Part of the problem of being religious in our time is for many it feels like you are deceptively engaged in wishful thinking or superstition. And no one wants to do that! So there are more and more “nones”, people who have no religious affiliation, and “dones”, people who are done with traditional religion. These people say, “When I see, then I will believe.”
On the other side are many people who continue to trust their religious tradition teaches the truth. They do not think they are being superstitious or foolish. They are serious people of faith. They also have eyes and think their religion reveals the true meaning of life. They argue “If you believe, then you will see.”
To be fair and honest, religion can been good and not so good. Jews, Christians and Muslims all teach their followers to trust God and stand with the neighbor or stranger in pain. Not all the adherents of these religions live out this teaching. Some people are hypocrites. Nothing new there! In the name of religion, over the centuries, some people have been terribly destructive while others have been admirably constructive. Some have been indifferent and cowardly. Others have been caring and courageous. After all, religious teaching is a vector that we can either follow or ignore.
But I am convinced, in this crazy time, we need to listen to each other more. People who are agnostic or atheist need to study religious truth and religious people need to listen carefully to the questions and doubts of those who refuse to believe. And what if religious people could be honest about their own doubts and questions? And what if, nones and dones, atheists and agnostics had more doubts and questions about their own positions. Remember, think that you may be wrong.
My question: Why is not possible to live in the middle? Maybe our religion is right about some things but not absolutely right. Maybe our scriptures proclaim the truth sometimes but other times they can be wrong. Maybe there are parts of our way of thinking about God that need to be changed or rethought? The question we need to ask about our respective religious traditions or lack thereof, is what about them works and what does not work? What parts are no longer applicable and what parts are still quite valuable? The goal of religion is not to be religious. The goal is not to possess the truth, it is to pursue the truth. Faith is trusting without knowing for sure. For good or for bad that is our situation. So, let's live in the middle between religious absolutism and religious relativism. Whatever God is about, I cannot believe the Deity gave us minds so that we do not use them. Live in the middle and we'll see, yes, we will see.
Friday, December 16, 2016
Friday, December 9, 2016
A Jew Talks about Christmas
That time is coming again. Where I live, when it is Christmas, it is Christmas! Everything becomes part of Christmas. The movies, the TV shows, the commercials, the malls, the stores, the decorations, the sales, and especially all the lights. Everything, for good and for bad, gets sucked into the massive vortex that has become Christmas.
From a Jewish perspective, we have come to expect this electrical lighting cosmic celebration every December. The hoopla around Christmas though has made our holiday of Chanukah more important than it used to be. The word Chanukah means dedication. In the year 165 b.c.e. the temple in Jerusalem was rescued from Greek desecration and rededicated by the lighting of candles in the temple. There was only enough oil for one day. But, by some miracle, the candles stayed lit for eight days. So, the Rabbis took that event and made it into a holiday of celebration that occurs every December. The lighting of candles for eight nights demonstrates the power of Judaism over assimilation and God over evil.
Is it possible to connect Chanukah to Christmas? Why should we even want to connect them? Isn’t it easier for you celebrate yours and we will celebrate ours? Some would say, let’s not mix what should not be mixed.
I disagree. In my life I have come to understand Christmas as a holiday of hope, that the light will and can overcome the darkness. Near as I can tell, Jesus was a Rabbi who tried to teach Jews and non-Jews that the light was greater than the darkness. Chanukah candles proclaim that the darkness shall not prevail over the light. I am not sure Jesus ever celebrated Chanukah but I think he would have celebrated the lighting of candles on the Sabbath and other holidays to symbolize God’s light over the darkness.
But we have to say that all the talk about how the light overcomes the darkness can sound hollow in the midst of terrorism, cancers, drug addictions and the many other calamities of life. Better and more honest to say, the light is always struggling to overcome the darkness. Sometimes it succeeds. Sometimes it does not. And that tenacious struggle not to allow the darkness to prevail is the true meaning and connection between Chanukah and Christmas. So, light the candles, Jewish or Christian and let us, each day, do what we can do to hold back the darkness. A restful holiday season to you all!
