It's nice that some Catholic bishops think that masked men destroying families by shoving innocent people unmarked vans and incarcerating them indefinitely is bad. Kudos for their moral clarity. Those years in the seminary...paying off! Meanwhile, my local Catholic bishop has been preening about being on Trump's religious freedom advisory board.
Honestly, I think a lot of American Catholics are in for a real Leopard eating face moment when they realize that evangelicals don't like them anymore now that they did a hundred years ago.
I started going to an Episcopalian parish so I can continue my idol worship while fully embracing everything I love about Catholic social justice teaching. Don't tell my mom. She would die of shame.
Uh, yeah. They never liked Catholics and quite frankly thought them idol worshippers..... maybe even worse than Jews. The KKK considered themselves the ultimate, true and pure Protestant Christians (the right wing still does, really), so when Catholic immigrants from Eastern Europe in the 19th century pulled in to farm and homestead....it was a free for all. The next century of Hispanic Catholics is simply part two. Because of the now fanatical political "pro-life" stand that sort of unifies to a degree. But the mindset of consistent "purity" will eventually take over. Quite frankly the religiosity of this nation has caused pain all the way to where we are now with Trump and his cluster of zealots in the West Wing. How odd that we claim Freedom of Religion.
Not many people realize that Catholics were a major target of the KKK, and the KKK basically ran the state of Indiana in the 1920s. I am very grateful that my maternal grandparents' farm was on the south bank of the Ohio, in Louisville KY, and not on the north bank!
Better on the south bank? I grew up north of Cincinnati in the 1950's and the tristate of Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and the rest of the Midwest was a hotbed of animosity between Protestants and Catholics. There's still some of that around, but not much with the overall decline of Christianity and church attendance.
In the 1920s, yes, if you were Catholic things were MUCH better on the Kentucky side of the Ohio than in Indiana! In Indiana during that time the KKK held so much power that they were indeed running the state government.
Yep, as far as the Evangelicals go Catholics are right up there with Mormons. It will be very interesting to see how the coming blow up amongst the various MAGA faithful will turn out. Plus the New Apostolic Reformation big shots aren't particularly fond of the mainline Evangelicals. It is a tangled web they weave, these authoritarian Christian Nationalist.
As an "active" Mormon, I know we will have the last laugh against the Evangelicals. South Park says so and they are always right: https://youtu.be/fbsCvoWK1bE
There is truly no such thing as a mainline Evangelical unless you are referring to Southern Baptists...and they are mired in sexual scandal that would make the Epstein listers blush. Let them eat each other.
My job once involved working with a hotel and I remember their food and beverage manager once telling me they were never happier than when the Southern Baptists came for a convention - the bar business was spectacular. That's not draw a causal relationship between clandestine drinking and clandestine bed hopping (and I care not one bit about how any of these folks choose to manage their private lives) but I do glimpse a bit of hypocrisy there.
I guess they all assume God is on their side, so they aren't worried about coming out on the bottom. I mean the Romans pretty brutally and publically executred Christians for the first several hundred years of the church's existance, starting with Christ, so I find that mindset to be...a hot take.
The first town I moved to out of college, the Mainline churches were on one side of the railroad tracks. The Catholic Cathedral and the Synagogue were literally on the other. It's naive to believe that this administration isn't going to pop the cork on anti-Catholicism after giving a thumbs up to Neo-Nazi, Jim Crow apologists, and neoconfederates.
I forgot one more tactic Evangelicals love to use: Victimhood. Let 's not forget that when there is an anger or even an impatience in our land towards their style of faith....they will claim persecution. Just a thought.
I just recently read where evangelicals don’t think Catholics are Christian because of their fealty to Rome. Can’t begin to explain how stupid that statement is.
I was very young when JFK ran for President but I do remember some hand-wringing about whether he'd answer to the Pope rather than the Constitution. Guessing most of those folks are turning in their graves now that our president answers to Putin instead of either of them.
That is a forgone conclusion-once the White Christian Evangelical Nationalists have consolidated power, they will determine that the Catholics (Cat-Lickers in their Vernacular) are no longer needed. If they (Catholics) stand with their Church and decry the treatment of non-white members, they will be considered to be traitors. This is a ‘Lucy holding the Football and then pulling it away, Charlie Brown’ moment that’s just waiting for the right moment.
Interesting nickname I'd not heard before. In the small Australian country town where I grew up in the '60s, it was 'cattle ticks' versus the 'proddie dogs' ! Religious bias was bred into us at an early age.
I married a girl from Missouri (properly pronounced, “Miz-er-ree”. She related to me the incredible bias against Catholics. As an aside, Missouri was, in the 1970’s, one of the strongest pro union states in the USA. The people reliably elected democratic Congressmen, Senators and Governors. The hollowing out of the auto industry is a prime example of eliminating tens of thousands of good, middle class jobs. The results are obvious.
It was extreme here too well into the 60s. My parents and family often recounted stories about certain jobs and companies that would not hire Irish Catholics back in the day. One reason why so many were pro-union and Labor party supporters.
