tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764506766343254616.post8133785039966776937..comments2024-03-26T14:20:38.103-04:00Comments on The Thought Criminal: Did Someone Really Say That? Atrios? Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4764506766343254616.post-2807324868154729032017-02-04T22:28:33.256-05:002017-02-04T22:28:33.256-05:00The most interesting thing about Trump is that he ...The most interesting thing about Trump is that he proves the danger of extremism to extremists who won't take the lesson. Nothing Trump insists on isn't insisted on, if only in opposition, by "progressives" on the internet who insist, a la Trump, that is must be their way or the highway, and that only grand conspiracies (the DNC! Clinton! Wall Street!) stand in the way of their complete success and transformation of the country into at least a demi-paradise.<br /><br />Precisely, IOW, what Trump think he was elected to do, and is doing, if not for those meddling "so-called" judges!<br /><br />So, as you say, what ideology does deliver the perfection that religion fails to deliver? Of course, the first tenet of Xianity (at least) is humility; not superiority. You cannot claim your ideas are superior without making yourself superior (Xians have been trying to square that circle for millennia, and those who insist it can be done are wrong). Xianity is not about power, and the first mistake is to think it is, or it can be.<br /><br />Xianity is not meant to be a moral doctrine used as a club against others. But to use it in a democracy to insist that your representatives represent your interests: well, what's the harm in that? True, Xians like Mike Pence think their interests are practically antithetical to what I think mine are, but that makes neither of us less Christian.<br /><br />And as for forcing "conservatives" out of the political dialogue because you don't agree with them and don't want them having any power, well, as I say....sounds like Trump to me.<br /><br />"You win in politics by putting together more votes." And that means you appeal to as many people as you reasonably can. The idea that Xianity keeps people from having terrible thoughts, though: well, that's not even Xian. Hell, Xians sometimes think they invented terrible thoughts. Ask Luther: it's what drove him to his doctrine of justification by faith.<br /><br />OTOH, I don't want Democrats to "pretend to love Jesus more." I don't want them to care about Xianity at all. I prefer they call it common decency, common humanity, common interests. That's as a party.<br /><br />Individually, Democrats are welcome to pester their Senators and Representatives and Governors on any basis whatsoever. But nothing elevates the morals of one group above another. That's, in fact, a thought basic to Christianity. The moment you think you are first, you are last.<br /><br />I should have thought that was obvious by now.Rmjhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06811456254443706479noreply@blogger.com