July 26, 2024

Prominent Evangelical pastor warns American Christians that voting for Trump could bring God's judgement on America.

https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2024/07/prominent-evangelical-pastor-warns.html

Politics, especially on the Republican side of things, really ramped up during Reagan's two terms, but it was quite prolific, along with being characteristically vitriolic and hostile toward President Clinton, who was himself a member of a Southern Baptist church, along with Vice President Al Gore. Toward the end of President Clinton's term, a prominent Southern Baptist pastor and denominational leader, Dr. Adrian Rogers, of Memphis' Bellevue Baptist Church, one of the largest Baptist churches in the country, preached a rousing sermon declaring that while political issues were of importance, sometimes they didn't always align with religious values, so in choosing who to vote for, Christians must sacrifice support for potential political benefits to themselves, such as lower taxes, or affordable child care, or the ability to afford health insurance, in order to vote for candidates who demonstrated a high standard of Christian character.

That, according to Dr. Rogers, was really all that mattered, and of course, he added that choosing such candidates was a necessity for the nation to "avoid the judgment of God." That latter statement is actually contradictory to the Christian gospel itself, and I'm sure Dr. Rogers knew that, but it plays well in the pews. The sermon was entitled, "Does Character Count?" and it was aimed at discrediting President Clinton as a professing Christian, based on a judgment of his behavior that included several alleged affairs and the incident with Monica Lewinsky, which prompted the sermon. Dr. Rogers concluded that Christians were obligated to support leaders whose character demonstrated divine transformation, bridging Christian nationalism and Old Testament Jewish theocracy.

I don't hear very many Christian leaders citing Dr. Rogers' sermon now. Insofar as it was a condemnation of President Clinton's behavior being a disqualifying factor for getting the votes of Christians, it likewise does exactly the same thing to Donald Trump. It's not difficult to apply Rogers' admonitions and warnings in exactly the same way, with exactly the same result. Following Dr. Rogers' conclusion, Christians who vote for, and support someone as immoral and worldly as Donald Trump are subjecting this country to the possible judgment of God.

There's no turning this around or walking it back. Dr. Adrian Rogers, former pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church of Memphis, and former President of the Southern Baptist Convention has openly told Christians that voting for Trump would be against their Christian convictions and could lead to God's judgment on the United States. Certainly a man who is civilly liable for rape, who is a convicted felon on 34 counts of business fraud, who is a pathological liar, a worldly adulterer who has bragged about his sexual conquests in humiliating each of his three wives, and who led a rebellious insurrection against the United States government would be completely unqualified to serve in office by this Christian standard. Add to that his open rejection of Christian conviction and conversion, and I think it is safe to conclude that Dr. Rogers is instructing Christians not to cast their ballots for Donald Trump.

Dr. Rogers passed away before Trump came on the scene. Whether he would have reversed this position, like almost all of his Evangelical colleagues have done, abandoning principle and shedding their credibility to support a pagan despot, is difficult to say. A lot of effort has gone into ignoring this sermon, an amazing development given that his sermons are still replayed and broadcast and his ministry still collects money. But Dr. Adrian Rogers laid out the best argument against Christian support for an unrepentant, adulterous, grifting scam artist like Donald Trump that exists.

July 24, 2024

What will it take for Democrats to win this election? We seem to be in a much better place today than we were Sunday.

https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2024/07/what-its-going-to-take-for-democrats-to.html

This post was originally written on Sunday evening, July 21, 2024 and published on July 22, 2024 at 9:30 a.m. The original post can be found here. What you are now reading here includes revisions which update the situation as it has transpired, as Democrats have coalesced rapidly around Vice President Kamala Harris, and as she immediately and effectively hit the campaign trail with a measure of enthusiasm that has already changed the circumstances existing when the piece was originally written.

Sometimes, politics can be painfully slow. But there are times when things can also move at the speed of light, inexplicably. President Biden's campaign had most of the "keys" that it needed, according to experts in presidential politics, to win, in addition to running against a candidate who, by every professional evaluation, was the worst President in American History. He had the record of achievement and a roaring economy, he is a man of integrity who can be trusted, he has incredible political experience and even in this most politically polarized and contentious time, could get things done.

But it seemed that an unseen weight was pressing him down, holding back his campaign. His opponents, along with the media, kept pushing his advanced age as his biggest handicap. And ironically, while anything which happened to disable him from serving would have led to his replacement by his Vice-President, Kamala Harris, as long as he was President, and nominee, it seemed that nothing was moving.

But when President Biden selflessly and out of consideration for absolutely nothing else but the good of the country, an act which contrasted sharply with the temperament and attitude of his opponent, who does nothing for anyone but himself and publicly displayed complete bafflement at this selfless act of sheer patriotism, and then endorsed Vice-President Harris almost immediately, the chaos and confusion of the past three weeks literally vanished within hours. So, this piece has been revised, with the original left posted as a demonstration of transparency and honesty. We were caught by surprise And that's OK.

