Article 4 - Talking About the Political Seduction of the Church by Michael L. Brown

 

You can be assured that I want to have a little talk with Jesus about the Political Seduction of the Church, especially the lies being freely disseminated across the American landscape...

Chapter 2 - The Church of Jesus is Transcendent

The Church of Jesus--meaning the community of believers worldwide through all generations--is utterly transcendent. It has been purchased at the highest imaginable price--the blood of the Son of God--and it consists of hundreds of millions of redeemed men and women from every background and ethnicity and color. Those who are part of the blood-bought community live in every nation on the earth, yet their ultimate citizenship is in heaven. In the words of Prof. Gerald Sittset, rather than being resident aliens, they are alien residents. They are in this world but not of it.

Those of us who are part of this community are united, but not by any earthly creed or national anthem. We are united based on our shared citizenship in God's heavenly kingdom and our joint status as sons and daughters in His family. And our real hometown is not the city of our natural birth or current earthly dwelling. Rather, it is a city that is quite literally out of this world. As the author of the letter to the Hebrews states:

• you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of th living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel (Heb.12:22-24).

We are even called the bride of Christ in Scripture, meaning that corporately we are joined with Him in spirit...

Sometimes, after reading many many non-fiction books, it would be wonderful if the use of a specialized lexicon was immediately explained to readers who are not leaders or otherwise associated with the administration of whatever is being identified... Or, if the book is not written for everybody, then the title or subtitle should reflect something like, For Christian Church Leaders...

In an7 event, since I was not quite sure of the meaning as part of a declarative statement by a Christian author, I googled "transcendent" before proceeding further.... There was no Glossary in this book...

What is the biblical meaning of transcendent? The 
transcendence of God means that God is outside of humanity's full experience, perception or grasp. The immanence of God means that he is knowable, perceivable or graspable. Uh, OK?

Frankly, as I start to read, again, to talk about it, I found I needed more to understand why a chapter states this as an important factor... The following video helped me a lot... so am including for those, like me, who wanted to know more... After all, this was about the role of God in the Church; in our lives...

Well, I might get hungup sometimes when I go to UTube but I do so enjoy the automatic reference popups of relevant other videos that they have programmed... Great site, isn't it... Once a pastor, I think, talked about terminology, my mind automatically started considering the relevant complementary music that seemed to respond to the discussion... I had never heard any of the songs I shared today...hope you enjoy them as I did... The media reference were spot-on in my opinion, so do check them out for confirmation of what is actually happening in today's world...

You know folks, I've been living in this area, close to Pittsburgh, PA, for many years. During those years, I was participating in two parts of my life...the Church and My professional work career. My background is lower middle class, I would say. My father was killed in a mine accident, while my mother carried me. Given that significant factor--no male leader of the household, we all watched as my mother worked day and night to support us, so much so that, as children, we took jobs like selling the newspaper in our small town, carrying water or other small tasks for our neighbors... We turned any earnings over to Mom... We did have extended family in the area and so had that type of support, which, for me, proved to be both positive and negative... 

In any event, it was only when I retired, that I had some freedom to even watch television or read books--something I had always done, except it took much longer to read a complete book.

I was in school when we were no longer allowed to say The Lord's Prayer in School. Frankly? it didn't mean too much to me, given that I was always so involved with the church, or working, that religion never really was part of school life. Isn't that the way other Christian families lived?

I also remember when a store like Hill's or Walmart had a survey at the counter when we checked out. They were asking if I would sign a petition to keep stores closed on Sundays. I didn't sign it. By that time, the work environment was well known to me. 24-hour shifts, for instance, would affect an individual's life, no matter what religion they were...so it seemed that that issue should be more of a community decision based upon the area.

I also remember when Ms. O'Hara, Atheist, created significant turmoil when she also fought for the Nativity not to be erected on government land--city or state or federal. Again, it was over and new laws were put in place... I found it more disturbing that Santa Claus and the over-buying of gifts, in my opinion, for children was much more a problem to family life and home... Jesus is the Reason for the Season...and always will be in my mind... Mom would buy one large gift for the family. I remember one year, it was a croquet set... We were excited...and satisfied...

In many ways, changes occurred and was adapted to, it was just like having to use seat belts in our cars being mandated...It was for public safety--for everybody, and it was logical to me to follow that new law...

Just as it was logical for me to completely understand why, in the midst of a world-wide pandemic, strict mask use and, then, vaccines were all required... After all, we had had measles, polio, or even tetanus shots required, as necessary to ensure no spread of any type of disease... What was the problem this time? Plus the fact that we learned that Trump had withheld information about just how badly the virus was... which led to the spread soon getting out of control... When we learned that he had told this to a journalist who was writing a book, we could easily surmise that Americans really meant little to him... especially when the republicans turned it into a political issue! Soooo, of course, we came to not know who was telling the truth, as was often the came with DJ.

