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lees1975
lees1975's Journal
lees1975's Journal
December 4, 2023
It will not be resolved by human intellect and reason, as long as there is the kind of failure to understand, and consider, history that seems to be at the root of many of the current problems.
Understand, as you read, the author's perspective. My way of looking at the world, "worldview," some like to call it, is heavily influenced by Quakerism, which rests on the values of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality and stewardship. Valuing practice over doctrine, human life is a sacred gift and within humans is a spark or inner light which unites us all together and makes us equal. We believe that it is possible for human beings to coexist, and live in freedom, without fear of persecution, out of respect for each other as equals, when our values are aligned. And while that is extremely idealistic, it takes into account human flaws and develops a system of accountability.
Could a political state have been created in Palestine that would have allowed for the settlement of Jewish immigrants from all over the rest of the world, giving Jews a refuge and a homeland without displacing the existing Arabic population, creating a country that would be a constitutional democracy guaranteeing individual freedom and protecting human rights? We haven't really been completely successful at doing that in our own experiment with Democracy. In a part of the world where deep-seated religious beliefs fight against the whole concept of human equality and basic human rights, it might have been an impossible dream.
Can the Hamas-Israel problem be resolved?
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2023/12/on-hamas-gaza-palestinian-people-israel.htmlIt will not be resolved by human intellect and reason, as long as there is the kind of failure to understand, and consider, history that seems to be at the root of many of the current problems.
Understand, as you read, the author's perspective. My way of looking at the world, "worldview," some like to call it, is heavily influenced by Quakerism, which rests on the values of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality and stewardship. Valuing practice over doctrine, human life is a sacred gift and within humans is a spark or inner light which unites us all together and makes us equal. We believe that it is possible for human beings to coexist, and live in freedom, without fear of persecution, out of respect for each other as equals, when our values are aligned. And while that is extremely idealistic, it takes into account human flaws and develops a system of accountability.
Could a political state have been created in Palestine that would have allowed for the settlement of Jewish immigrants from all over the rest of the world, giving Jews a refuge and a homeland without displacing the existing Arabic population, creating a country that would be a constitutional democracy guaranteeing individual freedom and protecting human rights? We haven't really been completely successful at doing that in our own experiment with Democracy. In a part of the world where deep-seated religious beliefs fight against the whole concept of human equality and basic human rights, it might have been an impossible dream.
December 3, 2023
Two Trumpie county supervisors in Cochise County, Arizona are being indicted on charges that they failed to abide by state law in certifying their county's ballots in 2022 before the deadline.
Two of the three supervisors in Cochise County, both Republicans, believed unfounded conspiracy theories about vote counting machines being used and refused to certify the election ordering the county election supervisor, a 30+ year veteran of her job, to do a hand count, which is against Arizona law. She refused, and wound up resigning over the issue. Eventually one of the two supervisors voted to certify, after the state deadline, but the other one didn't show up for the meeting.
They nearly caused the county's voters to be disenfranchised and the lack of a certified count from that county would have caused a congressman his seat. All because two county supervisors bought into conspiracy theories about vote counting machines and inaccurate counts. The regular audits performed on the machines showed they were accurate. But truth makes no difference to these hard headed jackasses.
The System Worked: Arizona County Supervisors who tried to mess with an election are indicted
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2023/12/keeping-american-elections-secure.htmlTwo Trumpie county supervisors in Cochise County, Arizona are being indicted on charges that they failed to abide by state law in certifying their county's ballots in 2022 before the deadline.
Two of the three supervisors in Cochise County, both Republicans, believed unfounded conspiracy theories about vote counting machines being used and refused to certify the election ordering the county election supervisor, a 30+ year veteran of her job, to do a hand count, which is against Arizona law. She refused, and wound up resigning over the issue. Eventually one of the two supervisors voted to certify, after the state deadline, but the other one didn't show up for the meeting.
They nearly caused the county's voters to be disenfranchised and the lack of a certified count from that county would have caused a congressman his seat. All because two county supervisors bought into conspiracy theories about vote counting machines and inaccurate counts. The regular audits performed on the machines showed they were accurate. But truth makes no difference to these hard headed jackasses.
December 1, 2023
Two Trumpie supporting conspiracy theory believing county supervisors in Arizona have been indicted on felony counts for failing to obey state law in certifying election results.
Throw the book at them, make them an example, make them pay. Then these shenanigans by conspiracy theory believing liars will stop.
County Supervisors indicted for messing with an election in Arizona
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2023/12/keeping-american-elections-secure.htmlTwo Trumpie supporting conspiracy theory believing county supervisors in Arizona have been indicted on felony counts for failing to obey state law in certifying election results.
Throw the book at them, make them an example, make them pay. Then these shenanigans by conspiracy theory believing liars will stop.
November 30, 2023
Santita Jackson promoting "Step Aside Joe" on her talk show this morning.
To her credit, she had one guest who didn't sidestep the issue. The claim was made by one of her guests, a local Reverend from Rainbow Push, that Biden would be fine if he would just "prove himself to be a leader." But, he already has.
