Time to Unite

Imagine that there's a family that has been impacted by an abusive relationship. Imagine that the husband who was abusive had managed to fool almost half the family that he was a good guy, and that part of the family sided against the wife who was abused. Imagine that many people in the extended family sided with the husband when the wife left him... that they blamed her for being divisive and causing trouble.

That family NEEDS to come together.

But the way they need to come together is to unite behind the wife, the survivor of the abuse, the one who was strong enough to leave the abuser. The way for that family to unite is to condemn the abuser.

We can't "unify" if part of the family is ignoring the abuse. If part of the family is still siding with the abuser.

Unity IS important and for that family to be healed and made whole, it will come only when they all stand united against the abuse.

In our nation, we have a unique opportunity to start over, to move past the destructive and corrupt years of the Trump presidency. We ARE a divided nation and we need to find ways to unite.

But that unity can't come at the expense of ignoring the abuse.

Right now, today, it appears that a majority of the Republicans in the Senate are poised to refuse to hold the abuser, Trump, accountable for his clear and awful actions, his ongoing active divisiveness. And those Republican Senators who refuse to acknowledge Trump's culpability in his crimes and sedition are not going to listen to the Democrats, Independents, the liberals and the moderates in our calls for them to do the right thing.

But, right now, today, conservatives across the country, YOU all have the chance to unite the nation. You can do that by making all the calls you can to your GOP Senators to demand that they vote to convict Trump of the charge against him.

We stand ready to unite, but you all (conservatives) are the ones with the power to make it happen. Denouce Trump's actions. Insist that Trump is held accountable by the Senate.

Over half the nation is already united. Democrats and Republicans and former Republicans (who've left the party because of Trump)... conservatives, moderates and liberals and wild-eyed radicals... church-goers, atheists, gun-owners, environmentalists, black and white... over half the nation IS united.

Join us.

No Return

They want things to return to normal

but normal is a cage too small.

Stop the Steal, Indeed

 

Why Trump was rightfully impeached:

The difference is between a reasonable person who has always been reasonable and peaceful who one day in a speech says, "We have to fight for what we believe in..." THAT person is not inciting violence or engaging in dangerous speech.

But the man...

1. who has spent years ruthlessly attacking the press as an enemy of the people and with the false claims that they are fake news...

2. who has spent years lying about everything, from mundane matters to serious matters...

3. who has spent a year preparing his followers with the likelihood that "they" will try to "steal" the election and

4. then spent months repeating the dangerously false claim that the election was stolen and we have to "take back" our nation...

...THAT man in those circumstances is inciting violence when he gathers his followers in DC and tells them to be strong, to fight, to take back and to march down to the Capitol (where our free and fair presidential election was being certified) and stop them from "stealing" the election.

And the thing is, this has been predictable and it is why many rational people from across the political spectrum have been warning people about Trump since he first began running for office in 2015. It's why historians, military experts, generals, foreign affairs experts, mental health experts and countless regular people have been raising flags for years.

He began with dishonesty, false claims, attacks on the our heroes in the media (and make no mistake: We can not have a free nation without a decent free press), attacks on Democrats and even Republicans who disagree with him and get in his way. He began with divisive and racist language that emboldened white nationalists and anti-government types (they will tell you that themselves) and the dishonesty and divisiveness just increased over the years.

It was predictable and nearly inevitable that Trump's presidency would lead to this result and people have been raising that alert for years.

Let us hope that in the coming years we will begin to heal and rebuild NOT to where we were, but to some place better than where we were.

When, At Last, the Sun Sets

When, at last

the sun sets,

it will set upon you

and upon me

equally

and the moon

will suffice in the near-darkness

and

should there be no moon

and the stars are covered by clouds

let us hold hands

and find our peace

together

in darkness

Find Common Ground, We Must

 

The facts are these: The nation is made up of people who are conservative AND who are moderate AND who are liberal. Depending upon the poll and the topic, we could think of it being about 1/3 conservative, 1/3 moderate and 1/3 liberal. In rough numbers.

In this Gallup poll, we see that in 2019, we identified as 37% conservative, 35% moderate and 27% liberal.

https://news.gallup.com/.../remained-center-right...

And we see that liberals are the minority, but making gains. In other surveys and polls, we see similar results

This poll from 2020 shows the C/M/L mix at 34%/36%/26%...

https://news.gallup.com/.../conservatism-down-start-2020...

