Hello Friend. Thank you for your recent Facebook post on the 2024 presidential election. I agree fully with the claims in your opening paragraph as far as it relates to American government and its founding principles. For example, you refer to our “system of government” which unusual, having survived nearly 250 years. I decided to respond to your post in detail while hoping that we can maintain your anonymity, if you wish, while giving your thoughts and mine a larger audience. Meanwhile, I hope to remain one of your “conservative friends.”Protect Separation of Powers
To begin, I will assume that we can agree that a key to America's longevity is the commitment of our leaders to respect and maintain the “separation of powers” with three independent federal branches; namely, judicial, executive, and legislative. But sadly, the federal separation of powers has been challenged in recent years by threats leveled at Supreme Court justices who have held conservative interpretations of our Constitution—threats leveled directly at justices seated in Congress during State of the Union speeches, by rioters outside the homes of justices, and by efforts to “pack the court” with additional justices to “legislate” a liberal progressive social agenda.
There were also efforts by U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in collaboration with the current Federal Department of Justice to remove or limit “presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts.” [See Trump v. United States, HERE.] Contrary to the notion that Donald Trump as president would “become a dictator,” the Supreme Court upheld “presidential immunity” which our founders had established to prevent the executive branch from becoming powerless against the encroachment by the separate powers of the legislative and judicial branches. [See SCOTUS decision HERE.]
Therefore, in answer to those who believe Trump would “become a dictator” in his second term, couldn’t we agree that as long as our three branches of government are mutually constrained by the Constitution, there is little danger of any president literally becoming a dictator, even during situations like the recent pandemic when unprecedented powers were exerted by the federal government to control our coming and going’s. During this time, President Trump blocked immigration from China and cooperated with Anthony Fauci in marshalling resources to prevent and treat those infected by the virus. Interestingly, Dr. Fauci was an unelected official given great power but whose motives and recommendations in retrospect are now quite questionable.
Protect Our Borders
Next you refer to “our nation and its peoples” which to me would include a geographic area defined on the map by borders. Historically, law enforcement of a controlled immigration system at our borders has been the basis for civic order in our nation. As you know, our immigration system has allowed us to become a “nation of immigrants,” a rich melting pot that has welcomed the great masses of many different ethnic groups and nationalities to enter our borders—and, to enter legally with a sense of pride in becoming true citizens with opportunity to become successful through hard work as individuals who assimilate into American culture, salute our flag, learn and celebrate our history, and enjoy our customs. But, as you know, the Biden-Harris administration threw off the controls on immigration under the Trump administration by executive order which has allowed millions to flood our borders, towns, and cities as lawbreakers, many of whom do not respect or want to adopt our American values—i.e. as you wrote, “values above all that are greater than greed or fear or resentment or revenge.”
Comparing Performance
I also agree with the value you place on our U.S. Constitution which “prioritizes the worth of the individual, provides for free expression, opportunity, and freedom of religion.” Assuming we can agree on these qualities and principles as being worth holding onto, the question becomes, “Which presidential ticket is the most likely one to preserve them?” Somewhat uniquely, both opposing presidential candidates have shown us their leadership philosophy, skills, and accomplishments in their respective 4-year terms. Of course, to judge between the Trump-Pence and Biden-Harris administrations, we need to sort through the biases of the news media (e.g. Fox News and Newsmax versus CNN and CNBC) which portray Donald Trump and Kamala Harris in different lights. Some happenings are more difficult to interpret than others, especially because both sides have spoken rashly (e.g. Trump: “I’ll be a dictator from day one” referring to his promised reversal of Biden-Harris policies and executive orders such as the one that has incentivized millions of immigrants to cross our borders illegally; or Biden: “[Trump] supporters are garbage”).
Personalities and campaign slogans aside, allow me to refer to several historical occurrences that are objectively defined. For each of these, let’s ask how the two administrations compare:
1. How many wars began under each administration?
2. How many indictments were issued by the sitting president when a losing candidate questioned the results of the presidential election—i.e. against Hillary Clinton the loser when Trump was president versus against Donald Trump the loser when Biden-Harris were in power?