From a Jewish perspective, we have come to expect this electrical lighting cosmic celebration every December. The hoopla around Christmas though has made our holiday of Chanukah more important than it used to be. The word Chanukah means dedication. In the year 165 b.c.e. the temple in Jerusalem was rescued from Greek desecration and rededicated by the lighting of candles in the temple. There was only enough oil for one day. But, by some miracle, the candles stayed lit for eight days. So, the Rabbis took that event and made it into a holiday of celebration that occurs every December. The lighting of candles for eight nights demonstrates the power of Judaism over assimilation and God over evil.
Is it possible to connect Chanukah to Christmas? Why should we even want to connect them? Isn’t it easier for you celebrate yours and we will celebrate ours? Some would say, let’s not mix what should not be mixed.
I disagree. In my life I have come to understand Christmas as a holiday of hope, that the light will and can overcome the darkness. Near as I can tell, Jesus was a Rabbi who tried to teach Jews and non-Jews that the light was greater than the darkness. Chanukah candles proclaim that the darkness shall not prevail over the light. I am not sure Jesus ever celebrated Chanukah but I think he would have celebrated the lighting of candles on the Sabbath and other holidays to symbolize God’s light over the darkness.
But we have to say that all the talk about how the light overcomes the darkness can sound hollow in the midst of terrorism, cancers, drug addictions and the many other calamities of life. Better and more honest to say, the light is always struggling to overcome the darkness. Sometimes it succeeds. Sometimes it does not. And that tenacious struggle not to allow the darkness to prevail is the true meaning and connection between Chanukah and Christmas. So, light the candles, Jewish or Christian and let us, each day, do what we can do to hold back the darkness. A restful holiday season to you all!
Friday, December 2, 2016
Moving is a Schlep
Moving is a Schlep
The word “schlep” is a Yiddish word that means “hauling something very heavy from here to there.” In a few months we will be moving from a townhouse to an apartment in Sioux Falls. That doesn't sound very stressful and yet it is. And I ask myself, why is that? First and foremost, you have to pack and leave your home. You have to say goodbye again. Leaving home is not easy. Home is not only where the heart is; home is where everything is settled and you’re safe. You are in control. At home, you can close the door on whatever is going on outside. You can walk around in your underwear. Unless your home is a crazy place, you yearn to be home.
Moving, even across town, is a schlep. More so for my wife, whom I thank here, since she packs and organizes so much of our stuff. Moving takes away from our sanity. It messes with our roots and our stability. It makes us crabby with each other. It’s not fun even if you like where you are moving.
So, what to do? Moving happens. It’s part of life. We move for a new job, for a new school, for a new place that will keep us safe. It’s part of the restlessness of life in America. We are always looking for the right place to live.
And moving has a certain rhythm. We have to work through the stress, frustration, exasperation, of finding and packing boxes upon boxes, of determining what to keep and what to dispose, of hiring the right movers, deciding whether to downsize to one car, changing all the mail addresses, through all this we try to work together.
It’s what we do. And it takes courage and pluck to move. It’s easier to just stay in one place even if it is terribly painful. I understand that.
In the Bible, the first mover was Abraham. God told him to move, to leave his family, his land and his community. He traveled far to a strange and uncomfortable place. He received a promise that he and his people would be taken to a land that would be their home. And so, the quest began. In most of the Bible the people of Israel are either traveling to get to the land or in diaspora away from the land. So it was for them and so it is for us. We are, after all, related to Abraham. We leave where we are in search of that place where we will feel at home.
But, moving is not all bad. It’s an adventure. Now, adventures are not all they are cracked up to be. I get it. But we are moving to a place that will become our safe home, a place where we can hug, be safe under our covers while the wind howls and the snow falls, enjoy and marvel at the wonderful view, wait for the spring and birds to return, stare at the beauty of the trees, be at peace as much as we can be.
I know, in the end, we will walk through it all together, love each other and survive to tell the tale. Yet, no matter how I much I rationalize it, leaving home is a schlep.
My oldest son, when he was fifteen, asked me once, “Dad, why does there have to be goodbye?” That’s a great question! I answered, “I don’t know Nate, but such is life and you and I can’t change it.” And we will walk through it together, encourage and be kind with each other and thereby keep each other sane. Blame it all on God, Abraham or American restlessness. But here we go again. And moving is a schlep.