One of the things mentioned in the last two news videos included above was that a beginning point for something happening in the Church/Political area could have been when Jimmy Carter was elected president... Sure, I knew he was a Christian, because of the infamous statement he made about being guilty of sin since he had some lust for a female or another... at that time, it was laughed at, even ridiculed...Did being a Christian mean that you never thought of sex...and if you did...was that considered a sin? And, of course, Carter didn't win a second term... And than John Kennedy, also a Christian, was killed... was it because of his religion? It makes me wonder, since, I believe both of these men were democrats, was it really about religion...or...power and money... Others said it went back to McCarthy when it was claimed that the opposing party were all "commies..." Was politics nothing but "The Blame Game?"

The thing is, in this situation. Dr. Brown has spent a chapter reviewing the literature about how we as Christians are in the world but not of the world... Sometimes, I wish that preachers or writers would get more specific about things...but, anyway, I felt early in life, and still feel that, my life in Church was special, unique...and part of me... I guess I was naïve enough to assume that all people felt that way about their beliefs... So, suddenly, in the last ten years, or so, Christians feel... something... I'm really not sure what... but it now includes hate, prejudice, and violence...

From this book and some other information that has been more available given the chaos that now exists, we learn that Christians feel they must be involved in politics--and to the extent that, they want to be top dog in that arena! Wow... Truly, I never saw that coming... Why? Because the population and changing "types" of citizens has been routinely noted. Even on television, we often see the variety of nationalities that make up...America...  I have even had a passing thought about those different from me: The fact that Muslims pray routinely at times preset and they do it wherever they are... The fact that my Black friends are constantly threatened because of, still, discrimination issues that "still" even result in murder! I could not understand how and why this type of prejudice continued after so many years.

One of the old sayings about dinner conversation was that you shouldn't talk about death, taxes, or politics...Ok, I can do that, if anybody else in my family read as much as I do, LOL...or at least was willing to talk about it. I was the youngest of four children, which meant that the others had, really, established lives, before I even got to a time that I was old enough to do something on my own...like go to a movie with a friend...

But, you see, there was a significant thing that took place in my life that was always kept secret...And, yet, I have found at my age and with the violence-oriented and extreme rhetoric that is now happening, I find my secrets are no longer hidden, even within me... as my being a participant of the "me-too" community of women and men who perhaps are christians, who have been abused in some way by sexual abuse, rape, and sometimes even family... And those personal secrets or real issues that women in particular have faced for centuries, are now being thrown into our faces daily... You must do this, else we will put you in jail!

Suddenly I am being faced with a man running for Governor of my state that really scares me! Mastriano is, it appears, much worse than even Trump...or maybe he just is willing to voice his hate, supposedly speaking as a Christian, as well as project everything that he will do to ensure he does anything he wants, and that includes "fixing" the elections in our state! When he says it is ridiculous to exempt those girls that have been raped, especially through incest, I cringed, just as many "me-too" victims must have... And I KNOW it is not the SPIRIT of the Lord that is behind this hate and deceit...and invasion of a woman's body!

So, pulling this altogether, you may wonder where I am going... It's to just one question... What caused it to explode into existence as a major crisis all of a sudden. To me, I have seen Christian groups working together to donate when needed... Or to provide support for the poor, for clothes and food... These routine acts of kindness to our neighbors have gone on for probably decades... Christians have lived as Dr. Brown indicated...so, what has changed? Surely, it could not be because of religious doctrine, because it had been years ago since any change of the issues that the republicans are "using" to scare and incite that fear these days... In the past, we have adjusted as America evolved...

But, you know, not once have I ever heard about any significant work that the Church has done to take action against the sexual abuse inside and outside the Church, including the latest news of a major event in the Southern Baptist congregation... Not once, have I ever heard of anything Churches were doing to lead in the concerns for human trafficking and the seduction of our children... Not Once have I heard of any significant work to investigate the reasons for Abortion. I understand that many are choosing abortion because they do not have the money to afford another child...or cannot afford contraception methods... What I do know is that those who are pro-life have used violence against clinics who serve the poor for more things than abortion... and offer no real help politically to solve the problem of low wages, child care, and more... In fact, most of us have seen that immediately upon taking office, Biden put out plans for these and more! Republicans did nothing during Trump's years and have voted against any support to help alleviate the problems they profess are based upon their faith! Forked Tongue?

This chapter closes with nothing more than awareness--on the part of the author:

Probably the most grievous thing that has taken place in recent years in our conservative evangelical circles is that some Christian politicians have sold out. We became more identified with Trump (or another candidate than with Jesus. Or perhaps worse still, we equated Trump with Jesus, meaning that if you were for Jesus, then you were for Trump. It even felt as if we were equally passionate about both, if not even more passionate politically than spiritually. And in the eyes of a watching world (a world with millions of young people who were paying careful attention), we resembled disciples of Trump more than disciples of Jesus. 

Well, Dr. Brown, here is one Christian who painfully watched as the Church acted, not of God, to be polite, for going on six years. Just how long does it take to start doing something...