3. How does the cost of living compare between the two administrations?
4. How many threats to the integrity of the Supreme Court and the lives of its justices?
5. How many efforts to defund the police and border officials?
6. Which presidential candidate participated in fund-raising to support of those involved in burning our cities and destroying government property including memorials to our founding leaders?
7. How many Americans and non-citizen immigrants have died from fentanyl poisoning or child trafficking under each administration?
8. How many Americans now have the opportunity to vote in deciding at the state level the fate of unborn children?
9. Which administration has had the lower morale, more resignations, and fewer enlistments into our military because of the division being stoked by “diversity-equity-inclusion” philosophy?
10. Which administration has had more cities, including Aurora, CO and Springfield, OH having to deal with tens of thousands of illegals who cannot speak English or drive safely, and who struggle to adapt to American culture while themselves having left behind families now divided and disrupted?
Each of the above comparisons are measurable and can be objectively assessed. Each one affords us with a comparison of the quality of leadership of Trump-Pence versus Biden-Harris during the respective prior presidential administrations.
Two Media Narratives: Split Nation
In spite of the contrast we see when we compare how the two administrations fared under the ten measurements above, there remains the fact that our nation is evenly split between their supporters. (See attached statement.) Friend, if we can agree that half of American voters support each ticket, is it fair to make the case against Trump based on reports of “what Trump might do?” For example, when Trump mentions he may have to use the military, isn’t this part of a history of his actions as president? Recall that he either called in the national guard or threatened to call it in when major cities were being allowed to burn (e.g. Minneapolis during Tim Walz’s term as governor of Minnesota). Just prior to the day of the January 6 demonstrations (“insurrection”), President Trump had asked for deployment of the national guard which would likely have prevented the invasion of the capitol (Click HERE to read.] House Speaker Nancy Palosi, whose responsibility it is to provide for capitol security now blames herself for not being more proactive [Read more HERE.]
You also mention Trump’s use of “the enemy within.” I’m not sure how you or I would react if we were subjected to the 8-year series of attacks in which Trump’s opponents have used the legislative branch to impeach him over what turned out to be fabricated charges without supporting evidence (“Russia gate” and “Ukraine gate”). Next, the close 2020 election that he contested (just has Hillary Clinton had done in 2016) turned out to have been influenced by the FBI which knowingly suppressed the criminal evidence in the “Hunter laptop.” Then, a night-time raid on Trump’s home followed by a series of indictments in which the Biden-Harris department of justice has colluded, followed by two assassination attempts, both of which resulted from obvious lack of competence. Are we and is Donald Trump right to take lightly the notion of “an enemy within?” No matter what we imagine when we hear his claim of “the enemy within” at very least, it amounts to federal officials who are lawbreakers and they ought to be identified and brought to justice.
Finally, there is the claim that Donald Trump is a liar. Although you have not mentioned it, Trump is also called a Fascist, a racist, and other names. But he has claimed innocence in case after case which eventually bears out that he was telling the truth. Meanwhile, our current president has been shown to have lied in saying that he was not part of massive influence pedaling schemes involving Hunter who may have colluded with officials from China, Ukraine, and other nations in their efforts to gain access to the Biden administration.
What Can We Agree On?
In conclusion, my friend, I hope this response conveys my understanding of the contrasts between the two 2024 presidential tickets in a well-reasoned, respectful manner. I am glad we agree that we are blessed with a “system of government, designed by the framers nearly 250 years ago [that is the reason why] our nation and its peoples have prospered like no other on the planet.” I am also glad that you and I “hold values above all that are greater than greed or fear or resentment or revenge; [and that our] US Constitution prioritizes the worth of the individual, provides for free expression, opportunity, and freedom of religion.” Because of these principles and values, we and our loved ones have been able to live in freedom and pursue meaningful callings including our calling to botany and land stewardship. I only hope that our votes will result in the election of a leader who can help preserve these values and opportunities. I welcome your “Comment” below.
