“God does not belong to a political party.”
– Pete Buttigieg, in response to Donald Trump’s accusation that the young mayor and others are trying to remove God from the American lexicon and replace it with socialism.
Trump had spoken at the King Jesus International Ministry in Miami and said that God is “on our side” against “radical left” Democrats.
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“You know what? Trump is a test whether you’re even saved. Only saved people can love Trump.”
– TV evangelist Jim Bakker, the “Jim Bakker Show”
Bakker’s comment actually elicited a few laughs from the show’s studio audience. Donald Trump – who has ingratiated himself with far-right Christians and somehow found Jesus squatting in the basement of his Manhattan skyscraper – once declared that he’d never asked God for forgiveness. And, when you have that much money, who needs God?!
Those of us in the U.S. of a “Certain Age” vividly recall the Jim Bakker of the 1980s; the self-proclaimed preacher who, along with his perky makeup-clad wife, Tammy Fay, spent more time promoting his godly hotline seeking donations than actually preaching the word of God – whatever that’s supposed to mean. His and other evangelical scandals of the period were the worst of daytime dramas (the fluff formerly known as “soap operas”), but provided delicious fodder for the tabloid press and comedians.
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“Climate change shouldn’t be fodder for commentators who represent the interests of the fossil fuel industry by muddying the science. As a human and a scientist, this focus on controversy is frustrating. A thermometer is not liberal or conservative.”
– Katharine Hayhoe, director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech University
Photo by Randal Ford.
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As the horror of the wildfires continues to unfold in Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison felt the heat of anger from residents forced to evacuate, when he visited them at an encampment in the town of Cobargo, New South Wales on January 2. With the death toll for both humans and animals rising, it didn’t seem appropriate for Morrison to take a vacation as the fires grew. As people are wont to do even in the worst of situations – especially to political figures – Australian artist Scott Marsh has done what artists do best: made a stinging rebuke. His “Merry Crisis” tee shirts have already proven popular. Marsh isn’t just expressing bad sentiments towards Morrison. Proceeds from sales of the shirts will be donated to helping victims of the fires. Someone, of course, must always keep our elected officials in check.
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“President Trump, if you look at what he’s done, he believes the word of God and he’s living according to that. President Trump was willing to live his faith unlike any other leader I have ever seen in history.”
– Religious-right activist Laurie Cardoza-Moore, founder of the Christian Zionist group Proclaiming Justice to the Nations
Let’s look at what we have with Trump: a two-time divorcee now married to his third wife, a former teenage model from Eastern Europe with dubious immigration credentials; had trysts with an adult film “actress” and a nude model; supported by White supremacist groups; unpaid business debts; no confirmation of paid taxes. That’s all on top of his narcissistic, quasi-psychopathic behavior and verbiage, which is often a matter of perception to we level-headed personas. If Trump qualifies as “Godly”, then atheism might be the only viable option.
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“We want to be clear that, while we love our congregation, we believe that the United Methodist policies on LGBTQ+ clergy and same-sex marriage are immoral. Depending on how this church responds to the general conference action, we will decide at a later time whether or not to become officially confirmed. But until then, we will continue to stand up against the unjust actions that the denomination is taking. We are not standing just for ourselves, we are standing for every single member of the LGBTQ+ community who is hurting right now. Because we were raised in this church, we believe that if we all stand together as a whole, we can make a difference.”
– An entire confirmation class at First United Methodist Church in Omaha, Nebraska, in a letter announcing to their congregation that they have decided not to become members due to the church’s stance on LGBTQ issues.
The National UMC has preliminarily decided to split into two distinct factions: one that will uphold traditional values, and another that will allow LGBT clergy and members and will perform same-sex wedding ceremonies.
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“We’ll be working through this process, hopefully in a fairly short period of time, in total coordination with the White House counsel’s office and the people who are representing the president in the well of the Senate.”
– Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), blatantly declaring that he will work with Trump’s defense during the latter’s upcoming impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate.
McConnell’s position is tantamount to a jury foreperson working closely with a criminal defendant to ensure that person is found not guilty.
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“If it means that I am viewed as one who looks openly and critically at every issue in front of me, rather than acting as a rubber stamp for my party or my president, I’m totally good with that.”
– Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), expressing the possibility she will vote for the impeachment of faux-President Donald Trump.
Additionally, Murkowski noted that she was disturbed by the support of U.S. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell’s claim that he is already cooperating with the White House for Trump’s pending trial. She also believes the Democrat Party rushed the impeachment measures. However, as a moderate Republican who apparently isn’t intimidated by Trump, she could become a key figure in the President’s Senate trial.
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“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”
– Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), in response to the ‘Conservative Squad’.
The ‘Conservative Squad’ is a quartet of Republican congressional candidates – Michelle Fischbach of Minnesota; Nancy Mace of South Carolina; Jessica Taylor of Alabama; and Beth Van Duyne of Texas – who claim they are the answer to four Democratic women in Congress known as the ‘Squad’: Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ayanna Pressley of Ohio.
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“I’m not trying to pretend to be a fair juror here.”
– Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), on his pending role in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate
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Chief Writing Wolf 