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lees1975
lees1975's Journal
lees1975's Journal
July 3, 2022
Great quote in here from John Pavlovitz:
"The politics of fear is nothing new. We've seen it throughout history. It's a well-worn playbook. When you lack ideas, you need an enemy. When you have nothing redemptive to offer, you have to create a monster to push back against. When you are devoid of decency, you need to vilify it and somehow turn that decency into a threat. That's what we're seeing right now in America." --John Pavlovitz
The other issue embedded in all of this right wing distortion and rhetoric is racism. To be woke is to be actively working to make change, which means that there is still racial injustice, discrimination and bigotry in society and its institutions which cannot be ignored and must be addressed. Conservativism, by its very nature, resists change and denies there is a need for it, or insists that it can't really happen and so the status quo must be preserved. There's no denying that we have made a lot of progress, but progress is not the end result and there are new threats from some old ideologies that have infiltrated the political/religious right that threaten to reverse the progress that has been made.
Today's Vocabulary Lesson: Woke; Liberal
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2022/07/todays-vocabulary-lesson-woke-liberal.htmlGreat quote in here from John Pavlovitz:
"The politics of fear is nothing new. We've seen it throughout history. It's a well-worn playbook. When you lack ideas, you need an enemy. When you have nothing redemptive to offer, you have to create a monster to push back against. When you are devoid of decency, you need to vilify it and somehow turn that decency into a threat. That's what we're seeing right now in America." --John Pavlovitz
The other issue embedded in all of this right wing distortion and rhetoric is racism. To be woke is to be actively working to make change, which means that there is still racial injustice, discrimination and bigotry in society and its institutions which cannot be ignored and must be addressed. Conservativism, by its very nature, resists change and denies there is a need for it, or insists that it can't really happen and so the status quo must be preserved. There's no denying that we have made a lot of progress, but progress is not the end result and there are new threats from some old ideologies that have infiltrated the political/religious right that threaten to reverse the progress that has been made.
July 2, 2022
(A little long, but worth the read and runs counter to the pseudo-Christian/Political right wing philosophy)
"The Founders wrote the constitution, not the apostles. They added the Bill of Rights; not the Ten Commandments. Their intent was Freedom of Religion, not control by religion. They created a democracy, not a theocracy. Christianity is not a political party."--retweet from Christian Democrats of America, JustMe@SueZieCue
"If Jesus were alive today, would he: Feed the poor or give tax breaks to the super rich? Comfort the old and infirm or cut Social Security? Build bridges that unite or build walls that divide? Make peace or make war?"--Linda Seger, Jesus Rode a Donkey: Why Millions of Christians are Democrats
The best example of how a politician who is an Evangelical Christian handles his faith and politics is the one set by former President Jimmy Carter. He didn't change his Christian beliefs or practices when he ran for public office, but he never used his faith as a weapon or as a political campaign tactic to get votes. He also understood that in order for Christianity to be free, it had to be separated from the state and that religious freedom guaranteed by the constitution included the right not to practice any religion. There's no doubt that his Presidency was influenced by his Christian faith as much as anything else in his life. He was not ashamed of his testimony. And that enhanced his compassion and concern for the well-being of people, and his consideration and respect for their constitutional rights.
Christianity is Not a Political Party
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2022/07/why-i-am-christian-who-votes-for.html(A little long, but worth the read and runs counter to the pseudo-Christian/Political right wing philosophy)
"The Founders wrote the constitution, not the apostles. They added the Bill of Rights; not the Ten Commandments. Their intent was Freedom of Religion, not control by religion. They created a democracy, not a theocracy. Christianity is not a political party."--retweet from Christian Democrats of America, JustMe@SueZieCue
"If Jesus were alive today, would he: Feed the poor or give tax breaks to the super rich? Comfort the old and infirm or cut Social Security? Build bridges that unite or build walls that divide? Make peace or make war?"--Linda Seger, Jesus Rode a Donkey: Why Millions of Christians are Democrats
The best example of how a politician who is an Evangelical Christian handles his faith and politics is the one set by former President Jimmy Carter. He didn't change his Christian beliefs or practices when he ran for public office, but he never used his faith as a weapon or as a political campaign tactic to get votes. He also understood that in order for Christianity to be free, it had to be separated from the state and that religious freedom guaranteed by the constitution included the right not to practice any religion. There's no doubt that his Presidency was influenced by his Christian faith as much as anything else in his life. He was not ashamed of his testimony. And that enhanced his compassion and concern for the well-being of people, and his consideration and respect for their constitutional rights.