Note: I am especially excited at the prospect of an administration that can not only restore national sovereignty and community safety through border security and due process for lawbreakers, but also one with a vision such as that offered by RFK jr who looks at “health” in a holistic manner involving environmental stewardship as a context for addressing agriculture, our medical health system, and nutrition. I welcome your comments on this prospect as well.
24 comments:
Hello conservative friend, good to hear from you. I have read what you posted, and appreciate the thought and time that you put into this.
The questions that you ask and the perspective of the way things are reflect the bias of the conservative media. No doubt my perspectives and beliefs are shaped by the non-conservative media. Still, the conservative media, and christians in general, are choosing to ignore the massive, documented evidence that Trump is morally depraved, and cares only for himself and his money and image. He is a living display of the seven deadly sins. This is not something I am told from a biased media, I hear it coming from his mouth. He cares nothing for the environment even as the changing climate is overwhelming our ability to recover from increasing weather-related destruction. How on earth can good people such as yourself can overlook these things?
The whole border issue is complicated and both sides refuse to solve it, they just point fingers. The Trump solution is to make concentration camps and forecefully expel millions of people. People that he has demonized, for the most part were simply fleeing their homeland to survive. The right calls them "illegals". It all sounds a lot like the demonizing of the jews in Europe before WWII.
I was raised a christian but do not call myself one because a majority of them ignore or live in contrast to the teachings of Jesus. Here is one to consider when contemplating a Trump promise to use the military to create concentration camps:
Matthew 25:31-46
Thanks again friend. I'm going to read you post again and try once again to understand.
Thank you, my friend. It is refreshing to engage in this conversation in spite of constraints of tech. messaging. While we obviously do not agree on every point, I too am still grappling, particularly with the unfortunate manner in which Trump expresses himself. I would like to think that His character is more favorably anchored in moral principles than what his speech often suggests. That being said, we both know that we do not live in a perfect world, nor is any one of us perfect as God reveals Himself in the Scriptures to be perfect.
I agree, as you said, the border is a complex issue as are each of the others: energy, trade, health-nutrition (environmental stewardship context), gender identity, ethnicity, etc. The question is, who can we most trust to lead our country through the thickets of these complex issues?
As you have rightly pointed out from Matthew 25, it is not uncommon even for Christians to act contrary to the character of the Jesus they claim to follow...sadly, myself included. This can quench our faith and even lead to rejection of Christianity as you know. Encouragingly, and also in Matthew's gospel, in the Beattitudes, Jesus describes the disposition our hearts ought to have if we wish to radiate His character and love to others. Matthew 5: 1- 20 is very humbling to me, and it comes down to Jesus's teaching that we need a more perfect righteousness than even the orthodox Jewish Pharisees could muster (see verse 20); namely, the righteousness (right standing before God) that Jesus came to earn for us--His righteousness as a gift (Titus 2: 11-15; 3: 5). Thankfully, jesus did not come to judge the world but that the world through him might be saved (John 3: 16-21).
Thank you again for your polite and scholarly example of seeking to be objective and openly pursuing what is best for our country, including the land, water, soil, and biodiversity that we both love, as does our Creator.
John, well Trump won, perhaps with a full congress and will be able to quickly pursue his agenda. It sounds like you consider him a flawed vehicle to a good agenda, I hope that is true. His open comments to be a dictator, use the military on opponents etc. scares the hell out of a lot of people like me. Yes there are branches of government designed to keep a tyrant executive in check. However, if a president uses the military to overthrow the system it would be nearly impossible to put democracy back on the tracks. That would be a coup. Would his supporters like yourself be able to stop it?
The day before the election I drove to Urbana on the backroads to pick something up. Trump signs were everywhere. One in town also sported a huge confederate flag. Now that it is over I can't help but think that the democatic party has turned their back on rural America. They prioritize tiny minorities that are scary to the majority, and tend to be well off and educated. Hey, that last part sounds like me. I don't know what the answer is, and am totally baffled why people think this sinful billionairre is going to be their salvation. Any way, I hope good conservatives like yourself can keep the democracy train on the track, in my view Trump and his big backers only care about money and power.