Because, republicans may not be willing to admit it...But Joe Biden has done more for the country in less than two years, than Trump or any other president in my memory.  He has responded to the needs of the poor...he is working to deal with the health issues of the nation...he has presented and is moving on an infrastructure plan which had been "talked about" by Trump, who, of course, had no idea even how to create a plan of action. And, more importantly, he has acted, in spite of his conscience and the refusal of the republican party to even attempt to deal with other issues, such as abortion. He has ensured that his administration is looking out for the entire American population to work to meet the needs of all...even if they are not Christians... That is a sign that he supports the Constitution of the United States of America... And that is what a president of America...does...because...it...is..his...job. Separation of Church and States surely must be continued--because we have seen what one group of religious zealots have done to force their religion... That is, in other countries... How, Now, have Evangelical Christians and the Republican Party decided that America was no longer the land of the free?

And what did the republican party and evangelical christians do, they've refused to participate in political negotiation. They have revealed a deep, in my opinion, sense of prejudice and bias against all non-white citizens, to the extent of violence, murder, and anything else as being condoned by the republican party and evangelical christians. They have allowed terrorist groups such as KKK, Nazis, and haters of Jews and other citizen immigrants from non-white countries... countries, such as Africa, where the apostles of Christ were sent out to speak of His love... 

And it still is going on... In my opinion, the evangelical church and maybe others have made a deal with the devil...

Note that President Biden on May of 2021, already had action out of Congress and through his office related to Hate! If it is not already obvious to you...each of us as voters must vote OUT those who spew hate as truth... Do your research, does your candidate talk of help to all Americans...or hate and violence against anybody that does not belong to one religion...theirs! This is NOT the answer for America, in my opinion!

I am now reading this book, sample of answers coming next...

God Bless,

Gabbie

I am about my Father's Business

(this sentence was given to me this morning

to say at this important time)

Stalled in Writing the Constitution... Are We Once Again Stalled in Acting Upon It? If You Can Keep It By Eric Metaxas

,,,Franklin understood the inherent value of virtue in society, apart from what it was that made one virtuous, whether religion or simple cultural habit, or a combination of the two.

I believe this is a good historical perspective of the time and writing of the Constitution of America. It seems to cover most of the relevant issues, except... reality...

Today's Reality

People must understand that their responsibilities as citizens are so serious as to be vital to the democracy itself. If the voter is not voluntarily selfless to some extent, and does not merely think of himself but of others; and if he does not think just about the present, but about the future, it all falls apart over time. Self-government will not work unless the citizens bear the responsibility to vote in such a way that continues their freedoms and their ability to have free elections, that continues their economic prosperity. They have to vote in a way that does not trade the future for the present.

How long did it take us to get where we are today? Perhaps it lasted only for a short time? Or, perhaps a century later we begin to see how it really impacts us...

Two issues are dominant for your consideration.

Constructing the Constitution was not an easy task.  Yet it was created within 100 days! OK, let's face it, it is rare that anything substantive goes through Congress in as many days. Is that cause for alarm? I think so.

One of the issues was that of slavery... Many of those involved owned other people, called slaves. They were treated as less than human and for their representation? Well, that in itself is mind-boggling... You see, there was significant division among the members, specifically how slaves would be "counted..." Could it be that gerrymandering had already begun?

It was in fact the northern, antislavery states that wanted to put this in the document. That’s because the “slave states” selfishly and cynically wanted their powerless slaves to count toward their states’ official populations—so that these states would have more power in Congress. Because the number of representatives in the House of Representatives goes by a state’s population, counting slaves would give much more power to the slave states.

If slaves were counted, those who owned them would get more power, and of course, the slaves would get none. The northern free states knew that that was wrong. But in order to move ahead, they were forced to compromise, eventually deciding that the slavery states could count their slave populations as three fifths of what they had wanted. So quite contrary to what is often understood, the three-fifths clause was a hard-fought victory for the free states over the slave states. Like many compromises, it had its ugly side...

Could it be that, even after decades of continued disagreement, we are now even more so dealing with the issue of the Black vote, as many republican states are acting against what the constitution guarantees, so that they are making it harder and harder for many individuals, including black voters, to actually be counted in our elections? Lies are being used--the election was rigged, a fraud, and The Big Lie continues to this day as the former president and his republican supporters deny that the election could not possibly have been correct. As we know, the Black Vote for Biden carried him through to The Big Win... And every action which is being taken is an attempt to stop what the country clearly wants...

So what happened to get through the monumental disagreements that needed to be negotiated. Well, once again, the knowledge that God had a hand in what was happening turned the tide... Members began to concern themselves with the good of the many--the good of the country--rather than their own self or state's goals... And after getting it done, it was still not enough. Because, the words of the Constitution had to carry the United States into the future! Into 2020, 2022, and beyond...

If you are an American, you have tacitly agreed to join that group, to keep the republic Franklin spoke of that day. You might say that I’ve written this book to inform you of what you’ve gotten yourself into, because we really ought to know. In fact, if we haven’t known about this, and most of us have not, there has been a profound disconnect in our relationship with our country. If we Americans cease to know that we are part of that group charged with the terrible and wonderful burden of keeping this glorious promise, the promise is already being broken and will soon be irrevocably so...

