Believe and Obey

So, as the House of Representatives moves ever closer to actually impeaching Donald Trump, it is a good time to reflect on what all of this might mean, especially for people of faith. First, it seems as if impeachment is always warranted. At some time or other nearly all 45 occupants of the presidency have committed an act or acts which if people were honest, they would have to admit ran them clearly afoul of the constitution. Whether it be misappropriation of funds, rule b

Trade has been much in the news this past week as the President went off on a tirade in which he amped up the trade war he ignited with China. His tweets ignited a firestorm and a massive sell off in the markets on Friday: Replying to @realDonaldTrump ...unfair Trading Relationship. China should not have put new Tariffs on 75 BILLION DOLLARS of United States product (politically motivated!). Starting on October 1st, the 250 BILLION DOLLARS of goods and products from China, c

Much controversy has been sparked by the Trump administration’s attempt to add a “citizenship question” to the upcoming 2020 census. The Supreme Court has ruled against the administration and it appears that Trump has given up on the attempt to use the census to ask people whether or not they are citizens. The whole episode is an exercise in hypocrisy by all concerned. It is clear that the administration is seeking to do several things to enhance themselves politically. On

It is an almost eternal truth that fear is a driving force behind much of humanity’s troubles. Fear of change, fear of the Other, fear the unknown come immediately to mind. This nearly inevitably leads some to demand control of greater portions of our social and economic lives and a disturbingly large majority of the rest to offer up that control. The desire of Donald Trump to build a wall on the U.S. southern border and his willingness to shut down a good portion of the go

No God didn’t create trade on the eight day but it is something He gave us after He rightly kicked our ass out of Eden. We lost Paradise but God in His mercy allowed us to build a world of unimaginable beauty and comfort for an unimaginably wide number of people by providing in and on the Earth the resources to accomplish this. The only caveat is that we have to cooperate in order to achieve this. That is to say we must treat one another the way we wish to be treated and t

That Trump’s critics have risen (or fallen?) to new levels cannot be gainsaid. Pundits, senior political figures and former government officials have all concluded that he is guilty of treason. This is truly unique. It is true that the right became unhinged at Obama and the left at Bush. In neither case did so prominent a set of figures as former CIA directors and the minority leader of the Senate call either of these two traitors. Let’s also be clear this derangement on

In watching the PR train wreck that is Donald Trump’s tour across Europe I am struck by several reactions. First I must confess some schadenfreude at seeing the tv talking heads explode after every Trump spectacle. However, after some consideration I have come to the conclusion that regarding his antipathy to NATO, Trump is pretty well on target. I do not think for a moment that Trump’s views on NATO are the result of a reflective thought process that takes into account the

The images occurring on the border, of families being separated and children being held in detention centers scared and alone are difficult to stomach, especially compared with the image of the Statue of Liberty and the stirring words of Emma Lazarus. I am not, however, concerned with whether or not the Trump Administration is acting legally or not or whether or not it falls within the scope of prosecutorial discretion to enact this policy. I am deeply concerned about wheth

Much ink has been spilled about being resistant to current political trends and direction. ...Let’s examine just what it is they are resisti

Let’s step back, though, and try to piece together where all this fits into the longer-term sweep of U.S. foreign policy and recent history.

Focusing on how vile Trump is misses the bigger picture. Trump may not even be one of the 5 worst people to ever be President in spite of