Franklin Graham--Republican Tool

So, that previous tweet went out from one of the most well known, most influential leaders of the American evangelical movement, Franklin Graham, who was basically telling a Democratic presidential candidate to repent for being gay.

On the other hand, this is the type of tweet that Graham consistently sends out for our current President, a Republican:

So, to summarize: being gay, which has been scientifically proven NOT to be a choice and which hurts no one, is a sin worthy of public repentance and a complete lifestyle overhaul; however, being adulterous and being racist and being rapacious and being deceitful and being gleefully antagonistic, all of which are personal choices and all of which have numerous victims, are what?  Taking a "stand for the Christian faith"?

Hypocrisy, Mr. Graham, is something that the Bible defines as a sin and is most certainly worthy of repentance.  You and Mr. Trump should both consider that fact.

Another Day, Another B.S. Republican Meme

Take a look at this one that's floating around the social media airwaves:

There is really sooooooo much to unpack here, so I'll try to get to everything.  Here we go:

• First, there is the obvious juxtaposition between Obama and Jesus (an awfully white Jesus, btw).  Because they are set up as opposites--both visually and verbally--then Obama MUST be the opposite of the Christ.  And for Christians, what is the opposite of the Christ?  Well, Satan, of course.
• Because of this juxtaposition and because of the Christian's belief in a spiritual dichotomy (i.e., if you're not for Jesus, you're against Him), then a transfer takes place; that is, everything that is specifically Christian is Republican/Trump (and vice versa), and everything that is specifically Satanic is Democratic/Obama (and vice versa).  
• Third, I want to go outside of the visual meme for a minute and focus on the diction above the meme.  Note the strong, pathos-laden words: This meme displays "TRUTH"; this meme is digging into "moral issues"; and this meme is calling for a "Biblical response."  All of this spiritual diction helps associate the Republican cause, which is evident in the meme itself, directly and overtly with the Christian cause; in fact, they are one in the same!  Moreover, because the speaker is a minister, these political issues are his "business," and, therefore, his appeals to ethos should be unquestioned.  Once again, Republican/Trump equals Christianity. (Note the hashtag that makes the entire purpose even clearer.)

So, here we are again--Republican and Trump equal Christian, and Democrat (and Obama, specifically in this case) equal Satanic.  That kind of obtuse equivalency, without a shred of evidence or even a hint of actual critical thinking, is EXACTLY that the Republican party is trying so desperately to create at this point, and, honestly, they are doing a pretty fine job of it.

However, when one actually digs just a tad and starts to look at the real issues (rather than, you know, allowing a bullshit meme to do the thinking for you), then one can plainly see that Trump and the Republican party ain't so very Christian in many areas after all.  Outside of Trump's habitual lying, juvenile bullying, recurrent marriage infidelities, and (most recently) blasphemous messianic complex (all of which are "only" personal failings, which should not be ignored by Christians but most certainly are), here's a handy-dandy chart that should remind us all of the Democratic support and Republican rejection of moral policy issues our country is facing right now:

Trump/Republican	Real Moral Issue	Democratic
No	Environmentalism/Proper stewardship of the planet	Yes
No	Actively helping the poor/needy/marginalized, even if that human being does not originate from this country	Yes
No	Considering healthcare a right, not a privilege	Yes
No	Equal, humane treatment for every human soul, no matter the race, gender, or sexual orientation	Yes

On the other hand, the far right has taken upon itself to morph peripheral, mundane, asinine non-issues into "moral issues" even when there is clearly nothing associated with morality or spirituality with any of them.  Here are a few recent ones that Republicans are claiming the "moral" high ground on:

Trump/Republican	NOT a Real Moral Issue	Democratic
Yes	Saying “Merry Christmas” rather than “Happy Holidays”	Who cares?
Yes	Standing during the Pledge or the Star-Spangled Banner	Doesn’t matter
Yes	Jewish “loyalty” to the Republican party	WTH?
Yes	Purchasing Greenland	WTF?

I will grant that Republicans seem to have more of a moral high ground when it comes to the abortion issue, but if that's literally the only issue on which this meme was built, then, once again, the far right has "won" by convincing the evangelicals of a false equivalency; that is, the single issue of abortion equals ALL of the other issues combined.  (BTW, it doesn't and it shouldn't.) Thus, if one were to save an unborn, unviable, 6-week-old fetus, then s/he can screw over everyone and everything else, guilt free!   