The point being, there's not ONE view that represents all of us in the US and that we're roughly split into thirds. Again, it also depends upon the topic.

As we enter into a new post-Trump era at a very divided time, it is vital for us to recognize that we're all in this together. I know that many of us more progressive types have been quite wounded by the Trump years. Nonetheless, Trump conservatism has broad support. Those people are not going away and we in the middle and left have to recognize that and share this land.

Same for you more conservative types. I know you feel like you have to "take America back" - presumably from the 40-60% who disagree with Trump's policies - but the nation is not yours to "take back." It belongs to all of us.

And I know you all feel quite wounded and are grieving Trump's loss - not even trusting that Trump lost! Nonetheless, the fact is just as ultraconservative Kellyanne Conway recently noted: Trump lost, Biden won. The fact is just as ultraconservative Bill Barr has said: There is no evidence for widespread voter fraud.

Trump has lost and Biden has won. Biden is our president elect.

For those on the right, grieve this if you must. Take your time. But in the end, your ~37% of the nation has to work with my 27% of the nation and the other third in the middle.

 

So, can we stop with insults and attacks and start to find common ground? Can it be that difficult?

Some ideas:

1. We are in the midst of this pandemic. We have a vaccine now starting to come out. Let's find effective ways to distribute that vaccine. That goal should be something we can all agree upon.

2. The spread of covid is skyrocketing. We don't have to like the measures suggested by medical experts, but we need to cooperate to stop the spread from getting worse. We should be able to agree to this. If you truly don't want to follow the guidelines, that's fine, but then stay home. If you can't wear a mask in a store, stay home. It's your right to not wear a mask if you don't want to, but it's not your right to insist upon going wherever you please without a mask and put other people at risk.

For a short time, we can do this. We should be able to agree upon this goal.

3. Our economy has taken a big hit this last year. We need to find ways that are safe to get us working again and we can do it. Social isolation and masks are a convenience, but it's also an opportunity to find new ways of doing things. Groceries need to be delivered more. Restaurant food can be delivered. We can be smart about this and create jobs and help one another in the process.

4. While we're figuring it out, many people are hurting. We need financial aid package and we need it now. This should be an area of common ground. We can disagree upon the exact numbers, but we have to work together to get something out.

5. In Trump's four years, we never really got our infrastructure moving. Experts will tell you that our infrastructure is crumbling. We HAVE to invest in infrastructure and we can find common ground on that.

6. Whatever you may feel about the police, the vast majority of the nation would like to see some systemic reform. It's going to HELP police to not to have to be social workers and mental health workers on top of being police. And we have to recognize that we don't want to see our black citizens killed because the police "feared for their lives..." Again, the majority of the nation agrees we need to do something about this. Let's find some common ground.

7. Likewise for our drug and prison policies. There are systemic problems with how we've handled this. We need to find some common ground. Conservatives: You all are supposed to be about fiscal responsibility. Providing education and rehabilitation to prisoners results in LOWERING the prison population and increasing their odds of making it on the outside. It is a money saver. We can find common ground there.

I could go on but will stop there. We may not agree about abortion or some other topics, but we can agree on a lot and we have to start there. This decade after decade of dysfunctional family squabbling is no way to operate a commonwealth.

Three final suggestions as we seek common ground:

A. We have to learn to listen to experts and trust expert opinion. That's not to say we can't ask reasonable questions of experts, but if we're not operating based on best advice, what will we operate upon and find common ground upon? Our gut feelings?

B. We have to stop accepting false claims and unsupported claims. It's NOT okay for a president to insist that "he won," when he is not in charge of the electoral system and when he has no data to support that claim. It's not okay to say that there is a conspiracy and that the media or the Democrats or the GOP WANTS to see our nation collapse. Sweeping unsupported charges are not okay. We have to be adult about this and just stop accepting it when a politician or expert or news source makes sweeping unsupported or just false claims.

C. We have to agree that causing harm to others is not acceptable. Period. Especially causing harm to innocent people. That's a line we can't cross or accept.

Now, let's put on our adult clothes and find some common ground.

Feeling Thankful

They couldn't be together

but they could remember years past

and make plans for next Thanksgiving

to gather in the woods

and hug

and sing songs

to all the gods and goddesses

My Reality is Different than Yours...

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"

"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.

"I don't much care where--" said Alice.

"Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat.

"--so long as I get somewhere," Alice added as an explanation.

"Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."

Alice felt that this could not be denied, so she tried another question.

"What sort of people live about here?"

"In that direction,"

the Cat said, waving its right paw round,

"lives a Hatter: and in that direction,"

waving the other paw,

"lives a March Hare. Visit either you like: they're both mad."

"But I don't want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.

"Oh, you can't help that," said the Cat: "we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad."

"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.

"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn't have come here."

==========

It circulates that, at some point in the conversation, Alice tells the Cheshire Cat that "My reality is different than yours..." but apparently that's not in the book.

Nonetheless, that reality not standing, the point stands. There are some people whose reality is different than, well, reality. They may bark at us when we point out reality. They may retreat to hide in sanctuaries full of people who agree with their "reality." They may even start whole new social media and "news" groups just so they can surround themselves with others who believe in their non-reality reality. And, if that's as far as it went, that's all well and good.

But when they emerge with their guns and their anger and insist that everyone else needs to agree with their reality, that's a problem.

When they are elected the president of the US and insist that those who disagree with reality are lying and trying to "steal" an election, that is a big problem.

And when this non-reality-based president is supported and defended by others who insist that his "reality" is correct... or even, "well, maybe he is correct, we'll just have to wait and see..." that is a big problem.

Where are the reality-based conservatives who will stand up and say, "Yes, the people have spoken. We may not like it, but the facts are that the data shows that Biden won the election. Any claims that Trump won or that the election was "stolen" by "fraud" - when they can't and don't support such claims... that is a big problem..."? Where are THOSE conservatives? (Yes, I know I've seen a few - Mitt Romney and others and good for them. But by and large, those conservatives are only attacked and undermined by the rest of the conservatives defending the Mad World of Trump.

So, to be clear:

IF you are making the claim that widespread voter fraud has happened in an attempt to "take away" the election from Trump; and

IF you have no data, no proof, no support for such claims and you make it anyway;

THEN, you are attempting to defraud the election by presenting a false narrative to undermine the election.

Stop. Don't do that. Don't be silent when those around you are doing it.

We all agree that attempt to defraud an election is bad, but as things stand now, it is Trump and his supporters or silent defenders who are doing it by passing on this false claim.

Thank You, America

"Remember this in the darkest moments, when the work doesn’t seem worth it, and change seems just out of reach: out of our willingness to push through comes a tremendous power… Use it."

~Stacey Abrams

Whatever Happens

                                        Whatever happens, friends
                                                  come what may
                                          we gonna keep on working
                                                     it's just our way

Seriously

This American Life asked Sara Bareilles to imagine what President Obama might be thinking about the 2016 election and Donald Trump, but can’t say publicly. Leslie Odom Jr. performs the song.

All The Grieved World

 One flower rising

casting her stone-strong shadow

o'er all the grieved world

A Vengeful, Angry God?

I was reading Stan's blog (as I still do some days) and had some questions that his posts raise. Stan is very good at raising these questions with his posts. Not so good about answering them or even acknowledging them. But as always, this is not about Stan. It's about the traditional human traditions associated with modern evangelicalism.

Stan was speaking about the notion of an "angry god" and how too many people (i.e., Christians and others who disagree with his tradition's opinions about God) don't take the idea of an angry, vengeful god seriously enough, because, as he is wont to say, "The Bible."

Stan...

So, who makes up this stuff about a God of wrath against sinners? Well, apparently, God does. Apparently it's biblical. Apparently even Jesus believes it.

Look, you can do the happy dance all you want. You can work on fluff and imagine pink unicorns and figure God's not really that miffed about sin and all, but if you do, you do to your own peril because God's Word is quite clear on the subject. Even at the end, it's is Christ who is described as the One who distributes God's wrath.

So you may think that someone is making up this "angry God" stuff and He's really a pussycat, a tame lion. The Bible disagrees and the consequence of being wrong on this topic is nowhere near tolerable. 

This line of thinking always raises questions for me and these questions generally go unanswered.

First of all, we need to be precise and clear when we're talking about God's opinion. When Stan says, "the Bible disagrees," he's implying/outright saying that God in the Bible agrees with and teaches the notion of an angry God.

But it's not that the Bible disagrees. It's that some good number of people have interpreted the Bible to read God describing God's Self as a vengeful angry god. It's the OPINION of those who interpret the Bible thusly that think this way, not the Bible or God's own Self. At least not demonstrably.

