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Politics as Witness

The Christian blogosphere, Patheos, has published a guest opinion piece by Daniel Darling and Dean Inserra entitled “What Is Politics Doing to Our Witness?”.  I have copied the two, closing paragraphs below.  You can read the entire piece here.

“While the fracturing of friendships over politics is unnecessarily sad, even more tragic is the experience of those outside the church who may engage in a conversation about the gospel, because they have seen the church in action on their social media timeline and have decided that this is a gospel not worth investigating. Have we gained the world and lost our souls?

“As we steward our earthly citizenship, let us always be pointing, by the words we say and the way we say them, to a citizenship in a city whose builder and maker is God. Let’s not gain a political world and lose our missional soul.”

The authors thankfully remind their readers that a disciple’s citizenship in the kingdom of God takes priority over all other allegiances.  I admit that I am biased here, because this is the core of my message in my new book, I Pledge Allegiance: A Believer’s Guide to Kingdom Citizenship in 21st Century America.

Unfortunately – at least in my view – that is where the similarity between these two authors’ and myself ends.  For, while they rightly lament the unseemly levels of hostility and slander that often characterize Christian political discourse nowadays, a concern for personal deportment marks the beginning as well as the end of their concern.  Apparently, politics’ main threat to Christian “witness” is its power to fuel hostility within God’s family.

The glaring hole in this argument, however (and, again, I am not dismissing the importance of this solitary observation), appears in the authors’ failure to connect (a) the specific policies enacted by our politics to (b) the ethical norms demanded of us by citizenship in God’s kingdom.

The Patheos article leaves both the real-world consequences of our political choices and the personal demands of kingdom citizenship unaddressed, unspecified.  Both “the kingdom” and “politics” remain blank cyphers waiting to be filled in by the individual in whatever way they think best.  Of most importance is ensuring that our conversations on these subjects is always winsome.

Apparently, winsomeness is the key to winning people to the gospel.

But if the kingdom comes first, shouldn’t the kingdom be determining the shape of my politics, going above and beyond the shape of my demeanor when talking about my vote?

Is it ok to vote for genocide as long as I debate the decision with kindness?  I am sure these two authors would say “no” to that question.  But on what basis?

Here is my question:  What if my political decisions are rooted in fear and hostility?  Is that acceptable, as long as I talk about my xenophobic, fear-based political life in a calm, friendly, winsome tone of voice?

If the kingdom of God really does come first in my life, shouldn’t the Father’s kingdom ethics, as taught by Jesus, exercise control over my political actions – actions that go well beyond the way I talk with others about my choices?

Isn’t the content of my politics as (if not more) important to “my Christian witness” than my personal deportment?

That, my friends, is the crucial existential break that has set American evangelicalism and the Religious Right adrift, lost in its own sea of moral relativism.  The compartmentalization of a contentless kingdom, discreetly isolated from our idiosyncratic political choices, has left America with an individualistic church fueling a heartless, destructive politics, all in the name of Jesus.

Now for Some Sanity About Trump’s Withdrawal from Syria

Yesterday The Greanville Post published a good analysis of the current, bipartisan brouhaha that erupted over President Trump’s decision to

Jim Mattis

withdraw US forces from Syria, prompting the immediate resignation of the Secretary of Defense, James Mattis.

Its heading reads — The current kerfuffle amid the US ruling class shows more clearly than ever that all parties are morally repugnant.

Well said…

An except from the piece appears below:

“Despite theatrics, his [Mattis’] gesture is NOT about the nation’s security. Unless entirely brainwashed by his own propaganda, he knows neither Russia nor China nor Iran represent existential threats to ordinary Americans, only the interests of the ruling 0.00001%, whom he has served all his life…

“Major broadcast media outlets have been overwhelmingly critical of the withdrawal decision, bringing on former generals and intelligence figures like ex-CIA director John Brennan to denounce it as a capitulation to Russia, Iran and the Syrian government.

“The New York Times published an editorial Thursday invoking the authority of Trump’s national security adviser, the maniacal warmonger and international bully, John Bolton, citing his vow to expand the role of US troops in Syria to confront Iran.

“It criticized Trump for having ‘overruled Mr. Bolton and the rest of his national security team.’ His decision, the newspaper of record of what once passed for American liberalism, argued, had sowed new uncertainty about America’s commitment to the Middle East…’

“According to the monitoring group Airwars, nearly 30,000 Syrians have been reported killed as a result of US bombardments, with tens of thousands more maimed.