FYI, most of my friends are terrified. Maybe I am too. Trump's violent rhetoric may be bluster, but maybe not. In any case we feel no protection or concern from him, maybe just retribuition. Our heart-felt commitment to protecting the environment, preventing catastrophic climate change, preserving biodiversity, human rights for minorities and the disenfranchised, affordable health care appear to be doomed. Vital government departments, and military leaders soon to be led by appointed MAGA extremists. Huge concentration camps for people that, mostly, were fleeing tyranny and oppression in their homeland. Yeah, maybe all this is over the top, but that is what he said he would do. People are scared!
Good morning, friend. I do not take lightly your sense of frustration and angst over the Trump victory. As fellow Americans who both want the best for our country, l hope we can both allow some time to pass while hoping and praying in faith that God who guided our founders in drafting our Constitution and has miraculously protected our country through timultuous times will guide the president-elect in his appointment of advisors and department heads with wisdom and integrity.
Thanks for reaching back. l value our frirendship.
John, Can't argue with that. I hope the US continues its prioritization of conservation and the new aministration doesn't try to dismantle what has been achieved in the last hundred years. So many things are hard to obtain, easy to lose, and impossible to retrieve. Part of me just says, we lost, give up. I feel tired of the struggle. What will the future of national forests, wilderness areas, old growth forests, ANWR, wetlands, clean energy. I'm worried they will be lost or degraded for corporate and private profit. If that starts to happen I hope good people like you speak up!
Having read this blog and following comments last night before bed, it didn’t make falling asleep very easy. But I’ve found over the years that sleeping on problematic issues can bring quite a bit of clarity. For me, it also helps to boil all the issues and details down to basic principles. And one thing became evident to me about the controversial points within this discussion. It all comes down to what we believe is true and who we believe to be telling the truth. If we can rightly determine that, our decision making will be much improved, as will our resulting actions.
Looking back a couple thousand years, TRUTH was on trial in another historic situation (as it has often been from the beginning of time and will be until the end of time). Jesus was accused by the Jewish officials and taken to Pilate to be crucified for his supposed “crimes”. John 18:36-38 says “Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.” Pilate said, “So you are a King?” Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.” “What is truth?” Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them, “He is not guilty of any crime.”” (see next comment)
This isn’t to compare Trump to Jesus, though there are many similarities with how they were both treated by their vindictive “political” opponents. Rather it is to show humanity’s historic struggle to define truth and the importance of loving the truth. And with both Jesus and Donald Trump, people from all walks of life have chosen to believe the accused were the truthful ones rather than their accusers. Further, in the 2024 election, it has become evident that a clear majority believes that Kamala/Walz, the democrats and their RINO cohorts, and the mainstream media were NOT telling the truth about Donald Trump – in addition to countless other things. When looking at evidence, in fact, most Americans have even chosen to reject the rulings of the judicial system as biased, political law fare NOT based on the facts.
Why don’t Christians and conservatives believe these high and mighty authorities’ accusations against Trump (and the MAGA agenda) when progressives and socialists accept it all as gospel truth? Well, it’s a matter of how the two groups differently define and love the TRUTH.
Conservatives generally believe this nation was founded as a Christian nation and our civil law is based on the moral law, (the Decalogue) from God’s word, THE standard for objective truth. God is the all knowing Creator and man is His creation along with everything else that was made in the beginning (Genesis). And because God created everything, He owns and sustains everything in His universe and also has the ability to destroy/end it at will. But He delegated a small portion of that responsibility to mankind. And most conservatives (at least the Christians among us) know that “if God said it, that settles it, whether we believe it or not.” We, like Christ’s faithful disciples, love objective (absolute) TRUTH more than life itself and refuse to deny or betray the TRUTH as Judas did. And we realize that “there is none righteous, NO NOT ONE”.
