The news isn’t all depressing, and it’s important to note the positive as well as the negative.
For example, every once in a while we get a reminder that there are a lot of admirable, authentic Christians out there, and they’re very different from the political posturers who use religion in service of something very different. In the run-up to Texas’ passage of a (clearly unconstitutional) bill requiring public school classrooms to post the Ten Commandments, one of those genuine Christians took issue with the performatively pious legislator sponsoring the measure.
He began by pointing to multiple ways in which the Texas legislature failed to live up to the dictates of those same Commandments, and concluded:
I know you’re a devout Christian, and so am I. This bill to me is not only unconstitutional, it’s not only un-American; I think it is also deeply un-Christian.
And I say that because I believe this bill is idolatrous. I believe it is exclusionary and I believe it is arrogant. And those three things in my reading of the Gospel are diametrically opposed to the teachings of Jesus. You probably know Matthew 6:5 when Jesus says, “Don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners. When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your father who is in secret.”
A religion that has to force people to put up a poster to prove its legitimacy is a dead religion. And it’s not one that I want to be a part of. It’s not one that I think I am a part of.
You know that in Scripture, it says faith without works is what? Is dead. My concern is instead of bringing a bill that will feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick, we instead mandate that people put up a poster and we both follow a teacher, a rabbi who said, “Don’t let the law get in the way of loving your neighbor.”
Loving your neighbor is the most important law. It is the summation of all the law and all the prophets. I would submit to you that our neighbor also includes the Hindu student who sits in a classroom, the Buddhist student who sits in a classroom, and an atheist student who sits in a classroom. And my question to you is, does this bill truly love those students?
It was Texas, so the bill passed anyway.
Speaking of public school classrooms, the recent announcement by Jennifer McCormick that she is running for governor of Indiana was another bit of very good news.
McCormick first won statewide office as a Republican, serving as Superintendent of Public Instruction. As Republican legislators became more and more divorced from sanity and unrepresentative of their constituents, especially with respect to public education, McCormick left the GOP.
In her announcement, McCormick “tells it like it is.”
“I’m running for governor because our political leaders have lost sight of the challenges they were elected to solve. They are defunding and politicizing our schools, burdening us with the nation’s highest gas tax, taking our rights away, and standing by as we pay the highest health care costs in the nation. It’s time for a leader who will put Hoosiers first. Together, we can restore common sense and put an end to the divisiveness that’s pulling our state backward,”
“I know we can move our state forward by fighting for our public schools, making health care accessible and affordable, and bringing good paying jobs to main streets across Indiana. I loved serving our state and look forward to the opportunity to continue meeting with Hoosiers who believe it’s time for change.”
The Indiana Capital Chronicle also quoted McCormick
“I’m running because it’s time Hoosiers are put first, protecting our rights and our freedoms. It’s time Hoosiers have a voice, and a leader who believes in empowering them to make their own decisions,” she said, also emphasizing Indiana’s need for “a champion for a high quality education system.”
That means increased access to childcare, universal pre-K, better K-12 funding and “beyond high school training and education.” She also vowed to expand “accessible and affordable health care,” and to focus on “safe streets” and “safe neighborhoods.”
As Superintendent, McCormick pushed back against the GOP super-majority as it persisted in attacking public education. She had the spine to leave what the Republican party had become. She would be an awesome governor–and she deserves the votes of every teacher, every woman who wants to control her own body, everyone who has an LGBTQ+ friend or family member…the list goes on.
If enough genuine Christians and actual conservatives refuse to support what the GOP has become, America might begin the long trip back to sanity and responsible governance.
McCormick has a real chance of winning, especially if she focuses on that message and paints Braun as a MAGA extremist. Indiana statewide races in presidential years are much more competitive than in non-presidential election years. The untold story is that the GOP is bleeding votes in the Indy suburbs, especially Hamilton County. They’ve only been bailed out by a supercharged turnout in the rural areas. When that turnout recedes to more normal patterns then the Ds will be able to win again in Indiana, especially high profile races like Governor and Senate. Jim Banks is even more vulnerable than Braun, especially with the right opponent.
I agree with Paul. The pool of Independents is growing larger as well. The political parties are dying as we look upon them. I’m still waiting for the courageous crowd to start chanting for peace at the federal level. Like Jennifer, I know they have consciences and can only take so much before it requires making changes.
World Press Freedom Day met with coordinated protests against the Biden administration to account for their hypocrisy by chanting for press freedom while charging Julian Assange for doing journalism well. And Israel murdered a journalist in the field clearly marked as a press agent.
Changes are coming but slow since the media has propagandized folks into sheep. Global unrest for worker’s rights is in many countries. All signs of change!
I appreciate this post for its positive and helpful message today. I especially like the concluding sentence.