“This slaughter has been justified in the name of a war against ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), which was itself the product of the US war of aggression against Iraq, which claimed roughly a million lives and demolished an entire society. ISIS was further nurtured through the subsequent wars for regime-change in Libya and Syria, where Washington armed and supported the very same Islamist militias that it subsequently claimed to be fighting.

“The bitter debate in Washington is driven by rival factions within the ruling class that are equally rapacious and bloodthirsty, determined to prepare for global war to advance the interests of a crisis-ridden American capitalist order against its major rivals, China and Russia, while divided over tactics in terms of how to pursue these aims in the Middle East and elsewhere.”

You can read the entire piece here.

As you know, I am no fan of our president, but even a broken clock is correct once a day.  So, I applaud the president’s decision.  I hope that he will follow through in a way that is effective for all concerned.

The bi-partisan outrage now being leveled against him, with its bizarre

Nancy Pelosi described US withdrawal from Syria as a gift to Russia

connections to anti-Russian hysteria, is exhibit A in demonstrating how deeply the militaristic/imperialist mindset has taken control of American politics and media.

It is also a classic example of how easily blind passion (in this case, liberal-Democratic hatred of Donald Trump) can neutralize all sense and sensibility.

Discover Why Pro-Israel/Zionist Groups Fought to Stop You from Seeing This Documentary

President Trump speaking at the annual AIPAC convention in Washington, D.C.

I recently watched the four-part documentary about the pro-Israel lobby in this country called (of all things!) “The Lobby.”

Produced by Aljazeera, “The Lobby” goes undercover to explore the inner workings of pro-Zionist lobbying organizations such as AIPAC (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee) and The Israel Project in the United States.

The Electronic Intifada logo

I encourage you to watch this eye-opening – actually, jaw-dropping – investigative report here at The Electronic Intifada.

The Israel lobby worked very hard to suppress this film and ensure that it would never appear on Western television.  For a time, they had succeeded.  You can read a bit of that story on the film’s webpage.  Once you watch this fine example of investigative journalism, you will understand why the Israel lobby was so determined to keep it buried forever.

How would you respond to learning that a foreign government was spying of you?  Yes, spying on you, personally.

Among other disturbing facts detailed in “The Lobby”, is the story of how the Israel lobby hires domestic spies to monitor the political activities of American citizens, including your use of social media, your voting record, political contributions and activism.  They note anything that appears to be anti-Zionist, anti-Israel and then send that information to the Israeli government.

At the heart of the Israel lobby’s propaganda strategy is the deliberate confusion of ant-Zionism with anti-Semitism.  Consequently, pro-justice,

BDS the New Antisemitism

pro-Palestinian, anti-apartheid activism is tarred with the scurrilous brush of anti-Semitism.  An utterly nonsensical confusion.  But, sadly, it often works.

If the powers-that-be feel you are sufficiently “threatening” to their pro-Zionist message in America, you may be targeted; victimized by a smear campaign, character assassination or any number of dirty tricks the pro-Israel lobby keeps in its propaganda arsenal.

University students, professors and even regular folks involved in the BDS movement are typical targets for the Israel lobby’s dirty tricks.

“The Lobby” highlights the personal stories of several activists who have suffered the hurtful consequences of these attacks.

If any other nation on earth were spying and attacking American citizens as extensively and as habitually as Israel, it would be front page news, complete with public denunciations and televised Senate hearings up the wazoo.

You will also learn about the political manipulation, money laundering, illegal campaign contributions, as well as AIPAC’s influence on U.S. foreign policy, all financed by one or another of the tentacles comprising the Israel lobby in this country.

The film is long.  Each of the four episodes is about 50 minutes.  But it is well worth your time.

The Pentagon Failed Its First-Ever Audit and Loses 21 Trillion Dollars

Yep, you read that headline right.  The Pentagon has been audited for the very first time, which is itself unbelievable, and it failed.  The books are a mess.  Nothing adds up.

Check out Lee Camp’s excellent article at the Greanville Post here.

The most important discovery is the fact that $21 trillion have gone missing over the past decade.  You can read the full story here.  Click here for an article in Forbes Magazine.

Have we heard a peep out of Congress demanding oversight hearings?  Not a word.

Any calls to delay Trump’s grotesque military budget until the American people are given answers to these looming questions?  Of course not.

Our government continues to shovel your hard-earned cash into the gaping maw of the military-industrial-surveillance complex like cheap coal into a bottomless furnace.

When will the revolution begin?

