Melania Trump's plagiarism

The problem of any political controversy de jour is always that it muddles people's thinking: whatever modicum of substance is involved, manufactured "issues" are always beside the point.

In Melania Trump's speech last night extolling her husband, it certainly looks like her speech-writers stole some passages word-for-word from a speech in which Michelle Obama extolled her husband.

But the Trump handlers are probably right, that the things Melania said about her husband are, after all, simply the "common values" we all look for in those we consider "good people."

Beyond that, I'm skeptical how substantive an "issue" a political wife's praise of her husband can be. Nobody expects such a speech to be anything but extravagantly laudatory. Nobody expects such a speech to be entirely candid. Nobody expects such a speech to be a rousing defence of the candidate's key policies.

In the latter regard, I seriously doubt speeches by political wives praising their husbands should ever be a nominating convention's "keynote address."

But this section of Melania's speech that seems to have been lifted from Michelle Obama is where I think the "controversy" misses the point:

"From a young age, my parents impressed on me the values that you work hard for what you want in life, that your word is your bond and you do what you say and keep your promise, that you treat people with respect."

She says that these are the values she learned. I give her (or rather, her speech-writers) some credit for being careful not to claim these are her husband's values, because they obviously are not.

Donald Trump didn't have to work hard in life: he was born into great wealth.

Donald Trump's word is not his bond, and he doesn't keep his promises. A gaggle of ex-wives, former investors, and bankruptcy creditors prove that.

Donald Trump doesn't treat people with respect. That assertion would be so manifestly false as to verge on clinical insanity.

The things Melania said about her husband are indeed "common values" we all look for in those we consider "good people." The real point is that none of them are true of Donald Trump.

Christian political correctness

Today begins a political convention which will nominate Donald Trump for America's leader.

The faction nominating him is undeterred by the many things Trump has said that reveal his heart.

The American Church, which has followed that faction for a generation and increasingly gives its public support to Trump, is undeterred by the many things he has said that reveal his heart.

Trump makes no secret of his arrogance and pride: it's his signature persona, and he embraces it with gusto.

He makes no secret of his hatred for a raft of people, individuals and groups. It's the signature theme of his ranting speeches: and we probably have to believe some part of his hatred is honest, and not just for effect.

He loves to make pronouncements that invite people to fear a raft of individuals and groups, inside and outside America, especially "outsiders" like Mexicans and Muslims. It's his most popular rhetoric, and his most effective political tool: whom his listeners fear, they can easily be persuaded to hate. Fearful, hate-filled people are easily manipulated.

People's actions tell us everything we need to know about their spirit. But Trump (nothing if not voluble) has also explicitly stated his religious thinking: "Why do I have to repent or ask for forgiveness, if I am not making mistakes ?"

Scriptures' word on Trump's "religious" thinking is that "if we say that we have not sinned, we make God a liar..." (I John 1:10).

A lot of people say they love Trump because he's not afraid to be "anti-P.C."

What about the Church ?

If the Church sees things in spiritual reality, as God does: if we discern between good and evil by devotion to scripture, and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit:

can the Church not see that Trump's deeds are evil ?

Does the Body of Christ have no authority to speak against those evil deeds ?

Or does the Church' "political correctness" keep it from speaking truth ?

SHAME !!! on the American Church.

Tony Campolo says...

"I have three things I’d like to say today. First, while you were sleeping last night, 30,000 kids died of starvation or diseases related to malnutrition. Second, most of you don’t give a shit. What’s worse is that you’re more upset with the fact that I said 'shit' than the fact that 30,000 kids died last night."

-- Baptist pastor and author Tony Campolo

Political Thoughts in a Political Year (aren't they all ?)

None of my core beliefs are stronger than this: Jesus IS Who He said.

He said "I AM the way, and the truth, and the life..." (John 14:6).

Who Jesus IS carries with it an absolute logic for His followers: everyone who honestly loves Jesus, loves truth.

Loving Jesus is what it all comes down to, and what everything in our lives comes from. So I was thinking today on one of "His many benefits" (Psalms 103:2) that I've particularly become aware of in this political year.

If we honestly love Jesus, we love truth. In a political year (but also every other year), those who rigorously love truth are immune to all the political "spin-doctoring" that surrounds us. We're immune to all the politicians shading the truth, and mouthing half-truths, and telling outright lies to manipulate our thinking...for their political advantage.

It absolutely infuriates me to be manipulated: that is the worst form of slavery. John Dewey wrote that "Plato defined a slave as one who accepts from another the purposes which control his conduct." When people choose to think the way a politician wants them to, so they will do what the politician wants them to...don't they choose to make themselves his slaves ?

If we honestly love Jesus, we love truth: and that keeps us from being manipulated by politicians, their lackeys, or their pathetic deceived followers who believe and spread their lies.

This may be part of what Jesus meant when He said that all of us who love Him are His true disciples: and His true disciples "...will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:32).

Politics, and Moral Wisdom

“Now the deeds of the flesh are evident…enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying…I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21)

Sound like a political campaign ? That’s because the deeds of the flesh reflect the spirit that is in us, and the enemy is nowhere busier establishing his spirit of pride, hatred, anger, and violence in people’s hearts than through politics.

The enemy is constantly at work building his kingdom in the hearts of the unwise and undiscerning. In the moral foolishness of those who are deceived, and deceive themselves, that some human kingdom, or personality, or party, or faction, or philosophy will change the world’s evil system for the good. But how can that be, when human kingdoms, and personalities, and parties, and factions, and philosophies are EXACTLY the world’s evil system ?