That flame was passed from them to others, who passed it to others, who passed it to others—and it is at this moment in history in our hands, yours and mine. The burden of “keeping it,” as Franklin said, is excruciatingly important. And here is the main reason for that: Once it goes out, it goes out forever. If the flame given to us goes out, we not only lose the light ourselves forever but will also lose the ability to pass it along to all those others who are waiting for it. That is what makes keeping it so important and the thought of letting it go out so terrible and tragic...

A second issue considered was that of our country being seen across the world as a place where freedom existed. As a leader in the Creation and Ongoing liberty available here in America, even the French and other countries saw what was happening...and that is when "She" arrived on our shores... a gift from France highlighting the welcoming arms of America to immigrants from all countries...all nations...

We even shared words to that effect: Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor, Your Huddled Masses Yearning to be Free! And our arms have been opened for decades, for centuries... And so, as America we lifted our arms and hearts to those in need of support, just as we are doing for the Ukraine citizens who are being forced from a war led by an autocrat in a country that is not...free...

I hope you've learned enough about what this book provides--a look back at the beginning...and then moving on into specific issues of whether that democracy can exist forever... Right now, we are, perhaps, facing one of the most important times in our history.

“America is the only nation 

that is founded on a creed.”

America is still the only one that can be described that way? And yet it is. And the creed upon which it is founded is not a parochial creed but a universal one, declaring that all men are created equal and that government exists only by the consent of the governed. As President Truman put it, “Being an American is more than a matter of where you or your parents came from. It is a belief that all men are created free and equal.” This touches upon another way we are exceptional. We do not give preference based on one’s family or one’s race or beliefs. We are a merit-based society where people of every background can rise as they please. Of course, there are caveats to this idea, but the truth is nonetheless overwhelming.

~~~

So, right now, let's look at some of those caveats of today's history...

January 6th, The Insurrection!

https://youtu.be/otfPps9s8HM

Jews Will Not Replace us March in Virginia

White Supremacists

https://youtu.be/9Urp4Kn0XMQ

Trump/Sessions Separates Children from Parents

https://youtu.be/l7pyQphGoc0

Trump holds money back from Ukraine

https://youtu.be/zQxL6WE3Ob8

Impeachment 2

House Impeaches Trump for Obstruction...

https://youtu.be/pdI4cwaq0j0

Impeachment 1

Women Vote Against Trump for President

https://youtu.be/Nl-KPtcNdIc

Evangelicals Make a Deal with Trump

https://youtu.be/miROBFtuEYE

Trump Support Hurts Christianity

https://youtu.be/O5VTG1NRj-s

Let's again look at the main issue that allowed America to be formed... Religious Freedom. Consider this, Folks, Religion is what gave most us our moral code--the belief in and commitment to basic humanitarian goals. America became The United States of America... With One Creed: 

It is a belief that all men are created free and equal.” 

All are created Free and Equal

All are Created Free and Equal

All are Created Free and Equal

All are Created Free and Equal

So where does that leave us now? Well, here's what I see... The Caveats (a warning or proviso of specific stipulations, conditions, or limitations) Have Gotten Out of Control, especially in the last 5 years, but also starting within the 50 last years as stated by Metaxas.

Personally, I started watching when Trump was elected... I was one of those women across America that could not believe that a presidential candidate who talked about grabbing women's genitals, could also be running as a republican...Then talk about how many women have filed abuse suits against him, together with the two most prominent who became top news about his affairs... But that didn't seem to matter, especially to the Evangelical Christians... I kept digging, doing my research, and learned that a deal had been struck... Trump would support the issues of importance to Christians (whatever they were, certainly not the words of Christ who told us to love our neighbors)... and then he could do anything he wanted...

So, what do you think the creators of the Constitution did when they heard that? Yeah...they're turning over in their graves! I've included a series of videos above in case you want to check them out... It begins with the deal-- and moves upward until the Insurrection on January 6th... And the Christians apparently still support him, right?

Wrong...Not me! And many others... We took what America stood for... Our Creed: All...are Created Free and Equal. That means, to me, when Black athletes take a knee in protest because the legal system discriminates against Blacks...that I also take a knee...

That means when Jewish synagogues are attacked because of their religion or ethnic background...that also affects me and my creed... 

When lies are made to prevent those seeking asylum into America, even to the extent that children are taken from their parents...and lost in the system, where they are still being hunted...that affects me... 

And when the Justice System also tried to prevent the Mueller report from being accepted based on the truth...that vote to show guilt of impeachment for Obstruction of Justice is made by me because I believe in our Creed... 

And when money was held back from Ukraine, even though it was approved by Congress, then I also vote for impeachment 2... 

And surely you all know that I believe I voted correctly in the 2020 election, freely and in support of the Constitution... And condemn all those involved with the January 6th Insurrection... Because It is Not in support of our Creed.

One major thing I did have come out of reading this book. I became more of an American than I Ever Have Been. Because when you are confronted with the reality of what is happening in America--Right Now! Then you Must also face, that we no longer are considered free and equal... And until those who are doing what they are doing...STOP... America as a democracy cannot stand...

 

