God, from sin which separated them at the fall in the garden of Eden, and the establishment and doctrinal foundation of the Christian church, balanced by the inclusion of the teaching and writing of six different authors, five of whom can be identified as part of the twelve disciples and later Apostles of Jesus, the author of the book of Hebrews being the lone exception. 

What they lay out is not a matter of opinion, and they do not leave theology or doctrine open to individual interpretation or discernment.  New Testament theology is systematic, supported by evidence, consistent and relatively simple to understand.  The hermeneutics involved in interpreting the scripture and applying it to a consistent practice of Christian faith are clear.  Jesus is quoted in Matthew 5:17 as saying that his purpose was not to abolish the law and the prophets, but to fulfill them.  So interpreting the Bible is a matter of acknowledging the words of Christ that are recorded within as the standard and the criterion.  

The Confession That Makes One "Christian" and Which Defines Christian Faith

Matthew records a conversation between Jesus and his disciples near the Roman administrative capital of Palestine, Caesarea Philippi, in which he asked them to tell him how people were identifying him.  After hearing their response, he asked for their response, saying, "But who do you say that I am?"  Peter responded, "You are the Messiah (Latin, the Christ), the son of the living God."  

Jesus affirms Peter's response by saying, first of all, that the statement he made was revealed to him by God himself, that he would build his church on the foundation of this confession, and he would give to Peter, and by implication to all who make this confession, the "Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven."  This confession, that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the hope that Israel had been looking for since the days of the Abrahamic covenant, and was the divine one who would redeem humanity from its sin and restore it to God, is the defining doctrine of Christianity.  

The Apostle John also affirms this core belief in his gospel, recorded in chapter 3, verse 16, and then again, in his church epistle, I John 4:1-3, where he says, "every spirit that confesses that Jesus has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.  And this is the spirit of the antichrist of which you have heard that it is coming; and now is already in the world." [NRSV]

That's not just mere intellectual assent that the person of Jesus was fully divine and fully human in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy about him, but it is acceptance of all that he taught in the time he spent in public ministry, up to his crucifixion and after his resurrection.  It requires acknowledgement and practice of the virtues Jesus claimed were evidence of a life changed by the gospel, and understanding of exactly what he meant when he claimed to fulfill the law and the prophets. Jesus rejected the temptation to make himself known, and bring his gospel, through any kind of worldly, political power, and he proclaimed the Kingdom of God to be a spiritual kingdom in a spiritual realm, not a worldly, political kingdom along the lines of Israel's theocracy.  The Kingdom of God would be inclusive of all nations and tribes, according to Jesus himself.  

The Interpretive Key to the Bible 

Acknowledging Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah who was the subject of much prophesy in the Old Testament, gives a clear key to interpreting the Bible.  The words of Jesus, recorded in the gospel accounts of the New Testament, and in the book of Revelation, provide the interpretive standard for all of the rest of scripture. 

The "Sermon on the Mount," found in Matthew Chapters 5-7, and portions also found in Mark and Luke's gospel accounts, provides a concentrated framework by which to interpret all of the other writers and works in the Bible through the filter of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  In Matthew 5:7, Jesus says, "I have not come to abolish the law and the prophets, I have come to fulfill them.  That is a major interpretive key, as is Revelation 1:1-3 where John records a vision given to him by Christ, and declares "Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and keep what is written in it for the time is near."

Those two quotes put bookends on the New Testament, and determine the historical context of all that is recorded there.  It makes the evidence found to support a systematic theology and instructions for practice of Christian faith objective in nature, rather than subjective.  It's not a matter of picking and choosing what to believe to suit personal biases and prejudices, and make the Bible say whatever one wants it to say.  Christian theology, doctrine and practice are consistent and systematic because the Bible's writers agree on content, cite sources, explain contexts and make the purpose of their writing clear.  Those who deviate from this widely accepted standard interpretation of scripture are apostate and engaging in heresy. 

Although there are nuances of interpretation on secondary and tertiary doctrines, the main branches of Christianity, in spite of their lack of ability to get along, generally agree on the basic concepts required for being defined as a Christian, which is, according to I John 4:1-3 "believing that Jesus is the Christ."  That is a simple statement meaning that Jesus was the promised Messiah of the Old Testament whose purpose was to save people from the consequences of their sin.  All of the major Christian expressions, Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox, share this core belief that is the only true essential belief of Christianity.  

The combination of Jesus as the interpretive standard of the Bible, understanding the cultural and historical content of what it written in it, and using the original languages to translate and attempt to understand produces objective theological and doctrinal points by which all beliefs claiming to be Christian are measured.  If a belief or claimed expression of Christianity is nor supported by scripture, it is not Christian.  No part of the Bible can be interpreted out of its context or applied out of its context.  Systematic theology is a framework of objective facts.  The only opinion involved is, perhaps, the discernment of how to take the meaning and apply it to modern circumstances. 

Christianity is a personal faith, defined by a set of objectives which rests on a foundation of doctrine and theology put in place by Jesus, the Christ.  Those who claim it as their own faith and practice must accept its basic, foundational theology which defines the identity of Christ, or Messiah, and follow its doctrine.  They cannot define themselves as "Christian" and then determine their own theology, doctrine and salvation.  

Important Distinctions Between "Christian Nationalism" and "Christianity"

There are many Christians who are allies and supporters of the progressive political movement, including many under the "Evangelical" label, who are pointing out the distinctions between a movement that exhibits none of the values or virtues of the gospel of Jesus Christ, known as "Christian Nationalism," or "White Christian Nationalism," and the Christian church, or Christian churches.  

Florida Baptist Pastor Distinguishes "Christian Nationalism" from Christian Faith 

This isn't something that people are just now waking up and discovering.  Christian nationalism, in multiple forms, has been a heresy present in the American church since colonial days, and it is also a very real presence in the state churches of European Protestantism, where heads of state were made heads of the national church.  In this country, the religious liberty we have should be something we appreciate and protect, since some of those who came here did so to escape the coercion, manipulation and destruction of their faith in churches where doctrine was bent to the will of the state.  