News item received on my cell phone this morning; “Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita’s office is appealing a lawsuit that forced the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to reinstate its policy of issuing driver’s licenses with an “X” listed as the gender marker for nonbinary residents.”
In 2021 Indiana made one step forward deserving “Kudos”, which “genuine Christians and actual conservatives” managed to accomplish against all odds in this state, is back on the chopping block by Sheila’s favorite local Republican target. Are there enough “genuine Christians and actual conservatives” in this state to stop the backward march into the past regarding this hard fought for identity marker?
From Paul K. Ogden’s post, “….paints Braun as a MAGA extremist”
That shouldn’t take much more than the amount of paint that would easily fit on a pinhead. Mike ‘The Pawn’ Braun has never missed an opportunity to grovel at Trump’s feet and praise Trump’s every move. It will just be a question of whether McCormick can show Braun for what he is without coming across as an angry mud-slinger.
I was very impressed with Jennifer McCormick’s professionalism as Indiana’s Supt. of Public Instruction and I think she’s up to the task.
Wow!
Gee, kinda heard this before.
Faith without works IS Dead!
Of what benefit is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but he does not have works? That faith cannot save him, can it? 15 If any brothers or sisters are lacking clothing and enough food for the day, 16 yet one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but you do not give them what they need for their body, of what benefit is it? 17 So, too, faith by itself, without works, is dead.
18 Nevertheless, someone will say: “You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” 19 You believe that there is one God, do you? You are doing quite well. And yet the demons believe and shudder. 20 But do you care to know, O empty man, that faith without works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father declared righteous by works after he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that his faith was active along with his works and his faith was perfected by his works, 23 and the scripture was fulfilled that says: “Abraham put faith in Jehovah, and it was counted to him as righteousness,” and he came to be called Jehovah’s friend.
24 You see that a man is to be declared righteous by works and not by faith alone. 25 In the same manner, was not Raʹhab the prostitute also declared righteous by works after she received the messengers hospitably and sent them out by another way? 26 Indeed, just as the body without spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. (James 2:14-26) also, (Romans 3:19-28)
“Let no one lead you astray in any way, because it will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness gets revealed, the son of destruction. 4 He stands in opposition and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits down in the temple of God, publicly showing himself to be a god. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I used to tell you these things?” (2nd Thessalonians 3-5)
Braun’s thoughtless adherence to whatever Trump says and forgiveness of whatever Trump does means that he is pro-rape, pro-sedition, and that he believes himself to be above the law, hardly characteristics of a candidate for chief executive of the State of Indiana (or for any political position whether state, local or federal).
For a change, I second Paul’s excellent analysis today.
AMEN!
As a Christian progressive conservative Democrat, this post speaks for me. Thank you, Sheila.
However, should I wonder how Mom’s for Liberty will react to a statement: “Thou shall not commit adultry” emblazoned on Texas school classroom walls?
This may be over-simplistic, but I think it could be useful to have an educational PSA that demonstrates how to vote ‘for the person’ rather than the ‘easy’ -or lazy- (and deadly to the state) straight ticket. How simple to mark a single box, not bothering to do all that pesky reading (or thinking!)
Maybe if it was shown over & over how one could still vote for the Rep. local favorite, but maybe vote for the occasional Dem. in a Statewide position…maybe, maybe, we could make some small changes in this state.
Jane – love that! Think it was indeed the Founder’s idea that each vote was for a person – not a Party.
What? Sense, and sensibility in your governor’s office? What a thought!
Hopefully, it is THAT time, and McCormick has some good down-ballot impact.
Texas? I do not believe that the Mexicans would want it back at this point.
Sheila, I submitted a request to my county library to purchase your new book.
Mitch D.
KUDOS TO THE TRUMP JURY! The “no” verdict on rape was fair (she should have kept that dress); the yes verdict on sexual abuse and all 8 other charges, plus that $5 MILLION, warms the cockles of my heart. (Whatever cockles may be?) Let this be the beginning of the downhill roll of Trump’s numerous legal cases; we all know what rolls downhill. As a non-screaming member of the Me Too club, I am cheered by Jean Carroll’s vindication after too many years.
JoAnn – don’t get warm yet…there will be appeals up to SCOTUS and it will be years, hopefully not into his next term…
Lester; all forward movement begins with the first step. The “no” vote on the rape charge was fair; probably known to be a long shot by Ms. Carroll and her attorney. You always ask for more than you expect to get. This should make the CNN Town Hall with Trump more interesting than they expected; and he isn’t even a valid presidential candidate at this time.
JoAnn,
CNN is just looking for eyeballs and they already got yours….
Lester; my reference to the CNN Trump Town Hall certainly does not mean I plan to watch. Now Santos has finally been indicted…for something…”…not immediately clear what he has been indicted for…”. What hold does the Republican party have on this nation?