I am fairly certain that Donald Trump is guilty of many felony crimes, since the evidence is pretty overwhelming. But I would be disgusted to see video of him in some Central American hell hole, bent over double, in prison stripes, with his head shaved, while AOC in a busty outfit and $50K Rolex, flanked by two hunky male immigration agents, smugly winks at the camera while holding her phallic automatic weapon. What we're witnessing is just cruelty porn, and it's inappropriate for anyone, but especially Christians. And where is the due process that is the foundation of justice in this country? Oh, wait, that would be *toxic* due process.
No human being deserves to be treated like that by another human being. I am aware that many of CECOT's Salvadoran inmates are truly menaces to society. But when society does this, they are no better than the menace they are incarcerating. If I truly believe that all men are created by God, that he knew them in their mother's womb, if I am seeing the world through God's eyes and not my own, it becomes obvious that CECOT is an evil place. Jesus told us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us.
I was very disheartened to see this. You know that MANY of Trump's actions are evil and unjust. Likewise Noem. You have indicated as much.
Why this poster who is trying to justify evil should be given any kind of platform, or even the time of day is beyond me. It does not do anyone any service to put his own tolerance of evil on display.
That's a good pushback. I probably could have given the gist of his message without sharing the whole thing. Thanks for pointing that out. I want to help people to answer that sort of thing, because it's a common thing that people say, but I didn't need to share the actual words.
Like many days, yesterday was another tough one. I was really driven to some despair about the continuing saga of the Maryland father and legal US resident -- Kilmar Abrego Garcia -- who the MAGA regime admits was wrongly arrested and flown to the one country a court order demanded he should NOT be sent to.
And now, the MAGA regime claims they have no way of undoing their mistake. At least, that's how they are playing it -- as they play with our legal system.
I've been immersing myself these past months in the philosophies of people like Hannah Arendt, Simone Weil, Carl Rogers, Carl Jung, and many others. It goes back to the matter of "attention." There is a quality of attention that is tied to the sacred. Your posting gave me the insight -- having slept on it -- of proper attention and improper attention. The last thing we want to do, IMO, is to elevate that MAGA poster's celebration of evil into the realm of the sacred.
I agree with one of your prior videos that we have to speak out against MAGA's evil when we see it. The other key insight is that when we give proper attention to things, and reach a kind of spiritual reckoning with them, we are also able to achieve the kind of "empathy" that the adversary finds so threatening and toxic. Thank you for providing a space for my thoughts.
I believe that now that the "mistake" has been uncovered, they are playing the delay game to allow that prison to do their dirty work. I fear that by just being there this father and husband will be killed in some action by either officials of the prison or the inmates. Then it will never be uncovered what happened and the Trump administration will display another shiny object to distract and Garcia will simply drift into the dark shadows of history never to be heard from again.
Trump recently said he'd obey an order from the Supreme Court to get him back. (In their 9-0 decision affirming the lower court, the Court did essentially that.)
"I will only do the right thing if the Supreme Court orders me to."
My church teaches us that Jesus believed in "distributive" justice, meaning a fair distribution of the gifts of the earth freely given to all by God. You might enjoy Walter Wink's discussion of the verse about turning the other cheek in his book The Powers That Be Theology for a New Millennium. It will still be a little too liberal for you at this time, but you have come a long way. Much to your credit! Very impressive growth and maturity, especially as you are being so honest in public. My development has been/is similar to yours, but I did not show the whole world my process. I admire your courage and humility. You allow me to continue to believe in the evolution of consciousness. Thanks from an old lady in her mid 80s.
The bible says nothing about empathy or compassion being a sin, so, I don't know what sort of book the CINO's or Christians in name only, are reading from.
Looking forward, an authoritarian does not stop at the ones the crowd cheers on as meeting ‘justice’. Dear Leader will keep taking it to the next group and the next group and the next person - until it’s one of us!
Sometimes when some are not as close to God’s feelings and walk as you and others are, they just don’t see or feel how some things MUST be released in the Name of Christ Jesus.
I feel that one of the biggest failures of the Christian church is to be silent when these pseudo Christian’s present actions and behaviors that are clearly contrary to the teachings of Christ as “Christian.” It is causing a revulsion toward christianity. These people are not Christian’s because they do NOT FOLLOW the teachings of Christ. Thank you for your words and ideas.
Which human trafficking he wants to build a resort there and they El Salvadorian economy is not doing well and it's not surprising he hangs out with traffickers he released that guy from prison the silk road who's a human trafficker and drug dealer but yet he's cracking down on drugs cartels how does that work
For most of us empathy is not toxic. It plays a vital role in smoothing and encouraging successful relationships and interactions.
When people exhibit behaviors showing a lack of empathy they are “unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others”. This brain deficit has the potential to produce dangerous leaders and citizens who struggle to relate to and understand others. Cruelty, bullying, contempt and impatience with people who show vulnerability result when people lacking empathy disparage others or view them as weak (losers not winners). People lacking empathy can appear arrogant, haughty, disdainful and patronizing. These are not qualities that are useful for an effective and fit leader. Also killing animals unnecessarily is an unfortunate warning sign.