Truly, this kind of cerebral and spiritual denseness from the typical evangelical Christian is EXACTLY what the Republican leaders are counting on.  And, sadly, they're winning.

Trump Is Not a Messiah (But He Thinks He Is)

If you are a "Christian" who is excusing and supporting Trump after this latest narcissistic, messianic-complex, spiritual blasphemy, you are a willfully ignorant, enabling fool.  And let there be no mistake: YOU are the problem!

Christians, Guns, Prayer, and the Problem with Facts

A popular talking point among Republicans when it comes to the gun debate in this nation concerns the place of the Christian God in our society.  And this issue goes well beyond the trite "thoughts and prayers" that robotically comes out of every Republican's mouth when the next mass shooting takes place.  What I'm talking about concerns where the Republicans tend to lay the blame of our nation's epidemic of mass shootings.  For example,

• In September, 2018, Ted Cruz stated that our nation's mass shootings have to do with "removing God from the public square."
• In August, 2019, Ohio state representative Candice Keller blamed mass shootings on, among other things, "the culture, which totally ignores the importance of God and the church."
• Also in August, 2019, VP Mike Pence stated that in our nation's dark hours (after mass shootings), we need to "turn to faith and prayer" because our modern society is "driving religion from the public square."
• Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick recently said that one of the "factors that go into these shootings" is that "we won't even let our kids pray in our schools."  (By the way, that is a false statement.  We do allow kids to pray in schools; meaning, they are not prohibited from doing so.  Rather, our government, correctly so, does not sponsor it by laying aside a specific time for school prayer.)
• And noted Republican-politician-turned-FoxNews-pundit Mike Huckabee has blamed school gun violence on the fact that "we have systematically removed God from our schools."

Now, here's the glitch in this popular, go-to, meme-worthy Republican argument: FACTS.  Here are a few:

• In recent polls, 71% of the United States citizens identified as Christian.  On the other hand, only 2% of Japanese citizens identify as such.
• Now, correlate those numbers with these: Since 2009, the United States has had 288 school shootings; Japan has had 0.
• To be more specific, 53% of Texas citizens identify as Christian.
• More correlation: Since 1970, Texas has had 133 school shootings; Japan has had 0.

So, according to this very clear data, there is literally no correlation whatsoever between a nation's or state's Christian status and that nation's or state's mass shootings.  To repeat, NONE.

However, when one looks at some other data, there does seem to be a correlative force involved:

So, the FACTS are clear: (1) "more Christian" does NOT equal fewer mass shootings, yet (2) more guns owned per capita DOES equal more gun deaths.  Those. Are. Facts.  Full stop.

However, because Christians are taught to rely on faith, they, many times, will simply ignore any facts that do not align perfectly with what they have been told to believe or what they want to believe.  That's called cognitive dissonance, a condition in which the adherent to a belief begins with the belief and will hold onto that belief even in the face of factual data that fully disproves said belief.  Thus, the facts are ignored rather than the belief changed.  (BTW, that is the exact opposite of the approved scientific method.)

And here's the rub: Republicans, who are heavily financed by the gun lobby, are preying on that very trait of the evangelical Christian.  They want to switch the mass-shooting narrative away from the obvious facts concerning our nation's obsession with guns and to the God thing.  Evangelicals LOVE that argument and are, therefore, easily swayed to it even though (now listen very carefully) the FACTS DISPROVE THEIR BELIEFS.

It's high time for this Christian willful ignorance to stop holding our nation in check.  We are not a theocracy, and those false notions simply need to be swept aside so that factual information can help us make intelligent, rational decisions.

   

"The New Colossus" Isn't Trump

"The New Colossus" is the title of the poem, by Emma Lazarus, that is inscribed on the base of the Statue of Liberty.  Here is the entirety of its text:

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Now, most of us are at least vaguely familiar with the last 5 lines, but when one takes in the totality of this sonnet, it becomes even clearer that the United States is a nation of immigrants.  We started as one (with great and sincere apologies to the Native Americans who were already here) and have taken great pride in being the world's "Mother of Exiles."

I would also argue that without being specifically Christian (for, just a reminder, we are NOT a Christian nation, otherwise known as a theocracy), this poem certainly reflects so much of Jesus's words and actions.  He was a friend of the destitute, the marginalized, the oppressed, the weary; he condemned the rich, the powerful, the elite.  This poem reflects so much of the great Christian virtue of human compassion.  (Citation: the entire New Testament)

And yet, a Trump official recently decided to make changes to the great poem that has stood since 1883 as the great proclamation to the world of our great compassion towards the "less-thans."  On August 12, Ken Cuccinelli, acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, stated, "Give me your tired, your poor who can stand on their own two feet and who will not become a public charge."  He stated this nonsense in an interview while specifically defending a new Trump policy that penalizes immigrants who apply for public assistance.

Two things: (1) No, Ken, that's not what the poem says; nor is it what is implied.  Full stop. You can't change history. And (2) more importantly for the focus of this blog, that is not what Jesus ever said or implied.  Compassion and empathy and love are to be unconditional; that is the charge to the Christ followers of the world.  (Citation: the entire New Testament)

So, this becomes another great example of the Republican party's adding a qualifier/conditional to an openly Christ-like virtue in order to support a very non-Christ-like policy.  And if you are a "Christian" Republican nodding your head and clapping and yahooing when Trump's administration changes both history and policy to make sure all those dirty "less-thans" of the world (you know, the "tired," the "poor," the "huddled masses yearning to breathe free") don't receive our compassion and help, then please do us all a favor and drop the first half of that moniker.  At least then you could display some personal integrity, a trait that you are sorely lacking right now.  

Trump, Epstein, and Christian Values

In the wake of the Epstein suicide, it didn't take long for Trump to remind us as to how little he knows or cares about the tenets of Christianity.

So, he does this: "Trump promotes Epstein-Clintons conspiracy theory, the latest in a pattern of baseless claims spread by President."

He peddles this baseless, corrupt bullshit quite frequently, yet I'm pretty sure one of the Ten Commandments says this: "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."  Why, then, does he continue, guiltlessly, to bear false witness against others?  Because he cares only about himself, his power, his image; he cares nothing about supportable truth or basic human decency (or even the biblical commandments).

And for those (including Trump himself) who have forgotten about his conscious disconnection from the truth, here's a little visual reminder into Trump's past:

Yes, he had quite a cozy relationship himself with this billionaire pedophile, the one about whose death Trump is spreading conspiracy theories that link his political enemies to this same man.  Maybe another basic tenet of Christianity would be helpful here:   "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" (Matthew 7:3)

Christians, it is high time for you to call out his flagrant, shameless, unscrupulous lying and hypocrisy.  Otherwise, you are thoroughly and utterly complicit yourselves. 

Mass Deportation and Republicanity

A loyal Republican right now is ecstatic that Trump's administration has cracked down on the illegal "invasion" or "infestation" of brown people.

A loyal Christian right now is horrified that innocent children have been emotionally destroyed (and probably scarred forever) by the Trump's administration's focus on brown individuals who were working hard, just trying to make better lives for themselves.

They. Are. NOT. The. Same.  In fact, in this instance (and possibly others), they are mutually exclusive.  One loves the law; the other loves the people.  Know the difference.

How the Right Gets Christians to Feel Good About Their Faustian Bargain

In this article titled "Joe Biden Says Christians Can't Support Trump, But He Supports Abortions Up To Birth" (found on the pro-life news website LifeNews.com), we see the numerous rhetorical fallacies with which the political right has snowed their evangelical Christian base to get them to sell their souls to Donald J. Trump.  Let us count the ways:

1. The title embraces a false equivalency right off the bat.  It equates the entirety of Trump's moral turpitude with a single political/moral issue of Biden's.  Now, I will grant that that single issue is a big one, especially for the evangelical Christian; however, to put that one issue on one side of the proverbial scales to balance it with literally everything Trump has ever said and done as both a private citizen and a political leader is simply absurd.  They are not the same and should not be treated as such.
2. Second, also in the title, the author uses an equivocating technique; that is, s/he uses the phrase "supports abortions up to birth" in order to provoke and mislead.  (By the way, nowhere in the article does the author ever broach the subject as to what that phrase legally means; in fact, s/he never comes back to it at all.)  So we all know, the standard Democratic stance on abortions is that the law should allow abortions after 24 weeks IF the mother's health is directly at risk or IF there is an "absence of fetal viability."  Moreover, no Democrat, including Joe Biden, desires "unrestricted abortion up through the normal term of pregnancy"; however, that is exactly what the title of the article wants the reader to believe.  Again, I understand that this is a touchy subject for many, but that is exactly the reason all of the facts should be given clearly, something that this article's author consciously has no intention of doing.
3. Next, starting in the title and continuing through the brief article, there is an excellent example of "whataboutism"; meaning, the author deflects the real issue at hand away from his/her candidate in order to debase another candidate. Now, I will note that the author does, ever-so-briefly (and all the way down in the 10th paragraph out of the 11-paragraph article), note that Trump is "far from perfect," but that is literally everything that is mentioned in the article about Trump's thorough immorality.  That part, which was exactly Biden's entire point, is simply ignored in order to say, "Oh yeah?  What about Biden and abortion?!"  So rather than addressing the fact that Biden is completely correct in stating that Christians "made a Faustian bargain" in supporting the spiritually corrupt Trump, the author deflects the issue away from the inarguable.  
4. Finally (but probably not finally), throughout the entirety of the article, the author uses a false dilemma.  It's either Biden or Trump; that's it.  No other political options are given, including the very real possibility of the evangelical right's throwing off their blatant hypocrisy and finding another, much more morally capable, Republican behind which to throw their powerful support.  There are most certainly other options, especially within the Republican party, yet the author is perfectly content to acknowledge quietly that Trump is "far from perfect" (an understatement, at the very least) and still imply that he's all they've got.  I will grant that this kind of "either-or" mentality works particularly well within the Christian community, since within their world-view, it is either God or Satan and there is nothing in between.  However, it is that type of strictly dichotomous thinking on which the political right is preying, even though within the political milieu, there are always shades of gray to be considered.  Maybe the evangelicals should be considering someone closer to the gray spectrum rather than Trump's moral pitch-blackness.   

All of these fallacies combine to target possibly the biggest weakness in the modern Christian Republican.  You see, Christians, in another great example of a false dilemma, are taught from the very beginning not to think; rather, they are to have faith--have faith in a 2000-year-old text, in prayer, in their spiritual leaders, and in God's will (whatever that may mean at the time).  Never is a Christian to question logically on his/her own; in fact, that would be the exact opposite of having faith and, thus, be the "instrument of the Devil."  

And that's where we find ourselves right now--in a society where critical thinking is debased if the conclusions reached do not square with that what a Christian has been told to believe.  And just so you know, those doing the telling right now are just fine with their Faustian bargain, for it is their man in charge.

Christians and the Gun Issue (2)

LOVED this brief representation of the Christian right's hypocrisy, so I wanted to post it.  You can just appreciate this, and then please read my actual thoughts on the issue in the previous post.

Christians and the Gun Issue (1)

In light of the most recent round of mass shootings in the United States (giving us a total of 251 in 216 days--shameful at best, criminal at worst), I wanted to tackle the issue of guns in this country.

Now, first, although there are numerous facts and statistics to force a very serious look into our nation's obsession with guns, I don't want to go there.  The chosen focus of this blog is how the Republican party has kidnapped Christian theology in order to use it for the party's own political ends; thus, I will remain true to that focus.  No other arguments are allowed.

Second, as a type of visual questioning, I would want the Christian Republican (or Republican Christian, maybe would be better) to look at the following two pictures:

Which one of the two pictures better represents the true character of the Jesus of the Bible?  Actually, the proper way to ask that question is this: Which one actually represents the Jesus of the Bible?  Because there is literally NOTHING in the Bible that could be interpreted as Jesus's loving and appreciating any sort of weapon at all, the first picture is a complete fabrication, a false representation of anything for which Jesus ever stood.  In fact, it's downright laughable.

However, the second picture, the one of Jesus's healing the sick, is an exceptional representation of Jesus.  There are numerous stories of his freely and openly helping those who were ill, lame, deaf, dumb, etc.  When he saw human beings who were suffering in this life and who, therefore, were desperate for any chance at relief from that suffering, he helped.  Full stop.  There were no strings attached; there were no background questions; there were no preconditions to be met.  He … simply … helped.

Now, taking these last two strictly Bible-based paragraphs into account, my questions of the evangelical Republican right now are these: Why are guns (i.e., weapons specifically designed to kill) a "right" whereas health care (i.e., a system specifically designed to help) is not?  Why does the Republican party (i.e., the party of Christianity) fight so hard against stronger gun legislation while also fighting so hard against universal health care?

And finally: WWJD? Support guns?  Support health care?  Again, the answers to both are obvious.

The Perfect Example of Republicanity ... in Meme Form!