I'm amazed that a strong Workers/pro-union party never developed in the US like the Labour/Labor parties in the UK and Aust/NZ, especially considering how strong manufacturing/mining/agricultural work was.
When my Grandparents (both sides) emigrated to the US from Ireland 100 years or so ago (both of my parents would have turned 100 years old last year and both were born in the US to immigrants) - they were faced with INNA (Irish Need Not Apply) signs at virtually every potential place of employment. My parents spent most of their lives trying to prove they weren’t “shanty” Irish. But anyway- the Democratic Party WAS the party of working people, the party of Unions etc. What happened in the USA since really, the 80’s, has been the surrender of both parties to globalization. Both parties have taken the $$$ from corporate entities and given their blessing to the movement of the entire manufacturing base, ad with it, entire employment sectors. The Trump phenomenon has held promises to return all of those great jobs to the US- which is bullshit, but it sold great with many of the disenfranchised middle of the country. So (Finally!) to your point, it’s difficult to organize Unions in the US- Labor Law has been co-opted through decades of the courts supporting Corporations over employees. Organizing is hard work and usually unsuccessful. The Union percentages - outside of Federal Government jobs and Teachers Unions, are in the single digits. I was a Union organizer and Officer (Postal Service) for 40 years and I can tell you that entity is underwater and on life support.
I sure hope so. The enthusiastic embrace of Trump by so many of my fellow Christians is for me the most disgusting, enraging thing about this whole Strange New World we’re in. As the ICE presence ramps up, I look to see more such exercising of prophecy widespread throughout the nation. And as the IRS okays churches to officially be politically active and vocal (and give MONEY!), maybe that will also embolden priests and ministers to speak out boldly in homilies of God’s preferential concern for the poor and powerless.
“When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. 34 The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”
-Leviticus 19:33-34
“I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
-Ezekiel 36:26
“Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that, you do unto Me.”
On another note: the Black churches are quite looking forward to openly proclaiming who they want to endorse and financially support. Soooo.....for the most part this will be in direct conflict with the Christian Evangelical Nationalist movement. Double standards can be fun, but it will be much noisier. Halleluiah!
I'm afraid that "behaving like Christians" is what the Spanish Inquisition was all about. Christians have rarely been positive role models. "Do unto others" is a beautiful tenet that a great many Christians simply do not follow.
I was trying to be cheeky, so I hope nobody thought i was trying to joke at your expense.
One of the myriad reasons I left my southern place of origin was that i wanted to live a “to each his own” type of existence. Southern culture, religious-flavored or otherwise, seems to require constant intervention in other people’s business.
By my flawed judgement, it seems that type of sentiment has become more prevalent nationally.
I know. I should have taken time to write out "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Even though almost everyone (I hope) knows my meaning it doesn't hurt to emphasize the most important part. Sorry for your experience growing up in the Bible Belt. Glad you survived.
Dubious for sure! How many times in history have so-called faithful Christians have cherry picked a verses from the Old Testament to rationalize wiping out the teachings of the New Testament? Isn’t it time we put a stop to that trick?
The mainstream Christians might go back to behaving as they have historically behaved. The evangelicals and NAR have too much committed to their efforts to reshape our culture and politics. These are the folks who claim trump was chosen by god. NAR's aim to destroy and replace the secular state, putting their people at the highest levels of government, is just the start. If it succeeds it will touch every aspect of our lives.
Once the church coffers start to suffer-things will get much more serious-I am glad to hear that some of the dioceses are seeing they have a moral obligation that goes beyond abortion, that is one of the issues that sunk Kamala......
Maybe we can get Christian leaders, the ones who truly believe in the teachings of Jesus, to lead a new, non-violent crusade against Trump, and the cruel, amoral MAGA movement. If all of the folks in those parishes joined the resistance and became active participants, we would be an unstoppable force.
How many times in history have so-called faithful Christians have cherry picked a verses from the Old Testament to rationalize wiping out the teachings of the New Testament? Isn’t it time we put a stop to that trick?
For goodness sake, don't hold your breath for US church groups to fix this mess - they were instrumental in putting us here. Antonin Scalia, Bill Barr, the Catholics on today's Supreme Court...the Catholic New Right who were the architects of Project 2025. We won't even talk about the evangelicals.
Yes, but this is a schism. The nuns and the jesuits have always been on the side of the angels. The churches are ground zero local; even Trump voters are upset that they are taking the moms and the good ones they've known for years. For those who continue to attend—and while areas are heavily hispanic, it doesn't mean there aren't other Americans—it's a taste of just how much fear is out there because of these poiicies that are making them uneasy.
I'll take opposition wherever I can get it, and considering how so few institutions in our society—from the universities to law firms to media companies—are capitulating, it's inspiring to see one influential institution saying NO.
It's the side I was born into, but I was educated by the other side (my parents were lazy enough to give up on their cult-like homeschooling group after just a few years, and throw us to the nuns, who they more or less considered heretics).
This has given me an interesting vantage point from which to observe American Catholicism...
