Before Trump became president there was room for debate about what and who we Americans really are. Not anymore. We know ourselves now because Trump is our mirror.
Before Trump became president there was room for charity when it came to considering who white evangelicals might be; how enlightened the “New South” might be; who and what the Republican Party is: the collective brain power of our country; the value of internet connectivity and disruption: the level of optimism about our future that thinking Americans might reasonably entertain—not anymore.
We now know that:
- White evangelicals (81 percent of whom voted for Trump and still support him) are mentally ill individuals who have substituted their “Biblical” anti-science and fake-history paradigm for cognitive thought; that they suffer from a persecution complex believing that opinions (including actual facts) other than their own — about everything from evolution to women’s and gay rights — are a form of “anti-Christian” bigotry; that their only defense is to use government to impose a theocracy on the rest of the country; that they have sided with Vladimir Putin against their fellow Americans because he has “conservative” (read dictatorial) “values”
- The enlightened “New South” is a sham and that the South is, at heart, as it was during the Jim Crow era and is still run by and for a white oligarch lynch mob of nationalist and evangelical gun-toting paranoid racist bigots supported by unthinking white trash ignoramuses who vote against their own interests
- The Republican Party is a white billionaire lobbying insiders’ club run by entrenched corrupt white nationalist racists and fact-free Ayn Rand disciples — often masquerading as “Tea Party” evangelicals — bent on literally destroying the social safety net and the global environment and that the GOP too have de facto sided with Vladimir Putin over American interests in an attempt to hold onto power at any cost and are now frankly and openly anti-American and even anti-democracy as they cover for Trump’s delusional brand of corruption
- The collective brain power of our country has been sapped and nearly destroyed by TV watching, TV news, lack of reading, lack of a commitment to art, culture and beauty, bad education, Internet addiction, “disruption” and “connectivity” and that all hope that somehow the giant (self-identified “enlightened”) corporations, such Facebook, Twitter and Google, will be agents for good is a sham, and that the reality is we’ve given private extremists (from GOP conspiracy theorists to Nazis and evangelical professional con men and haters like Franklin Graham, and Jerry Falwell Jr.,) a public platform through which to normalize their myth-based religious and white nationalist xenophobic hate mythology
- The myth of the Internet changing the world for the better has exploded. Trump, Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Brexit, European white nationalism, the Chinese Communist Party’s merger with ruthless capitalism; the failure of the “Arab Spring” adds up to democracy under threat worldwide. These backward leaps are taking place in the “interconnected” world of “disruption” that the Silicon Valley lords of the Universe boldly told us would change everything. They are right: indeed we’ve changed everything and swapped literate democratic modernity for the Dark Ages under their tender greedy self-important and self-serving “leadership.” Case closed. The Internet Age as it now stands is bad for the planet and is retarding human brains and humanistic democratic progress. (And yes, alas I am aware that you are reading this online thus proving I’m part of the age we live in and as stuck here as you are!)
- The level of optimism about our future that thinking Americans could once reasonably entertain, has evaporated. That nice white good neighbor evangelical lady across the street who donates to World Vision and wants to feed the hungry, is also a brainless fascist thug ready to strip all “Other” people of basic rights. She voted for Trump and is thereby confirmed as a brain dead fool. Period. Taken en mass, there are no “nice Christians” and taken collectively as a voting block white evangelicals and their hillbilly troops are about as good for our country as were the German Nazis in the 1930s “good” for Germany.
The illusion of American goodness (let alone greatness) is gone.
When we look in the mirror, Trump stares back and mumbles disjointed irrational lie-based delusional thoughts incoherently as if talking in his sleep while using the vocabulary of a confused fourth grader. He’s therefore a perfect representation of America. Trump’s not an aberration. Discourse online and on TV is no better than what Trump’s failing brain produces most of the time.
We set the stage for Trump because
- We lost our commitment to the intrinsic worth for beauty and to life itself
- Schools don’t teach art history or geography or music as primary subjects. What they teach is greed, to “get ahead” with “essential” (read job-related) subjects. They teach to the test to produce “workers” to make the “economy grow”
- We are all about everything being a means to an end- nothing has intrinsic value in America other than career and money
- We value our careers even over falling in love
- We’ve handed our lives to corporations
- We’ve turned religion into power politics and spiritually into selfish navel-gazing
- We’ve handed our souls to Ayn Rand, to greed, and to “getting ahead”
- When we talk about children “doing better” (or worse) than our parents we speak only in economic terms. We have forgotten that the real measure of “doing better” than parents or previous generations has to be measured in sustainable spirituality in order to lead to happiness, fulfillment and a planet that survives so we may survive. For instance, is someone kinder than their mother was? Do they have more empathy? Is someone more in love with life than their father was? Do they crave beauty more than their grandparents did? Are they better fathers and mothers? Are they bent on owning more stuff like their parents were, or rather are they in love with the beauty of life itself? Are they less calculating and greedy than their dad and mom were or is everything about “career” for them too? Are they reading better books than their parents did? Do they listen to better music? Are they more aesthetically and sexually fulfilled? Do they enjoy their children and grandchildren more than their parents did? Are they more compassionate and caring for the poor than their parents were? These things–and NOT economic growth–are the true measure of “The State Of The Union.”