Thanks to all of you who have been reading my articles about the book, If You Can Keep It. This is my final article.

I am more convinced than ever that America is facing a crisis that is uniquely one that no other country can ever face... 

We have failed to keep freedom of religion as a right, a privilege, 

and the creed of America... 

Why Do I Say That...

Because it can't be both ways

We open our arms, our land to all, regardless of... 

ethnic or religious background

But, we apparently want Christianity as a State Religion?

No? then why are we allowing Non-Christians, as well as those of ethnic backgrounds to be Terrorized, with religious houses of worship being targeted by domestic terrorists... and the recipients of Violence, so that even the Capitol of our Nation can be Destroyed by Insurrection?

A Final Note:

I Am A Christian

And I do NOT support anything revealed in any of the Videos (and more)

America is my country, Not My Religion

I respect America's Creed to Ensure Ethnic and Religious Freedom for All!

\

When Everybody Can Speak of Liberty

Only Then Will We Stand as in Compliance

With the Creed

With the Constitution...

Are you Able to be a Constitutional American?

Lady Gaga Perform The National Anthem At Biden’s Inauguration 

Writing the Constitution... Completion Stalled - Continuing Discussion of Eric Metaxas' If You Can Keep It!

 

The Promise: 

Nothing is more wonderful than the art of being free, but nothing is harder to learn how to use than freedom.

—Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America

In the heart of Philadelphia, in a Georgian brick building that still stands, one of the most extraordinary events in the history of the world took place. There, in what is today called Independence Hall, over the course of about one hundred days in the summer of 1787, some of the most brilliant men of that or any other era created what would become the Constitution of a new country. They were creating the legal foundation for a form of government that had never been tried before; and they were creating the possibility—and the golden and glorious promise—of something called the United States of America.

The key to the entire book is given to readers on the very first page! Did you pick it out... Did you think to yourself, "I didn't know that..." I did, and so did the author. In fact, my guess is that the majority of Americans don't know. And those that do are into history--big time! The United States is the first-ever democracy in America!

One person knew--Martin Luther King, Jr., in his "I Have A Dream" speech spotlighted it... the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence before it constituted a “promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.”

Centuries have passed and much had been accomplished. However, the fact is that that promise had not been accomplished immediately. Dr. King did not see it... And it has still not been accomplished, has it?

I didn't know, because as far as I am aware, it was never highlighted in public schools.  So, what about our country was different? It was a simple fact that never sunk in to most of us. Yes, we are the first country to have actually established a democracy! By now, we all know that a democracy means freedom--freedom for all... But, really, Metaxas confirms that the goal, freedom for all, has not yet been accomplished. In fact, could it be that we are now in danger of ever accomplishing complete freedom for all? Or, can we say that there has been a major stall...

Each of us--each American is given the responsibility for creating, and sustaining freedom... So, how did the Founding Fathers determine that now was the time to begin to formalize and create a government that would oversee what was largely expanding and already had been governing ourselves at the local, colony level? Indeed, there were already power struggles by those who wanted...more... 

One key factor was that the Founding Fathers gathered... believed...

It was a nation held together by an idea and by citizens who bought into that idea. They were of different backgrounds and different religions. Some of them lived in Maine and others in Virginia and others in Georgia—and others in all the colonies in between. But they all were Americans because they voluntarily believed in that idea. That a nation could be held together by people believing in an idea was unprecedented, as I have said. It had never happened before... And the idea in which they believed was...

Liberty

And one of the reasons they believed was that they had gained experience... Decade upon decade showed that no matter that there were different ethnic groups, or religions, still there was no real division within the colonies established by that time. Self-governing became routine. To me, that was important. We needed the time to watch and see what was to happen in America. Would it fail? Or, would it succeed... And, the entire world was watching...

Still, there were so many issues and so many people who had immigrated from other countries.  What would enable a group of people to be trusted to govern themselves and then actually to do so? I wasn't surprised, but had not really considered the ramifications of what Metaxas carefully pointed out... Maybe that's why each citizen needs to learn what he says? For, perhaps, these days, as we ask the question, can democracy survive? We must undoubtedly turn to the present division among America... And we must also look as Ukraine, a democracy, is facing an autocratic leader of another country who is waging war on it citizens...simply because of power and greed. We all know it; we see it there. But do we also think, is this where America might end up? Fighting for a democracy that is no longer able to say that we are all self-governing...together...

So what enabled the Founding Fathers to trust we could be self-governing?

Religion

...Religious freedom was paramount. It was always understood that one’s religion was truly free, which is to say not coerced nor mandatory nor affiliated with the power of the state in any way. This was also unprecedented...