On the other hand, progressives have rejected the Bible as an outdated standard and have determined that everyone has their own truth which must be validated by everyone else. Besides believing that everything came from nothing billions of years ago, they generally believe humans have evolved in intelligence so that most of us don’t need God – who was actually a creation of man in the first place. Here, humans have advanced (especially now with AI) with the ability to create and sustain their universe and everything therein as well as to destroy what is not considered beneficial. Progressives despise objective (absolute) TRUTH and work to crush it because it regularly contravenes their subjective version of truth. Their views produce a superiority godlike complex, making them better than the rest who “display the seven deadly sins”.
So how does this relate to the election/selection of Donald Trump over Kamala Harris?
Trump supporters have decisively rejected the subjective “truth” of progressives. For instance, we reject that a man can be a woman, have menstrual periods, give birth, participate in women’s sports, and use women’s locker rooms/bathrooms. In fact, progressive claims have become so preposterous that we reject almost all progressive claims and resulting policies, mandates, and rulings as nothing more than political science, science fiction, pseudo science, and fantasy. Al Gore & Greta Thunberg have been the high priests of the Green New Deal telling us the world would end in 12 years (or the like) if we didn’t follow their demands. Even Bill Gates has determined we must depopulate in order to save the globe. We see the EV demands as totally unrealistic and not based on empirical science any more than the transgender ideology is based on actual biology. The list goes on ad infinitum. It’s been forced down our throats and we’re vomiting on the toxicity.
In particular, as to the collective claims and fears about Trump being a criminal tyrant who is in it for personal gain, “objective fact checkers” have determined that to be as fictitious as “Russia, Russia, Russia”, the “J6 insurrection”, and the benefit of Biden/Harris/Fauci’s CoVid mandates for masks, social distancing, & “safe & effective” experimental “vaccines”. In actuality, Trump did not enrich himself as President – just the opposite. He donated ALL of his President’s salary to different charities the entire time he was in office. And all the accusations and law fare legal suits have cost him hundreds of millions besides convincing progressives to hate, fear, and attack him as the second incarnation of Hitler deserving of assassination – nearly realized.
Because the progressives have called good evil and evil good, spun everything to be racist & sexist, and cried “WOLF” without end for decades and lately more than ever, they’ve lost all credibility for patriotic Americans and especially conservatives and Christians. It’s become extremely simple for conservatives and others with decent discernment to know how to vote: just vote the opposite way the democrats & the mainstream media want you to vote and you’ll be right 95% of the time because they are 100% anti-Bible, anti-Christ, anti-Christian, and anti-American. Any time they refer to the Bible or America’s founding documents, they intentionally pick and choose what reinforces their agenda, twisting it and taking it out of context while completely ignoring the rest in the same way they do with Donald Trump’s own words & actions.
One thing is for sure, progressives love their socialist agenda much more than they love America or the TRUTH. Another assurance is that conservative AND progressive Americans (and millions in other nations) WILL benefit from the “extremist” Make America Great Again agenda because it will be based on objective truth. Perhaps someday progressives will themselves learn to love and recognize objective TRUTH as well as a strong and prosperous America. By then, however, they will have evolved into conservatives and maybe even Christians.
Thank you both for your recent comments. It is clear that we each have serious concerns and also differences in our vision for what is needed in policy and leadership for America's future.
In spite of our differences, politically speaking, it is heartening that we have each used words like "hope" and "assurance." As I wrote in my last comment above with the help of my son who represents a younger generation, may we each allow some time to pass while we rest from "the tiring struggle" of the election season and await with guarded optimism in hope that things may turn out much better than we thought.
John, I disagree with nealy everything you saidd, except that there needs to be an understanding of what truth is. It is the beauty of democracy that people like the two of us can have a say, equally, in our society. I feel at least as strong about our countries issues as you. Please dont streotype me as some sean hannity cookie cutter progressive. Showing some humility and respect would go a long way to getting along. The right and left media are rage machines.
Meant to say, disagreed with ken.
John and Ken (and anyone else here), I'm willing to continue the dialog that John started. It speaks to his good character that he is willing to listen and to put so much effort into accurately illustrating his point of view. For this to have any chance of doing any good at all we must listen, and not be biased by the overwhelming media that tries to tell us how to think. We start over, assuming that the people we are talking with are good patriotic Americans that just have a different point of view about religion, politics and policy. All the issues are too big together, I suggest starting with just one.