The "no true Scotsman" criticism that Christians who defend the faith against the heresy of Christian Nationalism often experience does not apply.  Christianity is defined by a set of identifiable, objective core beliefs and practices derived from the Bible, primarily the New Testament, directly from the record of Christ's words and instruction, which not only provides the philosophical basis for Christian faith, but which provides the criteria and context for interpreting the rest of the biblical narrative.  Christian nationalism does not rely on a correct hermeneutical standard to arrive at their beliefs, in fact, there is no specific teaching anywhere in the scripture to which they can appeal for substantiation.  

It's not possible to claim fidelity to the Bible and be a Christian Nationalist, according to Christopher McKee, pastor of the Baptist-affiliated Church of Oakland in Jacksonville, Florida.  McKee said the language of Christian nationalism "becomes the language of subjugation and oppression which, sadly, has been so much a part of this nation's fabric, which builds into this myth.  It makes it OK for us to have this false idea that to be racist, to be complicit in systems and structures of oppression, makes you 'Christ-like.'  For me, that's the antithesis of who Jesus is."  

Along with McKee, Amanda Tyler, who is the Executive Director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, a lobby and legislative advocacy institution in Washington that is supported by almost all of the Baptist groups in the United States, supported the idea that Christian nationalism is a false ideology. 

"Not only does this Christian nation myth belie history in the constitutional texts," she said, "but it also works against a Christian understanding of a global church.  In John's gospel, 'God so loved the world," not 'God so loved the United States," she said. 

"This idea that America is singled out for special treatment by God goes against the gospel itself." 

Thank you, Ms. Tyler, and Pastor McKee, for affirming what Signal Press has been saying for almost its entire existence.  And thank you for wrecking the "no true Scotsman" criticism.  Ms. Tyler, Pastor McKee and many, many others have been on top of this discussion for a longer time than I've been writing about it.  I guess I should say that Signal Press is affirming them in their work, rather than the other way around.  Read the Baptist News Global website regularly and there will be multiple authors and sources from within American Christianity who will point out the heresy involved in white, Christian nationalism. 

How Seriously is this Myth Taken by Republican Politicians? 

Two members of Congress, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert, have promoted Christian nationalist ideology, Taylor Greene does it openly, while Boebert relies on cliches and statements in her speaking engagements to make her point.  Neither of them cite support for their belief, they depend on those listening to them to be as ignorant of the Bible as they are, and to blindly accept whatever they say based on political affinity.  

It's part of the political rhetoric, in that it fits with the narrative of using whatever it takes to rally the base.  Trump himself, who has made it clear that he neither recognizes nor submits to any authority outside of his own, including his own god who he has invented to suit his own ego, is obviously attracted to the racism.  Whether he believes this out of conviction, or that he thinks his base are the most ignorant suckers he's ever known and is just using this to his advantage, he's on board to reap the benefits of the support it gets him. 

And that's most likely the position that some other GOP politicians take.  It's part of the rhetoric of their religious right wing followers, so they go along and hope no one asks them any really deep theological questions or makes some really frightening, extremist comment that becomes identified with the politician's campaign.  But there are others who really do believe that, because this is America, if all of the Christians just get in line and believe the right way and vote the right way, we will be bestowed with massive material benefits.  And the only way to do that, in their mind, is to "restore" America to being the Christian nation that it never was, and which our founding fathers never intended to establish. 

There's no question that the United States has been a Christian-influenced nation, especially by Protestant Christianity.  And there have been many times when that influence has violated the boundaries of the establishment clause.  There are those who claim that Pierre L'Enfant, who was commissioned by George Washington to lay out the city of Washington, DC, designed the national mall in the shape of a cross.  If you look at a map, you can see it clearly.  The Capitol is at the foot, the Lincoln Memorial is at the head, the White House on the north side and the Jefferson Memorial on the south with the Washington Monument at the point where the two lines cross.  The two memorials and the White House are at equal distances from the Washington monument, the Capitol is exactly twice as far.  

While a later re-design added equal amounts of space on an angle from the top to the sides, and the government quarter is all included inside those four triangles, the cross is still visible and it is outlined by the streets that run along its edges.  The fact that not much is mentioned of it, and most of the historical references leave it out because it clearly violates the establishment clause is an indication of an awareness of the need for the government to take a neutral position as far as religion is concerned.  

And that serves as a good example to make this point.  Christian nationalism is not democratic.  It takes the position that Christianity is a favored religion and should be the beneficiary of favors that other religions don't receive, and should be able to promote its doctrine and theology above that of other religious beliefs.  It is, in fact, very likely that a Christian nationalist government in the United States would also put Catholics at a disadvantage, along with Protestants who don't share conservative practice.  

Christian Nationalism is Slowly Destroying Evangelical Christianity

The nation's largest Evangelical denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, is meticulous when it comes to tracking statistics and keeping membership records.  The denomination reported a collective membership of 16 million in 2006.  At its next annual meeting, messengers to the convention were shocked to receive a report indicating that membership had not increased during the previous year, but had, for the first time since World War 2, declined.  It wasn't a huge decline, the leaders said, and it would "bounce back."  

But it has not bounced back.  Since 2006, the decline in membership has grown larger each year.  By the 2022 annual meeting, the numerical decline exceeded 400,000 in just one year.  The average weekly attendance in the churches, which is always a lower figure than membership, declined by over a million between 2006 and 2019, just prior to the COVID pandemic.  

That pattern has been mirrored all across the Evangelical spectrum.  According to Census data, there are 17 million fewer people who identify with an Evangelical denomination or church in the 2020 report than there were in 2010.  The most significant declines in both attendance and membership have occurred between 2015 and 2020.  Put that together with the secular politics that are getting folded into churches and pulpits and you have an accurate explanation for the decline.

It's no coincidence that declining church attendance and membership among Evangelicals, something their leaders have criticized happening in the Protestant mainline for decades, is accelerating as the political rhetoric has become more hostile and churches become filled with individuals who turn the preaching of the gospel into a political circus.  Some congregations become so politically oriented, they are driving out their pastors and church leaders who stand by their convictions and refuse to cave in.  Others are places where pastors have become so hostile and angry in their sermonizing of politics that church members are walking out, sometimes in the middle of worship services.  I did. 