We reveal our true nature by the way we treat the vulnerable in our midst. This includes those found guilty of a crime and sentenced to judgement in the justice system. The Justice system is there NOT for retribution, but for protection of society from criminals. To accomplish this, some forms of punishment are an unfortunate necessity in order to present a firm deterrent to crime. But we LIMIT the degree of punishment to not be in excess of the offence given by the crime. (an eye for an eye AT MOST). Hence, the law. RETRIBUTION is specifically reserved for GOD to dispense, not for people. (When Trump says "I am your retribution" that is BLASPHEMY!!! Christians should not support this!) PLUS, if we are giving judgement for a crime upon anyone, we must be very careful to ensure that their guilt is certain. Otherwise, we are the ones guilty of a heinous crime against that person. In that case, the guilty person(s) that sat in judgement, may never face justice here on earth, but be assured: God will not be mocked. HE will repay. And then you yourself will be the one facing justice at the hands of an angry, righteous God. Be very careful what treatment you approve of for prisoners, especially when the person has not even been convicted of any crime. There is something deeply wrong when Christians approve, like Saul, of punishment meted out unjustly without due process... and in a way not even allowed by the law of the land (Cruelty). ESPECIALLY when given to an innocent person.
Anyone else notice that this “party of masculinity” sends mostly women to report on their most vengeful, hateful and cruel policies and practices?
They use the “pretty” monsters to break the bad news.
Think about it. What if it was Tom Homan dressed in designer jeans, wearing a Rolex with a toupee, with fresh Botox and lip filler standing in front of shirtless abductees?
Yep, they know how to appeal to their base alright.
I mention this because we need to recognize that Republicans are ALWAYS messaging to their base. Our outrage about it?…well, that is just a bonus.
She literally works for a criminal - someone found guilty of fraud and liable for sexual assault. He also instigated an insurrection and hid classified docs in his bathroom. Now he is defying court orders. How does she not see the blatant hypocrisy?
I am fairly certain that Donald Trump is guilty of many felony crimes, since the evidence is pretty overwhelming. But I would be disgusted to see video of him in some Central American hell hole, bent over double, in prison stripes, with his head shaved, while AOC in a busty outfit and $50K Rolex, flanked by two hunky male immigration agents, smugly winks at the camera while holding her phallic automatic weapon. What we're witnessing is just cruelty porn, and it's inappropriate for anyone, but especially Christians. And where is the due process that is the foundation of justice in this country? Oh, wait, that would be *toxic* due process.
No human being deserves to be treated like that by another human being. I am aware that many of CECOT's Salvadoran inmates are truly menaces to society. But when society does this, they are no better than the menace they are incarcerating. If I truly believe that all men are created by God, that he knew them in their mother's womb, if I am seeing the world through God's eyes and not my own, it becomes obvious that CECOT is an evil place. Jesus told us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us.
I am pretty certain that DJT is guilty of felonies as well, not in small part because he stands CONVICTED of crimes that prove him a felon
Yes, good point!
I was very disheartened to see this. You know that MANY of Trump's actions are evil and unjust. Likewise Noem. You have indicated as much.
Why this poster who is trying to justify evil should be given any kind of platform, or even the time of day is beyond me. It does not do anyone any service to put his own tolerance of evil on display.
That's a good pushback. I probably could have given the gist of his message without sharing the whole thing. Thanks for pointing that out. I want to help people to answer that sort of thing, because it's a common thing that people say, but I didn't need to share the actual words.
Like many days, yesterday was another tough one. I was really driven to some despair about the continuing saga of the Maryland father and legal US resident -- Kilmar Abrego Garcia -- who the MAGA regime admits was wrongly arrested and flown to the one country a court order demanded he should NOT be sent to.
And now, the MAGA regime claims they have no way of undoing their mistake. At least, that's how they are playing it -- as they play with our legal system.
I've been immersing myself these past months in the philosophies of people like Hannah Arendt, Simone Weil, Carl Rogers, Carl Jung, and many others. It goes back to the matter of "attention." There is a quality of attention that is tied to the sacred. Your posting gave me the insight -- having slept on it -- of proper attention and improper attention. The last thing we want to do, IMO, is to elevate that MAGA poster's celebration of evil into the realm of the sacred.
I agree with one of your prior videos that we have to speak out against MAGA's evil when we see it. The other key insight is that when we give proper attention to things, and reach a kind of spiritual reckoning with them, we are also able to achieve the kind of "empathy" that the adversary finds so threatening and toxic. Thank you for providing a space for my thoughts.
I believe that now that the "mistake" has been uncovered, they are playing the delay game to allow that prison to do their dirty work. I fear that by just being there this father and husband will be killed in some action by either officials of the prison or the inmates. Then it will never be uncovered what happened and the Trump administration will display another shiny object to distract and Garcia will simply drift into the dark shadows of history never to be heard from again.