First question. Do you believe in the US constitution? I do. I believe it is perhaps that best ever attempt by humanity to form and maintain a society with different perspectives, religions, and histories. It is designed with seperation of powers to provide checks and balances, ensuring that people in different geographical regions and minorities have a say. I think if we stick with this system it is best for all. We will all lose on some things we want, but win on others, and overall the United States wins. Thoughts?
Anonymous, in your post, whether you know it or not, you aligned yourself solidly with the “progressives” (or more honestly, the democratic socialists) of this country rather than with the Christians or “conservatives” when you wrote “Vote against Trump, he is a liar and a threat to our democracy.” Every single attack you (and others) made against Trump is exactly what most conservatives and Christians have seen and believe to be TRUE about Biden/Kamala/Walz and the left wing Democrats or “progressives”. Such accusations are called “gaslighting” or “projection” and conservatives have developed the discernment to see it as such whenever it occurs (which seems to be every time we turn around).
But now it sounds like you may not agree with the left on all the issues, though you previously said “no matter what your current position is on issues, ….” which seems to indicate you believe that the issues really shouldn’t matter compared to what you (and all Trump haters) believe to be the truth about him being a tyrant who would put his “boot on your neck.” I agree that would be something to fear, if it were objectively true. However, it is SUBJECTIVE OPINION that his opposition is advancing to scare their own supporters and to promote continued hatred, fear, and activism.
I/we could continue to discuss/debate all of Trump’s defects, which are admittedly many and varied as they are with the very best of us to include Biden/Kamala/Walz. But now that Trump is elected, the question is: Will he (and those who work with him) Make America Great or Make America Ghastly, Grim, Grisly, & Gruesome as you (and others with Trump Derangement Syndrome) believe? His supporters (the majority of America) obviously believe and will work toward ensuring he makes America great, as if our lives and livelihoods depend upon it – since they actually do. If you are a patriotic American, the least you can do is hope for the best – while you prepare for the worst.
Anonymous, I wholeheartedly agree with you on your last post. John Silvias’ character is outstanding among his peers and a man is blessed to call him friend. His patience with and attention to others is unsurpassed and only enhanced by the care he gives and time he takes to accurately convey details that are significant to the one he’s listening to and dialoging with. I don’t make the same claims about myself. Admittedly, besides it just being part of my innate flawed personality, having retired after 21 years in the USAF, I’ve developed a serious aversion to and boredom with details that seem to delay and distract from the overriding principle – not that the principle is more important than the person. But honestly, I’ve discovered I just don’t have the bandwidth to file and later retrieve all of the “minutiae” that others seem to be able to deal with. It is a shortfall I’ve continuously tried unsuccessfully to fix and have therefore accepted and tried to make the best of focusing instead on “making the main thing the main thing.” That’s why I boiled down all your & Johns comments and details to a debate over WHAT IS TRUTH, which I’m glad to see you caught and agreed was important.
As to your question about believing in the US Constitution, my answer is YES. As an Air Force officer, I took an oath (more than once) to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic” (look it up online under “United States Uniformed Services Oath of Office”). Most of us believe that oath does not expire when we leave active duty. By the way, many civilians probably don’t know it but that’s likely what Trump was referring to when he talked about “the enemies within”. Anyway, your love for the Constitution is commendable. If you haven’t already seen it, you’d probably really enjoy taking Hillsdale College’s Introduction to the Constitution, Constitution 101 & 201, and several other related free online courses. see https://online.hillsdale.edu/courses/promo/intro-to-the-constitution . I’ll stop my input there and allow John or someone else to get further in the weeds with you on the subject. God bless.