Many of the non biblical gospels have been known, and exist. Judas’ gospel was in the news some time ago. My Public Television Station had a show on The Bible.” According to the narrator, the Bishop of Lyons, France, collected the gospels he wanted in 125CE. The Roman Catholic church was in its infancy, and struggling to win over other Catholic groups. It wasn’t a purge, more of an omission.
One of my relatives started sending my mom some of my emails concerning USAID, soft power, and the incoherent ramblings of Trump and Musk over same. Mom has shown great concern over "the children". I appreciate Sam Stein's pass along of first person accounting on the ground in Africa.
So now tariffs are not just economic weapons, they are punishment for trump's personal grievances. Somebody remember to water the potted plants formerly known as congress
I am continually writing and reminding my representatives that Trump does not have the executive authority he claims under the Trade Act of 1974. How can congress sit on their hands? Can the WH press corp make a simple observation when he says that "other nations are paying the tariffs"? Mr. President, You known that American importers and American consumers are paying the tariffs!"
Imagine how SCOTUS would rule if that case came before them. They would rule for Trump. No doubt about it. Maybe Congress knows that their role is already irrelevant. Still, they should try, and get it out in the open.
There are days that I think Congress think they see the writing on the wall and are trying to not rock the boat in case Trump becomes Emperor. I certainly feel this way about the totally useless Mike Lee
That feels very plausible. Already I find myself questioning the wisdom of my own “boat rocking”, just by commenting openly on forums like this. Are there too many of us to go after? I used to think so . . .
I told my family that if I ever disappear they should start with Mike Lee as the first suspect because I have been relentless - but I also told them I am safe because I don't have that many followers on X to be noticed :-)
There are too many now. But as the initial target group (s) become less plentiful, there will be SS - ah, I mean ICE, in every major population center in the country and they can leisurely round up miscreants like us. It will make great theatre on FOX, OAN, NEWSMAX, ABC, CBS, NBC- all the corrupted and co-opted “NEWS” entities. I’m sure Tom Holman will prove thumbnail sketches of the “crimes against the state” that we’re guilty of; Sedition, treachery, making fun of the dear leader, nose picking, donating to radical leftist causes like UNICEF. The list of crimes will be endless.
One problem with incarcerating all us libs is that blue counties produce 70% of GDP. Unfortunately they are too reckless, as we are seeing right now, to consider the implications.
The Supreme Court does not make laws. They rule on a law’s constitutional validity. Congress can then rework the law, and pass this on to the President. If the President vetoes the bill, Congress can override the veto to make the bill law. It is in Congress’s hands. It has always been in Congress’s hands to make things right. We need to make voters aware of this so they can vote out the Republicans who want to be paid, but won’t do their job.
Usually true. But SCOTUS can still do mischief. They defanged the voting rights act contrary to the plain language of the legislation because Roberts decided that the southern states were being good little boys now and didn't need supervision.
Trump has already threatened them (aid) when Bibi was supposed to go on trial for corruption. And Israel’s Supreme Court backed down.
I think this is a test. Clearly, Putin is on the ropes, so by sticking his nose in Brazil and Israel’s internal politics, he’s setting the stage to do the same for Putin; should a coup be in the cards.
And let’s face it, Russia hasn’t been this vulnerable and financially unstable since the collapse of the Soviet Union. IMHO…:)
I think it’s all political theater. Trump can’t come out for Putin without enraging the Russia Hawks, and the neocons were some of his biggest supporters.
There is definitely a paradigm shift taking place, but just like our slow descent into authoritarian fascism, Trump has to be cautious and deliberate in his approach.
Agreed, but slow enough so it doesn’t appear forced. We’re being slowly indoctrinated into the new system.
For you and me, and all those who live in reality, it’s fast; however, unfortunately for more than half the country, they still haven’t gotten the memo yet, or they just live in their own little bubble….:)
Thank you, that was my point. Trump os very far from being a mastermind, but those other two and Leonard Leo? These guys are in a league of their own…:)
We will never recover from the stain of our policies both domestically and internationally because of this administration. History will record and remember what happened. It is unconscionable.
I still can’t believe that a plurality of people chose this for their fellow human beings.
I’m with you Ashley. But I’ve come to the conclusion that a healthy portion of our population voted for Trump because he hates the same people that they hate. That they resent anyone who’s smart, and more successful than them, and well-educated. If you can put a sentence together, you’re likely “woke” and “culturally elite”. They LIKE that Trump shoots from the hip, and acts on gut feeling rather than doing any research or consulting with experts. Hell, he’s eliminated any people with expertise! He’s so mentally ill that he honestly thinks that he knows more than anyone & doesn’t need any direction or help! We’re in a helluva mess.
I agree with everything you said. We’ve been brewing in this toxic stew since people thought that the number one criteria of electing a president was who you want to have a beer with, as opposed to who can actually competently do the job.
When you add in the racism and misogyny you get the Trump magic elixir.
I have come to the conclusion that immigration and inflation were the primary issues on which Trump voters based their decision. Trump has done nothing about inflation and is, in fact, in the process of increasing it again. He *has* started a reign of terror among members of the migrant community. Nice job, Mr. president! /s
This is certainly true among the Trump voters I know - immigration and cost of living. This is also why I see some starting to sour, especially on the immigration stuff and they are "let's wait and see" on the cost of living
Well, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church wrote a very eloquent op/ed for Religion News Service that puts us squarely on the side of resistance. But you probably knew that’s where we’d be.