The word “schlep” is a Yiddish word that means “hauling something very heavy from here to there.” In a few months we will be moving from a townhouse to an apartment in Sioux Falls. That doesn't sound very stressful and yet it is. And I ask myself, why is that? First and foremost, you have to pack and leave your home. You have to say goodbye again. Leaving home is not easy. Home is not only where the heart is; home is where everything is settled and you’re safe. You are in control. At home, you can close the door on whatever is going on outside. You can walk around in your underwear. Unless your home is a crazy place, you yearn to be home.
Moving, even across town, is a schlep. More so for my wife, whom I thank here, since she packs and organizes so much of our stuff. Moving takes away from our sanity. It messes with our roots and our stability. It makes us crabby with each other. It’s not fun even if you like where you are moving.
So, what to do? Moving happens. It’s part of life. We move for a new job, for a new school, for a new place that will keep us safe. It’s part of the restlessness of life in America. We are always looking for the right place to live.
And moving has a certain rhythm. We have to work through the stress, frustration, exasperation, of finding and packing boxes upon boxes, of determining what to keep and what to dispose, of hiring the right movers, deciding whether to downsize to one car, changing all the mail addresses, through all this we try to work together.
It’s what we do. And it takes courage and pluck to move. It’s easier to just stay in one place even if it is terribly painful. I understand that.
In the Bible, the first mover was Abraham. God told him to move, to leave his family, his land and his community. He traveled far to a strange and uncomfortable place. He received a promise that he and his people would be taken to a land that would be their home. And so, the quest began. In most of the Bible the people of Israel are either traveling to get to the land or in diaspora away from the land. So it was for them and so it is for us. We are, after all, related to Abraham. We leave where we are in search of that place where we will feel at home.
But, moving is not all bad. It’s an adventure. Now, adventures are not all they are cracked up to be. I get it. But we are moving to a place that will become our safe home, a place where we can hug, be safe under our covers while the wind howls and the snow falls, enjoy and marvel at the wonderful view, wait for the spring and birds to return, stare at the beauty of the trees, be at peace as much as we can be.
I know, in the end, we will walk through it all together, love each other and survive to tell the tale. Yet, no matter how I much I rationalize it, leaving home is a schlep.
My oldest son, when he was fifteen, asked me once, “Dad, why does there have to be goodbye?” That’s a great question! I answered, “I don’t know Nate, but such is life and you and I can’t change it.” And we will walk through it together, encourage and be kind with each other and thereby keep each other sane. Blame it all on God, Abraham or American restlessness. But here we go again. And moving is a schlep.
Friday, November 25, 2016
Being A Religious Skeptic
For some years I have been thinking about religious believers and whether it is a good thing that they get along with each other. Many would say, of course it is. These days, the fear of inter religious conflict and violence makes us want to have everybody get along. Let’s emphasize what unites us rather than what divides us. Let’s realize that all religions want us to be nice to each other. The ecumenical movement of the last century was convinced that getting along was better than arguing about the truth. But I think all this overlooks what religion is really about.
Every religion promotes and believes in a distinct set of truths about the way the world works. And let’s be honest, there are important differences between your religious way of thinking and mine. For example, in my religious tradition arguing with and questioning God’s methodology is considered an act of faith and devotion to God. Some of my students tell me, in their Christian tradition, arguing and questioning is a sign they have a weak or distrustful faith. In some Christian traditions, you are taught that you ought forgive people that hurt you, seventy times seven. But in Jewish tradition, forgiveness cannot be given until a person repents and changes their behavior. Some Christians spend a great deal of time trying to convince others to become Christian. Jews do not actively pursue non-Jews; they actually work to discourage people from converting.
A religion is created when people believe a fundamental truth has been revealed to them. They have no option except to bear witness to that truth. They gather together. They proclaim the truth and try to get others to see the truth that has been revealed. There are believers and unbelievers, those who respect the truth and those who disagree. You see, religions are not created to get along with each other. They are there to proclaim their truths. When religious truths collide people may feel threatened. Some resort to verbal or physical violence to defend their revealed truths.