Trump recently said he'd obey an order from the Supreme Court to get him back. (In their 9-0 decision affirming the lower court, the Court did essentially that.)
"I will only do the right thing if the Supreme Court orders me to."
"The death of human empathy is one of the earliest and most telling signs of a culture about to fall into barbarism." -- Hannah Arendt
If true, this is nothing anyone should be trifling with.
Too bad they weren’t there to advise Jesus about toxic empathy. 🙄
My church teaches us that Jesus believed in "distributive" justice, meaning a fair distribution of the gifts of the earth freely given to all by God. You might enjoy Walter Wink's discussion of the verse about turning the other cheek in his book The Powers That Be Theology for a New Millennium. It will still be a little too liberal for you at this time, but you have come a long way. Much to your credit! Very impressive growth and maturity, especially as you are being so honest in public. My development has been/is similar to yours, but I did not show the whole world my process. I admire your courage and humility. You allow me to continue to believe in the evolution of consciousness. Thanks from an old lady in her mid 80s.
Beautiful comment, thank you for sharing.
The bible says nothing about empathy or compassion being a sin, so, I don't know what sort of book the CINO's or Christians in name only, are reading from.
It’s called Project 2025
Looking forward, an authoritarian does not stop at the ones the crowd cheers on as meeting ‘justice’. Dear Leader will keep taking it to the next group and the next group and the next person - until it’s one of us!
Why is insisting that people have a chance of a day in court, ' toxic'
Sometimes when some are not as close to God’s feelings and walk as you and others are, they just don’t see or feel how some things MUST be released in the Name of Christ Jesus.
I feel that one of the biggest failures of the Christian church is to be silent when these pseudo Christian’s present actions and behaviors that are clearly contrary to the teachings of Christ as “Christian.” It is causing a revulsion toward christianity. These people are not Christian’s because they do NOT FOLLOW the teachings of Christ. Thank you for your words and ideas.
There are a lot of people calling it out, Judith. It saddens me to see that the majority of evangelicals voted for this.
Which human trafficking he wants to build a resort there and they El Salvadorian economy is not doing well and it's not surprising he hangs out with traffickers he released that guy from prison the silk road who's a human trafficker and drug dealer but yet he's cracking down on drugs cartels how does that work
For most of us empathy is not toxic. It plays a vital role in smoothing and encouraging successful relationships and interactions.
When people exhibit behaviors showing a lack of empathy they are “unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others”. This brain deficit has the potential to produce dangerous leaders and citizens who struggle to relate to and understand others. Cruelty, bullying, contempt and impatience with people who show vulnerability result when people lacking empathy disparage others or view them as weak (losers not winners). People lacking empathy can appear arrogant, haughty, disdainful and patronizing. These are not qualities that are useful for an effective and fit leader. Also killing animals unnecessarily is an unfortunate warning sign.
Thank you for your compassionate message.
We reveal our true nature by the way we treat the vulnerable in our midst. This includes those found guilty of a crime and sentenced to judgement in the justice system. The Justice system is there NOT for retribution, but for protection of society from criminals. To accomplish this, some forms of punishment are an unfortunate necessity in order to present a firm deterrent to crime. But we LIMIT the degree of punishment to not be in excess of the offence given by the crime. (an eye for an eye AT MOST). Hence, the law. RETRIBUTION is specifically reserved for GOD to dispense, not for people. (When Trump says "I am your retribution" that is BLASPHEMY!!! Christians should not support this!) PLUS, if we are giving judgement for a crime upon anyone, we must be very careful to ensure that their guilt is certain. Otherwise, we are the ones guilty of a heinous crime against that person. In that case, the guilty person(s) that sat in judgement, may never face justice here on earth, but be assured: God will not be mocked. HE will repay. And then you yourself will be the one facing justice at the hands of an angry, righteous God. Be very careful what treatment you approve of for prisoners, especially when the person has not even been convicted of any crime. There is something deeply wrong when Christians approve, like Saul, of punishment meted out unjustly without due process... and in a way not even allowed by the law of the land (Cruelty). ESPECIALLY when given to an innocent person.
Anyone else notice that this “party of masculinity” sends mostly women to report on their most vengeful, hateful and cruel policies and practices?
They use the “pretty” monsters to break the bad news.
Think about it. What if it was Tom Homan dressed in designer jeans, wearing a Rolex with a toupee, with fresh Botox and lip filler standing in front of shirtless abductees?
Yep, they know how to appeal to their base alright.
I mention this because we need to recognize that Republicans are ALWAYS messaging to their base. Our outrage about it?…well, that is just a bonus.
Would be nice if you made sense in what you posted!
She literally works for a criminal - someone found guilty of fraud and liable for sexual assault. He also instigated an insurrection and hid classified docs in his bathroom. Now he is defying court orders. How does she not see the blatant hypocrisy?