May all who read this be morally wise, and morally discerning. May all who read this watch over their hearts with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. (Proverbs 4:23.)

Conservative attitude

Someone on facebook posted this.

It's a standard "conservative" whine that people who get unemployment, food-stamps, Medicare, etc., do so willingly. "They" do it, in fact, to game the system, and take advantage of decent hard-working people (i.e., "us").

Someone pointed out that if "conservatives" are right, they've missed an even more astonishing fact: American employment figures show that every month for the last year, a quarter-million lazy welfare-mooches change their evil attitudes, and decide to get a job.

But more than factually, the "conservative" position is attitudinally wrong: at least, for Christians.

The obvious sub-text of the "conservative" attitude is that people who need help are losers, and most of them are bad people who cheat the system.

Luke introduces one of Jesus' parables with words that exactly address that "conservative" attitude: "And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt..." (Luke 18:9)

May God give today's pharasaical "conservatives" a spirit of repentance !

The politics of Cain

I heard a young "conservative" on the radio today, talking about how she chose to identify with that faction.

She said the key to her political thinking was learning about people who drove new cars to the welfare-office to collect government aid: the favorite Reagan anecdote. She was honest enough to admit she hadn't personally seen that; but hearing that it happened convinced her to be a "conservative."

Many anecdotes have a basis in truth, of course. I imagine this is one of them. People who've researched Reagan's anecdote have found some truth in it, as well as some untruth and some exaggeration for political effect. But we'd probably all agree that there are people who game the welfare or Social Security or food-stamp or Medicare or tax systems. An honest view of human nature makes it a given that manipulators...people of high socio-economic status as well as low...take advantage of those and other systems in every way they can devise.

But the thought that came into my mind was that the "conservatism" promoted by Reagan's anecdote is an expression of the politics of Cain: "I am not my brother's keeper !"

Followers of Cain argue that any system which is gamed by the unscrupulous is bad, and should be scrapped: that our highest moral duty is to not let manipulators take advantage of us. It seems a strange argument from those who continually manipulate our political system and our economic system to their own personal ends.

But for those of us who aren't deceived to the political-social thinking of Cain, the question is what we do with the truth in Reagan's anecdote ? What is our attitude toward undeserving people who take advantage of our mercy ?

I don't often quote the hackneyed bumper-sticker, but it definitely applies here: what would Jesus do ?

What was Jesus' attitude and action toward undeserving people ?   That should be Christians' attitude and actions. Amen.

The Spiritual Question Today

"...there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good."
(Romans 13:1b-4a)

We have a political faction in our country who teach that government doing good for people is "socialism." They also teach that it's good to resist and rebel against authority...as they do.

They claim to be the "Christian" faction in American politics.

We know what Jesus' judgement is on hypocrites and liars. What is His judgement on those who believe, and follow, hypocrites and liars ?

Christian Political Correctness

It's very popular to be against "political correctness" these days.

Indeed, being "anti-p.c." is probably the favorite politically correct attitude in our society.

One reason it's so popular is that there's no cost in being "anti-p.c." "Political correctness" is something those other awful people do...not us.

No need to bring Jesus into the matter, questioning what speck or what log is in whose eye.

Doesn't apply. P.C. is something other people do. There's no "politically correct" log in the eye of patriotic American Republican conservatives.

If there were, wouldn't Jesus say to them what he said in scripture: "You hypocrites" ?

Republican Irony

Republicans have always prided themselves on being the most freedom-loving, most patriotic, and most Christian of America's political animals.

Prided themselves falsely, of course. Self-pride is always false.

What's interesting is that at this point the two leading Republican Presidential wannabes, Cruz and Trump, are both clearly authoritarian personalities. It seems to have escaped the notice of their followers, angry in their belief that their "rights" are being taken from them, that authoritarian rulers care not at all for individuals' "rights."

Both Republican contenders offer some vision of how they (and they alone: the fact on which they ground their authoritarian appeal) will "make America great again." People who buy into their vision have to buy into their claim that America is not currently a great power. It's a view contrary to geopolitical reality.

Both Republican contenders offer a vision of America militarily and economically dominant in every sphere, and ready to use its strength to enforce compliance: an authoritarian America...which can only be properly directed by an authoritarian President. Their definition of "greatness" comes close to my definition of "bullying." As a "patriotic" vision for America, it seems a recipe for destroying all that's good about America: and ultimately, America itself.

I have an even harder time crediting the two wannabe's claims to be Christians...especially Cruz', which are transparently, unctuously, aimed at his "Evangelical base." That thing Jesus said about recognizing people by their fruits gets in the way for me. No one who furthers their power by fear and hatred is producing good fruit. No one who directs fear and hatred toward the poor, toward aliens, toward caring for the sick, is a follower of Jesus.

It's ironic that (self-professed) freedom-loving, patriotic, Christian Republicans think America will be "great" again when led by an authoritarian hypocrite professing to love Jesus, while he leads America in ways of fear, hatred, and violence.

Those are the ways God hates. Those are the ways on which God promises destruction.

Political allegiances always require some "suspension of disbelief"...some degree of willingness to believe what's manifestly not true. But human foolishness and self-deception are insufficient to explain why Christians would embrace the destructive evils Republicans promote. Profound spiritual blindness is the only explanation that seems sufficient.

May God deal with hypocrites, haters, the violent, the willfully foolish and the spiritually blind, as He proposes.

May God forgive the American Christians ! Amen.