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.