This is being called out, as organizations like the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty are helping create awareness, provide facts and give information about what congregations and individual Christians can do to help stop this evil from spreading.  And there are efforts being made, not only to encourage Christians who see this fraud for what it is to vote in support of politicians who are opposed to it, but to help inform people who might not have a lot of knowledge or experience with it to cast their ballot against a system that would take away their personal freedom.  

The Signal Press advocates for a free church in a free state, and universal religious liberty. Join us and cast a ballot on November 8th for the Democratic politicians on yours who will support these principles.

 

 

This is a Midterm Election so the Bottom Line is Turnout

If we believe the numbers we've been told represent voter opinion in this country over the past six months, the Democrats should be able to hold on to their majorities in both houses of Congress.  Clear majorities of voters think Trump instigated and should be held accountable for January 6th, a majority believes he illegally took classified documents to Mar-a-Lago, and a clear majority of voters are unhappy with the Supreme Court and with the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, and over 60% of the electorate doesn't buy the "Big Lie."  Why those issues don't seem to outweigh inflation, gas prices that have dropped considerably over the past couple of months, and the fact that the economy is otherwise roaring along and unemployment is at decades low rates is baffling.  

Then, maybe, it's not so baffling.  

Polls can be wrong, and they have been wrong recently enough to give us a hint that November 8th's outcome may not be as close as the media wants us to believe.  The polls in Kansas, which I am assuming used the same factoring and calculating and ran the same kinds of models they always do, missed the outcome on the referendum on women's reproductive rights by a wide margin, some predicting the referendum would fail by 15 percentage points.  At one point, apparently, raw data from a small sample done by a local newspaper in the state seemed to indicate what was about to happen, but raw data is usually ignored in favor of more educated models based on factors.  

The polls on the congressional special election in New York's 19th district between Democrat Pat Ryan and Republican Marc Molinaro were off by 6 points, three points outside the margin of error, but significant in that his vote total also outperformed President Biden in the district's 2020 vote total by 1%.  

The polls in Alaska were hard to read going into a ranked-choice ballot election for a congressional seat.  In the first round, first choice balloting, against two well-known Alaska Republicans, former governor Sarah Palin and Nick Begich, Peltola picked up 40% of the vote, 10% more than Palin and 13% more than Begich.  That outperformed the polling averages by more than 8 points, while Palin finished 10% below her poll average and Begich, who was picked to win, finished third.  As expected, more Republicans voted for Palin as a second choice, but it was the first choice ballots for Peltola that gave her the margin she needed to surge to 51% when the second choice was counted, and win a 51-48 margin, a full 13% ahead of where the final polls called the race.  

The Dobbs decision was a factor in all three of these races.  It's hard to poll a surge of sudden interest in going to the polls, after the same models and factors have been in place for a while.  And seeing women's reproductive rights go from a single digit percentage to 27% in recent polls, which is about a 20% surge in interest, as the economy and inflation lose some of their edge, is an indication that a lot of those motivated voters aren't "factored" into the polling data.  For one thing, not everyone concerned about inflation and the economy is voting for a Republican.  And not all of those who are concerned about abortion are voting for Democrats.  

Minds are Made Up

One thing is clear.  There aren't a lot of undecided voters.  But if that's the case, then the advantage is decidedly on the Democratic party's side, because of where the vote totals fell in 2020.  The Democrats have a larger pool of voters to draw from, and it comes down to motivating and activating them to get to the polls and vote.  And that's where this election will be won or lost.  Trump has inserted himself into this election by his endorsements and his rallies, and he was the main motivating factor for Democrats, and more specifically, for over 60% of independent voters who stepped up and voted against him in 2020.  And here he is again.  

The only thing different this time around is that Republicans who bought into the massive voter fraud nonsense are using that as a means of justifying intimidation and fraud, and they've geared up to do their dead-level best to steal as much of this election as they can.  In Arizona, armed thugs are posting themselves outside drop-box locations illegally.  Because the presidential election hinged on mail-in ballots, there is a major effort on the part of Republicans to stop them from being cast, or to limit early voting, to try and control the turnout.  

Democrats sometimes are a little too passive in this regard.  I'd be inclined, after seeing the video of the armed scumbags sitting outside the drop-box location in Arizona, to either call the police, or to take turns sitting there to escort voters to the drop-box.  

Democracy is at stake, as we have seen from the extremist MAGA side of a Republican party that has problems winning elections where everyone has access to the polls and can vote.  And while we can do a lot of talking about where the failures have been in our society that have permitted this radicalization to get to this point, whether its massive educational failure, foreign influence of Russia and China in social media, the ugly rise of racism, the subversion and apostasy of American Christianity, the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few who are using it to buy our political system wholesale, or a combination of all of those things, the immediate concern is making sure the right people win this election.  

And that means getting up off your seat and out to vote, wherever you can and by whatever means is available to you, to keep Democrats in office and to add to the majority to make some real progress and prevent this insanity from growing and taking over.  

Marjorie Taylor-Greene Preaches Another Gospel

 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.  But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that that one be accursed!  As we have said before, so now I repeat, if anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that one be accursed! 

We have seen a lot of the attitude, conviction and spirit of Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor-Greene over the past two years as she has put herself front and center as a far right wing extremist with some of the most ridiculous and provably wrong conspiracy theories that circulate around these days.  Not only are her conspiracy theories lies, with plenty of evidence to destroy their credibility, but her demeanor and attitude defies the characteristics and virtues which the gospel of Jesus says are an inherent part of a believer's character.  She has now come forward with a statement that is evidence of her lack of Christian spiritual conviction, an attack on Senator Rafael Warnock's faith.  

"Do not judge," says Jesus, in the gospel of Matthew 7:1, "so that you may not be judged."  

There's not any circumstance, short of a personal confession, under which Taylor-Greene could know anything about Senator Warnock's Christian faith and be in a position to judge its validity.  She is calling her own faith into question, dragging it into politics with this kind of accusation and obviously feathering her own nest and her own political ambitions.  And using Christian faith for personal political ambitions is not the gospel that Jesus preached, that the Bible defines and that Senator Warnock, as a pastor, preaches from his pulpit.  His responses and his conduct through this whole campaign have set an example for Christians in politics to follow.  And it's quite a contrast to that of the shrill chattering of Marjorie Taylor-Greene.  