Ken, your last post was great, and perhaps shows hope that people like us can have a meaningful dialog. Believing in the constitution is a great place to start to find common ground. Like you, I am not perfect. I can be self-righteous and insult people that I am trying to interact with that don't meet some measure of perfecton in my brain. A terrible habit that I keep trying to change. Once again though, in you previous post, you have painted me with the right-wing media paint brush. That media has convinced people on the right that progressives have "Trump Derangement Syndrome", are duped by a gaslighting media, or as you said, are 100% anti-Bible, anti-Christ, anti-Christian, and anti-American. Now that is a derangement syndrome. Me, my family, my friends, are nothing like that. We are good patriotic people that hope and love just like you. I have spent my life in public service trying to help people be good stewards of our natural spaces. Me, my family and friends are not a threat to you. Are you open to the concept that your media is just as biased and divisive as the one you dislike?
I am encouraged by the fact that people with such strong yet divergent perspectives are willing to converse with each other amicably seeking common ground and hope on such important issues as the future of the nation and even the world. This is a miracle after years of evil people and organizations (powered by Satan himself) having set the atmosphere to make this impossible.
I thank God that He is and always will be the final arbiter of what will be allowed in this world ruled by the prince/commander of the power of the air /the unseen world. (Eph 2). May God bless you three and may He bless America as we all seek to bring glory to His name by remembering and observing the 1st and 2nd greatest commandments: 1.Love The Lord your God completely and 2. Love your neighbor as yourself. (Matt 22:37-39)
BTW, the above is not the same “Anonymous” as the “don’t vote for Trump” Anonymous.
Folks here, I don't think I can do this anymore. All this pious christian language in defending a man and a set of policies that Jesus himself would be repulsed by. The white christian nationist creed is one of intolerance, cruelty, and bigotry. I am going to spend every moment and dollar I can to resist this threat. I don't need a gaslighting media, or Satan, to tell me this, I hear it coming from Trump's mouth, I hear it in his words and see it in his actions. Time to resist.
Dear Anonymous #1 and #2, and Ken. I think we have proven that the technology of "social media" has its limits in helping to convey deeply held beliefs among individuals such as ourselves. If, instead of our back-and-forth writing without face-to-face conversation, we could have sat down and discussed our political differences, I believe, knowing two of you and one (Anonymous #2) from his/her comments, we could have had a more productive and enjoyable conversation. In spite of our differences, in keeping with the comments of Anonymous #2, I believe we have enough common ground to have had a good foundation for discussing our differences. For example,
(1) we all value of our Constitution and form of government;
(2) we all believe that America is basically good and worth preserving;
(3) we each have a code of ethics based on moral standards that acknowledge the existence "good" and "evil"
(4) we each believe there is a right and wrong way to communicate and behave toward each other, and that one's actions ought to be consistent with his/her faith or beliefs.
(5) we each have a notion of what America needs and what we each need as individuals in order to experience a good future.
If we can agree on these, let us each rest in hope, remain friends, and act in accordance with our beliefs to contribute in ways that promote the greater good for the most people (including the natural world over which we have responsibility to act as stewards) while being humble and open-minded enough to hear and respectfully respond to ideas that may differ from those we have chosen.
In closing this thread of comments, I appreciate the respect you have each expressed toward me; but please note that I am a flawed person, and I have come to realize this because of the Perfect One, Jesus Christ, who gave me the faith to believe in Him and what He says about me in His Word, the Bible. While my pride often gets the upper hand, at this moment I can say, forgive me if I've offended any of you unjustly or placed a stumbling block in front of you. That includes anything that would distract you from your progress in believing that there is hope in God in spite of the "groaning creation" (Romans 8) and groaning bodies in which our souls live. Shalom (Peace).
Hey John, I just came across this new X post that reports on the Amish helping restore farmlands and improve America's agriculture. Thought you might be interested. Haven't seen for sure that the new administration will be asking them to get involved. But I know the Pennsylvania Amish came out in support of him since his policies are more friendly to their simple, clean, healthy life & religious principles.
https://x.com/NicoleShanahan/status/1857497856225194141
Thank you, Ken. Your report is consistent with what I have observed among the Amish in Southeast Ohio where they have been restoring cropland degraded in some cases by poor farming practices over the years. It will be interesting to see whether RFKjr's holistic approach to "health" will be successful in promoting a better agricultural, medical health/pharmaceutical, and nutritional philosophy.
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