Not surprised in the least! Have you seen Rev. Ed Trevors on YouTube? If he is representative of Episcopalian/Anglican (He's Canadian) views, you're good people!
Bill, I wish you were right about the evangelical church waking up to the evil of Trump’s treatment of immigrants. But the MAGA Christians have already written Lambert off as woke. And why not, he quotes the Bible in context and challenges them to actually live up to it.
I am with Sarah that Normie republicans like Cassidy, Murkowski, Tillis and Collin no longer serve any purpose. In fact, they are likely worse for the health of the republic.
There was that debate about Democrats supporting the most neo nazi racist crazy person in the Republican primaries and I was like....what's the difference? the people you mentioned and Congressman like Lawler in NY vote with Trump and MAGA 95% of the time anyway
I was less about “Dems are better than that”, but more worried about having Herschel Walker as Senator. As far as voting concerns, Cassidy is arguably no better than Walker.
Big deal. Religious leaders' qualms have as much impact on trump as Susan Collins' clutching her pearls. He won their vote in 2024. They don't get a do-over.
Trump’s action against Brazil, specifically to meddle in their internal affairs and to try to liberate a fellow authoritarian, shows how this is a global movement towards suppression of the will of the people. And Trump wants to be the mob boss of them all.
I see conservative Catholics as fat and happy. When I was growing up, we Catholics were often only a generation removed from immigration and often poverty. Thus my Polish grandfather died in a coal mine. But the Catholics on the Supreme Court are children of the upper middle class. Prep school kids.
I grew up admiring the Catholic Worker (even as I was a conservative) but now.. well they are more interested in the Latin Mass.
The Episcopal Church, a Protestant denomination, is among some two dozen religious sects suing the federal government over allowing ICE agents into worship services. “We cannot worship freely if some of us are living in fear,” the Presiding Bishop of the national Episcopal Church told the Associated Press. “By joining this lawsuit, we’re seeking the ability to gather and fully practice our faith, to follow Jesus’ command to love our neighbors as ourselves.”
Not all Protestants are evangelical--something the press often overlooks
ICE: "Go ahead. Make my day!" Keeping us safe from children playing soccer, flying around on the monkey bars, and landscapers with weed whackers. :( :(
WOW. Are Christians going to start behaving like Christians? Dubious.
It's nice that some Catholic bishops think that masked men destroying families by shoving innocent people unmarked vans and incarcerating them indefinitely is bad. Kudos for their moral clarity. Those years in the seminary...paying off! Meanwhile, my local Catholic bishop has been preening about being on Trump's religious freedom advisory board.
Honestly, I think a lot of American Catholics are in for a real Leopard eating face moment when they realize that evangelicals don't like them anymore now that they did a hundred years ago.
Yes, Evangelicals and other Protestant sects believe Catholics are NOT Christians and are just heretical idol worshippers, especially in the South.
I started going to an Episcopalian parish so I can continue my idol worship while fully embracing everything I love about Catholic social justice teaching. Don't tell my mom. She would die of shame.
*Locks lips, throws away key*
Uh, yeah. They never liked Catholics and quite frankly thought them idol worshippers..... maybe even worse than Jews. The KKK considered themselves the ultimate, true and pure Protestant Christians (the right wing still does, really), so when Catholic immigrants from Eastern Europe in the 19th century pulled in to farm and homestead....it was a free for all. The next century of Hispanic Catholics is simply part two. Because of the now fanatical political "pro-life" stand that sort of unifies to a degree. But the mindset of consistent "purity" will eventually take over. Quite frankly the religiosity of this nation has caused pain all the way to where we are now with Trump and his cluster of zealots in the West Wing. How odd that we claim Freedom of Religion.
Not many people realize that Catholics were a major target of the KKK, and the KKK basically ran the state of Indiana in the 1920s. I am very grateful that my maternal grandparents' farm was on the south bank of the Ohio, in Louisville KY, and not on the north bank!
Better on the south bank? I grew up north of Cincinnati in the 1950's and the tristate of Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and the rest of the Midwest was a hotbed of animosity between Protestants and Catholics. There's still some of that around, but not much with the overall decline of Christianity and church attendance.
In the 1920s, yes, if you were Catholic things were MUCH better on the Kentucky side of the Ohio than in Indiana! In Indiana during that time the KKK held so much power that they were indeed running the state government.
KKK requirement was WASP - White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant.
Yep, as far as the Evangelicals go Catholics are right up there with Mormons. It will be very interesting to see how the coming blow up amongst the various MAGA faithful will turn out. Plus the New Apostolic Reformation big shots aren't particularly fond of the mainline Evangelicals. It is a tangled web they weave, these authoritarian Christian Nationalist.
Evangelicals may have a dim view of practicing Catholics, but they don't seem to have any problem at all with six Catholic Supreme Court justices.
Yet, that may change in a southern heartbeat.