Instead of getting along or getting violent, which merely diminishes each of our truth claims, we religious people would do better to be honest with each other. All these different religious and theological perspectives are a good thing. Let’s listen and engage each other. Let’s talk honestly about where we agree and where we disagree. Let’s not just respectfully disagree. Let’s learn to argue creatively. Let’s come to grips with what works and what doesn’t work in the truths and traditions that we follow. Let’s take the risk to trust each other enough to sit down and engage another revelation. We all have much to learn.
But here is the real secret. The point of religion is not believe but to pursue the truth wherever it can be found, no holds or questions barred. When the data of life tell us that our beliefs are misguided, we cannot just ignore the facts, we must pursue them. Faith is never frightened of the questions that call faith itself into question. Being a religious skeptic can be the most religious statement a person can make. If you are religious or not religious, remember, you could be wrong. Our five senses allow us and deny us the ability to see what is real and actually there. So, let’s listen, respectfully engage and argue with each others beliefs. The truth about everything is out there and in here. Keep looking!!!
Every religion promotes and believes in a distinct set of truths about the way the world works. And let’s be honest, there are important differences between your religious way of thinking and mine. For example, in my religious tradition arguing with and questioning God’s methodology is considered an act of faith and devotion to God. Some of my students tell me, in their Christian tradition, arguing and questioning is a sign they have a weak or distrustful faith. In some Christian traditions, you are taught that you ought forgive people that hurt you, seventy times seven. But in Jewish tradition, forgiveness cannot be given until a person repents and changes their behavior. Some Christians spend a great deal of time trying to convince others to become Christian. Jews do not actively pursue non-Jews; they actually work to discourage people from converting.
A religion is created when people believe a fundamental truth has been revealed to them. They have no option except to bear witness to that truth. They gather together. They proclaim the truth and try to get others to see the truth that has been revealed. There are believers and unbelievers, those who respect the truth and those who disagree. You see, religions are not created to get along with each other. They are there to proclaim their truths. When religious truths collide people may feel threatened. Some resort to verbal or physical violence to defend their revealed truths.
Instead of getting along or getting violent, which merely diminishes each of our truth claims, we religious people would do better to be honest with each other. All these different religious and theological perspectives are a good thing. Let’s listen and engage each other. Let’s talk honestly about where we agree and where we disagree. Let’s not just respectfully disagree. Let’s learn to argue creatively. Let’s come to grips with what works and what doesn’t work in the truths and traditions that we follow. Let’s take the risk to trust each other enough to sit down and engage another revelation. We all have much to learn.
But here is the real secret. The point of religion is not believe but to pursue the truth wherever it can be found, no holds or questions barred. When the data of life tell us that our beliefs are misguided, we cannot just ignore the facts, we must pursue them. Faith is never frightened of the questions that call faith itself into question. Being a religious skeptic can be the most religious statement a person can make. If you are religious or not religious, remember, you could be wrong. Our five senses allow us and deny us the ability to see what is real and actually there. So, let’s listen, respectfully engage and argue with each others beliefs. The truth about everything is out there and in here. Keep looking!!!
Friday, November 18, 2016
Thanksgiving Wish
My wife and I are planning a Thanksgiving ritual that concentrates on rest and gratitude. The plan is get up late, make a fine pancake breakfast, later in the day, have "eight hour meat" and sesame coleslaw, stay in our pajamas, watch Aaron Sorkin shows all day. And be grateful that we can do all of that in a safe and warm place.
I hope you have a ritual that allows you to feel the contentment I am feeling today. The contentment of living in a place where you feel grateful for life and air to breath, trees and grass and birds and snow and wind and all that comes with being alive on this planet at this time. And then, eat well, plop down on the couch, enjoy being bored, talk to your relatives, watch your favorite movies and count yourself a lucky person.
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
I hope you have a ritual that allows you to feel the contentment I am feeling today. The contentment of living in a place where you feel grateful for life and air to breath, trees and grass and birds and snow and wind and all that comes with being alive on this planet at this time. And then, eat well, plop down on the couch, enjoy being bored, talk to your relatives, watch your favorite movies and count yourself a lucky person.
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Friday, November 11, 2016
A Few Words About Jesus
Most Jews do not spend a great deal of time thinking about Jesus. But, given the decisions I have made in my life, Jesus has always been someone I have had to address. In the gospels, Jesus asks, “Who do you say I am?” This is a fine question. Here is my response.
