Like Pope Francis, Democrat Questions if Trump is a Christian

I have relatives in Sweden - first world country, envy of the world as a "socialist success" (right??)...

We have to send them a care package at least once a year, b/c they can't afford to buy new clothes for their son. Our relative is a carpenter, and only works sporadically b/c their economy is very static.

Couple things to understand about Sweden...

1) It is not socialist. Their corporations are privately held companies

2) Their economy has no growth. Because of their crazy high taxation, and heavy government regulation, the business environment is stagnant with little opportunity for startups and innovation.

3) Their population, until recently when they began to import refugees and migrants, was very homogeneous.

Everyone was white, blond haired, and blue eyed. Everyone spoke the same language, and everyone shared the same culture and values.

Now that they are beginning to deliberately diversify (a huge mistake) they are beginning to see the dark side of that equation. Crime is up, violent crime is up, social discord is causing problems, entire areas of cities are now "no go zones" for native swedes.

4) The populations of these nordic countries is very small. Sweden's population is less than the state of Michigan.

5) Traditionally, they are healthier as a people b/c of their homogeneous population and their diets are much better than ours. So their healthcare costs tend to be lower than ours.

There are many other factors in play of course, but the bottom line is - trying to compare the U.S. to a nordic country is apples and oranges.

 

It wasn't a mistake, it was done deliberately and with intent.

People and groups that liberals and the left are always opposed to, "conservative, patriotic" groups, fought hard to prevent those attacks to pervert America's public education curriculum.

The things that liberals, progressives, and leftists believe today in the United States are the fruit of that poisonous tree.

I used to work with Ezola Foster She was a retired teacher from Los Angeles, author, and VP candidate as Pat Buchanan's running mate. She fought the liberal Establishment her whole life to stop the evisceration of the public school curriculum.

The Department of Education is one of the worst things to ever happen to this country.

 

One would have to understand christian values to be able to identify someone as having christian values, so what democrats might say has no relevance.

 

I just wanted to respond to a few of your items above.
1. Socialism can & does take many forms. Modern socialism as practiced in much of Europe, can & does allow privately held companies & corporations. To deny that is inaccurate & misleading.
3. You may be right on this. For sure, the recent influx of massive migrations from N Africa & the Middle East have certainly caused stress & disruption--not only in Sweden, but across Europe. It is a difficult issue to address & solve.
4.Again, you may have a point here. Americans generally don't eat healthy, and that certainly contributes to the cost of health care. But the overall record for healthcare is better in all countries that have universal coverage than here in America, and much of that can be attributed to universal access & care not based on profit margins.

 

I am a liberal Democrat, & I strongly support re-activating the teaching of Civics in public schools nationwide. I've been a liberal for decades & have NEVER heard a fellow liberal say they wanted Civics dropped from public school curriculums. I disagree with your blaming liberals for this educational travesty. I predict if you try working with liberals in your community to get Civics reinstated, you'll get lots of support from them.

 

So, you believe Democrats can't be Christians?

 

Had to make time for making kids feel special and teach them how many genders there are

 

Not "Republican" Christians. Like "Republican" scientists who only deny the clear evidence in favor of some impulsive anti-intellectual reaction to reality. Evangelical support for Trump is viewed as an abomination among faithful Christians. These sociopathic bigots only disguise themselves as Christians in the same manner they claim to be patriots. Utter impostors and why they are totally rejected in states like California, the most populous/ influential region in the nation.

 

California is not a good example of voting based on intelligence.

 

California Republicans are beside themselves. To publicly express support for Trump only brings unlimited shame/ alienation. I encourage them to go ahead and move to a deep Red state like Alabama/ Kansas but they get all equivocal around sunset. California represents 12% of the U.S. population and has incredible influence on the world. We do not vote for Republicans and with Trump in office the GOP has essentially closed up shop and moved on. Good riddance.

 

As I pointed out on the welfare issue we were discussing, rank and file liberals do not design, implement, and knowingly advance the destructive agenda.

The agenda and how to implement it comes from the policy making level of the Establishment.

Similar to the welfare issue, rank and file liberals are well intentioned, but they are still carrying water for the elite.

 

California is blue because Democrats promise services to migrants in exchange for their votes.

 

So where do you assign responsibility for California's woes??

Several municipalities have gone bankrupt, with many more to follow.

LA is going to go bankrupt, public pension funds are underfunded and are going to fail, and the state as a whole is going to go bankrupt.

California, for all its beauty and abundant natural resources is now exporting people. More people are leaving the state than moving to it.

Who's to blame??

 

Not true and if you look at the demographics all economic groups vote Democrat. The only constituency for Republicans is rural/ farm counties That wasn't the case several decades ago when Republicans had respect but long gone since the GOP takeover by nationalistic Trumped-up Republicans. It can't get worse for the GOP but probably will.

 

California has the strongest economy of any state and ranks 5th in the world. Without California, America would suffer.

 

You didn't answer my question.

I know the size of California's economy and population.

And yet, she is destined to fail - why?? Who's to blame??

 

I could name several other states that could qualify for that distinction.

 

In taking the current political cross-section, I think they present no visible christian values. I've been hoping- expecting- to see old-time democrats who had respectable values step up and speak out.
It's been a long wait, and it ain't happening. Not just Christian values..... not seeing much in the way of American values, or honorable values that would be common to any man or woman with self-respect.
That is both disappointing and very sad.

I have no doubt there are still good democrats; there are good and bad in every affiliation. If there are- they are apparently afraid of the radicals among them. When that happens, it's time to separate yourself from a group who has left your own values behind.

 

Well said.

 

I believe it has been mostly under conservative politicians that schools have had their funding cut forcing them to eliminate Civics classes. Of course, once deleted, the Democrats didn't reinstate them later, so they are to blame also.