She's jumped on the bandwagon of the white supremacist Christian Nationalist movement which distorts and denies foundational principles of Christ's gospel, and abandons every virtue found in the narrative known as the "Sermon on the Mount," like "blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth," "blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God," and "Love your enemies, and pray for those who despitefully use you."  Using political power and influence is exactly the opposite of what Jesus described as the Kingdom of God.  Satan tempted him with that kind of worldly power early on, and he turned it down.  But some of those who claim to be his followers are picking it back up.  

In contrast to Taylor-Greene, Senator Warnock's responses demonstrate his Christian convictions and his trust in the words of Christ.  

"You have heard that it was said, 'an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth'," is a direct quote of the words of Jesus in Matthew's gospel, chapter 5.  "But I say to you, do not resist an evildoer."  

Beyond that, Jesus goes into the familiar narrative of turning the left cheek to someone who hits you on the right one, and walking a second mile with the person who compels you to walk the first one.  Senator Warnock's responses to critics like Taylor-Greene, and for that matter Herschel Walker, in this campaign have preached the Christian gospel as clearly as it can be preached.  

For with the judgement you make, you will be judged and the measure you give will be the measure you get.  Matthew 7:2, NRSV  

By questioning the sincerity of Senator Warnock's Christian faith, Taylor-Greene has, according to the scripture, opened her own self up to judgement by the same standard.  He's set an example consistent with the biblical description of a follower of Jesus Christ.  She's preaching a different gospel.  

Do I Feel Safe in a Large City Run By Democratic Politicians?

Yes.  

Safer than I would feel in a Republican controlled state if I were a teacher in a classroom, or if I attended a medium-sized conservative church on a Sunday morning, or went out to enjoy an evening dining experience on a crowded street with a lot of nighttime activity.  

Oh, by the way, I live in Chicago, Illinois.  

I feel safer here than I did when I lived in the suburbs of Houston, Texas for over 20 years.  While living there I came out of the local shopping mall in the predominantly white, predominantly Republican suburb where I lived to a shattered car window and items removed from the vehicle, not once, but twice.  The convenience market and gas station two blocks from my house, where I shopped regularly, was robbed multiple times during our time there.  And in this nice, peaceful suburban neighborhood of sprawling, ranch-style homes, about half the residents installed window bars and doors with metal bars on their houses.  

In my current neighborhood, in the city not the suburbs, there are fast food places on either side of the block where I live, a shopping center across the street with a bank in the parking lot, a convenience market and gas station directly across the street and an ethnic restaurant and bar in the same block.  In five years, there's been only one incident which warranted a police call, and that was a pedestrian getting hit by a car crossing the street in the middle of the block.  

I am aware of the crimes that are reported by the media, including the routine stuff, like carjackings, shootings, armed robbery, transit system issues and drug-related crime.  But it's no different here, in terms of the number of reports or the types of crime, than it is in any other big city.  The right wing media skews and exaggerates the statistics.  In most comparisons I see to other large cities, they use Cook County figures, not just city of Chicago, while using city figures of the other places in their comparison.  Cook County has almost 6 million people and more than two dozen other municipalities besides Chicago.  It's the second most populous county in the country.  But it is not even in the top 50 in crimes per population.  And here's the chart to prove it: United States Crime Rates by County

What you'll see in that data is that most of the counties with high crime rates are in red states and are under the jurisdiction of Republican politicians.  And looking at that data, I can say to someone like Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan, who posed this question, that I feel safer in Chicago than I would in any city or county in his district, several of which appear on the list with much higher crime rates than Cook County, Illinois.  So, Congressman Jordan, I've got a question for you.  If you are so concerned about crime, why haven't you done anything about it for the people in your district?  You're in Congress and you're griping about the Democrats record on crime.  But you have no record of having done anything about crime.  In fact, apparently you don't report crimes that you've witnessed. 

So, Congressman Jordan, my advice to you is to sit down.  And be quiet.  In other words, shut up. 

Florida and Texas are a Paradise for Mass Shooters

The church I attended for over a decade in Texas eventually got around to hiring a professional security service to place two full time, armed security guards in the parking area on Sunday and Wednesday during the busiest times of the week.  Having deacons volunteer to watch the parking lot didn't prevent cars from being stolen right off the lot during services.  The church also kept the entrances locked even during services and activities, posting ushers to open the doors for those coming in.  

After the shooting at Wedgewood Baptist Church in Ft. Worth, in 1999, during which seven people were killed and seven wounded, mostly teenagers attending a "See you at the Pole" rally, most churches in Texas posted lookouts at their entrances, though they are not allowed to declare themselves as "gun free zones" and people can conceal carry right into the church.  The presence of armed church members has not prevented some of the most spectacular church shootings in the country, including in the small town of Sutherland Springs, where a gunman literally murdered half of the congregation, 26 people, and wounded an additional 22 people out of the congregation of fewer than 60 people.  

Texas is a red state, and this shooting occurred during the presidency of Donald Trump.  So did the one at the West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, a Fort Worth suburb, where two people were murdered before any of the gun-totin' members could stop the shooter.  The Sutherland Springs shooting, by the way, ranks as the worst shooting in a house of worship in American history.  Sutherland Springs is a small town, 600 people, in a rural area outside San Antonio.  Uvalde is also a small town, two hours west of San Antonio, population 16,000.  

It's been encouraging to see students who were under fire at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people were murdered, become gun control activists.  This is how democracy works.  Their help has been invaluable and I hope they're able to keep it up.  No American high school student should ever have that kind of experience to relate, but they live in Florida, which is another one of those places where Republicans were in charge when the gunman entered their school.  

Oh, and did I mention, this shooting also occurred during the Trump presidency, and also while Ron Desantis was governor.  If we use Republican logic related to crime, and the message they want to send in this campaign, both of those men should bear responsibility for these shootings and for Florida's high crime rate, one of the worst in the nation.  

