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Let's Talk
Last week (January 15 or 16) I read David Brooks’ article in the New York Times giving his opinion, supported by references. The opinion piece is titled., “Trump Ignites a War Within the Church”. This is not in every church; I venture to say he is referring to churches with a very conservative congregation and conservative minister(s). (Link at the end)
Brooks begins with a quote from Jeremiah Johnson’s Facebook page. (Link at the end)
“Over the last 72 hours, I have received multiple death threats and thousands upon thousands of emails from Christians saying the nastiest and most vulgar things I have ever heard toward my family and ministry. I have been labeled a coward, sellout, a traitor to the Holy Spirit, and cussed out at least 500 times.”
Johnson is a conservative preacher who had in the past believed that Donald J. Trump was sent by God to “save” our country. He believed these things because he’d had visions as far back as 2015 and as recent as October 2020. Johnson now believes his most recent dream was only partially correct. He predicted Mr. Trump would win reelection. but now Johnson thinks it was his own pride and ego that led him to that belief. Johnson now believes that God removed Trump from power because the president mainly used his position to stoke his ego, gain power and gain personal riches.
Pastor Johnson has apologized which has brought down the wrath of his parishioners. Johnson broadcasts nationwide, likely worldwide and his apology did not go well. He went on to say on his Facebook post, “I have been flabbergasted at the barrage of continued conspiracy theories being sent every minute our way and the pure hatred being unleashed. To my great heartache, I’m convinced parts of the prophetic/charismatic movement are far SICKER than I could have ever dreamed of.”
In other words, Trump was not good for the country. Mr. Trump’s actions brought about lawlessness, anarchy, deceit, insurrection to our government and country.
President Trump inflamed the crowd in Washington, DC by urging them to march on the capitol and take back "our" country. Rudy Giuliani encouraged combat tactics to overthrow the electoral votes in an election where Mr. Trump lost his re-election bid. The country has been lied to by Mr. Trump, by his lawyers, by some of his fellow Republicans, by people in the White House and by the press, social media, on TV & radio and who knows what/where else.
I do not know how to heal this country. I’m not sure Presidential Impeachment is the way to go. I don’t know if Presidential Censure would help. I don’t know if a Senate Trial is the thing to do. There are a lot of I-don’t-knows.
What I do know is we need to heal. We need to step back and gain civility. We don’t have to like everyone, but we do need to respect opinions of people who have deep Republican beliefs.
Fringe groups on the Right and on the Left need to come to terms with us in the Middle. Most of us Middlers (white, Black, Hispanic, Asian, Indigenous and other people) just want to live our lives in peace, be able to have jobs that pay a living wage, educate our children, have a roof over our heads and food on the table for ourselves and our families and to have access to affordable heath care.
Most of us do not want to overthrow the United States Government. Most of us want the Constitution of the United States to do what it says it will do. AND we need to protect our Democracy and the Constitution. If we do not we will be thrown into anarchy and live in a lawless society and an authoritarian society where we have no rights.
I believe many people on the Mall in DC were not fringe elements. They were there to protest what they thought was a stolen election. An election stolen because President Trump told them it was a fraudulent election. Those protestors were wrongly led, lied to, egged on by speakers on the dais. Many, maybe even most, of those people did not come to attack the Capitol; they were there to protest. But another element in the group did come to cause destruction and death if they could. They are what I call the Fringe Element of Our Society.
I don’t know why the Fringe Element is so full of hatred but for years they have been here. There is a far-right radical fringe of our society who want to answer to none of the laws of our country. These are (or are mainly) angry white people who do not want to share this country with anyone but people who look and think like they do. Anarchists, white supremacists, so go by the name of Proud Boys, Boogaloo Boys, Neo-Nazis, Freemen, Incels or whatever they call themselves.
Don’t get me wrong about violence … and don’t try to say well other groups have done it over time. Yes, that is true. During the Civil Rights Era (1950s and into the 1970s) violence was on our streets. Later marching for Gay Rights occurred. Rights for Hispanic, Indigenous People have protested for years. Most recently we see protests for Black Lives Matter. I don’t condone violence, and there is a but, people need to be accepted for who they are, for the color of their skin, for their ethnicity, for their religious beliefs, for their sexual identities. None of these things make a person violent. It’s the opposition to the rights of all people who create violence, a violent atmosphere.
I do not agree with the violence wherever it occurs. However, Anarchists who cause violence like we saw on January 6th… Violence to overthrow our government is abhorrent to me and to most Americans.
And by the way… and most especially, the other protests of which I spoke… protests for civil rights, human rights, rights of all citizens and non-citizens have not been to overthrow our government. These folks want our government to accept and welcome and protect them.
Our country does have problems… but let us not add to those problems… let us not be the problem… let us have a fair and civil society. If we protect it - not destroy it, please believe me when I say, we can continue to have one of the most free countries in the world.
Links:
David Brooks opinion:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/14/opinion/trump-evangelicals.html
Jeremiah Johnson's Facebook post:
https://www.facebook.com/100014873790327/posts/1089599701545813/?d=n
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