What these people are pushing is that their agenda isn't being addressed, not true, but they aren't seeing the results they want. Of course, there is no way a lot of what they want would every get through Congress, so they're making this noise. Jackson is pushing Cornell West and RFK, Jr., apologetically claiming that no, she doesn't want to cause Trump to be re-elected. But that will be the result if they keep pushing.
The guest from Step Aside Joe, an organization with a website, made bogus claims, continued to assert his point, sidestepped the question about a fracturing Democratic party allowing Trump to be elected and the fact that if he is, they are the first people he will come after. Callers were not taken this morning, so he was allowed to push his view without his inaccuracies and claims being challenged.
Biden has proven himself to be the leader we need. Yeah, I know they don't like his current foreign policy as far as Israel and Hamas are concerned, but they want to ignore October 7th, and that can't be done.
As far as "Step Aside Joe" goes, and their spokesperson, as I listened to him repeat catch phrases and slogans, I wondered where they are getting their money from, Russia, or Trump?
November 30, 2023
Looks like the media is going to continue to play this game. They need a tight presidential race to make money off increased ratings.
More polls....
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/joe-biden-retakes-lead-from-donald-trump-in-latest-national-2024-poll/ar-AA1kJF0i?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=LCTS&cvid=4b891667bc01413b9a7e9d88beaa2533&ei=32Looks like the media is going to continue to play this game. They need a tight presidential race to make money off increased ratings.
November 29, 2023
What Christianity ought to look like...
President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter.
November 29, 2023
When was the last time you saw a poll in which 75% of the respondents agreed on something?
If you can stomach the news about yet another poll, this one provides some very interesting information into what Americans are thinking. It's a Marist poll, and one of the reasons we haven't really seen much from this particular polling group this fall is that their data and their numbers aren't matching the narrative that the media wants to create around Presidential politics, basically, that we have a neck and neck race, and that the problems and issues brought to the table by Trump, namely criminal indictments, totalitarian fascist rhetoric and the possibility of running from prison, along with the general incompetence he displayed when he was President, can be balanced out by President Biden's age, the economy, inflation, the price of gas and a host of other things over which he has little to no control.
Marist polls, which have had the President's job approval ratings in the mid-40% range for most of the time that the others have claimed it is lower, and which continue to show the President in the lead nationally, and in all of the battleground states, have all but disappeared from the composite lists. But there, in this piece from an interesting source, a hair style and beauty advice website called "Loved by Curls," is the poll data, an explanation from the executive of Marist polls, and some interesting social media comments which don't necessarily reflect the poll response, or have anything to do with it, really, except to serve as clickbait. One of the social media comments said, "Republicans have no common sense," in reference to their attempts to shut the government down to get the budget spending cuts, and the tax cuts for the rich, that they want.
I can go along with that, since it's exactly how I feel.
Let's try a poll that the media isn't covering.
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2023/11/lets-try-poll-that-media-isnt-covering.htmlWhen was the last time you saw a poll in which 75% of the respondents agreed on something?
If you can stomach the news about yet another poll, this one provides some very interesting information into what Americans are thinking. It's a Marist poll, and one of the reasons we haven't really seen much from this particular polling group this fall is that their data and their numbers aren't matching the narrative that the media wants to create around Presidential politics, basically, that we have a neck and neck race, and that the problems and issues brought to the table by Trump, namely criminal indictments, totalitarian fascist rhetoric and the possibility of running from prison, along with the general incompetence he displayed when he was President, can be balanced out by President Biden's age, the economy, inflation, the price of gas and a host of other things over which he has little to no control.
Marist polls, which have had the President's job approval ratings in the mid-40% range for most of the time that the others have claimed it is lower, and which continue to show the President in the lead nationally, and in all of the battleground states, have all but disappeared from the composite lists. But there, in this piece from an interesting source, a hair style and beauty advice website called "Loved by Curls," is the poll data, an explanation from the executive of Marist polls, and some interesting social media comments which don't necessarily reflect the poll response, or have anything to do with it, really, except to serve as clickbait. One of the social media comments said, "Republicans have no common sense," in reference to their attempts to shut the government down to get the budget spending cuts, and the tax cuts for the rich, that they want.
I can go along with that, since it's exactly how I feel.
November 27, 2023
The falling away from the Christian gospel that has plagued conservative Evangelicals in the United States for quite some time did not originate with Trump. It was Ronald Reagan, running against the openly born-again Jimmy Carter, who invited Evangelicals into the GOP, via several prominent leaders, including Evangelist James Robison, and the now infamous Jerry Falwell. Evangelicals who went along with this traded their first love for worldly, political power which was an admission that they didn't really believe there was anything to the spiritual power upon which they once claimed to rely.
And it just keeps getting worse. The agenda he has laid out is as anti-Christian as it is anti-Patriotic and anti-American. It's fascist, no denying that. And the bigotry that drips from the rhetoric is a denial of the very nature of God and of the gospel message of Jesus Christ. As the Apostle Jude wrote, in his short but to-the-point epistle near the end of the New Testament, Trump is an intruder who has stolen in among the church, introducing licentiousness and perverting the grace of Jesus Christ.