Yet
As an "active" Mormon, I know we will have the last laugh against the Evangelicals. South Park says so and they are always right: https://youtu.be/fbsCvoWK1bE
There is truly no such thing as a mainline Evangelical unless you are referring to Southern Baptists...and they are mired in sexual scandal that would make the Epstein listers blush. Let them eat each other.
My job once involved working with a hotel and I remember their food and beverage manager once telling me they were never happier than when the Southern Baptists came for a convention - the bar business was spectacular. That's not draw a causal relationship between clandestine drinking and clandestine bed hopping (and I care not one bit about how any of these folks choose to manage their private lives) but I do glimpse a bit of hypocrisy there.
I guess they all assume God is on their side, so they aren't worried about coming out on the bottom. I mean the Romans pretty brutally and publically executred Christians for the first several hundred years of the church's existance, starting with Christ, so I find that mindset to be...a hot take.
The first town I moved to out of college, the Mainline churches were on one side of the railroad tracks. The Catholic Cathedral and the Synagogue were literally on the other. It's naive to believe that this administration isn't going to pop the cork on anti-Catholicism after giving a thumbs up to Neo-Nazi, Jim Crow apologists, and neoconfederates.
I forgot one more tactic Evangelicals love to use: Victimhood. Let 's not forget that when there is an anger or even an impatience in our land towards their style of faith....they will claim persecution. Just a thought.
And they want special protection, carve-outs, exceptions, and privilege to accommodate their faith-based prejudices.
Fun thought. Will that change the Supreme Court's heart when dealing with the Administration?
I think they will render unto Caesar what is due unto Caesar.
I love how you put that!
Unrelated note: thanks for the excuse to trade public health trivia yesterday. Dr Snow is one of my favorite topics! 😀
And probably with JD's blessing. Not that I would volunteer for one of those. It might be the last one I ever got.😜
And shoving guilty people into vans and incarcerating them indefinitely is bad. Due process must be followed for all.
I just recently read where evangelicals don’t think Catholics are Christian because of their fealty to Rome. Can’t begin to explain how stupid that statement is.
I was very young when JFK ran for President but I do remember some hand-wringing about whether he'd answer to the Pope rather than the Constitution. Guessing most of those folks are turning in their graves now that our president answers to Putin instead of either of them.
Makes you wonder where they think their form of Christianity devolved from? Barabbas?
I don't think evangelicals are Christians because of their fealty to Trump.
I am having trouble thinking most, if not all, evangelicals are Christian.
That is a forgone conclusion-once the White Christian Evangelical Nationalists have consolidated power, they will determine that the Catholics (Cat-Lickers in their Vernacular) are no longer needed. If they (Catholics) stand with their Church and decry the treatment of non-white members, they will be considered to be traitors. This is a ‘Lucy holding the Football and then pulling it away, Charlie Brown’ moment that’s just waiting for the right moment.
Interesting nickname I'd not heard before. In the small Australian country town where I grew up in the '60s, it was 'cattle ticks' versus the 'proddie dogs' ! Religious bias was bred into us at an early age.
I married a girl from Missouri (properly pronounced, “Miz-er-ree”. She related to me the incredible bias against Catholics. As an aside, Missouri was, in the 1970’s, one of the strongest pro union states in the USA. The people reliably elected democratic Congressmen, Senators and Governors. The hollowing out of the auto industry is a prime example of eliminating tens of thousands of good, middle class jobs. The results are obvious.
It was extreme here too well into the 60s. My parents and family often recounted stories about certain jobs and companies that would not hire Irish Catholics back in the day. One reason why so many were pro-union and Labor party supporters.
I'm amazed that a strong Workers/pro-union party never developed in the US like the Labour/Labor parties in the UK and Aust/NZ, especially considering how strong manufacturing/mining/agricultural work was.
When my Grandparents (both sides) emigrated to the US from Ireland 100 years or so ago (both of my parents would have turned 100 years old last year and both were born in the US to immigrants) - they were faced with INNA (Irish Need Not Apply) signs at virtually every potential place of employment. My parents spent most of their lives trying to prove they weren’t “shanty” Irish. But anyway- the Democratic Party WAS the party of working people, the party of Unions etc. What happened in the USA since really, the 80’s, has been the surrender of both parties to globalization. Both parties have taken the $$$ from corporate entities and given their blessing to the movement of the entire manufacturing base, ad with it, entire employment sectors. The Trump phenomenon has held promises to return all of those great jobs to the US- which is bullshit, but it sold great with many of the disenfranchised middle of the country. So (Finally!) to your point, it’s difficult to organize Unions in the US- Labor Law has been co-opted through decades of the courts supporting Corporations over employees. Organizing is hard work and usually unsuccessful. The Union percentages - outside of Federal Government jobs and Teachers Unions, are in the single digits. I was a Union organizer and Officer (Postal Service) for 40 years and I can tell you that entity is underwater and on life support.
I don't have enough breath to hold until they do.
A prudent decision.
Well, at least my skin tone will match my politics.
I sure hope so. The enthusiastic embrace of Trump by so many of my fellow Christians is for me the most disgusting, enraging thing about this whole Strange New World we’re in. As the ICE presence ramps up, I look to see more such exercising of prophecy widespread throughout the nation. And as the IRS okays churches to officially be politically active and vocal (and give MONEY!), maybe that will also embolden priests and ministers to speak out boldly in homilies of God’s preferential concern for the poor and powerless.
“When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. 34 The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”
-Leviticus 19:33-34
“I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
-Ezekiel 36:26
“Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that, you do unto Me.”
-Matthew 25:40
On another note: the Black churches are quite looking forward to openly proclaiming who they want to endorse and financially support. Soooo.....for the most part this will be in direct conflict with the Christian Evangelical Nationalist movement. Double standards can be fun, but it will be much noisier. Halleluiah!
Yay!
I'm afraid that "behaving like Christians" is what the Spanish Inquisition was all about. Christians have rarely been positive role models. "Do unto others" is a beautiful tenet that a great many Christians simply do not follow.
Honestly I think “do unto others”, full stop, is pretty consistent with my experience growing up in Bible Belt.
I was trying to be cheeky, so I hope nobody thought i was trying to joke at your expense.
One of the myriad reasons I left my southern place of origin was that i wanted to live a “to each his own” type of existence. Southern culture, religious-flavored or otherwise, seems to require constant intervention in other people’s business.
By my flawed judgement, it seems that type of sentiment has become more prevalent nationally.
I know. I should have taken time to write out "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Even though almost everyone (I hope) knows my meaning it doesn't hurt to emphasize the most important part. Sorry for your experience growing up in the Bible Belt. Glad you survived.
And they make the great many of us who do look bad, it’s infuriating on so many levels.
I'm going to need to see some receipts on that.
Dubious for sure! How many times in history have so-called faithful Christians have cherry picked a verses from the Old Testament to rationalize wiping out the teachings of the New Testament? Isn’t it time we put a stop to that trick?
Is this a rhetorical question?…:)
The mainstream Christians might go back to behaving as they have historically behaved. The evangelicals and NAR have too much committed to their efforts to reshape our culture and politics. These are the folks who claim trump was chosen by god. NAR's aim to destroy and replace the secular state, putting their people at the highest levels of government, is just the start. If it succeeds it will touch every aspect of our lives.
That has been my cry since learning about Project 2025. Heritage Fund Facists.
Once the church coffers start to suffer-things will get much more serious-I am glad to hear that some of the dioceses are seeing they have a moral obligation that goes beyond abortion, that is one of the issues that sunk Kamala......
One of the issues, yes. Another small item, her name, another smallish item, she isn’t the right shade of pale.
Maybe we can get Christian leaders, the ones who truly believe in the teachings of Jesus, to lead a new, non-violent crusade against Trump, and the cruel, amoral MAGA movement. If all of the folks in those parishes joined the resistance and became active participants, we would be an unstoppable force.
How many times in history have so-called faithful Christians have cherry picked a verses from the Old Testament to rationalize wiping out the teachings of the New Testament? Isn’t it time we put a stop to that trick?
Yes. Totally....its called "Cafeteria Christianity"....and it is everywhere
For goodness sake, don't hold your breath for US church groups to fix this mess - they were instrumental in putting us here. Antonin Scalia, Bill Barr, the Catholics on today's Supreme Court...the Catholic New Right who were the architects of Project 2025. We won't even talk about the evangelicals.
A fine mess we're in!
Yes, but this is a schism. The nuns and the jesuits have always been on the side of the angels. The churches are ground zero local; even Trump voters are upset that they are taking the moms and the good ones they've known for years. For those who continue to attend—and while areas are heavily hispanic, it doesn't mean there aren't other Americans—it's a taste of just how much fear is out there because of these poiicies that are making them uneasy.
I'll take opposition wherever I can get it, and considering how so few institutions in our society—from the universities to law firms to media companies—are capitulating, it's inspiring to see one influential institution saying NO.
I wouldn’t be surprised if half of SCOTUS were Opus Dei; they certainly are a sadistic bunch, to say the least…:)
They would like nothing more than to reestablish the Inquisition.
No one expects the ICEquisition!
They’re actually getting close…:)
Yes. And that is definitely NOT the Catholicism I was born into and raised on.
It's the side I was born into, but I was educated by the other side (my parents were lazy enough to give up on their cult-like homeschooling group after just a few years, and throw us to the nuns, who they more or less considered heretics).
This has given me an interesting vantage point from which to observe American Catholicism...
The Catholic Church is a patriarchy established by and for men.
While some orders display genuine compassion and concern, the hierarchy is interested in power.
Actually women were very much a part of Jesus’s movement.
That is true, but then we have thr development of the institutional church and things begin to change...
Exactly! Who know what "gospels" they purged from the Bible?
Many of the non biblical gospels have been known, and exist. Judas’ gospel was in the news some time ago. My Public Television Station had a show on The Bible.” According to the narrator, the Bishop of Lyons, France, collected the gospels he wanted in 125CE. The Roman Catholic church was in its infancy, and struggling to win over other Catholic groups. It wasn’t a purge, more of an omission.