July 23, 2024

We have a winner here.

https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2024/07/we-have-winner-here.html

July 22, 2024

A civil war to save the country from what?

https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2024/07/a-civil-war-to-save-country-from-what.html

I hear the extremist religious right's rhetoric all the time, screaming about rights being taken away and persecution and blah, blah, blah. I am a Christian myself, an active member of a local church, and I worship corporately every week, and do plenty of Bible reading, studying and even teaching from time to time. I can't think of a single right I have lost, a single restriction that has been placed on my religious practice or a single imposition that has occurred into my faith practice. Nothing. And when I engage in a discussion, and ask about this, specifically, where has the government, during a Democratic Presidency, ever persecuted, interfered with, disrupted or legally restricted your church, your faith practice, or your Christian service?

Insisting that it has does not prove that it does. If something specific can't be named, used as an example or a reference, then it's not happening. And the usual end of such round and round conversations is an angry, frustrated conservative who resorts to name calling and threats. And what that tells me is exactly what I asked. There is no persecution, restriction, or interference with the religious liberty of any American.

So when I look at a stock market that has reached record heights in its growth, which represents the prosperity and economic productivity of the country, an unemployment rate of under 4%, meaning that people who really want to work can find a job, wages that have steadily increased and kept pace with inflation, in spite of complaints of high prices, mostly caused by unnecessary gouging and profiteering, I have to wonder exactly how the President is ruining the country. How, ruining?

A civil war, perpetrated by right wing extremists, is a sure way to ruin the country.

Politicians who advocate violence as a means of settling differences are pushing for the ruining of America. They are demonstrating a lack of ability to serve in public office and as a representative of the people, because they are incapable of representing people with whom they do not agree ideologically, politically or religiously. They are not earning public trust, they are only making enemies. They should resign from office and apologize for their violent rhetoric.

July 22, 2024

I'm getting the impression that the MAGA Repubs are scared spitless that they are going to lose the election.

It's been one day since Biden's announcement, and they are tearing at every possible angle, from campaign money to whether or not the nominee of the DNC can get on the ballot.

If they really thought they were going to win, we wouldn't be seeing all of this panic.

July 22, 2024

Remember this from Nikki Haley: "The first party to retire their 80 year old candidate wins this election."?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/nikki-haley-s-warning-to-trump-and-biden-resurfaces-after-president-exits-2024-race/vi-BB1qq9nV?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=LCTS&cvid=f843099d8ba04d69a99c9c101c6715fe&ei=18#details

Not a fan of hers by any stretch of the imagination. She's not enough of an independent thinker to break away from the party line, and that's a shame because she could have inflicted a lot more damage on Trump than she did. There were times that she sounded like she might actually have some convictions of her own, but just couldn't get over the hump. But she may have been right about this.

Of course, she was putting pressure on Trump, but since he's still there and the other 80 year old has decided to retire, she may be on to something here.

July 22, 2024

What it's going to take for Democrats to win this election.

https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2024/07/what-its-going-to-take-for-democrats-to.html

There are a lot of unanswered questions. Will the party get behind Vice President Harris, who has been endorsed by the President, and who, along with him, have 90% of the delegate support at the convention? Does she have that kind of support among the party leadership, and the donor group who caused this controversy in the first place? These are not the kind of people who generally have to accept the consequences of their actions. So is the goal and the energy going to go to defeating Trump or are there other agendas at work that over-ride this concern and have the potential to split the party.

It's been amazing to observe, on Democratic Underground, the shift that took place in just one day, Sunday, after the President announced that he was stepping out of the race. Suddenly, as if by some miracle, support for Vice President Harris appeared from everywhere. Just the day before, a poll showed over 90 percent of those who responded wanting the President to remain in the race. By late Sunday evening, posts were "hurrah for Kamala" and declaring she was going to kick some Trump butt.

I certainly hope she does.

But, this is not "problem solved," not by a long shot. We are facing an election in which the other side is completely sold out to a convicted felon and insurrectionist, and is intending to pull every trick in the book to steal the election, regardless of how the votes turn out. They've been in the Viktor Orban school of "How to use Democratic Processes to Build a Dictatorship," and if one really believes history repeats itself, shades of the Weimar Republic come to mind. How prepared is Democratic party leadership to handle that, or will it be the normal response of raising our hands up and declaring "How can they do that and get away with it, tsk, tsk, tsk?"

And while there may be some folks at Democratic Underground who see this as a resolved problem, has the rest of the party arrived at this same place? Have the wealthy donors who upended Biden's candidacy by withholding their contributions approved of Kamala Harris as the nominee, or are they wanting to support someone else? Not only is this not settled, it has the potential to blow up into an even bigger disaster that winds up electing a felon and insurrectionist to the Presidency. And if preventing that is still the party's goal, then we need to see some real leadership and get a handle on a solid sense of direction over the next couple of weeks, or it is going to get out of control.

July 21, 2024

Beware the rumors and innuendo.

We have social media now, able to help spread all kinds of rumors and really turn this thing into the biggest political disaster in all American history.

Let's get realistic. The Trump campaign and everyone allied with it is doing its dead level best to make sure he wins. They are planning to do every thing they think the Supreme Court will let them get away with to prevent a large turnout election from choosing anyone but Trump. They are behind a lot of the confusion and chaos that has been created by a small handful of donors, who haven't acted like they much care about the real issue at stake. If you don't believe they're getting Russian aid and assistance, then you need to find a rock to live under until after November 5th. I'm sure there are Republicans here in this forum, planting misinformation and rumors, as there will be on social media everywhere.

Don't believe the mainstream media, either. These people are also working for the billionaires who don't want a Democrat in the White House or a Democratic party controlled Congress. We have not yet seen the lengths these people are going to attempt in order to prevent Americans from having a free and fair election. And sewing massive confusion into the Democratic National Convention is already a tactic they are trying to pull off.

Also, remember, it will be the elected delegates to the convention who will make this decision. I only hope that those who are elected are smart enough to understand what's at stake, savvy enough to see Republican influence and Russian influence, and make a decision which leads to a Democratic party sweep in November. I believe that is possible because of who, and what we are running against. It's been disappointing and disconcerting to see as many Americans as there are supporting that. It's an indication of a real breakdown in education, in the political system, and of the influence of money and what it can buy politically. There was a time when any shift in political support could be traced to what appeared on one of the three mainstream media networks, all of which had standards for accountability in journalism. Now, the mainstream media competes with extremist right wing media, and with social media, and is one information source. So it has abandoned its standards in order to compete.

It is imperative that we win the Presidency and Congress in November, or our constitutional democracy will be lost.

July 21, 2024

I was a strong, vocal, financial and volunteer supporter of the President.

So here goes a few.

This President has proven that the American people, not his own political career, has been his priority. That's passing along a gigantic advantage and huge message to the Republican nominee, who only cares about himself. If Democrats can somehow succeed at getting control of the narrative, this should be at the top of the list.

We now have control of the content of the media. Take advantage of it before they move on.

The President has, as a result of the recent Supreme Court ruling on Presidential immunity, all kinds of advantages now. He is a man of integrity, and I don't expect him to turn dictator tomorrow, as Trump would do in a heartbeat, but I hope he has some fun, and causes some Republican heartburn and distress, as a result of this.

As I said, I was a strong supporter of the President. I believed he would win this election. For goodness sake, look at who we're running against. The number of voters who want to see someone besides Trump are as high as those who wanted Biden out. I don't think it will take long for people to realize the advantages of a fresh face over a convicted felon, rapist, child molesting narcissist, and a vice president male chauvinist pig.

The most pressure now is not on who the nominee will be, it is on those Democrats, and billionaire donors, who forced the President to this decision. They are the ones who will be held accountable if Trump wins the election, and I wouldn't want to be any of them if that happens. They now have the responsibility to step up and unify the party. Better get your orange juice in the morning, today is your last day of rest until November. Keep in mind, the grassroots of this party are expecting not only to keep the White House and the Senate, but to win back the House as well and then push forward to stop the far right in its tracks.

This is a make or break moment for political careers. If we succeed, there will be a lot of political benefits. If we lose, it's not going to matter anyway, but the Democrats who have participated in this push can kiss their political careers goodbye forever.

July 21, 2024

When, and Who, is going to stop this disastrous destruction of the Democratic Party?

I have seen Democrats do some pretty destructive things to make it difficult for candidates to win elections. But I've never seen anything like this mass confusion, media reporting conversations that aren't taking place, trying to scoop someone else by acting like they've got inside knowledge on when Biden's stepping down, if he is, if he isn't.

This is a disaster. I'm having a real problem understanding how it is that these party leaders do not see what they are doing, and that while they're asking us for money and support, they are undermining everything they are doing by the fact that they can't control, and stop, this confusion.

They've been telling us for years, not that we needed to be told, that Trump is an existential threat to American Democracy. I agree. He is. A second Trump presidency would be more of a disaster than the first, and I wonder if the US would survive, intact, or whether RussiaBe and China would sieze the opportunity to get their piece.

If that's the case, then why does it appear that the Democratic party leadership is running around like chickens with their heads cut off, doing their dead level best to give Congress and the White House back to the GOP, to match their court system?

Because if they don't put a stop to this, now, not next week or the week after, we will lose everything. I'm not 100% sure, at this point, the damage can be fixed anyway.