"But these people slander whatever they do not understand, and they are destroyed by those things that, like irrational animals, they know by instinct...These are blemishes on your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, feeding themselves. They are waterless clouds, carried along by the winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars for whom the deepest darkness has been reserved forever." Jude 10, 12-13, NRSV
Though these verses aren't a specific prophecy for our time, they are certainly prophetic in terms of being an accurate description of Trumpism, and of Trump, and should be heeded by any sincere Christian as a warning to stay away and not be associated with this apostasy in any way.
There's an existential crisis among conservative Evangelicals and the rhetoric of Trumpism is making it worse.
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2023/11/american-conservative-evangelicals-are.htmlThe falling away from the Christian gospel that has plagued conservative Evangelicals in the United States for quite some time did not originate with Trump. It was Ronald Reagan, running against the openly born-again Jimmy Carter, who invited Evangelicals into the GOP, via several prominent leaders, including Evangelist James Robison, and the now infamous Jerry Falwell. Evangelicals who went along with this traded their first love for worldly, political power which was an admission that they didn't really believe there was anything to the spiritual power upon which they once claimed to rely.
And it just keeps getting worse. The agenda he has laid out is as anti-Christian as it is anti-Patriotic and anti-American. It's fascist, no denying that. And the bigotry that drips from the rhetoric is a denial of the very nature of God and of the gospel message of Jesus Christ. As the Apostle Jude wrote, in his short but to-the-point epistle near the end of the New Testament, Trump is an intruder who has stolen in among the church, introducing licentiousness and perverting the grace of Jesus Christ.
"But these people slander whatever they do not understand, and they are destroyed by those things that, like irrational animals, they know by instinct...These are blemishes on your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, feeding themselves. They are waterless clouds, carried along by the winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars for whom the deepest darkness has been reserved forever." Jude 10, 12-13, NRSV
Though these verses aren't a specific prophecy for our time, they are certainly prophetic in terms of being an accurate description of Trumpism, and of Trump, and should be heeded by any sincere Christian as a warning to stay away and not be associated with this apostasy in any way.
November 27, 2023
Why is this happening in the freedom and democracy under the Constitution of the United States?
Both Mussolini and Hitler exploited weaknesses in the established churches to neutralize what should have been the greatest opposition to their ideology. German Protestants embraced the nationalism embodied in the National Socialist agenda, an ideology not unlike that of American Christian Nationalism, the idea that God has placed a special blessing upon people of a particular ethnic and racial identity for the purpose of bringing justice to the world. Regardless of whatever means they chose to use to bring about this "will of God," including precipitating a bloody, destructive, inhumane war, they believed he would hold their coat-tails and cheer them on. The Protestant state church actually dedicated church buildings in the name of the Fuhrer.
The Catholic Church had billions of dollars in church property to protect inside Germany and Italy. The Vatican was, of course, just down the street from the headquarters of Italian fascism. In 1933, in a move aimed at its own self-preservation, abandoning the message of the Christian gospel, the Church negotiated the Reichskonkordat which required clergy who take office in the church to also take an oath of loyalty to the governor or president of the German Reich.
---snip---
There is nothing that Trump brings to the political table that Christians should be endorsing, or supporting with their votes. This political campaign has taken a clear and dangerous turn, not only away from foundational American values and democratic principles, but in a direction that is antithetical to every principle and practice of the Christian gospel. There's nothing there that bears any resemblance at all to the Christian gospel, not one thing, including the openly anti-Christian sentiments of the movements' leader, Trump.
Establishment Christianity failed to be a bulwark against European Fascism. And it's failing in America, too.
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2023/11/we-have-history-to-inform-us-of-danger.htmlWhy is this happening in the freedom and democracy under the Constitution of the United States?
Both Mussolini and Hitler exploited weaknesses in the established churches to neutralize what should have been the greatest opposition to their ideology. German Protestants embraced the nationalism embodied in the National Socialist agenda, an ideology not unlike that of American Christian Nationalism, the idea that God has placed a special blessing upon people of a particular ethnic and racial identity for the purpose of bringing justice to the world. Regardless of whatever means they chose to use to bring about this "will of God," including precipitating a bloody, destructive, inhumane war, they believed he would hold their coat-tails and cheer them on. The Protestant state church actually dedicated church buildings in the name of the Fuhrer.
The Catholic Church had billions of dollars in church property to protect inside Germany and Italy. The Vatican was, of course, just down the street from the headquarters of Italian fascism. In 1933, in a move aimed at its own self-preservation, abandoning the message of the Christian gospel, the Church negotiated the Reichskonkordat which required clergy who take office in the church to also take an oath of loyalty to the governor or president of the German Reich.
---snip---
There is nothing that Trump brings to the political table that Christians should be endorsing, or supporting with their votes. This political campaign has taken a clear and dangerous turn, not only away from foundational American values and democratic principles, but in a direction that is antithetical to every principle and practice of the Christian gospel. There's nothing there that bears any resemblance at all to the Christian gospel, not one thing, including the openly anti-Christian sentiments of the movements' leader, Trump.
November 21, 2023
Just curious about what people are thinking.
Regarding the upcoming 2024 election cycle:
