Quotes
“We’re supposed to be a ‘Christian’ nation are we not? But we are known throughout the world as the most warlike country on Earth. And I would say almost all the wars in which we’ve been involved, have been unnecessary,” he said.
Christian nationalists cannot support the claim of the United States being a Christian nation without redefining christianity in to something Jesus does not recognize. But, alas, such is the norm of civilization and the history of christianity.
The Guardian, Forget Maga. Welcome to Mega: Make Empire Great Again
Fresh from toppling the president of Venezuela and taking control of the world’s largest oil reserves, the Trump administration’s top diplomat arrived at the Munich security conference on Saturday with a rather new and very disturbing message for European governments. Empire is great. Empire is back. Empire is American.
Throughout the extensive litigation over the AEA, in this case and others, the Trump Administration has claimed the president deserves absolute deference when he claims that an “invasion” exists. The absurd implications of this position were highlighted in yesterday’s argument, when Fifth Circuit Chief Judge Jennifer Elrod (appointed by George W. Bush) asked whether the president could invoke the AEA in response to the “British Invasion” of rock stars, like the Beatles. “What if,” she asked “the [President’s] proclamation said ‘we’re having a British invasion.’ They’re sending all these musicians over to corrupt young minds…. They’re coming over and they’re taking over all kinds of establishments.” Could courts then rule the president’s invocation of the AEA was illegal? In response, Justice Department lawyer Drew Ensign admitted the government’s position would require courts to still defer to the president, and allow him to wield the extraordinary emergency powers that can only be triggered by an actual “invasion.”
In my opinion the above ought to be evidence of the problems caused by dualistic politics. When one is obliged to support a person or cause completely then there is no room for common sense, and making stuff up becomes a norm. If the President can never be wrong and if the courts cannot that the President is wrong and Congress never opposes the President then you have a Dictator.
Richard Rohr, The Naked Now
The most amazing fact about Jesus, unlike almost any other religious founder, is that he found God in disorder and imperfection — and told us that we must do the same or we would never be content on this earth.
James Madison, Federalist 51:
In the compound republic of America, the power surrendered by the people is first divided between two distinct governments, and then the portion allotted to each subdivided among distinct and separate departments. Hence a double security arises to the rights of the people. The different governments will control each other, at the same time that each will be controlled by itself. . . . It is of great importance in a republic not only to guard the society against the oppression of its rulers, but to guard one part of the society against the injustice of the other part. Different interests necessarily exist in different classes of citizens. If a majority be united by a common interest, the rights of the minority will be insecure.
Ted Gioia, 25 Propositions About The New Romanticism:
The dominant system today is built on analysis. And it’s worth remembering that the root meaning of analysis is the reduction of things into parts. Holistic thinking, in contrast, is always inherently Romantic. You can also call this visionary thinking.
In a recent article for the New York Times, David Brooks writes that MAGA has taken ownership of what was once “radical left” ideas to challenge the cultural elite. Brooks writes:
If you want a one-sentence description of where politics is right now here’s my nominee: We now have a group of revolutionary rightists who have no constructive ideology confronting a group of progressives who let their movement be captured by a revolutionary left-wing ideology that failed.
Do We Get Him?
Most American White Christians do not have an appreciation for the society, rules, and cultural norms during Jesus’ life. Consequently, I don’t think we really understand most of what he teaches. Jesus lived under imperial occupation. The religious leaders of Israel collaborated with the Romans to rule society mostly for their own safety, and that collaboration lead to the crucifixion of Jesus.
I believe many, if not most, American White Christians don’t really read or understand scripture because they are not the heroes of that story. Most of us align to the ruling classes at the time of Jesus, which has been our privilege within American society, but this appears to be coming to an end.
In today’s daily meditation from the Center for Action and Contemplation, there is this:
Over two millennia ago, these biblical prophets envisioned a different world, a world pressing to be born. In place of imperial culture, the prophets articulated another way of living in God’s Creation. Countering extraction, force, and separation, the prophets lifted up trust, right relationship, and becoming. In prophetic understanding, these three qualities embodied the way of faithfulness to Living Presence, the way of aliveness.
Trust in life itself is essential to aliveness. The prophets repeatedly admonished the people for trusting in wealth and influence, for seeking security in power and possessions—trusting in extraction. Instead, they called people to trust Living Presence by trusting the gift of life, the God-given gift of unfolding, unexpected, ever-creating life. Rather than seeking more things, the prophets called for seeking the more in life. Rather than seeking to be in maximal control of life, the prophets called people to participate in the fullness of life. This is the response to the desire to extract: receive and appreciate the more within life itself.
May American Christians now know what it means to say and have the courage to say, Jesus Is Lord!
“Political parties are to democracy what monopolies are to capitalism, both corrupt the founding principles of their institutions, and those who enjoy the privileges of the power these oligarchies provide do everything they can to preserve those privileges.” 1984 Is In The Past