 

Interesting post. But it left me wondering exactly what kind of values you're referring to. As a Democrat & a liberal, I feel the party & our candidates reflect a great many positive values by supporting healthcare for all, a minimum wage to protect those least fortunate, dealing with global warming to protect the planet on which we all depend for our very lives, making the tax codes more responsive to middle & lower classes, etc. Please clarify the values you see lacking in us as Americans and as possible Christians. I am confused & would welcome a clarification.

 

OK.....

The facts is that we are who we make ourselves to be- by the choices we make in life, the values we respect, the determination we have to excel, the degree of self-discipline we are willing to use- and several more personal qualities. While many think they are leaves blowing in the wind- others realize that if they get their butts in the drivers seat of their own life, anything is possible.

I'm not saying it's easy- but finding you unique skills and making the most of yourself far exceeds any other option.
Life is a long chain of decisions, which nobody but you can control. Take an indy car race. Thousands of decisions take place in the 50 miles. The person who makes the least comes in first. The second place finisher made perhaps one more errors; the third perhaps one more than the second. The person who refuses to make decisions- was never in the race in the first place. WHO is to blame for that?

If a person want's nothing in life, that's fine with me. However when he wants something and expects the rest of us to provide it for him- that is no longer acceptable.

Christian values where others who may be needy are charitable, things we do by CHOICE, things we give to those whom we believe are deserving, and will be aided by them- not enabled to remain dependent indefinitely. When I give someone my help, it is my money, my choice. When political forces plot to take my money and use it to bribe unmotivated people into voting for them to get more free stuff.... Those people demonstrate they have no respectable values at all, and that they really don't give a damn about the people they are conning with the promise that somebody else will pay.

Nobody is happy in life without some dignity and self-respect. You can't buy that. Nobody can give it to you- you MUST earn it. When I refuse to give a desperate addict (addicted to drugs or to spending other people's money) more money so that they can continue to be addicted- I've done them a great dis-service. When my government make me do that, they have done both me and the dependent person a great dis-service.

Humans are opportunistic and will take the easy way- especially, humans who have no concept of personal pride, of dignity, of self-respect. To those who have those things- little is more valuable, they are the difference in living and just existing. I shall never, by choice, deprive any person of those things, nor stand in the way of their pursuit of them.

 

I don't believe Trump is a Christian, other than in name only. I also don't think that, besides maybe Buttigieg, that any of the dems running for President are Christian either.

 

First, thank you for responding to my question in such detail. That was helpful, and I appreciate it. Second, I totally agree with you regarding the fact that we are all where we are in life BECAUSE of choices we all made as individuals throughout our lives. You are obviously mature enough & responsible enough to accept that truth for your own life, and I commend you for it. I agree with most of your post. Except, I don't share your hostility toward those less able to recognize their own ability to control their own lives, &/or less able to take personal responsibility for it. Personally, I believe in reincarnation, which allows us all to continue returning to physical reality as long as necessary for us to learn the myriad of difficult lessons required to "graduate" from Earth life. Each of us is somewhere on that long progressive path, but we all have our failures along the way. To be harsh & judgmental toward those less advanced than ourselves, is not--in my view--the best way to advance our own quest. In former lives, we may have been exactly where they are now. Lending a helping hand to them--even if it comes thru the dictates of government--might be the best way to help them & help ourselves, in the long view. Hard love & soft love will each reach & help some of those in need. Neither reaches all. We probably need some combination of the two, plus some wisdom, to do the best job. From my personal perspective, we are all here for the same reason. Because of that, we all deserve the consideration, understanding & patience of others around us. But to get that from others, we must be willing to give it to others. I am.

 

When I discovered the answers that changed my life- and I had been searching for nearly 20 years when I did- it came in minutes, and was crystal clear. Everything changed. I knew I had pure treasure, and thought I could give that treasure to others and help huge numbers; in part because it was so ridiculously simple I could write it on a business card. So for three years, Made a living marketing my special knowledge commercially to business- and doing classes and seminars for free to the ordinary people. Did them for drug addiction programs and many other similar groups. What I found was really disappointing, in that the people who needed these secrets the most simply weren't willing to consider making changes. They expected you to prove the accuracy of what you said- using the same distorted judgement and values they already held. If you couldn't prove it using the limits of their thinking- no sale. I had psychologists taking my classes, some asking how I accomplished what I did without their help- but they all said it was a waste of time to simply give the truth to people as expect them to consider it fairly. As one said, the best you can do is manipulate them into a position where they have a chance to see it on their own, and then hope for good luck.

Nature teaches with the simple rule of learn- or lose. It's not ambiguous, it's pretty much absolute. Some lose, but those who survive do indeed learn and thrive, and as a result the entire species thrives. When people are desperate enough, they will consider alternatives that otherwise would never be on their table. Trouble is- we feel sorry for desperate people, and ease the very pressure that will open their minds.... and what we really do with that helping hand is enable them to avoid facing truth, while we tell ourselves we are caring and loving people. Bad choice; we don't understand the difference between a hand-up and a hand-out, and the results of those two are totally opposite.

Nature has had millions of species which all thrived without the myriad of props and tools we use to try to make ourselves responsible. They have no laws, no courts, no gods or religions. They don't poison their world, don't declare war of others not having any immediate threat to them, and the don't use up all the natural resources. Even now, or game officials have realized that the best thing we can do to preserve nature is to not interfere- and stay the hell out of the way. There are times with people when that is exactly the right thing to do too- but we aren't smart enough to know that.
I learned in part, by looking at the success of nature- and asking myself what those creatures knew that we didn't know. It's around us all the time- and we simply don't see it.