June 26, 2022
Is it a coincidence that the SCOTUS decision on Roe was released the morning after
the January 6th committee laid out their mountain of evidence which proved Trump and his inner circle planned the January 6th coup?
And now, the news media's main cycle has shifted focus.
June 26, 2022
America's founding fathers, in separating all religious practice including Christianity, from its representative democracy, actually set the Christian church free to be exactly what Jesus intended it to be. Now false apostles and prophets are putting on a veneer of Christianity with the intention of using it for their own purposes and for their own benefit. The alliance between the Christian right and right wing Republican politics, which is the domain of the prosperous and exists to expand their prosperity, will eventually unravel and fall apart. But not before this aberration of the Christian faith is used to its fullest extent to attempt to destroy a democratic government that is the only major obstacle to complete domination by the richest of the rich.
Regardless of the social issues incorporated into that agenda and platform to lure Christian voters, the outcome of an election that puts that mixture of reconstructionist, "kingdom now" dominion theology and the wealthy oligarchy closer to control is far, far worse in the mind of this Christian voter than the outcome of an election in which a group of progressive politicians favor abortion rights, LGBTQ rights and minority rights that are still not equal with the white, Christian majority in this country. White Christians are still the most privileged, least persecuted Americans. The advance of the rights of ethnic and social minorities has not affected their rights or their status one bit.
But, we are already a long way down the road toward a reconstructed republic. Democrats have just a few months--do you get that??--a few months to get themselves together to stop this and reverse the trend.
How right wing religion influences right wing GOP politics and the danger of this alliance
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2022/06/how-doctrine-and-theology-of-american.htmlAmerica's founding fathers, in separating all religious practice including Christianity, from its representative democracy, actually set the Christian church free to be exactly what Jesus intended it to be. Now false apostles and prophets are putting on a veneer of Christianity with the intention of using it for their own purposes and for their own benefit. The alliance between the Christian right and right wing Republican politics, which is the domain of the prosperous and exists to expand their prosperity, will eventually unravel and fall apart. But not before this aberration of the Christian faith is used to its fullest extent to attempt to destroy a democratic government that is the only major obstacle to complete domination by the richest of the rich.
Regardless of the social issues incorporated into that agenda and platform to lure Christian voters, the outcome of an election that puts that mixture of reconstructionist, "kingdom now" dominion theology and the wealthy oligarchy closer to control is far, far worse in the mind of this Christian voter than the outcome of an election in which a group of progressive politicians favor abortion rights, LGBTQ rights and minority rights that are still not equal with the white, Christian majority in this country. White Christians are still the most privileged, least persecuted Americans. The advance of the rights of ethnic and social minorities has not affected their rights or their status one bit.
But, we are already a long way down the road toward a reconstructed republic. Democrats have just a few months--do you get that??--a few months to get themselves together to stop this and reverse the trend.
June 24, 2022
This is the moment, Democrats.
You have just been handed the key to the motivation necessary to win an even bigger margin of control of congress than you have now.
There is no excuse for not voting for a Democrat in your district or state now.
It's a downhill coaster ride, as long as someone compenent is in charge. Here we go.
June 20, 2022
I don't even know where to go with this. We live in America, where individual rights are constitutionally guaranteed, regardless of any distinguishing, identifying factor that includes race, ethnicity or national origin, gender, religious belief, social position, economic position, etc. etc, etc.