So, here's how the political right sucks in the evangelicals to make them one in the same:

1. Rather than make a talking point, a discussion point, or something that we can argue about logically, create a prayer for the President.  And while doing so, have a beautiful patriotic drawing of said President, complete with flag and White House.  Thus, patriotism and prayer have now been equated with one another; politics and spirituality are now the same.
2. Bring in Biblical allusions to associate with the President.  And, just to make it perfect, bring in 3 Biblical allusions, since 3 is a holy, perfect number within Judeo-Christian ideology.  Again, the mathematical equals sign (=) is practically staring us in the face as politics and spirituality become clones of one another.  (As a brief aside, the final allusion is pretty moronic.  Samson was known for his physical strength, not necessarily for any strength of character.  The Old Testament character of Job would have been a much better choice for the meaning of this meme; however, I believe that fact displays, more than anything, that a political influencer with the power of Google on his side created this meme, not a sincere Christian who truly knows the content of his/her sacred scripture.)
3. Finally, as the coup de grace against anyone who would dare oppose this meme, make sure to associate the other side with "wickedness," truly a Biblical term to describe those who place themselves in direct opposition with God Himself.   So, by association, anyone who questions this man's morality, his motives, or his policies is contributing to a "wicked onslaught" against him and is, therefore, sinning directly against the most Holy.  No reason to hold this man accountable with any sense of divine moral compass, for he and God are directly and inexorably connected, much like the old Divine Right of Kings.  The equation is now complete: Trump equals Christianity.

This type of rhetorical bullshit is so incredibly transparent to any critical thinker, yet it is working so incredibly well with the simple-minded, uneducated, evangelical Christians who have been taught never to question when their faith is involved.  The political right has honed in on that unquestioning spirit and is taking full advantage, all while deflecting the evangelical's thoughts away from this man's thorough and inarguable moral villainy.   

The Best Witness On the World Stage?

Are Christians really this petty? Or, are there verses in the Bible that specifically teach Christians how they are to treat other human beings, even the ones who seem to be against them? Hmmm, let's see …

• "But to you who are listening I [Jesus] say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.  If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also." (Luke 6:27-29)
• "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you." (Matthew 7:12)  
• "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. … Never pay back evil for evil to anyone." (Romans 12:14, 17)
• "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God." (1 John 4:7)
• "Let all that you do be done in love." (1 Corinthians 16:14)

This tweet (and there are sooooooooo many others like it) actually goes far beyond a juvenile pettiness that is far beneath the dignity of the office of the President of the United States; it actually showcases a spiteful penchant for personal vengeance hurled towards anyone who disagrees with him. Moreover, it specifically lacks any semblance of the Christian virtues of grace, compassion, and empathy.

It is beyond time for Christians to call this man out publicly for his decidedly unchristian behavior. 

Current Republican Hypocrisy

So, take a gander at the tweet that Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) sent out to cyberworld on Thursday, July 31, 2019.

Was this a reply to The Miami Herald's publicly denouncing him for his "pathetic response" to Trump's "latest racist outrages"?  Was this a general condemnation of the "socialist" Democrats that the Republican party has been trashing lately?  Or was it his finally turning against the amoral monster who is our President and that carries an 'R' next to his name?  I mean, the shoe fits pretty snugly, as they say.

(BTW, for the record, I don't believe it's the last one there; I'm pretty sure it would be one of the first two possibilities.)

However, that's not really my point because, let's face it, the 'R' side could say that the 'D' side's politicians do the same thing.  Sure, Trump seems to be a pathological expert at several of those 7, but, yes, to a large extent, all politicians (at least the ones that have made it a lengthy career) are particularly adept at many on that list.  Sad.

So, really, my point is that here is another pathetic, transparent example of the political right's weaponizing the Bible to attack political enemies, making them out to be spiritual enemies to all good Christians.  Rubio doesn't give context; he doesn't give specific examples; he doesn't even give a clear picture as to his target.  In fact, I would argue that his purposeful vagueness on a social media platform works in his favor.  He, self-sanctimoniously, quotes the Christian sacred text, thereby allowing his Twitter followers--mostly evangelical right Republicans--to interpret wildly as they will, all while shaking their holier-than-thou fists at whoever would dare assail them, for any opposition would certainly come from the Devil himself.  Within the current political milieu, if you can simply quote scripture, then you automatically have Biblical authority, which is automatically godly authority, which should never be questioned or opposed.

And, once again, the typical American Christian is led blindly and easily down a dark path by self-serving, amoral politicians.

Allow me, then, to give a Bible verse in response to Rubio's scripture choice:

Matthew 7:5--"You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."