If Crime and Public Safety are the Issue, Democrats are the Politicians with the Answers

The church I attend in Chicago, in the inner city, does not post armed guards in the foyer.  We do have ushers who watch the doors, that's just common sense, but in Chicago, it is illegal to carry a weapon inside a church without a permit and that fact makes it easy to protect the congregation and be alert to someone who might intend to do harm.  In some neighborhoods, there are shootings in the streets, but that's in any big city, and statistically, as has been seen, it's no more prolific here than any other large city, and not as bad as some smaller cities and rural areas. 

I frequently use public transportation, mainly the "L" trains and bus system, when I go downtown for medical appointments, out to eat or to an event.  It's virtually impossible to find parking near Wrigley Field but the L stop is just a block away, and while the trains can be crowded on game days, it's the best way to get there.  Do I keep an eye out and am I aware of my surroundings?  Of course.  But I did that when I lived in a suburban Republican area, too.  Crime can happen anywhere and it has no political preference.  

But, if I want effective law enforcement and politicians who care about my safety, I'm going to vote for Democrats.  The record is clear, they do a much better job with law enforcement than Republicans do.   

The GOP is Running on Nothing At All. So Why Vote for Them?

Robert Reich: Republican Talking Points are Dead Wrong 

In debates and campaign ads, the Republican themes have been fairly consistent.  They've been shocked with the response to the Supreme Court's overturning Roe v. Wade, which energized the Democratic party, boosted voter registration to the point where it caught up, and then passed, Republican numbers and it neutralized what all the pundits and press and political experts had conceded would be another midterm in which the party in power lost seats in Congress.  

To be honest, Republicans have almost nothing to offer.  They have the "Big lie," which does nothing to excite or motivate the kind of voters they need to win battleground elections.  The January 6th committee, which wasn't really much of a factor last spring, is now registering as one of the main reasons motivating voters to cast their ballots this fall.  And while both the President and Vice-President have struggled with job approval ratings, Trump's insertion of himself into the midterms, endorsement of extremists and gathering attention have driven his disapproval up to the 60% threshold, far higher than the Biden Administration's negatives.  His disapproval is increasing, theirs is declining.  

On Crime and Violence

How can a candidate who belongs to a political party that supported a mob which essentially beat up, threatened, injured and murdered one Capitol police officer in a riot that was intended to stop the constitutional peaceful transfer of power and install a lawless dictatorship?  How can they claim that the Democrats are responsible for the increase in the crime rate when the ex-president they support is a criminal who brags about his ability to get away with breaking the law and openly states that getting around it is the key to business success?  

What, exactly, do they plan to do that will cause the crime rate to go down and fix the problem?  They're attacking the FBI, clamoring for "defunding" federal law enforcement.  That's not taking a stand against crime, that's promoting it.  

The most effective means of fighting crime and lowering the violent crime rate, as Democrats in states and cities where they have had some success in doing this proves, is to pass meaningful and effective gun control legislation.  The GOP is in the pocket of the radical, extremist NRA, whose political stances and advocacy for unregulated gun ownership is directly responsible for the rise in violent crime in this country.  

That the Republican party is hapless and helpless and has absolutely no plan at all for reducing violent crime, in spite of whining about it, came from Marco Rubio earlier this week, in his debate with Congresswoman Val Demings.  Rubio had absolutely no answers and no valid response to questions about his lack of support for legislation that would control gun violence, as a senator representing a state where some of the worst mass shootings have occurred, including Stoneman-Douglass high school and the nightclub in Orlando.  

"That happened on your watch, Senator Rubio.  And what was your response to that?"  

The silence from the Senator was deafening.  His deflection was embarrassing. 

On Inflation

It hasn't been hard to notice, at least not if some attention has been paid to what's been going on in Congress, that the Republicans have opposed every attempted move by the Biden Administration to deal with inflation.  Every bill that has been passed, representing commonly held practices of government in handling inflation, has been opposed by the GOP members.  

They're way off base in their accusations that COVID relief and government spending is responsible for inflation.  Even conservative economists acknowledge that supply chain issues, China's "no tolerance" COVID policy that prevents consumer goods from leaving their country and arriving here, and Russia's war on Ukraine are the major drivers of inflation.  That's probably why inflation is happening everywhere in the world, and it's worse in most places than it is here because our government, led by the President, is doing something to make things better for our people.  

Gas prices have fallen $1.40 in the past two months, due to all kinds of help from the Biden Administration and many Democratic governors.  The myth that America was energy independent under Trump has crumbled in the wake of the Ukraine invasion.  The Trump administration was dependent on Russian and Saudi Arabian oil for its supply and for what was not much of a break on the prices.  Even now, it's clear that the price of a gallon of gasoline is inflated for profiteering purposes. The previous administration counted for nothing on this issue, their bombast was all a big, empty bluff. 

And, over the past two months, inflation has levelled off.  So what the Biden Administration is doing has worked.  I'll repeat that.  What the Biden administration is doing about inflation is working. And it's hard to ignore the fact that job growth is still setting records and in spite of inflation, the stock market is still expanding and the dire predictions of a recession are not materializing. 

On Immigration

I'm a progressive American and I believe that this country was formed with the intention of being a refuge and a haven for the oppressed.  Far more than the legalistic, authoritarian, racist approach of white, Christian nationalism, if there was a Christian influence in this nation's founding, it was in the open, generous, welcoming attitude that developed among those who were grateful to be here and who enjoyed and prospered in this atmosphere of freedom.  

I'm glad to see that the governor of Texas is sending refugees from the border, seeking asylum in the United States, north to the "sanctuary cities."  It has given me the opportunity to volunteer to help collect resources, including food and clothing, for some 2,000 hopeful, future Americans who have fled the terror and violence now happening in Venezuela.  Sorry, Texans, you missed out on the chance to help, serve and demonstrate the patriotism you claim to have.  They're welcome here in the Chicago area and we are taking care of them as they wait to find out if they will be given asylum and the opportunity to find a job and eventually become an American citizen.  

They are so grateful and thankful for the help.  Most of them want to work to support themselves and many of them are college graduates and professionals.  And they are glad to be away from what's happening where they lived.  It would be cruel and inhumane to turn these people away, especially after what most of them have been through in order to get here.  