It's interesting if you read some of the Dead Sea Scrolls, there is a lot more involvement of women in the "scriptures"
I believe the Rabbinical Council stopped inclusion of women in religious texts.
Power . . . And riches. The hierarchy lives lavishly. Pope Francis tried to reject that paradox.
One of my relatives started sending my mom some of my emails concerning USAID, soft power, and the incoherent ramblings of Trump and Musk over same. Mom has shown great concern over "the children". I appreciate Sam Stein's pass along of first person accounting on the ground in Africa.
So now tariffs are not just economic weapons, they are punishment for trump's personal grievances. Somebody remember to water the potted plants formerly known as congress
I am continually writing and reminding my representatives that Trump does not have the executive authority he claims under the Trade Act of 1974. How can congress sit on their hands? Can the WH press corp make a simple observation when he says that "other nations are paying the tariffs"? Mr. President, You known that American importers and American consumers are paying the tariffs!"
Imagine how SCOTUS would rule if that case came before them. They would rule for Trump. No doubt about it. Maybe Congress knows that their role is already irrelevant. Still, they should try, and get it out in the open.
There are days that I think Congress think they see the writing on the wall and are trying to not rock the boat in case Trump becomes Emperor. I certainly feel this way about the totally useless Mike Lee
That feels very plausible. Already I find myself questioning the wisdom of my own “boat rocking”, just by commenting openly on forums like this. Are there too many of us to go after? I used to think so . . .
I told my family that if I ever disappear they should start with Mike Lee as the first suspect because I have been relentless - but I also told them I am safe because I don't have that many followers on X to be noticed :-)
I’d say we should imbed location devices, but they wouldn’t hesitate to surgically remove them - without anesthesia
There are too many now. But as the initial target group (s) become less plentiful, there will be SS - ah, I mean ICE, in every major population center in the country and they can leisurely round up miscreants like us. It will make great theatre on FOX, OAN, NEWSMAX, ABC, CBS, NBC- all the corrupted and co-opted “NEWS” entities. I’m sure Tom Holman will prove thumbnail sketches of the “crimes against the state” that we’re guilty of; Sedition, treachery, making fun of the dear leader, nose picking, donating to radical leftist causes like UNICEF. The list of crimes will be endless.
One problem with incarcerating all us libs is that blue counties produce 70% of GDP. Unfortunately they are too reckless, as we are seeing right now, to consider the implications.
idk - those detention centers are pretty big and once all the immigrants have been deported ICE is gonna need something to do
The Supreme Court does not make laws. They rule on a law’s constitutional validity. Congress can then rework the law, and pass this on to the President. If the President vetoes the bill, Congress can override the veto to make the bill law. It is in Congress’s hands. It has always been in Congress’s hands to make things right. We need to make voters aware of this so they can vote out the Republicans who want to be paid, but won’t do their job.
Usually true. But SCOTUS can still do mischief. They defanged the voting rights act contrary to the plain language of the legislation because Roberts decided that the southern states were being good little boys now and didn't need supervision.
Yeah. Until they get law to review, they are usually quiet and benign. Bring a law to these crazy people and it’s “Katie bar the door!”
No he doesn't but of course it wouldn't matter if he did.
Next up: Trumpster threatening Israel with tariffs because of Bibi's legal problems.
Trump has already threatened them (aid) when Bibi was supposed to go on trial for corruption. And Israel’s Supreme Court backed down.
I think this is a test. Clearly, Putin is on the ropes, so by sticking his nose in Brazil and Israel’s internal politics, he’s setting the stage to do the same for Putin; should a coup be in the cards.
And let’s face it, Russia hasn’t been this vulnerable and financially unstable since the collapse of the Soviet Union. IMHO…:)
Trumpster is such a useful idiot to Putin. While dumfounded Don says he is enraged, Putin thinks, Yeah, whatever.
I think it’s all political theater. Trump can’t come out for Putin without enraging the Russia Hawks, and the neocons were some of his biggest supporters.
There is definitely a paradigm shift taking place, but just like our slow descent into authoritarian fascism, Trump has to be cautious and deliberate in his approach.
The slide into authoritarianism doesn’t feel that slow. Dude has been in office less than 6 months.
Agreed, but slow enough so it doesn’t appear forced. We’re being slowly indoctrinated into the new system.
For you and me, and all those who live in reality, it’s fast; however, unfortunately for more than half the country, they still haven’t gotten the memo yet, or they just live in their own little bubble….:)
Not exactly his strong suit. But vacillation? He can do that in his sleep!
Felon Trump has never been cautious or deliberate, but Miller and Vought are.
Thank you, that was my point. Trump os very far from being a mastermind, but those other two and Leonard Leo? These guys are in a league of their own…:)
And then Bibi paying the extortion to get out from under them.
If they were plants, they’d at least be rooted in something.
We will never recover from the stain of our policies both domestically and internationally because of this administration. History will record and remember what happened. It is unconscionable.
I still can’t believe that a plurality of people chose this for their fellow human beings.