Let's look at this subject as it, first, relates to what happened.  What we know is that many who fled their countries for America was for religious freedom. It was the norm at that time that most countries named a specific religion for its population. What we also know, though, is that all religions in the world have a basic form of accountability. It is that which had already developed in us to love, to care for our neighbors, to be trustworthy, to follow the words of that religion to which we belong. So, while we as a nation wanted liberty, we also, in our religious lives, answered to a deity. Indeed most of our moral training came from gatherings and teachings of our religious groups. 

Here's my first "yes-but." The reason is very clear, at least for me, that we no longer have those basic moral beliefs. At this time in America, we have many who escaped for freedom from murder or worse, enslavement, and have been turned away. We know that all religions are no longer given liberty to worship... Muslims, Jews, and those with Eastern religious backgrounds are now being personally attacked... We know that groups such as Proud Boys, the KKK, White Supremacists, QAnon--specifically all those who conducted an insurrection on the United States Capitol, and many others, no longer are willing to share liberty, freedom... or especially religious liberty... in our democracy. Fortunately, they are not the majority of citizens in America, as evidenced by the last election. But politics for political power's sake is now running rampant in America, again, in my personal opinion...

So what happened when the Founding Fathers work stalled... The document had been written, but consensus could not come...

Next: A Stalled Body of Founding Fathers Moves Forward...

Hi Again, I hope you will feel comfortable enough to question, to respond, to share your thoughts about this book (or my interpretation of what was happening or is happening)! Jot them down, or leave thoughts or questions as comments!

God bless,

Glenda

Essentially Liberty and Temporary Safety -- by Erec Stebbins

Essentially Liberty and Temporary Safety

Benjamin Franklin,1759

“Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” –Ben Franklin

"Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001" is the official name of the USA PATRIOT ACT, or simply Patriot Act. This was the first in a series of laws in response to the attacks of 9/11 that sought to enhance the security of the United States in the face of increased threats from international and domestic terrorism. In seeking to increase security, there was a necessary sacrifice of freedoms and liberties, and it is this trade-off that has been at the heart of the vociferous debate about this bill, and related (and even more extreme) laws that have been passed subsequently.

 "Live Free or Die" might be a romantic mantra (and the motto of the State of New Hampshire) but Congress, and judging from polls and the lack of concerted protest to these laws, most Americans, would rather live and give up some "unalienable" rights to secure their safety. With the Patriot Act, and its subsequent renewals and amendments, US law enforcement and government agencies gained sweeping new powers over Americans and their lives and information.  

Discussions of these new powers are numerous, and I will not reiterate them here. The main point is not the use of such powers to identify and stop "the bad guys."  The dangers of giving government, law enforcement, and the military such power is the possibility, and, given the historical record, near certainty, that these powers will be abused and used against law abiding citizens to control them. That is why the US Constitution instigated a separation of powers, produced a Bill of Rights, and many of the founders were frankly paranoid about any power handed to governments.

The Patriot Act was the first stone tossed in an avalanche of security laws that have already led to abuses, been challenged as unconstitutional, and which, many argue, are antithetical to the ethos and founding philosophy of the nation.

Habeas corpus

This ancient term (dating back in English common law to at least 1305), from the Latin for "you may have your body", is a legal action through which a prisoner/detainee can be released from "unlawful" detention. Typically this would mean detention/arrest that lacks sufficient evidence/cause. It is one of the most basic of human rights, and one of the first to go when governments become tyrannical. Throwing "problematic" people into a dungeon is the most effective way to silence them and remove their threat to the ruling powers, short of killing them outright (see below for how this is now also on the American radar).  

In a nutshell, "a writ of habeas corpus" means you can't get tossed in jail without evidence or trial or appeal for release. Proponents of "indefinite detention" of suspected terrorists argue that the US Constitution does not specifically grant the right of Habeas corpus, but merely outlines the extreme case when the Congress is permitted to restrict it. This is based on the "Suspension Clause" of Article I, which states that:

"The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it."

Interestingly, in this over 200 year-old provision, we see the very conflict of rights and security we face today. As many have noted, the US Constitution is a "war constitution" in many ways, written under threat of violence and understanding the nature of rebellion. This clause essentially states that if the nation is invaded or there is a rebellion (as in the Civil War), Congress can throw out this right, which is essentially what it has done in such situations, and likely would be expected to do in general under such duress.

The question facing us now is this: Do we consider the threat of terrorism as "activating" this clause? Are potential terrorists in our midsts equivalent to a "rebellion" or "invasion"?  

Some obviously consider the answer to this "yes." Various laws, including the Patriot Act and others, have been interpreted by many to mean that they restrict the right of habeas corpus, and allow indefinite detention without due process. But these laws do not expressly suspend the writ. As per Wikipedia (the October 2013 version of the entry, anyway):

"Regardless of whether the writ is positively guaranteed by the constitution, habeas corpus was first established by statute in the Judiciary Act of 1789. However, in the cases of Immigration and Naturalization Service v. St. Cyr (2001),[2] and Boumediene v. Bush (2008)[3] the U.S. Supreme Court suggested that the Suspension Clause protects "the writ as it existed in 1789," that is, as a writ which federal judges could issue in the exercise of their common law authority."

One can get into a legal quagmire with all this, but the point is that, "indefinite detention" comes close to, or crosses the line of, suspending the right of habeas corpus. This means that when the government "decides" that you are a threat, you can be "disappeared," indefinitely.

Some progress in restoring the writ seemed to be had with the Supreme Court case 2008 case Boumediene v. Bush (7 years after 9/11 makes for long imprisonment) where detainees were granted by the Court the right to challenge their detention, but of course, the devil is in the details, and the detainees seem to be practically without recourse given how hard it is to have their cases even heard:

"But in the years since the decision, conservative judges on the DC Circuit have interpreted the law in a way that assumes many of the government's claims are true and don't have to be proven in court. By not taking any of these cases, the Supreme Court has ensured these stricter rules will prevail. Civil-libertarian groups say that essentially leaves detainees at Gitmo with habeas rights in name only, since the rules make it virtually impossible for detainees to win in court. A Seton Hall University School of Law report from May found that, prior to the DC Circuit's reinterpretation of the rules, detainees won 56 percent of cases. Afterwards, they won 8 percent." - Mother Jones, "Did the Supreme Court Just Gut Habeas Rights?"

Torture, a.k.a. "Enhanced Interrogation"

In the "good old days", or even in the former Soviet Union and too many tyrannical nation-states on the planet right now, once the King threw you in the dungeon because he didn't like you, he could then order all sorts of horrors to be perpetrated against your body and mind. Even for convicted criminals, the US Constitution shows where its heart lies, banning "cruel and unusual punishment."  

Enter indefinite detention of terror suspects - not convicted of any crimes via anything like due process - and "enhanced interrogation". Whenever we use euphemisms like this, you know something shady is involved: isolation, exposure to extreme temperatures, enclosure in tiny spaces, sleep deprivation, bombardment with agonizing sounds at extremely damaging decibel levels, repeated near drownings (a.k.a., "waterboarding"), religious and sexual humiliation, etc., and these are the ones that have made it to the light of day.  

It is hard to find any moral/ethical system, religion, or national constitution (including the US Constitution) that would have any support for the systematic torture of human beings: even for the nasties, tried and convicted felons. Our laws for prisons and capital punishment seek to minimize suffering. Why become the very things we are fighting?

"Many of my comrades were subjected to very cruel, very inhumane and degrading treatment -- a few of them even unto death. But every one of us, every single one of us knew and took great strength from the belief that we were different from our enemies, that we were better than them, that we, if the roles were reversed, would not disgrace ourselves by committing or countenancing such mistreatment of them.  That faith was indispensable not only to our survival but to our attempts to return home with honor. Many of the men I served with would have preferred death to such dishonor." Senator John McCain, PBS Newshour, Oct 6, 2005

It is particularly troubling that prisoners detained without trial, without due process, indefinitely, hidden from the public and light of day, can also then be subjected to torture. It is (for some) perhaps easier to dismiss it when one allows oneself the thought that it is only happening to "bad guys." What if innocents are involved? Does the government never make mistakes?  What if this power is abused now or in the future? The infrastructure and culture of torture is in place: can it be adapted to the political?

Do we trust our governments with such power?

Extraordinary Rendition

I'll just leave here a word-for-word from the Wikipedia entry:

"Extraordinary rendition and irregular rendition are terms used to describe the apprehension and extrajudicial transfer of a person from one state to another, and the term "torture by proxy" is used by some critics to describe situations in which the U.S. has purportedly transferred suspected terrorists to countries known to employ harsh interrogation techniques that may rise to the level of torture."

2012 Defense Authorization Act

This bill, signed into law by President Obama December 31, 2011, continues the troublesome march away from basic freedoms Americans have taken for granted. One could summarize the act as granting the federal government the right to arrest and indefinitely detain through military powers, prisons, and courts anyone it deemed a sufficient threat to the United States. Citizen, or non-citizen, arrested abroad or on American soil. Without trial. By the military.

While proponents argue that there are many restrictions and protections for inappropriate use of this law, the point is that even laws before this that granted far less powers to the government and military were often abused: one has to be concerned that now legalizing snatches of citizens, their arrest and detention without trial/due process indefinitely, all by the military outside of normal channels of law enforcement, could potentially lead us down a very dark path. Again, the worry is not that this power will be used to stop the monsters that kill and destroy, but that (1) the innocent will be dragged into the net, far more frequently than anyone will admit, and (2) the power will be abused for political purposes by the unethical.

Defense Authorization Act: Quotes Across the Political Spectrum

“It puts every single American citizen at risk.  We must stand up to tyranny disguised as security.” - Senator Rand Paul, (R-KY) 

"And what we are talking about here is that Americans could be subjected to life imprisonment without ever being charged, tried, or convicted of a crime, without ever having an opportunity to prove their innocence to a judge or a jury of their peers. And without the government ever having to prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.  I think that denigrates the very foundations of this country.” -Senator Al Franken, (D-Minn.)