For I was hungry and you gave me food.  I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.  Matthew 25:35-36, NRSV

We are the most prosperous nation on the face of the earth.  There is no reason we cannot help those who make it to our border.  

Empty Promises from the GOP

Actually, all we're getting from Republicans now is complaints and spreading the blame.  They're not offering solutions, especially not for inflation, which is benefitting many of their constituents.  They're depending on the trends, that "the party in power in the White House loses seats in the mid-terms".  But their plans are the same as they have always been.  Do nothing.  There's nothing to see in their campaign ads, their stump speeches or their rhetoric that resembles doing anything to benefit people.  

As the polls suggest, inflation and the economy are both high ranking issues for me, politically.  I'm concerned about inflation and I'm concerned about the economy, and that's why I'm voting straight ticket Democrat.  I remember the roaring economy we had under President Clinton and I remember the massive recovery from the Bush Recession that we had under President Obama.  If I want a party in power that knows how to resolve economic problems and deal with inflation, I will vote for Democrats, who have a proven track record of doing exactly that.  

Pat Ryan, Mary Peltola and Kansas are all names that stand for bucking the "party in power" trend, and for making the pollsters look bad.  With all of the "factoring" and running models based on it, Ryan was as much as a 7 point underdog in New York's 19th district.  But he won by more than 3 percent, 10 points ahead of where the polls put him, boosted by turnout in the wake of the Dobbs decision by the Supreme Court.  Peltola beat two of Alaska's most well-known Republicans for a house seat, outdoing both of them in first choice ballots in a ranked-choice election, while polls predicted a third-place finish for her.  But she's now Alaska's first Democratic congresswoman in a generation. 

Kansas is in a class all by itself.  Voters in a red state showed just how effective turnout and motivation can be, and how wrong the pollsters can be with their factors and trends.  They also showed that the Dobbs decision by the Supreme Court is going to have far-reaching effects in this mid-term election.  And I don't mind going out on a limb in saying that I don't think the Democrats will lose control of Congress on November 8th.  My speculation will not keep me from voting, I will make sure that I cast my ballot, for every Democrat who is on it.  It will be a vote for preserving democracy, supporting law and order and for an America that is a refuge for the oppressed.  It will be straight ticket Democrat.

Preserving Liberal Democracy is the Only Guarantee for the Protection of Religious Liberty

It's been a byword for quite some time that being a white, Evangelical Christian is the equivalent of being a Republican. And while support for Republican candidates for office, regardless of their religious beliefs, moral character and integrity, and their actual support for the issues that Evangelicals consider important, has been strong among white, Evangelicals, it's not as widespread as the impression leaves one to think it is.  

I'm a white, male, past 60.  I was raised in a Southern Baptist church, in a home with two parents who grew up in West Virginia as working class, 100% pro-union Roosevelt Democrats.  My Father was a naval veteran of World War 2, who was aboard the the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay when the Japanese government signed the surrender.  I can only remember one time, in 1968, when he broke from the Democratic party to "hold his nose and vote for George Wallace" as he said at the time, then regretted doing so.  He was a chemistry major in college, but trained as an air conditioning mechanic in the Navy and worked in civil service in the headquarters building of a military base, keeping their air conditioning equipment running.  My mother was the housekeeper at a 16 unit motel in my hometown until she got into the child care business as my sister and I got a little older.  She never voted for a Republican, that I recall.

It was these two individuals who passed their Christian faith to me, by example.  They never did a lot of talking about it, or preaching at anyone, they just lived by those values and, as the Apostle Peter said, "So they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God," which were words my Father frequently quoted to me.  As a result of their influence, the faith that I have is one that focuses on living according to values, more on doing, less on telling.  It's not the kind of faith that those who have rejected Christianity or who rely solely on intellect criticize as some kind of imaginary fairy tale with a magic book and the land of pie in the sky by and by.  In fact, some of the most progressive thinkers, educators and politicians whom I encounter, because I put myself in position to be encountered, find discussion and dialogue with me helpful and inspiring. 

It's been this manner of living out my Christian faith that has brought me to the conclusion that liberal, progressive politics are most compatible with the way I live my life.  I'm free to do this specifically because the founders of the country, flawed and imperfect as they were, used the efforts and sacrifice of their life and labor to endow me, and all other Americans, with religious liberty and freedom of speech and expression.  It's in that establishment clause in the first amendment.  And one of the virtues that is an integral and essential part of the Christian faith is the care and respect that is shown to other people.  It's not exclusive to other Christians, Jesus made it very clear that one's neighbor can be someone from a different cultural, religious, social, ethnic and racial background.  He drew a line under his emphasis of this point by declaring it to be one of the two greatest commandments given by God, to "love your neighbor as you love yourself."  

All of the Evangelical Branch of the GOP's Eggs are in One Basket

If you ask any Evangelical Republican why they vote the way they do and support the candidates they do, it will come down to their position on abortion. That, and the mythological "grooming" of students in school by a non-existent LGBTQ "conspiracy" is justification, in their mind, for jettisoning their Christian values, the character and virtue that Jesus made the very essence and substance of Christian faith and practice, for a hard-line political stance that doesn't do anything to lead people to the salvation experience that Christians claim is the whole aim of the preaching of the gospel.  

It has turned the Christian gospel into hard-line political rhetoric and toward giving in to the temptation to use worldly power to achieve ends that are not consistent with those in Jesus' message.  And it has led to Christians either sharing their loyalty to Jesus with politicians, or abandoning Jesus altogether in favor of the politician and his power.  

"God sometimes uses evil people to achieve his ends," is the cry of some apologists for the most corrupt, evil man ever to serve as President of the United States.  Yes, on a few occasions, during the Old Covenant with Israel, he did use evil rulers of foreign nations as a means of punishment and judgement.  But he never demanded that his followers share their personal loyalty to him with an evil ruler.  That statement is heresy, and the fact that most Evangelical church leaders won't call it out is a sign that politics has put most Evangelical Christians into a serious and dangerous state of apostasy. 