To resist Trump requires us to fight for more than political change. It forces us to do the hard work of struggling for creative redemption in our own lives. Thus the only answer to Trump is to:
- Crush the backward anti-environment greed-worshipers running the Republican Party- forever
- Put love, beauty, art and personal face-to-face connection, family and community ahead of career
- Strive for beauty’s sake alone to save ourselves and our planet because to live informed first by the intrinsic worth of beauty, love and compassion is the only truthful state of being.
21 Comments. Leave new
I can’t agree with you more about how freaking unreal our hopes have become. Growing up my dad used to tell me that I needed to watch out for #1 because no one else would. Like you said, economic well-being was the only goal that was worthwhile. And, this was when I was growing up in the 60’S! Not some Gen-X or Millenial thing. This has been pushed since Eisenhower. And now, it has born its ‘Strange Fruit’ in both the Left and the Right. We as a country have become filled with Other-hating narcissists. Frank, I am at a loss for how to move forward. We diminish the Humanities at the cost of our, well, humanity.
Very good article. I wish I had your writing talent! Please write about the coming theocracy with the christian extremist Pence running the government.
I’m a former evangelical and I couldn’t agree more. The truth hurts. I’m grateful for your example of calling these people out forcefully. (I’m done trying to shake the hands of those who want to slap me!) Well said, Frank. #RESIST #PERSIST
These are truly important and beautifully expressed words. They are rightfully inspiring and need to be shared. But where to apply them in meaningful action? I am a political Independent and am disgusted by what the Democratic Party has become. But the fact is, the Democratic Party is the only game in town. Between now and the next barrage of elections, there is no time to form a new political party and it wouldn’t be any more possible than herding cats through the eye of a needle. Take action by getting involved with your Democratic Party and its Bernie Sanders oriented wing called Progressive Democrats of America. Take your like-minded friends to their meetings and make your voices heard! Its a step up from just being on the internet. Frank’s words are a great flag; they need to be flown in the arena of politics where they can do the most good. If anyone has any better and more practical ideas, let me know; but I think this is the answer–we have to get politically involved on a dimensional basis.
I agree, and just posted this comment on my FB page too… It is the perfect “PS” to my essay. Thank you.
Speaking of Bernie Sanders – and his de facto third party spoiler effect in the election – one thing we can all do is demand an end to “First Past the Post” FPTP voting. More info here: https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/197566?v=6 FYI, in Canada, Trudeau ran on a platform of ending FPTP and ushering in some form of Ranked Choice Voting – so this is something that has a structural solution. But more people need to know about it and demand it. Oh, and it’s an idea Bernie likes, too.
Well said.
I am a public school teacher. I have taught my third graders geography and U.S. History, because I wanted them to be informed. I have had to do this quietly, behind closed doors, because I did not want to be reprimanded by my administrators.
I’m sad to say Frank you have a delusional world view. Your about half right on some things. However, you need to reflect more on human nature and ones desire to achieve and be recognized by someone or thing in a very chaotic world. Be kinder.
“ones desire to achieve and be recognized” <—And just HOW do you know this about Mr. Schaeffer?
Is that what you call spiritual discernment? (Yes, I speak American Christianese.)
This is very dark. There are days when I feel like this is all true and others where I still entertain a flicker of hope. Religion is a pox upon humanity, giving them an imaginary super dude to blame/worship for all that is bad or good in this world, when reality it is we humans that are bad and good and need to take responsibility for our actions, not shift it to some imaginary deity that smacks of everything old white men crave–power over women, wealth, and the world’s resources and wonders.
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“in reality” it is we humans… Sorry about the error.
If God is not real, then good and bad are just an opinion. And there is no objective reason for anyone to take responsibility for anything.
My heart nearly stopped as I read this. The Trump imbroglio we find ourselves in is indeed a reflection of the people of the USA. Art, beauty, relationships over the god of progress and materialism. This is prophetic like the OT prophets who also used strong language and pissed off lots of people.