I teach Religion at Augustana University because I respect the Christian tradition. I also teach there and respectfully disagree with that tradition. So, who do I say Jesus was?
First of all, let me state the obvious: Jesus was Jewish. Jesus was not a Christian. He was Jewish. He was an apocalyptic Rabbi. His message was very similar to the Jewish prophets. He got in people’s faces and spoke the truth to them as he saw it. He called on people to repent and turn their lives around. He urged people to trust in God and stand with the poor, the outcasts and the neighbor in pain. He came to teach Jews and non-Jews what it meant to live like a human being, a mensch. He came to make non-Jews as Jewish as possible. The letter writer, Paul, says non-Jews have been grafted into the Jewish covenants and traditions. (Romans 9-11)
Jesus’ early followers were also Jewish. The writers of the gospels were Jewish. The apostle Paul was Jewish. I may be wrong here but it seems important to remind ourselves that Christianity was invented after Jesus. For Christians it is less important that Jesus was Jewish, then he was and is the Christ, the messiah that came to save the world. According to the gospels and Paul, the cross and resurrection are central and they proclaim Jesus is the long awaited messiah. This is their faith. I respect that faith. I understand it. I respectfully disagree.
From a Jewish perspective, when the messiah returns, he will accomplish four things: the Jerusalem temple will be rebuilt, all Jews will move to the land of Israel, there will be peace all over the world and non-Jews will flock to Jerusalem to study Torah with Jews. Since this has not happened most Jews who think about such things have a problem talking about Jesus as the messiah. As for me, I agree with Wiesel, when he says, it’s a bit late for messiahs. Too many people, including so many children, have been murdered. I like the idea of someone coming and fixing everything but I'm afraid it’s too late for messiahs!
Many Christians might respond by saying that these Jewish expectations and opinions are not binding on God. And they would assert, God can do whatever God wants even if it does not meet Jewish expectations. They assert that Jesus is the incarnation of God. This is the Christian faith. I respect that faith and I respectfully disagree.
Let’s be honest with each other. This is what we know about Jesus. He was a prophet. He was killed by the Romans. His followers believed God raised him from the dead and one day he will return to complete his work. Near as I can tell, after this happened, all sorts of beliefs, creeds, doctrines, and traditions have been cast upon this man. I am not sure what he would think of all this but I do understand it. In human history, for good and for bad, Jesus has become the messiah for many non-Jews. I respect that faith and respectfully disagree.
So, could I be wrong? Of course. Can you admit, you could be wrong? I assume I am justifying my opinions as best I can. After all, that is what we all do. We have our beliefs and we work at justifying why we are right. I may be blind to the truth. I know only this: I am Jewish because I could not run away from who I am. But, I will say this. I would not and could not turn my back on Jesus. Jesus was Jewish, a Jewish prophet, a Rabbi, a brother in the tribe, one of our boys. I have returned to the religion Jesus himself practiced. For all of this, I am at peace with God, my community and myself.
I teach Religion at Augustana University because I respect the Christian tradition. I also teach there and respectfully disagree with that tradition. So, who do I say Jesus was?
First of all, let me state the obvious: Jesus was Jewish. Jesus was not a Christian. He was Jewish. He was an apocalyptic Rabbi. His message was very similar to the Jewish prophets. He got in people’s faces and spoke the truth to them as he saw it. He called on people to repent and turn their lives around. He urged people to trust in God and stand with the poor, the outcasts and the neighbor in pain. He came to teach Jews and non-Jews what it meant to live like a human being, a mensch. He came to make non-Jews as Jewish as possible. The letter writer, Paul, says non-Jews have been grafted into the Jewish covenants and traditions. (Romans 9-11)
Jesus’ early followers were also Jewish. The writers of the gospels were Jewish. The apostle Paul was Jewish. I may be wrong here but it seems important to remind ourselves that Christianity was invented after Jesus. For Christians it is less important that Jesus was Jewish, then he was and is the Christ, the messiah that came to save the world. According to the gospels and Paul, the cross and resurrection are central and they proclaim Jesus is the long awaited messiah. This is their faith. I respect that faith. I understand it. I respectfully disagree.