If anyone's rights are threatened, everyone's rights are threatened.
Are you still planning to stay home on the first tuesday in November?
Who's rights count more?
https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/attacks-pride-events-embody-spirit-jan-6-n1296442?cid=nt_npd_ms_as_ms_220127I don't even know where to go with this. We live in America, where individual rights are constitutionally guaranteed, regardless of any distinguishing, identifying factor that includes race, ethnicity or national origin, gender, religious belief, social position, economic position, etc. etc, etc.
If anyone's rights are threatened, everyone's rights are threatened.
Are you still planning to stay home on the first tuesday in November?
June 19, 2022
"We are standing on the precipice of losing our democracy."
That's what's at stake, according to Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, whose opinion I respect and whose evaluation of the situation I completely trust. I fully agree with that statement and it has prompted me to become involved in as many ways as I can, including here.
"Look, the most important thing is to win the next election. The alternative is so frightening that whatever does not help you win should not be a priority", she said, taken from a quote in an article in The Financial Times.
What are the priorities? There's a lot on which to put the focus but the party seems to be drifting here. There's January 6th, that's a big one, there's the potential overturning of Roe v. Wade, also a big one, and there's the gun control issue where a trickle of progress should indicate the power behind this political issue. There's the war in Ukraine which, predictably, is fading out of the news cycle. It's time to get loud. That's the motivation. Democratic party leaders, get in the huddle and get the play sorted out to win the game. Sorry for the sports analogy but it works.
It's time to get loud.
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2022/06/its-time-to-get-loud-now.html"We are standing on the precipice of losing our democracy."
That's what's at stake, according to Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, whose opinion I respect and whose evaluation of the situation I completely trust. I fully agree with that statement and it has prompted me to become involved in as many ways as I can, including here.
"Look, the most important thing is to win the next election. The alternative is so frightening that whatever does not help you win should not be a priority", she said, taken from a quote in an article in The Financial Times.
What are the priorities? There's a lot on which to put the focus but the party seems to be drifting here. There's January 6th, that's a big one, there's the potential overturning of Roe v. Wade, also a big one, and there's the gun control issue where a trickle of progress should indicate the power behind this political issue. There's the war in Ukraine which, predictably, is fading out of the news cycle. It's time to get loud. That's the motivation. Democratic party leaders, get in the huddle and get the play sorted out to win the game. Sorry for the sports analogy but it works.
June 19, 2022
"The point is today that the church has lost its uniqueness. Rather than saving and representing the team in heaven, they have been mimicking the teams of the culture." Tony Evans to the National African American Fellowship of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Tony Evans, in the message cited above, uses texts from Matthew and Peter to describe a church as the "ecclesia", a body made up of those who have faith in Christ in common, and who come together for the specific purpose of being empowered by the spirit for "kingdom" purposes. Noting that Jesus declared "My kingdom is not of this world," but is a spiritual domain, the intrusion of politics, any politics, removes the elements of the ecclesia. Church, apart from its mission and purpose, is pointless.
Maybe that's why so many people are leaving churches, especially Evangelical churches. Conservative Christians, including Evangelicals, Pentecostals and Charismatics, have been harshly critical of mainline Protestant denominations for years, claiming that theological and social liberalism removed the spiritual elements, and led to declining attendance and membership. But there is now research which shows that conservative churches are declining at a faster rate than mainline Protestants, to the point where the latter now actually outnumber the former for the first time in decades.
Evangelical Pastor says churches have become "more partisan than Christian"
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2022/06/evangelical-pastor-says-church-has.html"The point is today that the church has lost its uniqueness. Rather than saving and representing the team in heaven, they have been mimicking the teams of the culture." Tony Evans to the National African American Fellowship of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Tony Evans, in the message cited above, uses texts from Matthew and Peter to describe a church as the "ecclesia", a body made up of those who have faith in Christ in common, and who come together for the specific purpose of being empowered by the spirit for "kingdom" purposes. Noting that Jesus declared "My kingdom is not of this world," but is a spiritual domain, the intrusion of politics, any politics, removes the elements of the ecclesia. Church, apart from its mission and purpose, is pointless.