Meanwhile, Over at the Babylon Bee…Missionaries for Trump

Missions Trip Successfully Converts Entire Village Into Republicans

“UNDISCLOSED—A missions trip to a remote tribe in an undisclosed closed country has successfully converted the entire village into conservative Republicans, sources from the missions team confirmed Friday.
 
“After contextualizing the basics of right-wing beliefs to the culture of the tribe for several months, the missionaries finally made a breakthrough as they communicated to the group their need for conservative political philosophy to save them from their sins. Finally, missionaries gave a moving altar call Thursday evening, and the village elders responded in faith, accepting Republicanism as Lord of their life.

“The rest of the village soon followed.

“’When the people saw the glory of our savior Donald Trump, they erupted into spontaneous celebration,’ one of the American missionaries said in an emotional video uploaded to Facebook. ‘It was so great to see these people finally abandon their un-American culture and embrace the gospel of the United States, forever changing their eternity.’

“At publishing time, missionaries had confirmed there was still much work to do, such as converting the village into middle-class white people.”

If you are not familiar with “The Babylon Bee” check it out here.

Not only is this funny, it is all too true.

Years ago I was investigating the claim that missionaries with Wycliffe Bible Translators had worked with/for the CIA.  I discovered that it was true.

As I rummaged around old Wycliffe literature, I also discovered a lesson-planning book from the 1960s describing scenarios to be translated into native languages, once the alphabet had been created, and then used to teach students how to read their language.

One lesson went like this, complete with cartoon characters in frame after frame:

Traditionally, an Indian went fishing.

Caught a fish.

Took it back to the village in order to share the catch with everyone.

This is bad.

Instead, when you go fishing.

And you catch a fish.

Bring it back to the village and sell it for money.

Then you have money to buy new things.

And your neighbors learn that they must work to earn more money for themselves.

I kid you not.  Think about this…

When the U.S. Ruins a Country, It’s Survivors Have a Right to Asylum

President Trump and his base are in an uproar over the so-called caravan of Latin American refugees applying for asylum at our southern border, despite the fact that this is  perfectly legal.

These poor people are asking to apply for legal asylum — something allowed by U.S. law.  Yet, we see them gassed and shot at by U.S. border “security.”

Personally, I think that there needs to be a new question added to all asylum petitions:  “Are you fleeing a country where the U.S. government has sponsored a coup, overthrown a leader, meddled in elections, trained death squads, supported a dictator, imposed economic sanctions or manipulated the economy?”

Chris Hedges

Anyone who can check that box — which is anyone and everyone fleeing any country south of the U.S./Mexico border — deserves automatic asylum in this country.

If you are curious as to how U.S. foreign policy helped to create the current migrant “crisis,” watch Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Chris Hedges interview Professor Dana Frank here.  She details just some of the ways in which the 2009 overthrow of Honduras’ democratically elected

Professor Dana Frank

government, perpetrated by the Obama administration with Hillary Clinton as its premier cheerleader, led to the catastrophe that has now engulfed Honduras.

America owes not only asylum, but reparations and continuing support, to every man, woman and child now hoping to find a new life north of the border.

Should a Foreign Government Have the Power to Censor Your Political Actions?

The BDS (boycott, divestment, sanctions) movement is an international campaign that “works to end international support for Israel’s oppression of Palestinians and pressure Israel to comply with international law.”  You can learn more about it here.

I have participated in BDS campaigns for a long time.  It was begun by several Palestinian leaders and modeled after earlier, international BDS campaigns that successfully targeted South African apartheid.

History tells us that BDS can work to bring important social and political transformation.  And it is working, slowly but surely, to shed light on Israel’s dehumanization of Palestinians.

Here are two important points concerning BDS in the US:

First, did you know that 26 states have passed anti-BDS laws (and who knows how many local municipalities) making it illegal to do business with anyone involved in BDS activity?  Similar legislation is pending in another 13 states.

BDS activism is also a new excuse for Israel to blacklist visitors, barring them from entering the country.

Most recently a speech pathologist in Texas lost her job for refusing to sign a new contract demanding that she forswear any BDS activity.  As a Muslim American, she refused and was terminated. (Learn more about her story here and here).

Listen to her story below:

Second, several members of the House of Representatives and the Senate are trying to sneak a last minute provision called the Combating BDS Act  into an upcoming appropriations bill.  This act would criminalize any activity that lobbied state or local governments to divest from Israeli-based products or goods.

The bill is being opposed by several Jewish organizations (here and here) as well as the ACLU (which is a great organization, despite the objections of the Religious Right) as well as Senators Bernie Sanders and Diane Feinstein.