From a Jewish perspective, when the messiah returns, he will accomplish four things: the Jerusalem temple will be rebuilt, all Jews will move to the land of Israel, there will be peace all over the world and non-Jews will flock to Jerusalem to study Torah with Jews. Since this has not happened most Jews who think about such things have a problem talking about Jesus as the messiah. As for me, I agree with Wiesel, when he says, it’s a bit late for messiahs. Too many people, including so many children, have been murdered. I like the idea of someone coming and fixing everything but I'm afraid it’s too late for messiahs!
Many Christians might respond by saying that these Jewish expectations and opinions are not binding on God. And they would assert, God can do whatever God wants even if it does not meet Jewish expectations. They assert that Jesus is the incarnation of God. This is the Christian faith. I respect that faith and I respectfully disagree.
Let’s be honest with each other. This is what we know about Jesus. He was a prophet. He was killed by the Romans. His followers believed God raised him from the dead and one day he will return to complete his work. Near as I can tell, after this happened, all sorts of beliefs, creeds, doctrines, and traditions have been cast upon this man. I am not sure what he would think of all this but I do understand it. In human history, for good and for bad, Jesus has become the messiah for many non-Jews. I respect that faith and respectfully disagree.
So, could I be wrong? Of course. Can you admit, you could be wrong? I assume I am justifying my opinions as best I can. After all, that is what we all do. We have our beliefs and we work at justifying why we are right. I may be blind to the truth. I know only this: I am Jewish because I could not run away from who I am. But, I will say this. I would not and could not turn my back on Jesus. Jesus was Jewish, a Jewish prophet, a Rabbi, a brother in the tribe, one of our boys. I have returned to the religion Jesus himself practiced. For all of this, I am at peace with God, my community and myself.
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Mrs. Clinton or Mr. Trump???
We are a few days from the election. The people who will vote for Mr. Trump are convinced that he, despite his many flaws, erratic temperament, and treatment of women is the man who can bring needed change to Washington and our democracy. Some of these votes for Mr. Trump will be out of confidence and conviction in the man, many out of fear or dislike of Mrs. Clinton, some out of frustration and anger at the economic and immigration decisions made by the politicians of both parties, some for fear of future Supreme Court appointments, and finally some will vote for Mr. Trump because that is what we do. After eight years of one party we like to mix it up by voting in someone from the other party.
Those voting for Mrs. Clinton will do so because they think she, despite her flaws and ethical problems, has the experience and skills to be President; others will vote for her because they fear Mr. Trump is temperamentally and morally unqualified and will do damage to the republic, a number of people think it is time for a woman to be President, still more think President Obama has done a good job and wish to continue his policies, finally there are many who would have preferred Mr. Sanders but will hold their noses and vote for Mrs. Clinton.
Is this a strange election with strange candidates? I do not think so. Is it a matter of the lesser of two evils? No. Hitler was evil. Stalin was evil. The Holocaust is evil. Let’s be careful about our language. Over the past 220 years of our republic, candidates for office have sometimes been more or less qualified. Some were of high purpose and integrity, some of low character and not much wisdom. Such is the nature of our democracy. The best qualified do not always run or win. And by the way, “less qualified” is in the eyes of the voter. The question is qualified for what???
And why are so many people so angry these days? It should not come as a surprise. They have been angry for many years. This is called populism, the common people raising their angry voices against political and media elites and the intelligentsia. Between the Tea Party on the right and the anti Wall Street people on the left, we should not be surprised that people are unhappy with government. Think about it. Even before the corruption and resignation of Richard Nixon in 1972, George Wallace carried five states in 1968. And After Nixon, for good or for bad, most people were and are less and less naive about politics in Washington. Think about it. They have tried again and again to send outsiders and mavericks to the Capitol to save us all from corruption and the so called elites. There was Jimmy Carter from Georgia in 1976, Ronald Reagan elected in 1980 as the one who would fix the problems of large and corrupt government; independent candidates such as, Ross Perot, Steve Forbes, and let’s not forget the Newt Gingrich Republicans in 1993 elected to oppose Bill Clinton and finally fix what is wrong; George W. Bush was elected to keep us out of foreign entanglements and avoid bad trade deals, Barack Obama was elected as someone new, the first African American, who would change the world, and now Mr. Trump or Mrs. Clinton.
I must admit I am concerned and somewhat frightened of these two candidates and the state of our country. We seem, as a culture, to be in decline and that is sad. But I keep reminding myself, democracy is a messy, incremental, imprecise, sometimes ineffective process no matter who is elected. That is the nature of democracy. For all our messianic hopes every four years, we are electing people who are quite human, doing what they can in an increasingly complex and dangerous world. Mr. Churchill was right and perhaps we need to learn/hear it again and again: “Democracy is the worst form of government but better than all the others” And whether Mr. Trump or Mrs. Clinton is elected, we can vote them out in four years and correct our mistakes. Anyway, either of them will probably not be able to get through most of what they propose since the Congress and the courts will stand in the way, as they should, checks and balances being at the heart of our system. At least, we hope so.
And, since this blog is about religion, what does God have to do with our election? I certainly do not know. But after all these years, I suspect God, whatever that word means, is well aware of the nature and character of democratic politics and is not surprised. God will do what God will do. What can I tell you? Vote and stay sane out there. This too shall pass.
Those voting for Mrs. Clinton will do so because they think she, despite her flaws and ethical problems, has the experience and skills to be President; others will vote for her because they fear Mr. Trump is temperamentally and morally unqualified and will do damage to the republic, a number of people think it is time for a woman to be President, still more think President Obama has done a good job and wish to continue his policies, finally there are many who would have preferred Mr. Sanders but will hold their noses and vote for Mrs. Clinton.
Is this a strange election with strange candidates? I do not think so. Is it a matter of the lesser of two evils? No. Hitler was evil. Stalin was evil. The Holocaust is evil. Let’s be careful about our language. Over the past 220 years of our republic, candidates for office have sometimes been more or less qualified. Some were of high purpose and integrity, some of low character and not much wisdom. Such is the nature of our democracy. The best qualified do not always run or win. And by the way, “less qualified” is in the eyes of the voter. The question is qualified for what???
And why are so many people so angry these days? It should not come as a surprise. They have been angry for many years. This is called populism, the common people raising their angry voices against political and media elites and the intelligentsia. Between the Tea Party on the right and the anti Wall Street people on the left, we should not be surprised that people are unhappy with government. Think about it. Even before the corruption and resignation of Richard Nixon in 1972, George Wallace carried five states in 1968. And After Nixon, for good or for bad, most people were and are less and less naive about politics in Washington. Think about it. They have tried again and again to send outsiders and mavericks to the Capitol to save us all from corruption and the so called elites. There was Jimmy Carter from Georgia in 1976, Ronald Reagan elected in 1980 as the one who would fix the problems of large and corrupt government; independent candidates such as, Ross Perot, Steve Forbes, and let’s not forget the Newt Gingrich Republicans in 1993 elected to oppose Bill Clinton and finally fix what is wrong; George W. Bush was elected to keep us out of foreign entanglements and avoid bad trade deals, Barack Obama was elected as someone new, the first African American, who would change the world, and now Mr. Trump or Mrs. Clinton.
I must admit I am concerned and somewhat frightened of these two candidates and the state of our country. We seem, as a culture, to be in decline and that is sad. But I keep reminding myself, democracy is a messy, incremental, imprecise, sometimes ineffective process no matter who is elected. That is the nature of democracy. For all our messianic hopes every four years, we are electing people who are quite human, doing what they can in an increasingly complex and dangerous world. Mr. Churchill was right and perhaps we need to learn/hear it again and again: “Democracy is the worst form of government but better than all the others” And whether Mr. Trump or Mrs. Clinton is elected, we can vote them out in four years and correct our mistakes. Anyway, either of them will probably not be able to get through most of what they propose since the Congress and the courts will stand in the way, as they should, checks and balances being at the heart of our system. At least, we hope so.
And, since this blog is about religion, what does God have to do with our election? I certainly do not know. But after all these years, I suspect God, whatever that word means, is well aware of the nature and character of democratic politics and is not surprised. God will do what God will do. What can I tell you? Vote and stay sane out there. This too shall pass.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)