There are those among Evangelicals who use the idea that God will judge the United States by removing its prosperity and destroying the country if politicians continue to allow abortion to remain legal.  There's absolutely no biblical support for that and no Christian doctrine which teaches that a nation can collectively commit a sin, under the covenant put in place by Jesus Christ.  Neither the United States, nor any other nation, has been offered a covenant relationship with God along the lines of the Old Testament covenant which established Israel as a theocracy.  There's no Christian doctrine which extends privilege or prosperity to any country on the basis of the number of Christians it has within its borders, or its cultural morality and the values that its citizens hold.  

No One is Preventing Ministry From Taking Place

There were plenty of opportunities for Christians who wanted to see the abortion numbers drop to take steps to make that happen, even while the Roe decision was in place.  Churches and denominations have set up hundreds of crisis pregnancy centers, a good thing as long as they do the right thing.  But most of them are grossly underfunded when it comes to the work they need to perform, and most of them are not much more than places which hand out a few bags of groceries, a few clothing items, perform a free ultrasound and then direct the women who come into "counseling" that turns out to be little more than preaching on why abortion is wrong. 

Real care and concern would go beyond that.  I seriously doubt that preaching about why abortion is wrong, and labelling someone who decides to go through with it a "baby killer" is effective in bringing down abortion numbers.  What might really work, because there are a few places that do this and it does work for them, is to provide some pre-natal medical care, support for housing, or actual temporary housing, job skills training, other life necessities like a good diet, help with the birth process and support for as long as necessary afterward, including with adoption or keeping the baby.  None of that is easy, and there's no guarantee of success.  But if sanctity of life is that important, then who is going to help?  Christians shouldn't expect the government to do what they're not willing to do themselves. 

There's nothing preventing Christian churches or denominations from doing this.  Christians literally spend billions of dollars each year on religious entertainment and on the interest on loans to build buildings that sit empty most of the time.  Why could they not engage in a ministry that helps women who are in desperate need of help, and who, if their circumstances were different, might make a different decision?  Maybe then they would be able to see that this decision is not something that the government can make or should make.  

Both the Clinton and Obama administrations provided this kind of support for those who chose it, and it did lead to a drop in the abortion numbers.  But Republicans cut and kill those kinds of programs.  So it's not about the sanctity of human life, it's about the politics, getting the votes and having the power.  

Why This is a Religious Liberty Issue 

Believing that a fetus in the womb has the same rights as an infant who has been born is an inherently religious principle.  And while Christianity is not the only religion which believes that human life begins in the womb, or at conception, that is a conviction and belief that is almost exclusively religious in nature.  The constitution guarantees a woman the right to carry a pregnancy to full term regardless of the circumstances, if she chooses to do so.  

There are those who believe that the right moral choice is to always carry a baby to full term, regardless of the circumstances of its conception.  But even among Christians, there would be differences of opinion about what is the right thing to do in circumstances such as a ten year old becoming pregnant as the result of a rape or incest.  Ultimately, I'm not the one who must live with the circumstances of making that choice.  That's between the woman who faces the circumstances and the choices and God, if she believes in him.  And in a liberal democracy, people have the right to choose not to believe in him, and to make life choices based on what they believe.  

On the other side of that issue is the fact that in a liberal democracy, the right to complete religious freedom is guaranteed.  That means I can practice my Christian faith in the way that I feel is pleasing to God and in accordance with his will, I can associate with other Christians in a church which shares common beliefs and practices related to the Christian faith, and no church, denomination or group is required to be licensed or have a permit from a government entity in order to gather together and worship.  It means that I do not have to accept specific beliefs or participate in specific religious practices in order to participate as a citizen, either in choosing who serves in the government, or if I decide I want to serve in it.  

As long as I don't cross the boundaries of interfering with the rights of any other citizen, I am free to speak of my faith publicly, including with the intention of informing others of my beliefs and benefits and to evangelize them, with their permission.  I also have the right to make my own decisions, influenced by my faith, and as a citizen to bring the influence of my faith into the public square, to influence and persuade government to respond and to be respectful of my rights.  

Christianity has existed, and prospered, under a wide variety of political systems.  It has suffered and been diminished under others.  But under the protection of the American constitution, the Christian church, and more specifically, the Protestant Christian church, flourished and expanded as it had not done anywhere else in the world up to that point.  It was able to do so under the same liberal democracy that gave people the right to be atheists, agnostics, Muslims, Buddhists, Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses.  

Why would I ever want to cast a ballot for a politician who is committed to taking that away?  

Sometimes, it's Hard to Keep a Straight Face

Pastor Accused of Abuse, Admitted to a "Consensual Affair', Still Holding Conferences and Collecting Money

The Southern Baptist Convention, which bills itself as "the Nation's Largest Protestant Denomination," and which is the largest denomination among Evangelical Christians, is still reeling from revelations of a clergy sexual abuse scandal that rivals that of the Catholic church to the extent that it has affected local churches and denominational entities.  One of the revelations of the investigation and report commissioned by the convention at its 2021 meeting in Nashville involved a former denominational President and suburban Atlanta megachurch pastor.  

The pastor is very well known, both inside and outside the SBC.  Like many of his ilk, he has used his position as a pastor to establish his reputation, promote his media ministry, and feather his own nest, so to speak.  I don't know the financial details, either of his pastorate or of his other ministry enterprises, but I will note that everything he's involved with has a price tag on it.  And in spite of the fact that his name, and the details of his behavior, were revealed in the Guidepost report given to the Southern Baptist Convention in Anaheim this past June, his ministry is still planning events and collecting money.  

This pastor--and I'm not mentioning his name on purpose, you can find it in the link--claimed, as they all do, that he didn't commit any sexual abuse.  But he did admit that the incident that was uncovered and reported in the investigation was "consensual".  And business goes on as usual.  He's holding some kind of conference.  For a fee, of course.  

I'm a personal accountability kind of guy.  I'm not going to register for a conference, regardless of the topic, conducted by a pastor who admitted to "inappropriate" behavior with a woman who wasn't his wife.  Sorry, that's just the way I am.  Personally, these "conferences" and meetings and gatherings aren't something I'd bother with anyway, because they are designed to sell books and make money peddling Christianity in a way that dishonors and cheapens the gospel of Jesus Christ.  And frankly, I wouldn't normally waste the time or cyber space discussing it here, either.  If someone I knew mentioned it to me, I'd have trouble keeping a straight face, but there's something going on here that is worth mentioning.  