I’m with you Ashley. But I’ve come to the conclusion that a healthy portion of our population voted for Trump because he hates the same people that they hate. That they resent anyone who’s smart, and more successful than them, and well-educated. If you can put a sentence together, you’re likely “woke” and “culturally elite”. They LIKE that Trump shoots from the hip, and acts on gut feeling rather than doing any research or consulting with experts. Hell, he’s eliminated any people with expertise! He’s so mentally ill that he honestly thinks that he knows more than anyone & doesn’t need any direction or help! We’re in a helluva mess.
I agree with everything you said. We’ve been brewing in this toxic stew since people thought that the number one criteria of electing a president was who you want to have a beer with, as opposed to who can actually competently do the job.
When you add in the racism and misogyny you get the Trump magic elixir.
I have come to the conclusion that immigration and inflation were the primary issues on which Trump voters based their decision. Trump has done nothing about inflation and is, in fact, in the process of increasing it again. He *has* started a reign of terror among members of the migrant community. Nice job, Mr. president! /s
This is certainly true among the Trump voters I know - immigration and cost of living. This is also why I see some starting to sour, especially on the immigration stuff and they are "let's wait and see" on the cost of living
I completely agree with you.
I can’t the current president won either, Ashley. His vote total was 49.8%, which was a higher percentage than any of the other candidates received.
But he did not win a majority as he likes to claim.
What, no overwhelming mandate? :)
You might want to sit down for this Dave, but I think Trump might be a liar. 😱🤣
Ashey, if we were only warned!
No! Surely not, not the president of the United States!
Mandate "light".
I totally agree.
Well, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church wrote a very eloquent op/ed for Religion News Service that puts us squarely on the side of resistance. But you probably knew that’s where we’d be.
Not surprised in the least! Have you seen Rev. Ed Trevors on YouTube? If he is representative of Episcopalian/Anglican (He's Canadian) views, you're good people!
He’s excellent, very measured and thoughtful and Christocentric, as one should be.
Even though I'm not an Anglican, if I lived in his town, I would attend his service for the positive message he offers.
Bill, I wish you were right about the evangelical church waking up to the evil of Trump’s treatment of immigrants. But the MAGA Christians have already written Lambert off as woke. And why not, he quotes the Bible in context and challenges them to actually live up to it.
Interesting read here:
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/07/pepfar-evangelical/683418/
Archived: https://archive.ph/CVKVu
I am with Sarah that Normie republicans like Cassidy, Murkowski, Tillis and Collin no longer serve any purpose. In fact, they are likely worse for the health of the republic.
There was that debate about Democrats supporting the most neo nazi racist crazy person in the Republican primaries and I was like....what's the difference? the people you mentioned and Congressman like Lawler in NY vote with Trump and MAGA 95% of the time anyway
I was pretty grossed out by that tactic but have almost completely changed my mind.
I suspect a lot of people who thought the Democrats should be "better than that" are feelings as you are.
I was less about “Dems are better than that”, but more worried about having Herschel Walker as Senator. As far as voting concerns, Cassidy is arguably no better than Walker.
Just laundering the crazy for the normie Republican voters. Probably more harmful than MTG.
I'd like to see them take a long walk on a short pier.
my immigrant family is done supporting Trump,they woke up finally….register and vote for a century one way
Big deal. Religious leaders' qualms have as much impact on trump as Susan Collins' clutching her pearls. He won their vote in 2024. They don't get a do-over.
Trump’s action against Brazil, specifically to meddle in their internal affairs and to try to liberate a fellow authoritarian, shows how this is a global movement towards suppression of the will of the people. And Trump wants to be the mob boss of them all.
I see conservative Catholics as fat and happy. When I was growing up, we Catholics were often only a generation removed from immigration and often poverty. Thus my Polish grandfather died in a coal mine. But the Catholics on the Supreme Court are children of the upper middle class. Prep school kids.
I grew up admiring the Catholic Worker (even as I was a conservative) but now.. well they are more interested in the Latin Mass.
The perversion of the words of Isaiah are disgusting.
The use of bible verses by DHS is quite simply a perversion, much in line with slave owners using them to justify slavery.
Exactly.
The Episcopal Church, a Protestant denomination, is among some two dozen religious sects suing the federal government over allowing ICE agents into worship services. “We cannot worship freely if some of us are living in fear,” the Presiding Bishop of the national Episcopal Church told the Associated Press. “By joining this lawsuit, we’re seeking the ability to gather and fully practice our faith, to follow Jesus’ command to love our neighbors as ourselves.”
Not all Protestants are evangelical--something the press often overlooks
Evangelicals give not only the Protestants a bad name but all of Christendom.
great point. The Supreme Court puts that "freedom of religion" thing at the top almost above freedom of speech. That will start putting them in a box
ICE: "Go ahead. Make my day!" Keeping us safe from children playing soccer, flying around on the monkey bars, and landscapers with weed whackers. :( :(
maybe you could give the homeless person on the bench a bottle of water?...Trump water is fine with me if that's what it takes
Like any other Trumpster product; vastly overpriced and of very cheap quality.
Ya but its delivered by 15 actors Cosplaying Ghost Recon II that popular video game. How cool is that? That's what I voted for