"I would also point out that these provisions raise serious questions as to who we are as a society and what our Constitution seeks to protect." Senator Mark Udall, (D-Colo.)

"The constitutional right to due process is fundamental to individual liberty, and we must not sacrifice this right in the pursuit of perceived greater security. Without freedom there is no security." Senator Michael Lee, (R-UT)

"Congress is signing its own arrest warrants."  - Naomi Wolf

The Obama/Holden Doctrine

Perhaps one of the most shocking corollaries derived from the host of new security laws passed over the last decade can be summed up in the opinions put forth by Obama's Attorney General Eric Holder in 2012: namely, that the government is legally empowered to kill US citizens without due process. From Holder's speech to the University of Michigan:

"Let me be clear: an operation using lethal force in a foreign country, targeted against a U.S. citizen who is a senior operational leader of al Qaeda or associated forces, and who is actively engaged in planning to kill Americans, would be lawful...'Due process' and 'judicial process' are not one and the same, particularly when it comes to national security. The Constitution guarantees due process, not judicial process."

"The President and his underlings are your accuser, your judge, your jury and your executioner all wrapped up in one, acting in total secrecy and without your even knowing that he’s accused you and sentenced you to death, and you have no opportunity even to know about, let alone confront and address, his accusations; is that not enough due process for you?" - Glenn Greenwald

While it will always be the case that there will be needs to act against real nasties in fast ways, no matter who they are, it is another thing altogether to enshrine a doctrine that some have called "state-sponsored assassination". Killing an individual is the surest way to silence them. We are putting enormous trust in the government to act virtuously, basically trusting them with our lives and the lives of those we care about. More to the point, we are putting trust not "in the government", but in specific people who often make decisions in highly secretive ways that are poorly subjected to "checks and balances". One of the main ideas behind the Bill of Rights and the Constitution is that generally we CANNOT trust people to wield such power over others.

The New Obama Math

Male + military-aged + blown up by US drone = Dead Military Combatant. More slippery slope.

To get a taste (bitter) of how this Orwellian process might go, consider the redefinition of causalities in drone strikes:

Mr. Obama embraced a disputed method for counting civilian casualties that did little to box him in. It in effect counts all military-age males in a strike zone as combatants, according to several administration officials, unless there is explicit intelligence posthumously proving them innocent. - "Secret Kill List", NYTimes, May 29, 2012

Given that the Kill Lists are all Secret, and everything I've mentioned above that makes all decisions of life and death behind closed doors, without trials, and in the hands of a few, it's the final straw that they are adding in "get out of jail free cards" to wash their hands of the death (and torture, and wrongful imprisonment) of innocents.

And the "posthumous exoneration" has got to be entered into whatever official Orwellian dictionary there is. Stephen Colbert sums it up well:

"Now, folks. Now this isn't just the president executing innocent people around the world by fiat. There is an appeals process. The men are considered terrorist unless there is explicit intelligence posthumously proving them innocent. In which case, I assume there is a legal process that unkills them." Stephen Colbert, Two Birds with One Drone

Dangerous Synergy

For me, it is the pattern, the working together, of all these different new laws that is the most concerning.

Think about this: it is now legal/approved/justified for the government, or specific branches of the government, to declare anyone (you!) an "enemy combatant" (or whatever terminology is used), to do this WITHOUT trial or due process, behind closed and secretive doors, authorize your "extrajudicial" arrest/snatch/rendition based on this (even using the power of the US military), throw you in a dungeon (or Guantanamo, or some other hell hole anywhere in the world), and for as long as they want (no phone call, no lawyer, no trial) where they can torture you. There is nothing you or anyone else can do about it. Or, if it's their druthers, they can simply just murder you with flying robots.  

With the recent clearance to start using drones in America, the lines between operations abroad and at home could dissolve. While there has been some push back from Congress to limit drone use, it is unclear where all of this is going to end up. The military is certainly pushing for unrestricted flights of drones in the national air space, and given the powers granted to the military to act secretly even in the US in the war on terror, the use of drones is a concern.

“Without the ability to operate freely and routinely in the NAS, UAS development and training — and ultimately operational capabilities — will be severely impacted.” - Senate Armed Services Committee, report on the FY2013 defense authorization bill

Are robot missions to spy on and eliminate enemy combatant threats on American soil a possible future? And will the determination of who those threats are and what is to be done continue to be made secretly, without due process, with "baseball cards" in the Oval Office? And if they screw up, if you and your family members are blown back to God, will all of you (males at least!) simply be marked down for future generations as "enemy combatants" anyway?

People are marching on Washington complaining that the government is too big and powerful for requiring them to pay into pension and medical trust funds.  Funny - I'd rather give the government the power to tax me and create a medical fund than to kill me without trial with a robot if they don't like me.

Why aren't people marching about the powers we are ceding to our (at present) elected officials that allow them to label us, arrest and detain us indefinitely without trial, and kill us if they decide to?

I don't know about you, but the potential for horrific abuses in this loss of rights is terribly disturbing. Is the price of "security" worth it? 

Are we secure from our own government now?

--Erec