Willie was a Wisconsin Synod Lutheran. That's the synod that considers the Pope to be the antichrist. Kind of a risky attitude to have, wouldn't you say? I know this was a fact as of a few years ago. I wonder if they've moderated, considering that churches are getting more challenged in keeping their flock. Just like colleges? Well we are certainly feeling the stresses here in Morris.
Seems like the old mainstream Christian churches - you might say "middle of the road" - are feeling the pinch. It might be top-of-mind here in Morris because of what's going on with First Lutheran and Federated. Well of course they're pairing - arguably quite odd when you consider they are from different denominations.
Shall I say "irregular?" How about "weird?"
I don't know how Willie's old Wisconsin Synod church is doing. Didn't Michele Bachmann have to leave the Wisconsin Synod because of the Pope thing? I'm not sure our Assumption Church feels threatened by that. And then we have the old "Missouri Synod." But the most committed Christian churches now are the ones that put on the most "conservative" front. Very zealous, you might say.
It's nice being zealous up to a point. It's the political aspect of all that zeal that really concerns me. What exactly was wrong with First Lutheran and Federated in their heyday? They were easy-going and did not want to shake things up or rattle cages. If you had some "radical" ideas yourself, that was your business. You were entitled to that. But the churches themselves had a temperate and restrained approach to things.
You could say the same thing about "conservatives" of a past time. Even though conservatives had their ideals much like today, they wanted life to proceed on an even keel for everyone. No uncomfortable boat-rocking. They felt relaxed in this attitude even when they weren't getting their way all the time. But today the conservative people are defined by a certain stripe - they insist that they always get their way and they try trampling on everyone who gets in their way.
This drive of theirs has become intertwined with how they define their Christian faith. It is not my Christian faith. I'll still try to call myself a Christian because I believe that at its core, it is a gentle and forgiving faith.
If any of the people at the super-conservative churches of Stevens County would just visit First Lutheran or Federated for a typical service, how could they object to anything? There is nothing but a gentle and loving attitude coming from these places. But many people insist on being "hardcore" instead.
Can they please tell us where this is leading us? We have the crusader Donald Trump leading his masses of zealots who proclaim Christianity. I do not wish to have anything to do with them. I could remain as a member of First Lutheran for what that's worth, and the worth appears to have imploded. First Lutheran has gotten diminished so far it cannot stand on its own.
So we have to blend in with the Methodists? Nothing against the Methodists. I really haven't dived in to look into that denomination. Yes I could do that. But I did not like getting forced into this partnership with the Methodists. Remember Rev. Jerry Hankins at Federated? Federated seemed totally viable in those days. First Lutheran stayed on its feet.
Then the unraveling set in, coincidentally or not in conjunction with the rise of Trump and MAGA in symbolizing so much of American Christianity. Such absolute fools, such lemmings. To consider DJT as "God's chosen instrument," this man who has been found responsible in a legitimate legal proceeding for sexual assault. Judge Lewis Kaplan out East determined that DJT's misbehavior could be equated with rape.
Conservatives normally don't like accused people "getting off on technicalities." They're fine with Trump catching a break because of a technicality. Because to them Trump can do no wrong. They can picture Trump walking hand-in-hand with Jesus.
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| This is grotesque |
The people who I try to advise are such smart people. It's hard for me to wrap my arms around. The many conservative or so-called "strict" churches of Stevens County have people who wouldn't consider for a moment voting for a Democrat.
For years we had Collin Peterson as congressman here. The new reality set in with his image torn down, while he himself suddenly tried to campaign like he wasn't even a Democrat. It didn't help he was "caught" having posed for a picture with Nancy Pelosi, shoulder-to-shoulder with both sporting a pleasant smile. It was curtains for ol' Collin.
Now we have Michelle Fischbach who wouldn't disagree with Donald Trump on any little thing. This is cult-like devotion.
Eric Trump has said of his family "we're saving Christianity, we're saving God."
"No Kings?" We're not even talking a "king" here, certainly not a mortal king. He has become like a deity sent by our Lord, a Jesus-like figure although I personally think Jesus would be revulsed by Trump. Well that's my opinion. The people of all the super-conservative churches of Stevens County would pile on versus me for saying that.
Would they say to my face that I'm going to hell? Well I have no church now. Maybe my odds of salvation are diminished.
I can't for the life of me imagine God looking down from the heavens and "rooting" for Trump.
Trump is threatening grocery stores that might want to give discounts to EBT card holders at the present time. Is this a meaningful threat? The punishment would be for such stores to lose their standing for processing EBT cards. But as I asked in a comment to Yahoo! News, what if it's the only grocery store in a small town? Where would people go? Why increase the suffering of so many people? Isn't this obviously non-Christ-like?
You can point out things like this but you cannot persuade the Trump people. Jay Thomas of WDAY Radio-Fargo won't budge, ever. He commented a few days ago on the people who were criticizing Trump's big new ballroom addition to the White House. Thomas said the people airing this criticism were only doing so because they "don't like" Trump. I hear such statements and I have to work to stay calm.
Trump critics are never allowed to feel like they might have a rational thought. The opposite is in fact true.
The critics of Trump are in fact wholly dispassionate and rational. But I guess Jay Thomas knows who his audience is. He seeks to keep doing well professionally. Dispense with logic.
We persevere. Jesus said "love your enemies AND pray for those who persecute you." I think Willie Martin went along with that.
Addendum: Can't you all just see that Trump has been a flim-flam man all along? Why so Pollyannish?
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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