Wow. I copy your venting. Extremely stated. A gentler way to look at it: People are intrinsically tribal. And innovative. So people are finding ways to use the new media to reinforce tribalism. And it’s tempting – people love that tribalism. But ultimately it’s a bad idea that backfires even for the people who embrace it. Special interests like to exploit the tribalism, reinforcing it. What we all need to do is offer guidance out of tribalism. With Christianity, it might involve tackling the stories head on. Going to churches and calling on the evangelists to sit down and talk about the story they are telling about end times and such. As to the economy – if we’re looking to politicians to get us jobs, that means the job is the product. Which means it’s actually a consumer good now. This is good news. We’re successful. There’s plenty to go around, but people don’t realize it yet. Check out: http://recycledcomics.manawaker.com/comic/robots and support UniversalBasicIncome. And Capping wealth. Also, I’m the grand daughter of a Muslim Minister. Check out my blog.
Use or toss…
***THE NAIL IN HIS HEART
This is important. It needs be said. It needs be clear and to the point. It’s not about politics. It’s about Jesus.
As Christians we are called to be the salt of the earth, agents of change. Love brings change. Fear and hate also bring their own brand of change. Both salt and poison bring change, but change of a radically different kind.
Our current political discourse of fear and hate drove me to take a close look again for the roots of such poison in our own Christian history and heritage. Specifically the human suffering and atrocities perpetrated in the name of Jesus over the last 2000 years. Its baffling. It’s horrendous.
I know making such a statement is going to raise much angst, anger and pushback. I also know where it comes from. Willful pride. Willful ignorance.
I recall months ago President Obama made reference to that glaringly horrific truth in our Christian past and was immediately vilified by the Evangelical community. Willful pride. Willful ignorance.
If you’ve taken time to look for yourself, you would know exactly what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, you won’t. Willful pride. Willful ignorance.
Christian atrocities against the Jews, pagans, infidels, heretics, witches and all manner of assumed heretical challengers to the established church are simply too numerous to count. The innocent victims number by some estimates in the tens of millions. Wholesale murders, executions, burnings, tortures, mass slaughter and other atrocities in the name of Christ literally make the horror of the Holocaust of WWII pale in comparison.
Not us, you say? Yes, us. Take a look at Martin Luther’s writings about Jews. He regarded Jews as “worse than devils” and a “damned, rejected race” He spelled out how they should be treated: “Set their synagogues on fire … in order that God may see that we are Christians …. Their homes should likewise be broken down and destroyed …. They should be put under one roof or in a stable, like gypsies, in order that they may realize that they are not masters in our land, as they boast, but miserable captives, …. They should be deprived of their prayer books and Talmuds in which such idolatry lies, cursing and blasphemy are taught… their rabbis must be forbidden to teach under the threat of death.”
Crazy Muslim? Heretic? Heartless atheist? No. Zealous, Bible believing Christian trying to make his country great again. Just like you and me.
Suffice it to say, that by the time Hitler rolled around, the groundwork for his “final solution” had been well laid. Laid by Christians. Hitler and his supporters repeatedly cited Luther himself in defense of the indefensible as did many German Christian apologists and scholars in that day of horror. Luther’s extensive writing, such as On Jews and their Lies (1543), was like a Natzi textbook, a Natzi propagandist’s dream come true. Look it up. Read it for yourself. It’s ugly. It’s horrific. It’s true. We must not choose ignorance of such uncomfortable truth.
Look at our own recent history. Our collective atrocities against Native Americans, slavery, internment camps, racial and ethnic hatred and violence, murder and slaughter by American Christians and so often in the name of Christ.
As with Hitler, the groundwork for our current politics of fear, division and hatred has been well laid. Laid by Christians again. Laid often in the name of Christ.
Why? That’s the question. Why? How can that happen?And the answer is clear: The willful perversion of Christ and His message to suit our personal biases, political agenda and dogma. We want God in our pocket.
Jesus brought to humanity two simple and new Truths from God Himself: 1) We are forgiven, acceptable, “good enough”… by the Cross; and 2) A new commandment– Love one another as I have loved you.
That’s not politics. It’s not theology. It’s not dogma. It’s God’s simple Truth of the Universe and all Creation. It’s Jesus Himself. Clear. Simple. Unmistakable. Like gravity. No room for interpretation or spin. The whole world “gets” it. It’s an existential reality. It rings universally True.
The problem is not Jesus nor His teaching. The problem is us. People. Christians. Christians who set dogma, theology, politics and our own safety, comfort and world view above Christ’s message itself. Above Christ Himself. We are the infidels of our age filling the pews of our own churches.
You may think we are well past such historically horrific and atrocious relics. We’re civilized. We don’t succumb to such inhumane nonsense in our modern world. Not in today’s enlightened, Spirit-filled Evangelical setting. Oh, really?