This is a Characteristic Attitude of the Religious and Political Right Wing 

There will be people who register and attend this pastor's "conference," whatever he's pushing or promoting.  And the fact that he continues to plan to do this, and the denominational leadership either doesn't speak up, or refuses to, is the best evidence I can point to to illustrate this attitude that exists in segments of Evangelical Christianity that are connected to right wing politics, where it spills over.  From a Biblical perspective, this pastor is disqualified to continue serving in a church office.  And while that should include continuing to give conferences, the Southern Baptist Convention hides behind the fact that its churches are "independent and autonomous" in denominational matters, and if people sign on to this stuff, it's their business, not the convention's. 

That's how they've deflected any responsibility for the sexual abuse crisis that they now face.  This is the kind of thing that has led to turning a worldly, pagan, adulterous, lying, con artist into an Evangelical hero.  The gospel of Jesus Christ and the church are just tools to use in the acquisition of the kind of worldly power that Jesus was tempted to display before he started his public ministry, but turned down in favor of what he described as God's will.  

Trump, Bannon, Stone and their cronies act as if the people in their base of support are the most ignorant, uneducated, easily duped fools anywhere in the world.  And they are, because they buy into the misogyny and the lies.  And when I see something like this, involving a megachurch pastor who was, and may very well still be, a big-shot, good-ole-boy insider elite in the Southern Baptist Convention turn up as a perpetrator in an investigation into sexual abuse among Southern Baptist ministers, admit to the impropriety as consensual rather than abuse, and keep his regular ministry schedule going, I see moral bankruptcy and selfish ambition on a major scale.  

There may have been a time when the Southern Baptist Convention was made up of sincere Christians who were loyal followers of Jesus Christ, but the infiltration of secular politics started eating away at that, and the embrace of Donald Trump, clearly not because of his faith, but because of his power, is evidence of apostasy.  Along with other Evangelicals, this alliance of the religious right and the extreme side of the GOP has turned Christians into heretics and divided the country in a manner that it has not seen since the years before the Civil War.  

How Do We fix This? 

I'm not writing to promote books, but those who are most familiar with Evangelical Christianity and all of its quirks, including the common elements with extremist right wing politics, it takes an insider to understand all of what's involved, expose it, and provide solutions to weaken the influence of the political side of the movement.  There's no "fix," this is ingrained ideology.  And one of the best references on the subject is Jesus and John Wayne, by Kristin Kobes Du Mez.  She's an Evangelical insider who knows, and has done a lot of research, on what we see happening on the right and the phony, imaginative world they've created around them.  

There are some things we can do to mute the influence and minimize the damage to the country that these people now pose.  These are my recommendations based on my reading, so they come from experience, not from someone with a sociology degree, who probably wouldn't help much anyway.  

• Defeat as many far right and Republican candidates as is possible during every election cycle.  
• Take their threats of violence seriously and encourage government and law enforcement to handle this the same way they handled January 6th, not in the over-running of the Capitol, but in arresting the leaders and hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law, in jail where they belong.
• Get familiar with all of the talking points and the whole scope of white Christian nationalism.  Know who its leaders are and what any local group might say.  
• Fight the intrusion of this ideology in your church, if you have one.  If it has already overwhelmed the pulpit and ministry, make a public exit.  
• Did I say make a plan and put it into action so that you will go show up at the polls and vote straight Democrat?  

BTW, Maggie Haberman's new book is out:  Confidence Man

 

Democrats Better be on Guard for Widespread Cheating and Voter Suppression on November 8th

Hurricane Ian may have done the January 6th committee a huge favor, moving its final public hearing to October 13.  That put it a couple of weeks closer to the midterm elections, where the powerful impact of the information that was revealed will have maximum effect as it settles in, for those who have an open mind and a grip on reality.  We've managed to get past a real attempt to overthrow the government by the most corrupt presidential administration in the history of the nation.  That's good, but it's not over.  

The depth and the extent to which these people were willing to go, to set up what is essentially a copy of the Russian oligarchy, and making themselves oligarchs with our money and resources, is beyond frightening.  It ranks right up there with the twentieth century takeovers of Germany, Italy and Russia by totalitarian dictatorships.  I've read commentary that equates their methodology and even quotes some of the Trump conspirators who cited the European dictators and expressed admiration for them.  

Watching that hearing, and then the coverage of it afterward, it should be crystal clear to anyone who sees this for what it is that there are already plenty of people at work to try and subvert the results of the mid-term election.  Trump isn't just enjoying his mic time at rallies.  All of this whole gang of thugs, even those under indictment like Steve Bannon, are actively engaged in activity that is aimed at stealing the midterm election.  

The scope of the committee investigation has convinced me that there are plenty of capable people who already know this and are already making preparations against it.  It's pretty easy to gather from the media and from the way the campaigns are being handled in my state, that there is a high level of awareness of potential fraud and cheating on the part of Republican candidates.  The attempts at intimidation of election officials, specifically those with a reputation for integrity and sticking to the election law, is clear evidence that the Republicans are going to make a try at stealing as many of the elections as they can get their hands on.  The preparations to prevent this should have already been going on long before now.  

The Republicans know that many Democrats will use the mail-in option.  There are now reports that in heavily Democratic areas in some states, thugs are attacking mail carriers and stealing their mailbox master keys.  Mail-in ballots contained the margins of victory for Democratic candidates in a number of states during the last election, Pennsylvania being a prime example, but because it is a convenient, easy, and virtually fool-proof option, you can bet that the mailbox key thieves are working for Trump.  

It wouldn't hurt to contact your elected representatives, regardless of their party affiliation, and express your concern about the potential of Trumpie interference with your right to vote.  If they're Republican, they just need to hear it and know that people don't trust them because the man to whom they have given their loyalty is a liar and a con artist who tried to steal a national election  If they're Democrats, a nice reminder that they need to make sure cheating doesn't happen might also be a word of encouragement and support.