Maybe that's why so many people are leaving churches, especially Evangelical churches. Conservative Christians, including Evangelicals, Pentecostals and Charismatics, have been harshly critical of mainline Protestant denominations for years, claiming that theological and social liberalism removed the spiritual elements, and led to declining attendance and membership. But there is now research which shows that conservative churches are declining at a faster rate than mainline Protestants, to the point where the latter now actually outnumber the former for the first time in decades.
June 15, 2022
A far right conservative faction in the Southern Baptist Convention, known as the "Conservative Baptist Network, CBN" has failed in its attempt to gain control of the denomination's officer positions and its executive committee leadership, and in its attempt to defund and dissolve its Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.
All of the officer candidates endorsed by the far right CBN faction were defeated. The Sexual Abuse Task Force recommendations, which many CBN members opposed, were adopted by the convention overwhelmingly. All three officers nominated by CBN for the Executive Committee were defeated by non-aligned candidates, the attempt to dissolve the ERLC was defeated "overwhelmingly" according to the Nashville daily, The Tennessean, and a very harsh resolution they wanted to bring to the floor on abortion was voted down. The CBN candidate for president of the Pastor's Conference was also defeated.
This is not an indication that the Southern Baptist Convention is moving in a more progressive, moderate direction, either in its theology, or in its position on social issues. But what this may indicate is that the influence of Trumpism within the convention's churches may be waning. And, as the Salon piece indicates, may be an indication of the same thing occurring within constituencies of the GOP across the country. The SBC itself has succeeded in keeping the influences of Trumpism away from its entities and its operations, though many of its churches and members have been supportive of the far right agenda
The Southern Baptist Convention turns back far right MAGA faction's takeover effort
https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2022/06/southern-baptists-make-progress-on.htmlA far right conservative faction in the Southern Baptist Convention, known as the "Conservative Baptist Network, CBN" has failed in its attempt to gain control of the denomination's officer positions and its executive committee leadership, and in its attempt to defund and dissolve its Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.
All of the officer candidates endorsed by the far right CBN faction were defeated. The Sexual Abuse Task Force recommendations, which many CBN members opposed, were adopted by the convention overwhelmingly. All three officers nominated by CBN for the Executive Committee were defeated by non-aligned candidates, the attempt to dissolve the ERLC was defeated "overwhelmingly" according to the Nashville daily, The Tennessean, and a very harsh resolution they wanted to bring to the floor on abortion was voted down. The CBN candidate for president of the Pastor's Conference was also defeated.
This is not an indication that the Southern Baptist Convention is moving in a more progressive, moderate direction, either in its theology, or in its position on social issues. But what this may indicate is that the influence of Trumpism within the convention's churches may be waning. And, as the Salon piece indicates, may be an indication of the same thing occurring within constituencies of the GOP across the country. The SBC itself has succeeded in keeping the influences of Trumpism away from its entities and its operations, though many of its churches and members have been supportive of the far right agenda
June 12, 2022
What kind of mess will we have when Trump is indicted?
Depending on which poll you look at, up to a third of the people in this country still believe, in the face of all available evidence, that the election was stolen. Indicting the man who attempted to subvert the constitution and who resisted the peaceful transfer of power is the right thing to do, but that third of the country has almost all of the loons and nut jobs in it who think they don't have to obey laws that they don't like. I'm sure intelligence is keeping an eye on this. But after just one public hearing from the January 6th committee, it's pretty clear that they have a mountain of evidence against Trump and apparently, some members of Congress too.
Nothing that the extreme right claimed would happen if the Democrats got control has happened. But these people can't see anything right in front of their own eyes.
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