Thus, as is often the case with evangelical types, they conflate their opinions with "the Bible" and thus, with "God's Word." I'm fine with them holding their interpretations and opinions, but they should be clear that it IS their opinions, and not the Bible.

Whether or not the Bible teaches that God is rightly understood as vengeful and angry is the question to be answered, not the answer itself.

Question begging and all that.

Secondly, Stan errs in making up a straw man that people paint God as a "pussycat, pink unicorns and not miffed about sin." But very few if any who believe in a God think that way. Everyone (nearly) thinks that God is angry about rape, about child abuse, about war, about murder, about deliberately causing awful harm to people. Of course a good God would rationally be opposed to such behavior, even angry about it.

So, nearly universally, believers are agreed upon that. That's not the question.

The question is, is God TRULY so repulsed by any and all sin that the only just punishment for a just God is for that god to get angry about every little lie, every bit of gossip and "rebellion," and that god gets SO angry that the ONLY punishment suitable for these sins is an eternity of torture.

You see, we don't disagree with the Bible. We learn from the Bible that God is perfectly just and perfectly loving. AND we also see places in the Bible where people describe God (or God describes God's own self) as angry at sin, viciously angry at sin. BOTH teachings are in the Bible.

So, finally, this leads to the question I asked Stan that looks at the notion of a perfectly just God and tries to make sense of biblical teaching and just plain reason, especially as it relates to the evangelical teachings about hell (NOT "the Bible's teachings," NOT "What God hath said...").

My two reasonable questions:
So a good God is angry unto vengeful wrath upon all the sins of a five, nine, 12-year old child and this God's justice demands the most harsh judgment upon this child for all their sins, so much so
that this angry god demands 
an eternity of torturous hell 
upon this young adult for their awful sins of lying, jealousy, stealing two pencils and general selfishness common to people in their first 18 years (and beyond).

A. Can you explain in a rational way how such an extreme (insane?) response is rational, loving or just?

B. Do you at least understand how for many, probably most of us, that sounds like the ravings of a madman, not the response of a just God?

Now, usually, this line of questions go ignored and unanswered, but occasionally some brave evangelical/calvinist will attempt an answer. But that answer is typically,

"Your understanding of the notion of a perfectly just God is not the same as god's understanding..."

Which brings up a third entirely rational question:

C. Says who? Where is the proof for this claim?

The proof, they will say (if they say anything at all), is that there are lines in the Bible that talk about god being angry and vengeful. No one denies that. But there are also lines in the Bible that talk about God being perfectly loving and perfectly just.

Now they will say that we need to reconcile the two extremes. God is vengeful vs God is just. Their answer that I've understood them as saying is that they side on the side of vengeful and explain away the notion of justice (and an eternity in torment/torture for relatively minor sins IS an abomination of justice, as justice is typically understood by humanity) as being a bad understanding on our part. God's sense of justice is just... different than what we normally mean.

Again, Says who?

They are siding on Vengeful but they can never explain why other than just because that's where they side.

The other tact they'll try to take is to say that we "natural humans" don't accurately understand the nature of sin. Even the relatively small "sin" of taking a cookie that doesn't belong to us (for instance) IS A DEVIANT AND GREAT EVIL, because (they say) it is a deliberate and cruel attack on god's sovereignty. It is an attack on God to decide, "I really would like to have this cookie, even if it doesn't belong to me..."

But again, says who? I would wager that most people who would take a cookie (tell a lie, steal a pencil from work) aren't thinking about God, they're just thinking about convenience and being selfish and unthinking. Do they think, "I don't care what God thinks, I SPIT in God's eye and take this cookie anyway!..."? I see no evidence to support such a claim.

So, the idea of them being in open rebellion to God is just not supported, it's an empty claim.

But EVEN IF that were the case... even if the human was selfish and childish and just wanted to satisfy their own sweet tooth (desire for a pencil, the mean wish to gossip about someone...), does that truly warrant an eternity of torture?

If yes, says who? Where is the rational case for this? Because it sounds insanely Un-just... the opposite of justice.

And my final (still unanswered) question was, Even if you ultimately disagree with those who disagree with your hunches about biblical interpretation and an angry god, do you at least understand how crazy it seems to suggest that the 20 year old with a lifetime of typical sins that lead up to that age is "sinful enough" to merit an eternity of torture? Do you understand how un-just this sounds to probably most of the world?

We may never know.