Safe Haven

 Trump is Trump, and “appalling” and “blasphemous” are probably apt descriptions. But someone I know started a statement like the title of this post. I reject it as Marxist ideology, as if a person with a certain skin tone must think a certain way, and must be in eternal conflict with white people. It’s everywhere; it’s almost embedded in “mainstream” liberalism. Personally, I have opposed Trump at every turn. I’m not going to accept him as the logical outcome of a “white” view of the world, as if that also exists. A certain type of evangelical just falls into this ideological capture, because they are apocalyptic about everything, including politics. No “we lost today, but we’ll get them the next time.” No cooperation for the good of the city. Good guys and bad guys. The right-wingers do the same thing in reverse.

What if most of this phrase is political and cultural bullshit?  There is probably a theobro somewhere who agrees with me. I’m not one of them; I think women should vote, and have driver’s licenses and credit cards and whatever. I think “bodily autonomy” is a trash euphemism that means, “I think it’s perfectly acceptable to murder the results of my sexual promiscuity, because sexism, or whatever.” Something very close to 99 percent of all intentional pregnancy terminations are elective. Those three words before “are elective” are precisely chosen, so I don’t get into a pointless equivocation with the latte-drinking girly-boy husband of an exvangelical, because they like to conflate medical terms with common usage ones to sound smart. I don’t know “Allison,” maybe traditional Christianity seems “hurtful” because you slept with your boyfriend in college, and every time you open a Bible, you feel guilty. Except when Pastor Ben displays that verse about immigrants from the Old Testamen...

 Someone had the audacity to “gently” suggest that I had a “seething rage” as I wandered into—let’s call it a “progressive circle of self-congratulation.” Too bloody right, I was angry. First of all, every voter in America deserves at least the presumption of rationality. Every single one. I can remember thinking that John Kerry was the most timid follower, a guy more worried about seeming normal than speaking plainly, even to us conservatives at the time. News stories about him calling that paragon of virtue and the life of the common citizen, Bill Clinton, to talk to people. And with a haughty arrogance I was pretty sure that I would never see again. What a profoundly entitled idiot, in the classical sense. Even so, if you didn’t like the Bush administration, what are you going to do? They don’t have to invite him over for dinner or drinks; he was almost the president. I absolutely cannot think that I would dislike every Kerry voter in the same way. I would have personally been p...

 Well, I guess at least Minneapolis can say ICE stopped killing people long enough for their politicians to return to being utterly frivolous. A Councilman Chavez—fine, I think his name was Jason, leave me alone—wants us to apologize for our “bigoted” past in shutting down bathhouses in the early years of the AIDS crisis. OK, Camera 3. Pick 1: Either Reagan was insensitive for ignoring a disease that especially ravaged the homosexual community; or 2. We naively pretend that the whole disease and countless others—I’m sorry, “infection”—hit all of us equally. A digression, before I continue: I’m actually glad we were at least a little naive and sentimental about it, because it did kill a lot of people who were conventional but “sexually prolific.” Anyway, public health can’t afford to be politically correct, man. A doctor should be able to say, “I am not the Inquisition or the police, but this is risky behavior, and if you want to live longer, think about not doing it.” And listen, I...

 I’m still piqued; prepare yourself. I don’t go soft on Catholic and Christian teachings for pastoral or outreach reasons. I’m not qualified probably to “rank” the sexual sins for you, but with apologies to Mark Shea, whole buckets of Trump tweets (or whatever we’re gonna call them) don’t change our sexual ethics. And at the risk of being extremely piquant, you can’t pay me to use that patronizing phrase, “gay people.” I haven’t met anyone who said it routinely who wasn’t fully ready to sell Church teaching down the river. Either because they don’t see the intentional conflation of person and action, or, sadly, they are chasing influence as a “nice Christian” who wouldn’t risk offending the “marginalized” at any time. On the other hand, I can’t and don’t watch EWTN anymore; I am somewhat humorously afraid Raymond Arroyo will jump out and force me into the GOP again. And let’s cut the crap; beyond health care and food stamps, if America’s left-center party doesn’t scare you, you’re ...

 Let me stop you right there, friend. I don’t “identify as” Christian; I am one. Baptized in the Triune Name nearly 25 years ago. I choose not to deal with other foolishness related to the language of “identify as” at this time.  More to the point, I will not apologize for Donald Trump, Pete Hegseth, Paula White, or anyone else in the administration. You know why? I’m not them. Every human being baptized as a Christian is potentially an embarrassment to everyone else in the Body of Christ on the regular. The sheer arrogance of assuming that you should do this, because someone 1. Does something bad or that you disagree with; and 2. is holding political power, is truly breathtaking. I just need John Pavlovitz, Ben Cremer, and Joash Thomas, (and other notable people of the Christian Left) and acquaintances Rebecca Miller and Lindsay Wilkins, to understand that—even if I had voted for President Trump—I speak for myself, and only myself.  I have NEVER accosted an Obama voter, ...

 Jesus says some amazing stuff. Jesus says some stuff that you're like, "I don't know about that one, Jesus" at first. And then he says weird God-man stuff that we can easily miss, that if you had the job to think about it, you'd just have your mind blown over and over. Jesus just says this, and leaves us to pick up the pieces. "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." It's totally fine to say it in this instance: "O my God!" This is why the Eucharistic Sacrifice isn't a new one; this is why all those verbs at the tail end of St. Paul's teaching on the Supper (1 Cor. 11:23-30) are present tense. It's why the Passover rites even today are present tense. Because the Cross is now. Then, but now. No wonder they dared to call it a "propitiatory sacrifice" at Trent. No Christian believes Jesus' atoning work is just a memory. You'd better not! And let me ask you: are you simply remember...

 This 1961 blockbuster film--it made more than 5 times what it cost to make--with an amazing all-star cast is a recreation of the so-called "Judges' Trial," part of the wider war crimes trials at Nuremberg after World War II. It's another one of my obsessions of late. I think a guy who has a chance to teach social studies in high school had better be decently well-versed in the details of that war and its aftermath. I do find that pop culture still has a role in humanizing certain things from long ago, especially since we will soon lose everyone who fought or experienced that war. (And it's a great film! And naturally, most teachers are huge nerds, and those of us in the liberal arts rarely stop thinking of our subjects.) Maximilian Schell won the Academy Award for Best Actor in his role as Hans Rolfe, defense counsel for the four Nazi judges on trial. Despite engaging in some contemptible tactics during the trial, Schell manages to make Rolfe almost likable. [Sch...

 If you recall, The Winds of War was published in 1971, and Herman Wouk wrote the follow-up, War And Remembrance, in 1978. The books became celebrated miniseries in 1983 and 1988, respectively. I saw The Winds Of War by pure luck, when Netflix allowed us here in the US to stream it. It could have been 2013 or 2014; Donald Trump was a weird cameo actor, not a politician. Anyway, it's one of my obsessions now. It worms its way into your mind and heart before you realize it. One thing you notice is how the shadow of the Nazi evil just hangs over the story. We get to see how low-level distaste for Jews--like Clara Young in the German railway station--will be used by the Nazis for their own purposes. If we do not affirmatively love those in danger--risk ourselves for them--evil will find them. The professor Aaron Jastrow doesn't perceive the danger in his immigration status until far too late. The diplomat August van Winnaker has a low-level disdain for Jews that he masks in concern...

 I have ignored the latest events in Minneapolis, because it does not serve to make bold pronouncements and attach the name of Jesus to them. To leave no room for a variance of interpretation is its own form of blasphemy. I will say that I'm praying for the soul of Alex Pretti, and everyone affected by his death. I can also say that the general restrictionism of the administration and its deportation quotas increases the chances that innocents get caught up in the web of immigration enforcement. I once heard that faithfulness was a long obedience in the same direction. I think evangelicals find that boring. That's why "Red" evangelicals like to pretend they are being persecuted by a desperately wicked left-wing secular government--even if this narrative isn't wholly meritless--and "Blue" evangelicals like to pretend that this administration is the reincarnation of the Third Reich, even attaching the name "Gestapo" to ICE, and all of its actions...

 My brother from another mother, Nathan H., made a highly pertinent comment on my post, "Jesus' Skin Color (Again)." Essentially, we can venerate a White icon of Jesus, as long as we're equally ready to venerate any other one as well. I am, and I have. It got me to thinkin': Anyone remember a comedy skit where the dude is praying in a church, calls upon Jesus, and a legit Black American Jesus shows up? I wanted to laugh, but it does get uncomfortable at points. Jesus is Jesus; we gotta be careful, because His character is still something we're bound to, and that's easy to mess up whilst making a point. Jesus is a Jew, for clarity's sake, so I'd be as stunned if he looked Swedish (Sorry, Max) as I would if he looked West African. But I'm expecting brown, for the record. I want the Apostles to make fun of us in Heaven: "Man, there are a lot of really white people here! I'll bet they didn't like the sun on the old Earth!" There a...

 I've known people whose faith is way too entwined with politics. I've known priests and pastors who can pick out who will leave, if they cross one of those political shibboleths. I've seen political "arguments" that are so simplistic and so bad that it scares me. As an image or an idol, I can grant you that MAGA Jesus exists somewhere. The problem with some of you is that you don't think the opposite image exists. NPR Jesus? Is it too unfair to maybe call it Colbert Jesus? Granted that human beings are disturbingly good at worshipping idols. In a rare attack of good sense, John (Jean) Calvin said that the human heart was an idol factory. But maybe we don't have to go around accusing each other of the most damnable and scandalous errors all the time. Do politics better. Listen. Try to debate issues better. Try to understand each other better. And fight it out in the political arena, shake hands, and do it again next time. Let me note once again that presid...

 Stand-up comedian Dan Cummins has a brilliant bit about getting out of jury duty. In it, he says, "I get paid to make snap judgments about people, and stickin' to 'em, and I plan on doing that here in this courtroom." It's funny, but it's true. Pay attention to how often ignorance  is part of a bit. Nate Bargatze is the absolute master of, "I'm so dumb, and it's funny." Smart people have to turn off their gift to enjoy it sometimes. Because if they colonized a planet, it would be called "Well, Actually." Deep knowledge kills a lot of jokes, and so does nuance. I remember the day I stopped enjoying Stephen Colbert's Trump humor. It was in the midst of the Russian collusion narrative, and maybe something Tom Darrow posted from an official report got read by me. And I happened to catch Colbert's monologue that night. Let's put aside the fact that if Trump were as bad as Colbert and his audience thinks, it wouldn't be f...

 The last 10 years or so has been a grand demonstration of the Dunning-Kruger effect, especially as the internet and associated technologies have democratized information. I'm not a fan of the consequent populism, either here in the US, or worldwide. I went to college. I believe in vaccines. I would have hoped Q-Anon was a 12-step program for people obsessed with the actor John de Lancie. [Aren't you in that?--ed.] Hey, we're not talking about me right now, OK? But the problem with public health for quite a while is that even though you'll never lose money betting on the stupidity of a large group of people, actual persons hate when you talk down to them. These experts do it all the time. And they think they have to lie to ordinary people in order to get them to make the right choice. Seriously, don't do that. The WHO is this arrogance on steroids. I can't think of one time I have thought, "My life would be so much worse, without the World Health Organizati...

 It's part troll, part ploy. President Trump thinks like this: "I want the rest of NATO to fund their own defense. Who is the most credible threat to any other NATO country?" The US. He'll say some blustery stuff, but he wants the Europeans to arm themselves. He also knows that the press will overreact to everything he says and does. He's counting on it. For the record, I am nevertheless appalled. I would never act like this. I'll be glad when these days are ended. But the first principle in realpolitik, or foreign policy realism, is to assume rational actors. If the president is not sick or crazy, he's trying to get out of the Cold War framework.

 Skip down to Section 4. The president himself or herself ends up being the final arbiter in most scenarios that s/he is able to discharge the duties of the office. I do not see 2/3 of both houses of Congress declaring a permanent incapacity here. President Biden was clearly struggling, and we didn't get close to a 25th Amendment scenario. In addition, President Trump's unorthodox methods to achieve fairly sensible ends are well-known enough that the current cycle could be argued to be part of that, i.e. re-armament of NATO. It will be extremely hard to prove that he's literally out of his mind.

 Much like the two notable works of le Carre in the so-called "Karla Trilogy," Herman Wouk's "The Winds Of War" and "War And Remembrance" were made into celebrated miniseries that aired on TV. Also like the George Smiley stories, Wouk's televised adaptations are now barely distinguishable from the books he wrote. Robert Mitchum gives a masterclass in minimalist acting that perfectly captures "Pug" Henry as written. Polly Bergen must have understood the frivolous and irritable Rhoda Henry, because she's expertly unlikable. There was a lot of criticism of the casting choices, because the actors were much older than their characters in general. However, I think it works, because young people of these generations were more mature than people of 1983, or of young people today. I actively dislike Natalie Jastrow, but this testifies to how good Ali MacGraw was. On the one hand, Byron Henry is a loafer and a bum, so he deserves Natalie, good ...

 As a simple explanation, the nature of the dispute between Protestants and Catholics can be illustrated by what we do with the creeds and councils. For the Catholic, the Nicene Creed is a definitive dogmatic declaration from the Church founded by Christ, concerning the nature of God and His work in the world. The definition of Chalcedon more specifically focuses on Christology: the hypostatic union, the two natures--divine and human--united in the divine Person Jesus Christ. Again, for the Catholic, these definitions must be true, because God in Christ is protecting the Church which declares them. Likewise, the Holy Spirit takes from what belongs to Christ, and declares it to us, to paraphrase John's Gospel. For the Protestant, the conclusions of these Councils are deemed true, and explicitly taught in the Scriptures. Since the Catholic Church believes everything she teaches is taught in the Scriptures, we have no cause to disagree. However, as we have argued for about 5 centuries...

 I was functionally fired from my teaching job in November, 2024, after an unjust administrative "process" initiated by HR , and triggered by false accusations the content of which I was never told. My "defense" therefore could have no reasonable basis or direction. I won't say the name of the Local Education Agency, but the town where I lived and worked was Cheraw, South Carolina. I think that once I was on administrative leave, they could use nearly any indiscretion of mine as the final straw to remove me. I did connect with students on social media in protest, and I did express hope that I would quickly be returned to the classroom. The principal of the high school where I worked--a true lackey of the bureaucracy, and fully committed to educational ideas, methods, and solutions that don't work--also allowed his personal dislike of me to take the form of a belief that I was a substandard teacher. He gave me an unsatisfactory review on October 12, and we ha...