This bill is unconstitutional.  And American Christianity is supposed to like the Constitution, right?

Please call your congressional representatives and tell them, whether or not you agree with the BDS movement, that it is just plain wrong for a foreign government, in this case Israel, to pay off U.S. lawmakers so as to limit our rights to free speech, freedom of association, and the freedom to lobby our own elected officials in any way we wish.

What would you think if you heard that China or Russia were funding such a campaign in Congress?

White Woman Threatening Police is NOT Shot!

I have noted a number of similar stories over the years.  This is the latest.

I have noted a number of similar situations over the years.  Last year I saw a story about a drunk, white man threatening traffic in his neighborhood with a high-powered, hunting rifle.  Again, the police found a peaceful way to apprehend the man without using their guns.

Honestly, now, what are the chances this woman (or the man I describe above) would have been shot if she/he were black?

Don’t get me wrong. I am in total agreement with Mr. Maxwell’s commentary.  I am happy to see police officers use non-violent methods, that do not include a firearm, to remedy such situations.

I am afraid, however, that any American who follows the news in this arena will have to agree that when a black person behaves in a way even remotely similar to this, she/he will be shot by the police.  We have seen it time and again.

BlackLivesMatter, folks.

Of course, white lives matter, too.  But the fact is that white people are not arrested, harassed, shot, injured or imprisoned (unjustly) in this country at anywhere near the rates of black people  It is a simple fact

Every Christian, every Christian church, every person of conscience needs to vocally support this movement, in whatever ways you are able.

For every white person in this country, such support is a minimal step that everyone can take towards loving our neighbor and treating others as we would hope to be treated ourselves.

Palestinian Mother Imprisoned for Posting on Facebook

Below is an excerpt from another recent story to illustrate what life is like for Palestinians living under Israeli occupation.  It appears in Samidoun: Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network.

“Susan Abu Ghannam, 39, (see above) the mother of Mohammed Abu Ghannam, 22, who was killed by Israeli occupation forces in July 2017 as he protested against the imposition of electronic gates at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, was sentenced by an Israeli court to 11 months in prison on 17 December. Abu Ghannam was seized by occupation forces in early August 2018, only weeks after the one-year anniversary of the killing of her son. She was accused of “incitement” for posting about Palestine, politics and the killing of her child on Facebook, as prosecutors listed 40 of her social media posts. 

It should be noted that Israeli occupation forces attempted to steal her son’s body after killing him in an attempt to hold it hostage. The imprisonment of the bodies of slain Palestinians is used as a tactic to attempt to suppress Palestinian resistance and popular protest.”

You read the entire article here.

Blog Update

You may have noticed that my posting frequency has diminished significantly over the past month or so.  The reason is that Terry and I have been traveling.

First, we spent most of the month of November in the West Bank of Palestine and Israel.  I was continuing my research by contacting and interviewing the staff of 4 different human rights organizations in both Israel and the Occupied Territory.

I was humbled and encouraged to meet numerous men and women, both Palestinians and Israeli Jews, who are working for justice, peace and equality for Palestinians living in Israel and in the Palestinian Territories.

We also had a wonderful visit with our extended, adopted family in the Aida refugee camp.  The bonds of love and friendship grow deeper with each new visit, and we are beginning to feel as though we are coming to know  the city of Bethlehem beyond the typical tourist understanding.

A Palestinian child being arrested by an Israeli soldier.

Second, I have just returned from a conference in Philadelphia sponsored by the Quaker agency, the American Friends Service Committee (the AFSC).  Learn

Palestinian children held in military detention

more about their work here.

The conference was called “What Does Justice Look Like?  Moving towards a just peace in Palestine and Israel.”  You can read a bit about the conference and the speakers here.

It was a gathering of Christians, Muslims, Jews and others with a shared concern to break the chains of Israeli apartheid.

An 8 year old child arrested by an Israeli soldier

A majority of the conference speakers were Palestinian activists, mainly from Gaza.  It was an excellent opportunity to network with others who share a passion for this cause and to devise numerous action plans for continuing the work of pursuing justice for the Palestinian people.

I intend to return to a more frequent rate of posting now that I am back in NW Montana.

Thank you for continuing to subscribe and taking the time to read what I

Would you like your child to be treated like this?

have to say.

I understand that there is no particular reason why anyone should give two hoots about what I have to say about anything.

Nevertheless, I pray that some of my writing will help to move you closer to Jesus Christ, which in itself is always a step nearer to God’s renewed humanity, a true humanity that yearns to see justice done for the oppressed, freedom for the captives, and a place at the table for those left behind.