The people they send to us are criminals, rapists, murderers… We should not just kill the terrorists, we should kill their families too. Torture them. They know what’s going on. Ban the Muslims. No more refugees. Build a wall. Let’s get tough on crime and inner city evil. Lock ’em up. Move ’em out. We know who they are! Have you heard that kind of talk lately?
You know you have and you know where. You would think it would make the heart of every follower of Jesus bleed in shame and pain. It doesn’t.
Instead, Evangelical Christians have rallied around such disgusting, hateful, evil language and its spokesman. Many well known Evangelical leaders have added their own voices to a literal chorus of shame. They claim the candidate told the truth without regard to political correctness… On and on and on to rationalize, twist and justify what could not be more un-Christian or more clearly Anti-Christ or more hateful. And Christians love it.
Same old evil, same old horror disguised as current, reasonable political discourse. Yes, Christians love it, just like they have repeatedly for 2000 years and counting.
Oh, yes. We joke, tongue in cheek, …Jesus didn’t die because of our sins. He died because He didn’t pack a gun. Just a bad joke? It’s not. It’s the essence of our conservative American Christian life. It’s our culture; it’s our truth, it’s our own private perversion of the Holy Gospel. It’s the perversion of Jesus Himself. And you know it. And I know it. It haunts us.
Why do we know that? Jesus said, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto Me.” I’m lifting Him up. You’re drawn to Him as am I. We can’t deny it. It’s the uncomfortable Truth. It’s why you and I both know it in the center of our soul. Yet we deny it. We refuse the universal draw of His Truth. We fight it. We know it.
In contrast, as the position of US President thrusts Trump on the world stage, the world is not drawn. It is repulsed.
Of course there will be pushback to my “saying it like it is”… being straight up and honest… Just like our new president’s appeal to us. He dares tell it like it is! We like that. But that voice rings so painfully hollow and for good reason.
Jesus also told it like it is. Straight up, straight Truth, no doubt, no political correctness. But His voice rings so painfully True and also for good reason.
I will be straight up right here. That candidate was a fraud and shame on our claimed Christian faith. Christians now supporting that same person is the seed of exactly the twisted thinking that led to our rich, painful history of Christian endorsed horror perpetrated on the very humanity Jesus commanded us to love. Hate in the name of Christ.
And the perversion of Jesus Christ Himself continues. It can happen again. Oh, yes it can! It is. Two thousand years ago they drove nails into His hands and feet. Today we drive them into His heart.
And we will defend our fear and hate as did Martin Luther and say, “…in order that God may see that we are Christians…” And He does. And He weeps. And so do I. As does the true body of Christ. As they always have.
The nail driven in His heart is always most painful. More painful than the Cross itself. Consider who it is wielding the hammer. Selah.
Well said
As regards Luther’s role, this might interest you.
Disclaimer. I do know the author. FWIW, he’s anything but daft 🙂
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1532619014
Frank, it looks like the only people posting comments here are those who agree with you. What’s going on here?
I read your works years go when I was a seeker in the Holy Order of MANS, then I became Orthodox. Then, the Russian Orthodox became worshippers of Russia. Now, I pray simply, the Jesus Prayer. I haven’t lost my faith, but I cringe at what Christians Fundamentalists are doing and saying. Currently, the move of the US Embassy to Jerusalem is very troubling. I remember the “rapture movement” digging into Revelations looking for signs of the End, or the coming of Jesus. Consolidation of Jerusalem was part of their goal. Can you shed any light on that? No one is addressing it in the media, but I think it needs clarification for our understanding.
As God appoints all kings to all kingdom, I am certain wether it is Donald trump or someone else. We most certainly will have kings give directions to bring forth the revelation spoken of. This is similar to Jesus coming as the king, people assumed they needed to be delivered from the Romans, but no it was their sin nature that was their greatest enemy which Christ died for. Now we’re making the mistake again. Donald trump may? lead us into the book of revelation. But Trump is not the one we need to fear or be delivered from, because he is a type of king and appointed by God according to his word. That he appoints all kings ( Saul not a good king) but still appointed by God. You see we are in a state of fear, because of our state of sin and therefore looking for deliverance, be at peace if you are right with God as we enter into the revelation period. As we should be, as we are just aliens in this world waiting for God’s return, to take us into his care! Ask your self why your afraid that we are entering into this era of revelation? It’s inevitable if you believe in God’s Word.
Thank you Frank – As usual, a thought provoking, disturbing, and well articulated synopsis exactly (and sadly) on point – interesting that this article is from the May 2017 archive, yet as I’m reading this March 2019, it’s proven to be even more accurate, and chilling